"Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
I got baptized today! It was amazing, such a great feeling to know that I have declared my love and faithfulness to the Lord and that I am a new person, starting a new chapter in my life. The love and support from my friends and family has been great and I'm so encouraged to just get my life organized and all fixed up and start living my life in a way that I know will honour God.
Today was just a great day and I wish I could have spent more of it in celebration with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but stuff came up and it didn't work out. But that's alright because I think we're going to plan a baptism party...haha that would be fun!
I don't really have much to say about other things....an update on my dad is that he finally got a surgery date (June 21st) so that the doctors can go in there and remove his kidney that has the cancer in it. He is doing well considering everything, I just hope and pray that the surgery goes well, that they get out everything they have to get, and that he recovers quickly and smoothly. I know God will be there and be with us.
Thanks for reading, until next time, God Bless.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
My Testimony
May 13, 2007
My Testimony
As I think back on the beginning of my spiritual life, I find it a little difficult to say exactly where is first begun. It could have began when my parents had me baptized into the Roman Catholic faith when I was just a baby, but although my parents intentions were good, I have trouble accepting that being baptized out of someone else’s’ choice for you, is right.
I didn’t really grow up in a religious home, even though I was baptized, so my spiritual life kind of developed in spurts and there was always one main character in my life that brought me there. As I look back on it now, it kind of seems as though God was placing these individuals in my life to lead me to Him.
But things would change and the friendships ended, but I never stopped believing in God. But because my friend, who brought me to church, was out of my life, I’d stop going to church too.
Throughout these spurts of my growing Christian life, I’d have to say that the first time I really saw and understood God, was when I went on a kind of Mission trip with my youth group when I was in grade 6 or 7 to Calgary. I did lots of volunteer work and helping others. I also saw some things that maybe I wasn’t ready to see, like poverty, people working the streets, others using the public payphones to call their drug dealers, and a beat up couch behind a building with broken needles lying around it.
Now, please don’t be frightened or concerned, when I saw these things, I was with a big group of people and the people who knew and patrolled that specific downtown area were guiding us and they didn’t bring us close to anything that would have put someone in danger. But it was at this time that I really prayed and prayed and I was so thankful for the life God had given me but at the same time, I cried for those people who didn’t know God and who lived the way I saw in downtown Calgary that night.
My next big experience in my faith was when another friend of mine invited me to his small, but growing Youth group. I was in grade 8 at the time and I found that this was a place where I discovered and accepted one of the gifts God had given me. It was the gift of singing and praising Him. I became the lead singer of my youth band and I sang every youth night and I had really felt like it fit perfectly.
Unfortunately, once again, stuff happened and I turned away from the church and my friendships with the people I went to youth with, ended.
It was 4 years after that when God placed a new person in my life to bring me back to Him. That’s how I ended up here, at Morrow Gospel, because of that friend whom I’m so thankful for. And finally once again, it feels right.
I started to keep a prayer journal soon after I started coming here and there is an entry in it I’d like to share, it shows that I have truly accepted God into my life and I needed to put it in writing so that I could look back on it whenever I needed to. The entry is this;
“Jesus said, ‘In the same way God’s angels are happy when even one person turns to him’ Luke 5:10
Dear Lord,
Tonight my friend asked me if I had made it official and asked You into my heart and life for good and I couldn’t really recall actually putting it into words, like I know that You are in my heart and life Lord, but I think that just for my sake, I’d like to put this prayer down so that I know that I have asked You into my heart and life officially and for good, so here it goes…My Lord, Jesus Christ, You are my saviour and my God and I know that You died to save me from my sins so that I could be free to live in Your way and have eternal life. I pray to You and ask You to please forgive all of my sins and forget my foolish thoughts and choices I have made in the past. Cleanse me of my old self and allow me to grow into a new pure person for You, God. Please come into my heart and life completely and be with me always. I’m reaching out to You, Lord. Please take my hand. I’m turning to You and I want to make You proud. I love You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen”
There are many passages in the bible that I love and speak to me, but the one I chose to share today is; “You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer all your prayers. You will worship me with your whole heart and I’ll be with you…” Jeremiah 29:12-13.
Thank you all for listening and thank you even more for your kindness and making me feel welcome here. God bless.
My Testimony
As I think back on the beginning of my spiritual life, I find it a little difficult to say exactly where is first begun. It could have began when my parents had me baptized into the Roman Catholic faith when I was just a baby, but although my parents intentions were good, I have trouble accepting that being baptized out of someone else’s’ choice for you, is right.
