Faithful Fridays

There are several blogs that I like to read and gain inspiration from (I have just a few on the side of my page, there is actually more than that), and one of the blogs has a page called Faith Filled Fridays.  I really like the idea of that, and I hope they do not mind if I "steal" their idea.  Religion in the last couple years has become very important to our family and I would love to talk about it here on Fridays.  I am not like some, and do not like to "cram" my religion in other people's faces, but it really is important to me.

I would like to start my first Faithful Friday with a little about myself and my journey to become a Christian.  When I was ten years old, I was baptized into the LDS faith.  Honestly, I think I did this mostly to satisfy my family that was pushing me to attend their church.  At that time in my life, I wanted to appease everyone, wanting everyone to be happy with me and not making waves.  As a teenager of about 16, I decided that the LDS church was not for me.  I did not believe in their church, religion, and their teachings. 

The next several years, I did not really believe in anything.  I did not think that there was a God or Jesus. During this time, I met and married my best friend Brian.  When we met, Brian was a Roman Catholic.  Since religion was important to him, we decided that when raising our children to know about God and Jesus, but also my thoughts on religion.  That way, when they were older they could decide for themselves what they believed in.  Over the first few years of marriage, we would attend Catholic mass occasionally, but never regularly.  After about 5-6 years of marriage, we ended up wanting to go to church services more regularly, but never found a Catholic church that we really liked.

In 2008, we moved our family from Lakeside, California to a town in Utah.  Knowing that the LDS faith was prevalent in Utah, we immediately felt the need to find a good church to call our own.  We compiled a list of different churches, looking at different denominations of Christian faiths.  The first church we looked at was a very small non-denominational church just a mile from our house.  This church was completely different than any church we had been to in the past.  After the services were over, Brian and I looked at each other and both just felt that this was the right church for us.  They were very welcoming, had a wonderful music program, and we loved the message the Pastor gave.  That Sunday, we decided to stay with that church, and to stop of search.

Now, do not get me wrong.  I did not become a Christian that fast.  It has been a very long process of praying and sorting through things in my mind.  Two years after moving to Utah, Brian and Prince both accepted that Jesus was their savior, and accepted God's grace into their lives.  It was wonderful watching my two boys go through that, but initially, it left me with more questions.  At that point, we were involved with our church and I was definitely coming to know God, but was not there yet.  Finally, by the summer of 2011, I fully accepted God's grace and that Jesus was my savior.  I know that without Jesus, I would not be able to go to heaven someday.  I know that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, even though he was sinless.  It is only by accepting God's grace that I can be forgiven for my sins, because I am a sinner with a sinner's mind.  So, thank you Jesus for dieing on the cross so that I could be forgiven.

Princess was baptized the same day I was.  It was a wonderful experience, only made better by the fact that my wonderful husband was the one to baptize us.  (He also baptized our son!)  We were surrounded by family, church family, and friends.  Overall, I am so grateful for our home church and the teachings they have taught us.

 Romans 3:22-24
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (NASB)

1 John 3:17-18
17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. (NASB)

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (ESV)