Maybe you see from other posts and comments that I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christian woman.
Maybe that connects with you and maybe that doesn’t.
When I started this blog I didn’t really have any intention of sharing about my faith.
I love and accept everyone and didn’t want to deter readers based on my religious beliefs.
However, as I grow in my spiritual maturity. I know my faith in God through Jesus Christ is the most important thing in my life and the filter I make every decision through. So I thought it was time I share that with you.
God had given me a boldness I never had before and I want everyone to know His great love.
So let’s start with my story.
I grew up in a non-religious home however, I did go to Catholic school because my mom thought it was a better school system than the public school. I always believed in God but never had a personal relationship like I do now.
In my teen years, I was walking a dangerous path that many teens do. Lots of partying and poor decisions that I regret. I know my parents feared for what I would end up like. This was part of the reason they moved me from a large city to a smaller town.
Hating them at the time but now in hindsight, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
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I met my now husband at 17 years old. We hit it off the first time we met and I have loved him ever since.
I let go of friendships and lifestyle choices because of him. My friends didn’t understand it but I knew there was something special about this guy and I didn’t care if I lost friends over him.
I had other boyfriends before him and it was always easy. I was “popular” and “fun” and “pretty” and always had guys interested in me. But it wasn’t easy with him.
Although I could tell he liked me, there were months and months of hanging out before he asked me to be his girlfriend. I was so frustrated.
Then shortly before we made it official, he explained to me that his dad was a pastor and his family was “different” and that he couldn’t date me unless he knew it was going to be serious.
Head over heels for him, I told him none of that worried me and I just wanted to be with him.
He asked me on April 15th 2004 when we were 17 and 19 years old to be his girlfriend. After over 4 months of hanging out every day from after school til late into the night.
I was so happy. He did like me. He did want to be together.
I still remember the way I screamed out loud after I dropped him off at his house that night.
Little did I know what God had in plan for my life.
About a month later I met his whole family all at once. It was his mom’s 50th surprise birthday party. I remember her praying and having tears in my eyes about the way she talked about his family and God’s love for them. Something I certainly was not used to.
After the party, the Sunday evening church service was about to start. Greg would normally leave me to attend church. He hung out with me all the time but never missed church in the morning or evening on Sundays.
This day he asked me to come. I remember being so nervous about what I should wear and I lost the short shorts and crop top and put on a long dress and sweater.
I was so moved by the testimony time that others were sharing about how God was working in their lives. It was nothing like the Catholic mass I was used to.
I started going to church with Greg every week from that point out and by the winter I had learned and wanted to know more about Jesus.
I prayed and asked the Lord into my life in December of 2004
I thank God every day for giving me my husband at a critical time in my life.
Over the next few years, we were together non stop. I was learning about Jesus and studying my bible but was still living like a typical teenager in some ways.
We went on our first missions trips (of many) together which completely changed my life. Things really started to change.
We got engaged the day before I turned 22 and married 6 months later on May 30th 2009.
God continued to work in both of our lives.
We lost our first child in January of 2011. Although devastated this only brought me closer to the Lord.
We had Lilia in January of 2012 and I saw my husband become laser focused on the Bible and he started listening to sermons and reading biblical books all of the time.
We had Marissa in June of 2013 and our desire to live a Godly life intensified ever more.
In 2014 I felt that God was calling us to a new city. We were financially struggling and It was about time I had to head back to work after Marissa. I knew I was meant to be at home with them.
We moved half an hour away from our families and church and started going to a new church where God exploded our faith. We met Christian friends which was something we never really had. It was so refreshing to hang out with people that got our beliefs and raised their children as we did.
We started foster parenting because we feel very strongly about orphan care and felt the calling that God wants us to care for orphans. (James 1:27)
It is so interesting to look back and see how God has orchestrated every moment of our lives.
Our lives are changed because of the Lord and I am thankful every day for that.
I am thankful for the perfect “self-help and development book” we have in the bible. I am thankful for the perspective of living like Jesus has given us. I am thankful to raise our daughters in the church and pray that because of that they won’t make the same mistakes I did.
I am thankful that in every hard thing I can pray.
People ask me how I don’t worry about things, or how I am so peaceful and content, or how our marriage is so strong, or how we foster and I only have one answer for that.
Jesus.
I strive every day to live a Godly life. To live in a way that honors God. I fail all the time. I am an imperfect sinner but God is so good and so gracious. I worship Him and Him alone. I don’t know where I would be without the Lord and I truly do not understand how people live without Him.
If you have any questions I would be happy to discuss things with you.
