My Baptism

Last night was the night. The night I was Baptized. And I have to say that it felt great. And the more and more I think about it, I thank my mom and dad. Why do I thank them? I thank them because they let it be MY decision. Not THEIR decision. They didn't baptize me when I was a baby. The decision was left up to me. And I feel that it has more significance in MY life because it was MY decision. Unlike some other faiths, we as Christians get baptized after salvation. And you have to understand what salvation is and means. And as babies we just don't understand that quite yet. Obviously there were no babies at my baptism. We believe in full immersion (under the water). But there were people of all ages. And I loved that. There were kids who were 6 and 7 years old. Adults who were in their 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's and even 60's. I just relished the fact that in all these generations of people, all these people were coming to be baptized. Everyone was there out of love. Everyone had a different story. But we all had the same story. We all love Jesus and want to have that personal relationship with Him. And that's what it is all about. Our relationship with Him.

Sunday, June 29, 2008. It was a special day!

Check out my baptism here http://www.fbcw.org/media/mediacenter/ondemand.html?detail&id=363

Just Being Real!

This post is all about me. My faith. Lack of my faith. My spiritual journey. Being real. Getting real. My heart. Here it is.

My life changed on Father's Day. June 15, 2008! First, let me give you some background on my faith. I was raised loving God. I have always had a heart for God. Somewhere along the way, I lost that love. Why? I don't know. What I do know is that I wanted to change it. I have wanted to change that for a long time. While living in Vegas, we attended church. While living in Fresno, we attended church more actively. Getting our girls dedicated. I was involved with some MOM groups and even volunteered in different areas in the church. I really enjoyed Northside Christian Church in Clovis. Great people. A great church. But there was something missing in my heart. And after years and years of self exploration, I knew what it was. Jesus!

(Here is the email I sent to my family and close friends):

I want to share something with you that i have wanted to do for a long time and finally made the decision to do. on june 15 (father's day) i publicy and officially asked Jesus into my heart (in front of thousands of people. our church is quite large!). i feel that i have done this before as a child and maybe even as a teen, however, i wanted to remember this special event in my life and KNOW that june 15, 2008 was the day that i was saved! i was the girl at the very top of the balcony with sweaty palms and tears running down my cheeks and as the invitation song played to come forward, i did. and i'm so glad i did. i can't tell you how many times i have been wanting to do this. i made up every excuse in the book. this time there were no excuses. God was calling me and i couldn't resist Him any longer. so i began my journey down to ask Jesus into my heart. so even though it was on father's day, this will be a day that i will forever celebrate. the next step in my spiritual journey is being baptized . i will be baptized this sunday at the 6pm church service. being so far away from my dear family and friends during these special times in my life is hard. but i find comfort in your love and just knowing you are there in my heart. if you want to view the baptism live (sunday at 6pm EST. 3pm PST) you can. just go to http://www.fbcw.org/ and find the link to that particular day and service (look for podcasts/webcasts links). if you can't view it live, check back a few days later on the website to view it. this will be an amazing day for me and i appreciate all your love, support and prayers. i'm ready for this. my heart is in the right place.

For all of you who might be in a similar place as me, one thing I want to say to you, is don't feel embarassed. Don't be ashamed. Just be you! Show your heart. Feel your heart. And listen to your heart. You will know when it's right. Whether you are 11 or 31 (like me!) or 61, it doesn't matter. I know many people who might have asked Jesus into their hearts as children but want to REALLY ask Him into their hearts or KNOW for sure as adults and there is nothing wrong with that. So if you are that girl at the top of the balcony like me or the girl in the front row not sure where you stand with God, please go to Him. Go and talk to Him. Your life will be forever changed. And you will be so grateful. So very grateful. I am.

Just Like You!

This morning as I was brushing my girls goldie locks, I got to one of her many knots and she yelped, " ouchyyyyyyyyyy." I said, "I'm sorry baby. I'm just trying to get the knots out of your hair. And then she said, "That's okay mommy. I just want to be pretty. Like you." Oh my goodness did she melt my heart in that moment. I hope she knows how pretty she is no matter how many "knots" she might have!

We heart Georgia pines

One thing we love about Georgia is those tall Georgia pines. They are beautiful and green, green, green. My girls love the pinecones too. Collecting them has been a favorite. We have many "nature trails" in our subdivision and we hope to go down to one this weekend to see some fireflies. I guess the true "southerners" call them lighting bugs. What do you call them?

I Heart Daddy!

We had a fun day celebrating "Daddy." We went to church (I have another post about this. Later) and had a lovely morning. The girls wore jean skirts and t-shirts that read "I Heart Daddy." They looked super cute and we hope we made him feel very special on HIS day. We went to lunch at one of our favorite after-church spots where they have TVS in EVERY booth in the restaurant. Very cool with the kiddos. Later that day, he went golfing with his buddies. A must have when you are a golfer and on Father's day. How did you celebrate the Daddy in your life?

This one is for you Uncle Jon!

One thing about my girl is that she treasures her gifts from Uncle Jon. He has sent her two ARMY tee's and she just loves them. The other day when I told her to go and get dressed, this is what she came down wearing. I couldn't resist just letting her wear this outfit. Even though it doesn't match perfectly, it reminds her of her Uncle. And I love that. And even though he is in the good 'ole OK (Oklahoma), everytime she wears this shirt she tells everyone she knows who got her this shirt. Her Uncle Jon. And even though Uncle Jon will soon be deployed to Iraq defending my girls freedom, she loves him just like she saw him yesterday. And that is what matters most.

Damage Control

The title should speak for itself. As I was taking my shower this morning, my girl comes to me and yells through the shower door...."Mommy, Sissy has damage." Yes, she said "damage." I laughed. Anytime Sissy has a "poopy diaper" and my hubby is around, he always calls it "damage." I just have never heard my girl call it "damage." Should of known that someone is ALWAYS listening. Those little ears. Those little ears.

Here's to a damage-free day. Well, maybe we want SOME damage because we all know how the little ones get if they have NO damage.