My spiritual life started from the day I was born.  When I was an infant, my Aunt or my cousin would take turns taking me to church.  Growing up as a child, my mother would always send me to Sunday School and to Vacation Bible School along with my brother, even though there would be times when my mother wouldn't even go to church, but she would always send us.  I was always active in the church as a child by singing alto part in the choir and
participating in plays and speeches.

At the age of 13 years old I was baptized by emersion in water at that same Baptist church that I went to as a baby.  My father and his mother went to a Methodist church and sometimes my brother and I would visit there, but before he died we all did end up going to the same church which was the Baptist church. I can remember receiving a letter from my father (and my father never wrote letters), he only wrote me two, which I still have today.  In one of the letters he was telling me that he was getting baptized again at the Baptist church. At this time I was living in the state of Georgia where my son was born.

Not too long ago I received a similar letter from my mother saying that she had rededicated her life.  My mother has been away from the church for quite some time, but she always use to tell me you don't have to go to church to believe.  I always think of that scripture "Train up a child in the way he should go and he shall never depart from it" so she always sent me and my brother to church.  I always felt over the years, for quite some time now, that I have had one foot in and one foot out when it comes to my spiritual life. I asked the Lord for forgiveness for my sins and I asked the Lord to save me and I thank The Lord for all of his blessings, but I always felt that whenever I got put through a test that I failed and I know that I need to keep the faith.

When I think about the statement that my mom said, "how you don't have to go to church to believe," that may be true but I know that if you don't study the Bible, pray and live by the Bible, go to Sunday School, to church, to Praise and Worship and to Bible Study that you can have one foot in and one foot out.  I listen to Pastor Pete's sermons and I always take notes, and I always take heed, but I also always had seemed to loose my faith.  I got baptized again by sprinkling of the water this past March and I know once you are saved that you aren't always saved.

I feel that I am a good woman but I want to be able to say that I am a good Christian woman.  I am saved and not worried about leaving this life here on earth. Pastor Pete's sermon this past Sunday, July 11, 1999 was about "First Things" in putting God first in your life and then other things you need will come. After church we had choir practice and I felt like that teenager up in that choir again. I got up the next morning and was sharing that message with everyone, telling them that this was the "Thought of the Day." Who should come first in your life and telling them that it should be God and then other things you need will come.Also letting people know that I am going to put God first in my life. I am going to grow spiritually and I am going to say that I am a good Christian woman and a saved woman and that I am not worried about this life here on earth anymore. I thank God that my parents did send me to church as that little girl. There have been so many tests that have been in my life, if I told them all I would be writing a book. I just thank God that He is an on time God, yes He is.
He may not come when you want Him, but He'll be there right on time.
He's an on time God, yes he is!
 
 

 
 

 Get Your...