It was a Wonderful Day!!!

May 25, 2008

I just have to tell ya, today was a grand day!!!!

I slept in....

I got to go to prayer hour at church...

I heard an amazing sermon...

Lazed around in the afternoon...

Enjoyed a ministry meeting...

AND THEN!!!!!

I GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!

AMAZING!!!!!

So here is my attempt to put into words my experience Sunday night. Well, actually, I may have to go back to the beginning of my journey when I got saved.

My story: (I'll try to make it abbreviated)
It was the summer of 2000, Father's Day to be exact. I was 37 1/2 weeks pregnant with our little girl, Rayin, when I delivered her preterm stillbirth. That truly was the very beginning.

We moved to a suburb of Denver 2 weeks later, where Darrin and I both began new jobs. Doing absolutely everything they tell you NOT to do after a traumatic death, we continued on.

It was that February that my cousins invited me on a retreat. It was called Encountering God. Phew! It was so good and it was the first time that I had EVER felt the Lord speak to me! And do you know what He told me! That He loved me, that He never had left me, that He was crying with me and that He was right there and that He would never let me go!

Shortly after that, I began the study Experiencing God! That changed my life FOREVER!!! That is where I gave my life to Jesus and began a real, personal, and intimate relationship with my Saviour. Had I known of the Lord before? Yes! Had I believed in God since I was a kid? Yes! Do I believe that the Lord had been with me through my entire life? Yes! Did I KNOW Jesus personally? No, not until that point!!!

That's when I became a believer and "got" saved!!!!

2001 to 2008 is a LONG time! But boy has God changed me!!!!

Throughout that time, God has continued to speak to me, use me mold me, change me, ask me to do things that I would never have done, shown me things I had never seen, proved Himself over and over to me!!!!

One of the things that I loved most about what Butch said on Sunday night, was that the baptism isn't the beginning of the change, it's the obedience to what the Lord has already begun inside of you!!!! Being obedient!!! Baptism (OR ANYTHING ELSE) does not give us Salvation, it is ONLY the blood sacrifice that Jesus made for us. We deserve Hell, but because of the Father's love for us, Jesus stands in our place and takes away our sins! FOREVER!!! Accepting Jesus's sacrifice and surrendering our lives to Him, Jesus saves!!!

Another thing that I love about how baptisms are done at Living Hope, is that anyone who loves you and is willing to hold you accountable and stand beside you through our race, comes and stands around the tank! I wanted to take time and make eye contact with every single person there, but I couldn't. God is so good and has given me so many people in my life who stood beside me on Sunday night! I love you all and thanks for coming to support me!!!!

The best thing was is that I was SO AWARE of what was going on. I felt the Spirit ON me!! I knew what I was agreeing to, saying yes to. I knew and know that God died for me! That He died for me, but that He beat death and rose again on the 3rd day! That He is my only way to Heaven!!! That He is my everything! And smiling and crying at the same time, knowing that I love the Lord and He loves me! That there is NOTHING that I can do to merit his favor, it was only through Jesus that His grace saved me!!!!

I was AWARE when Butch said, "being buried with Christ in baptism" as the water went up and over me, that I was dying to self that I was offering my life wholly to Him, and then "and raised in a new life" coming out of the water to being alive because of what Christ did for me! That I am a new creation because Jesus lives in me through the Holy Spirit.

IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! It took my breath away!!! I was and am so happy!!! Everyone cheered and clapped and I felt different! It was everything that it was supposed to be! It was right! I had the peace that comes with obedience! I had the joy that comes from the Lord! (Still do) :)

I love that it was special! I love that it was a big deal, because baptism IS a big deal! I have changed so much and God never ceases to amaze me when He continues to show me how different I am!!!!

You see, a few months ago, Living Hope had another baptism. I sat there under HEAVY conviction! The Holy Spirit was so HEAVY on me, I thought for sure He was going to levitate me out of my seat!! Seriously, not even kidding!!!! I knew when Butch asked if anyone else needed to be baptized that I was supposed to go up there, but I disobeyed! Promising the Lord, next time.... He forgave me, but boy, as soon as I got my newsletter telling about the May 25 baptism, I called and got my name on that list!!!

Obedience is ALWAYS so much better!!!! PEACE, JOY, LOVE

So... Sunday was fabulous! I will NEVER forget it as long as I live!! Next too my wedding and my babies' births, this was the best day of my life!!!

Thank you Jesus for saving me!
Thank you Jesus for pursuing me!
Thank you Jesus for your forgiveness, grace, mercy and love!
Thank you Jesus for You Holy Spirit who convicts, woos and changes me!
Thank you Jesus that You and I are still on a journey together!!
I love You!
-Amen