Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Jewish ... the list went on and on. Which one do I choose? I had a step-uncle who lived in Tennessee, and anytime as a child we would visit with them, he would encourage us kids to go to church with him. Therefore, I chose to attend a Baptist chapel that first Sunday of Basic Training.
The Pastor that morning was beginning a six week series on "God's Unconditional Love." I didn't even know the definition of the word "unconditional." Well, I learned. And did I learn! At the end of that six week series, I responded to an alter call, and publicly professed that I wanted to accept Christ into my life and asked him to save me! One week later, I boarded an Air Force bus, and was taken to the First Baptist Church of San Antonio, Texas, where I was baptized.
After Basic Training, I was stationed in Minot, North Dakota, guarding Minuteman missile silos. Because of my inconsistent schedule, I was only able to attend church on a intermittent schedule. But when I was able to attend, I did.
After my military service was over, I chose to move to Atlanta, Georgia, where I was born and many of my extended family members still lived. It was there that my spiritual growth finally began. I lived in a suburb of Dunwoody for a period of time and then moved to Marietta, GA.
From 1994 through 1997, I returned to the town in Maryland where I spent much of my youth. During that time, I joined a local church, and was later asked to take on the role of Youth Leader. I later became the Youth Leader for the entire local Baptist Association, a group of 14 churches. One of my primary responsibilities was to organize a monthly youth rally in a country retreat center. What started off with about 15 teenagers a month showing up grew, and grew very quickly. The final rally I assembled, there were approximately 1,500 in attendance. It was a rally in which teenagers would be able to play basketball, racquetball, and a number of other sports activities. At the end of each rally, I would have a different person share a devotion with the teens. Usually it would be someone such as a local basketball coach that the teenagers had respect for, and would listen intently. The number of teens showing up each month was not the important factor, but what was is the fact that by the end, around 50-75 teenagers a month were praying to receive Christ into their hearts!
I left Maryland and moved back to Georgia. It was during that time that I started dating Emily Bledsoe. Emily actually lived just outside of Birmingham, Alabama, a two hour drive from where I was living. I had met Emily several years earlier at a youth workers conference, and we had stayed in touch. While living back in Georgia, I would visit her as often as I could. For the first time in my life, I was truly falling in love. After dating for about a year, I asked Emily to marry me, and she said yes! About six months later, though, tragedy struck, and Emily was killed in a terrible jet skiing accident. As soon as I received the news, I drove straight to Hoover, Alabama, where she had been a youth Sunday School teacher. The pastor and youth pastor of that church met with me, and asked me to spend a week there as we would be going to each one of the teenagers homes from that church to minister to them, as Emily was so well loved by all of her students. That was a very trying week for me. I had to remain strong, although in hindsight, it kept me from grieving as I needed to do for myself.
When I returned back to Georgia, I was finally at a point where I could cry. And cry, and cry, and cry I did! But then I became very angry. Angry toward God! Emily was such a beautiful woman! She was my best friend! She was doing everything right for God ... why would he take her so young? (24 years young!) I went back to my home church in Atlanta, yet felt no comfort or support from the membership. Suddenly, my attendance began to dwindle mightily! I spent one more year there, and even decided to get Christian counselling for my depression. But it didn't work. I was getting worse and worse. Finally, after talking with a close friend, I decided to move to Austin, Texas to get a fresh start. I moved in with that friend in Austin. Things couldn't get any worse! Well, maybe they didn't get worse, but it definitely didn't get any better. I spent just two years in Austin, then on another whim decided to move to Columbus, Ohio. It was a no-brainer for me. I was already a Buckeye at heart (long story), so I would move to Columbus and be surrounded by a great sports loving city! This time, though, I was going to do things right. I decided to take a four day weekend and visit Columbus and where I would be living about six months prior to the move.
When I moved to Columbus, it was exactly as I thought it would be! I already had a couple of friends in Columbus who would keep me from getting bored and would help snap me out of any depression! But instead of returning my life to Christ, I became more and more devoted to my love for football, which would fill the giant hole in my heart. I did decide to visit a couple of churches, off and on, but nothing ever clicked with me. In the first ten years I lived in Columbus, I probably visited a church service about eight to ten times total. I later discovered that the reason I never felt His spirit at any of these churches was because I wasn't feeling it outside of church either. My daily time with God no longer existed. I still harbored bitterness towards God!
In 2013, things began to change. For the first time in years, I sat down and prayed. I asked God to forgive me. I felt His forgiveness instantly. During Christmas of 2012, a long time friend gave me a Kindle as a gift. I began to read. And a ton of reading I did!
March 31, 2013 (Easter Sunday), I finally decided to give another church a try. This time, the primary reason was to be a good influence on Jeremy, a 19 year old who has been living with me. Honestly, I was skeptical at first. After encountering so many not so positive experiences, I had serious doubts as to whether or not there was even a church in the whole state of Ohio that I would feel comfortable. Wow. Finally! Praise God! A church welcomed me (and Jeremy) with open arms! From the moment we first pulled into the parking lot, we felt God's spirit! The parking lot attendants, the door greeters, the coffee station attendants, the ushers, the music ministry leader, the Pastor ... total strangers, they ALL made us feel like we belonged there!
I have been attending every single week since. I also attended what they call a Discovery Seminar, to learn more about the history of that particular church, and their vision for the future. I have never felt as much love or felt God's spirit as much as I have attending Cypress Wesleyan Church!
But attending for the sake of attending isn't enough! This is a church that has actually taught me on my level ... a level of understanding that I can appreciate. My daily time with God has NEVER been this devoted as it has been the past two months. My praise and worship for Him has NEVER been on the level as it has been recently. Some people warn me that I am on a temporary high. But God tells me that this is real, and as long as I make Him first, this will sustain!
I am sharing this blog, because there is a group of people I want to publicly thank. Obviously, the Pastor. Ken Murphy. Pastor Ken, I thank you for your vision! Or, perhaps, I should say, thank you for sharing God's vision! Your heart and love for the Lord is very evident, and actually contagious! I also want to thank Mark Wilson, the music ministry leader. Mark, you are a true one of a kind! Jeremy and I met Mark immediately following the Easter Service, and he was so welcoming to us both! He made us feel right at home! The songs he chooses for the music portion of the services is always right on track! When he sang Big Daddy Weave's song, Redeemed, Jeremy actually had tears running down his cheeks! I want to thank Barry Hines, the church's finance guy! Barry agreed to meet with me at a local Tim Hortons for coffee, and allowed me to share part of my testimony ... then invited me to be a part of a Wednesday morning men's prayer/bible study time at the local Perkins restaurant. Karen Sexton ... thank you for reaching out! Karen is the church's outreach leader ... she contacted me on Facebook the day after I first attended. She says she remembered Jeremy and I because we were both wearing Buckeye ties that morning! Karen, thank you for your friendship since! Anytime I can't figure out where I am going within the church, you always help point me in the right direction! Julie Prater, thank you can't express it enough! As the church office head honcho administrator, you always have your hands full, but still have the time for a hearty smile and welcome whenever I see you! Susan Knight, the Adult Ministry leader, thank you for your smile and always encouraging words! You are better than coffee to help wake up a groggy old man! Serena Murphy, you Dunwoody Wildcat, your Southern roots are so apparent with your hospitality and Southern warmth! Thank you for your smile as well, and for brightening so many overcast days! To all of the parking lot attendants, to the welcome center volunteers, to the people working at the coffee booth, to the ushers, and everyone else that volunteers, I just want to shout out a huge THANK YOU!!!!! I look forward to continuing to grow in Christ with you as a member of the body of Christ!
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