I didn’t really grow up in a religious home, even though I was baptized, so my spiritual life kind of developed in spurts and there was always one main character in my life that brought me there. As I look back on it now, it kind of seems as though God was placing these individuals in my life to lead me to Him.
But things would change and the friendships ended, but I never stopped believing in God. But because my friend, who brought me to church, was out of my life, I’d stop going to church too.
Throughout these spurts of my growing Christian life, I’d have to say that the first time I really saw and understood God, was when I went on a kind of Mission trip with my youth group when I was in grade 6 or 7 to Calgary. I did lots of volunteer work and helping others. I also saw some things that maybe I wasn’t ready to see, like poverty, people working the streets, others using the public payphones to call their drug dealers, and a beat up couch behind a building with broken needles lying around it.
Now, please don’t be frightened or concerned, when I saw these things, I was with a big group of people and the people who knew and patrolled that specific downtown area were guiding us and they didn’t bring us close to anything that would have put someone in danger. But it was at this time that I really prayed and prayed and I was so thankful for the life God had given me but at the same time, I cried for those people who didn’t know God and who lived the way I saw in downtown Calgary that night.
My next big experience in my faith was when another friend of mine invited me to his small, but growing Youth group. I was in grade 8 at the time and I found that this was a place where I discovered and accepted one of the gifts God had given me. It was the gift of singing and praising Him. I became the lead singer of my youth band and I sang every youth night and I had really felt like it fit perfectly.
Unfortunately, once again, stuff happened and I turned away from the church and my friendships with the people I went to youth with, ended.
It was 4 years after that when God placed a new person in my life to bring me back to Him. That’s how I ended up here, at Morrow Gospel, because of that friend whom I’m so thankful for. And finally once again, it feels right.
I started to keep a prayer journal soon after I started coming here and there is an entry in it I’d like to share, it shows that I have truly accepted God into my life and I needed to put it in writing so that I could look back on it whenever I needed to. The entry is this;
“Jesus said, ‘In the same way God’s angels are happy when even one person turns to him’ Luke 5:10
Dear Lord,
Tonight my friend asked me if I had made it official and asked You into my heart and life for good and I couldn’t really recall actually putting it into words, like I know that You are in my heart and life Lord, but I think that just for my sake, I’d like to put this prayer down so that I know that I have asked You into my heart and life officially and for good, so here it goes…My Lord, Jesus Christ, You are my saviour and my God and I know that You died to save me from my sins so that I could be free to live in Your way and have eternal life. I pray to You and ask You to please forgive all of my sins and forget my foolish thoughts and choices I have made in the past. Cleanse me of my old self and allow me to grow into a new pure person for You, God. Please come into my heart and life completely and be with me always. I’m reaching out to You, Lord. Please take my hand. I’m turning to You and I want to make You proud. I love You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen”
There are many passages in the bible that I love and speak to me, but the one I chose to share today is; “You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer all your prayers. You will worship me with your whole heart and I’ll be with you…” Jeremiah 29:12-13.
Thank you all for listening and thank you even more for your kindness and making me feel welcome here. God bless.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Testimony Time!
Ok, so I have just finished writing my testimony that I am sharing in church tomorrow, I'd love to post it on here, but I figure that it would be better to do that after I've read it in church so that no one gets any sneak peaks, haha.
But I will post it here afterwards, I promise.
I didn't find it hard to write, because I had been thinking about it for a while, but I am worried that it is a little long and maybe confusing abit? I hope it goes over alright.
Please pray for me!
Until next time, God Bless.
But I will post it here afterwards, I promise.
I didn't find it hard to write, because I had been thinking about it for a while, but I am worried that it is a little long and maybe confusing abit? I hope it goes over alright.
Please pray for me!
Until next time, God Bless.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Guidance Is Needed
As I posted in my last blog, I have just about finished filling out all my forms for camp...when something comes up that makes me second guess going. And before any of you get upset, or concerned, or anything like that, I need you to know that, although the reasoning behind my choice will be hard to accept, I feel like it needs to be done.
I apologize for being so vague, but I know that the person it concerns, probably wouldn't appreciate me talking about him on my blog in a way that may make others....possibly, not so happy with him. But I beg of you, if it ever comes known about who or why I have chosen to second guess going to Beaver Creek, don't blame him for my decision.
