Peace!

If you have read my 100 list or checked out my goals for this year you may have noticed that I have had a great desire to find a church to attend. A little background: Growing up we always went to church...meaning you had to be dying before my dad would let you stay home. My family actually helped begin a church in Maryland when I was about 4 and I was raised in a very religious home where God took center stage. When I was 7 I gave my life to the Lord and was very involved in children's church, youth groups, and when I got older helped to teach the little kiddos during Sunday School. Through the church I also had some really great friends...some of whom I still talk to today! However, when I was 11 my family had a falling out with the pastor and we left the church. I was devastated...mostly because my church friends were basically my family. Since I was homeschooled they were the only people my age who I had contact with regularly so severing those ties during my pre-teen years was not so much fun. For awhile my family looked for another church and finally settled down in one where my parents still attend today. I, however, never felt comfortable and had a hard time fitting in. Maybe it was me because I was used to being surrounded by people that I knew and here I was now the new kid. Anyways, I went to church with mom and dad until I moved out and then slowly became less involved in it. Dave on the other hand did not attend church regularly growing up and while we did attend occassionally with my parents, after we moved away it wasn't a pressing matter to find a new church. So we ended up using our Sunday's to spend time together, go away for weekends, and catch up on the week. Once I had Dylan, though, I began feeling that something was missing and I really wanted to raise him as God's child. I wanted him to know all about Jesus, hear all the bible stories, and sing bible songs. We visited churches around the area and found a new one that had a praise and worship service (love these) and a fun group for Dylan's age (2/3 at the time). However, the church began going in a different direction than Dave and I were comfortable with so we ended up leaving. Skip forward about a year later when we tried a church right up the street that had an amazing praise and worship service, but they did not have anything for Dylan's age. We went there regularly for a couple months with Dylan staying with us during the service, but I just kept thinking about how when I was his age I was listening to stories on felt boards, singing songs, making crafts, and just enjoying getting to know the Lord at my own level. I wanted Dylan to have this opportunity too. So we stopped going to the church and I continued searching the Internet and local papers for a church that would meet our needs.

Skip to yesterday...
We visited Bayshore Community Church, a church that is big into praise and worship and exuberates FUN! We dropped Zoe off in the 2 year old room and took Dylan to the children's church where they had the big boards painted like the characters from "Cars" and puppets warming up. He kept saying "Mommy this is so cool"! We got him signed in and then Dave and I headed to big people's church. The praise and worship was beautiful and I had such a sense of peace as I stood there singing and praising our Father. Pastor Danny's message was about how during times of adversity we just have to hang on and rely on God to take care of us. He read and referred back to a passage in II Samuel, but also added interesting stories and put it in real life perspective, which I greatly enjoyed. Once the service was over we headed to pick up the kids...Dylan was beside himself telling us he won a drag race and watched a hilarious puppet show and Zoe was thrilled to show us her bookmark that said "Jesus Love Me" and of course her cup of animal crackers too! I was so excited to see them enjoying church.

Now, I am ready to tackle this week and take on the world!