Welcome to my little corner of the internet, Road to Greater! This has been a long time coming. I have written more posts in my head than I care to admit, but for one reason or another they have yet to get out of my head and down on paper. Has that ever happened to you? Maybe it is because I had no idea how to get this little blog started. Writing the first post seemed to stump me every time.
A couple of years ago I started this blog and then deleted it all - too afraid to put it all out there for everyone to see. Afraid of what others would think. One way or another God kept bringing writing to the forefront of my mind. So here I am today, giving this thing another go!
I was raised in a Christian home. We went to church off and on throughout my childhood and said our prayers at night; however, having a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was something I knew nothing about. I always felt something was "missing." There was a void in my life. I attributed this to growing up in a broken home. The only memories I have of my parents are of them fighting. They separated once or twice in my early years and then for good the summer between my sixth and seventh grade year. I always felt this "tug" at my heart to go to church and read my bible, but didn't really know what to do with it. When I was in high school my Dad gave his life to Jesus Christ. He gave me my first bible on Father's Day in 1997 - the summer before my senior year in high school. I wish I could say that was the turning point in my spiritual journey, but that is not the case. I finished high school and went on to college living a life very different than the one Jesus calls us to live. Sure, I was a "good" person. I made good grades. I worked hard at my various part time jobs. I was a good friend. There continued to be a void in my life and that tug at my heart I had felt as a child. I spent many years trying to fill that void with earthly things such as boys, alcohol, drugs, and material things.
During college I started dating the most wonderful guy. Trent and I were friends for about a year before we started dating. He was kind, loving, giving - the most selfless person I had ever known. About a year after graduation and three years of dating, Trent and I were married on June 21, 2003. I couldn't believe I married a real life prince charming! I was so excited to build the family with him I had always longed for.
Much like myself, Trent was raised in a Christian home. He grew up Southern Baptist and his grandparents on both sides of his family were very strong Christians. Somewhere along the way, Trent's parents stopped going to church and much like myself Trent grew further away from the church. Our lives changed about two years into our marriage with the birth of our first child, Ava. It was obvious God was using Ava to draw us closer to Him. We started seeing things in a whole new light. It was as if God opened our eyes during that first year of Ava's life to the beauty and wonder of Him and His creation. We joined the church we had been attending and had fallen in love with. I joined a women's bible study and began learning what it means to be in community with other Christians.
Looking back it is easy to say that my walk with Jesus Christ began after our first child was born. The truth is Jesus has been there with me from the beginning. Those little tugs at my heart as a child. The chills that would run through my body during worship time at church. The little whispers I would hear. I now know He has been with me all along.
I hope you will check back with me periodically as I document my road to greater. My prayer is that God will use me and this little piece of the world wide web to help open your eyes to how He has been there with you from the beginning and will continue to be there today, tomorrow, and forever.
