Basic Training

      I am so happy to report that yesterday my husband and I started a new class at church. It is called "Basic Training: Getting Established in the Essentials of Following Jesus"! This is a ten week course, and at first that sounded really daunting, however, I am soooo excited! I think it is something we need. Jesus has saved me, and my heart has changed drastically in the last few weeks, but I still feel stupid when it comes to Christianity. Because of that, I tend to hold back instead of jumping in wholeheartedly and sharing my love for the Lord.
      Let me explain, I grew up Catholic; I even went to a Catholic school from 5th to 7th grade. I enjoyed many things about St. John Vianney {GO COMETS} but I never got into Catholicism. I always felt like it wasn't for me; I felt like I was forced into it by my parents. Because of those feelings, I never took religion class or mass seriously. I never tried to learn the Bible. Finally, in high school, my parents allowed me to branch out and I started searching for my place. I went to a different church every Sunday with each of my friends, and while I liked most of the services more than mass, it wasn't enough to make me committed. In college, a friend of mine got me involved in a Christian group on campus and I enjoyed it, but mostly for the social aspect. However, after freshman year, that friend and I started to grow apart and in turn I stopped going to group. I met my husband right before sophomore year of college and knowing he grew up religious I tried to follow him and take part in religion mostly to impress him or make him happy. It never felt real. Then, we moved to VA, got married, and felt alone down here so we jumped into the first church we were invited to. At first I enjoyed it, but again it was mostly for the social aspect. That quickly faded and we stopped going. With all that experimenting and testing the waters here and there, I never tried to learn; I never read the Bible; I never committed to it.
      What is different this time? LOTS! After this two year journey with TTC, everything changed for me. I am finally to the place I need to be to accept the Lord. My faith had been tested over and over again; I realized it probably was never there to begin with. And this time, we went to church for us to find what we've been missing and searching for. And it's been AMAZING!
      Anyway, I just wanted to share because I am so excited about this new class, and church, and all I'm learning about my faith and myself!