Instead now, I guess I'm going to try to look for something else to do over the summer that would help me to grow in my spiritual life, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. As I was thinking about all of this I found this verse in the bible, and I'd just like to share it;
"Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." (Psalm 31:3)
I also had a pretty stressful day, today. I felt like, I'm juggling too much and I don't have enough, time, energy, or the physical capability to please everyone. As much as I want to be able to be there for everyone, and help anyone out who needs it, I just can't and I couldn't help but feel upset about that today.
I really do need God as my rock and fortress right now. I need Him for guidance to lead me to a summer in which I can honor him, and guide me down a path that may lead to less stress and worry. My friends, I humbly ask, please pray for me. Thank you.
Until next time, God Bless.
I apologize for being so vague, but I know that the person it concerns, probably wouldn't appreciate me talking about him on my blog in a way that may make others....possibly, not so happy with him. But I beg of you, if it ever comes known about who or why I have chosen to second guess going to Beaver Creek, don't blame him for my decision.
Instead now, I guess I'm going to try to look for something else to do over the summer that would help me to grow in my spiritual life, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. As I was thinking about all of this I found this verse in the bible, and I'd just like to share it;
"Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." (Psalm 31:3)
I also had a pretty stressful day, today. I felt like, I'm juggling too much and I don't have enough, time, energy, or the physical capability to please everyone. As much as I want to be able to be there for everyone, and help anyone out who needs it, I just can't and I couldn't help but feel upset about that today.
I really do need God as my rock and fortress right now. I need Him for guidance to lead me to a summer in which I can honor him, and guide me down a path that may lead to less stress and worry. My friends, I humbly ask, please pray for me. Thank you.
Until next time, God Bless.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Random Updates
So Chad gave me an application form to fill out in order to work at Beaver Creek Bible Camp this summer. I was really excited about it because I thought that I had finally found a way that I could spend the summer growing in my relationship with God and doing something not only to benefit my spiritual life but also the lives of others. I've started filling it out and I all I really need left are my references, my police check, and 3 people willing to pray for me everyday while I'm there.
I was also going to put that I'm available for the whole 5 weeks of camp, but something new has come up. A very good job opportunity in which I could be making some very nice money and also getting prepared for apprenticeship and working my way to my career that I've been working hard for. It's a very good opportunity, and not something to just pass up, so I'm going to have to re-think my camp availability.
I'm eager for school to be done, the weather is getting nicer and I long to be outside in God's beautiful nature. The youth from church is going to the park this Friday, I'm very excited for that, it's always good times when I hang out with my friends from youth. I'm so blessed to have been accepted and welcomed into their group, and many of them have given me so much encouragement.
I give my Baptism Testimony next Sunday (not this coming Sunday, next Sunday: the 13th) I've been thinking lots about since I first started going to the Christian Life Classes, so I pray that it all comes together nicely once I decide to sit down and write it.
A friend of mine is kind of going through a tough time right now. His grandpa is really sick, and possibly going to be returning home to the Lord soon, so he is feeling quite down and not his usual self, so I ask for prayer for my friend and his family as they go through this tough time.
"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." (Isaiah 33:2)
Forgive me for all the random updates, but I've been neglecting my blog lately so here it all is. Thank you to my readers and my friends for prayer, support, and encouragement.
Until next time, God Bless.
I was also going to put that I'm available for the whole 5 weeks of camp, but something new has come up. A very good job opportunity in which I could be making some very nice money and also getting prepared for apprenticeship and working my way to my career that I've been working hard for. It's a very good opportunity, and not something to just pass up, so I'm going to have to re-think my camp availability.
I'm eager for school to be done, the weather is getting nicer and I long to be outside in God's beautiful nature. The youth from church is going to the park this Friday, I'm very excited for that, it's always good times when I hang out with my friends from youth. I'm so blessed to have been accepted and welcomed into their group, and many of them have given me so much encouragement.
I give my Baptism Testimony next Sunday (not this coming Sunday, next Sunday: the 13th) I've been thinking lots about since I first started going to the Christian Life Classes, so I pray that it all comes together nicely once I decide to sit down and write it.
A friend of mine is kind of going through a tough time right now. His grandpa is really sick, and possibly going to be returning home to the Lord soon, so he is feeling quite down and not his usual self, so I ask for prayer for my friend and his family as they go through this tough time.
"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." (Isaiah 33:2)
Forgive me for all the random updates, but I've been neglecting my blog lately so here it all is. Thank you to my readers and my friends for prayer, support, and encouragement.
Until next time, God Bless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
