Church

Church: What does it mean to me to be a part of a church? 1st, I think family. I grew up in my mom's families' church, so growing up it always felt like "home" and I loved that I had my aunts & uncles & cousins & more than that as the church grew & i grew up i already felt like i had a family before i even became a believer, but i learned about prayer & it's power especially when I spent Christmas 2002 in China & it was my friends & mostly my "family" (Wilkies Grove Baptist Church) who i knew & felt their prayers! It didnt take me long to become attached to Open Door Baptist church in Raleigh. God used my time there to teach me more about "church family" and Brad & learned a lot through our "care groups" time together & living life with others in the church. It's a big church so we didnt know everyone but it still felt like "home": a family among fellow believers! We are soooo thankful for Pastor Dwayne Milioni not only for his preaching & the staff that supported the church but also for the "pre-engagement/marriage" counseling we received! Brad & I were poured into by others who were also seeking to follow Christ! They lived out the Gospel before us! Now, it didnt take long for Dudley Shoals Baptist Church to feel like "home", even though i miss my other 2 homes, i know if we moved again, i would have 3 "homes" to miss! A few weeks ago, i had this overwhelming feeling that DSBC was "family" and it felt soo good, & that's what I told Brad on the way to church. It's sooo easy to get distracted or to be discouraged even with church but God is really showing me that i have to look past any of this & see HIM, because CHURCH is all about Him, it's all about His Glory! I have a dear friend i've encouraged for a long time to get back in church and recently I can see why it can be easy to fall away from church & maybe not desire to go back, but God is teaching me to look to Him, seek to bring Him glory & love on the church, His family, My family! WE are sooo thankful for everyone @ DSBC, for those who have reached out to us & for those who have loved on us & for those who have welcomed us, epecially our precious children! I know we dont know everyone yet (@least I dont) but i hope with time & opportunity that would change & I also pray that we would be reminded daily what CHURCH means and that it is not about "us". Tonight I read some of one of Brad's books & i was really encouraged as I was reminded that we do not take on church membership to be served and taken care of (like if we joined a club, etc.) but instead we join to serve, to love & even be willing to be last....." (I am a Church Member, Thom S. Rainer). So, what are you seeking from church? What does church mean to you? Do you know the ONE who is the cornerstone, the foundation--JESUS? Are we being "gospel-centered" churches/members? "Gospel" is highly talked about in SBC life right & it is not a fad, but I think many churches today have forgotten or lost the fact that the Gospel is not only the church's purpose & mission, it's what birthed the church--- that is the story of Jesus Christ! God didnt design church for man's glory but for His Glory. It's a place where we as believers work together & support & serve one another & our community in sharing the Gospel! I pray that our churches would all be "gospel-centered"! I pray we will not just be a people who knows God, but one who Loves God and our church family! Because you can know God, but not really "know Him." Romans 1

Final Visit

Just finished writing a letter for our 2 foster kids birth mom as tomorrow they go for their final visit. No doubt she is nervous, excited & sad. I can't imagine the vast emotions she is feeling. We've been looking forward to this day, as rights have been terminated, no, i dont mean I am excited for her, but it's been a long process for our kids, over 2.5 years (we've only had them 10 months now, but we hope to adopt them soon).... it's never easy on any kid to go through what they've been through. Have you ever stopped to think what it would be like for yourself as a child or as a parent to be seperated from your children. Sometimes I imagine what it would be like for our daughter who has been with us since she was born and who is so close in age to our two foster kids (3 kids with a 16 month age range).... It's heart breaking! Praying that their hearts will be mended & healed by the One True Healer--Our Heavenly Father! So thankful for the love they receive by our families & friends & especially our church family! Our kids have come a long ways in the last 10 months. Big day tomorrow! We are also in the midst of saying we will "miss you" to a dear friend who is going off to college on Friday! we are excited for her but going to miss her tons! She has blessed us sooo much, not just in her helping our family & especially helping me during the hardest times of having 3 little ones, but she has become a dear friend. & more than that, it's her joy, laugh, & excitment she has brought to our youth group at church, to our home as well! We will greatly miss Mandy Annas while she is off in college but sooo thankful for the time God has blessed us with her! God is soooo GOOD all the time!!!

Winding Down on a Monday night

It seems our Monday evening are starting to have some type of pattern atleast for now..... and no matter what Monday looks like it always seems to be a day of winding down after a busy weekend. Our weekends are guarenteed to be busy from the start.... Most Friday nights, I head out to the hospital to work a 12 hour night shift.... I have to admit they are usually much more fun than I can ever prepare for! I really enjoy my co-workers & I usually always enjoy the families that I have been privileged to get to know! I even had one special family recently bring me a King Size Kit Kat bar thanks to another co-worker telling them about my obession, my addiction! :)
Then the fun begins making it home Sat. am, that is sometimes the hardest, i could so fall asleep on Hwy 321! (so lookout!) Then I usually get to nap, sometimes the day ends in just fun at home family & rest time! Which here lately I love soooo much! But sometimes there is a fun outing to go to as well! Then Sunday's are always crazy but fun too! Yesterday we managed to get to church more than 30 mins early! Now, that was a miracle, especially since we live off of BUMtime! lol Then it never fails we usually are the last to leave as the kids play in the playground or we find ourselves talking.... but this I have become to love more, as I realize my church is more than a church, it has become our family! Friends we can count on.... brothers & sisters in Christ, who truly love & care about us! & we love & care about them! Our church has gone through some major changes over the last year.... some heartache & some growth as well.... but the Holy Spirit has never left, He has been there all along working in the church leaders hearts & with in the congregation to prepare us for such a time of this! Now the head pastorate position is filled & their family has dived right into the life & heart of DSBC. Very exciting times abound! Then all too often we head back to church early on Sunday nights, youth council meetings, etc. Yesterday it was very early for a Children's Water play event & the youth were amazing at helping! & the kids had a blast.... although i think some of our youth leaders had a little more fun! ;) I have come to enjoy being in the youth room on Sunday nights, truthfuly, i always have but now I find it more of a joy as I watch the kids interact and I pray grow in their walk w/ the Lord! Yesterday, Brad had me give my testimony..... & another leader pointed out a fact I've never really thought about but it is such a part of my salvation story! Questions, years of questions that i never asked anyone about salvation.... I just went on claiming to be a Christian, serving even in leadership until God knocked & knocked & I finally understood my questions fully, that i had never truly repented & asked Jesus into my heart & that is what I did one early am at 19 years old! God definately turned my life upside down! I wish my committment was one that you could see a continual growth but it's had a lot of bumps but yet, God keeps teaching & growing me in His grace! :)
Sunday nights are typically no different than the am as we are often the last to leave despite Brad having to get up @ 330 am...... the kids love it! Honestly they shine at church! our oldest seems to be her happiest at church than anywhere else (we've been fostering her & the youngest since Oct. 2012).... then we hurry the kids up to get ready & in to bed!
REST, SLEEP!!! Then Monday am comes.... we have found a good rhythm (will probably get off next week but that's alright) with resting in the evenings & having time at home... usually together! Tonight, brad spent a good time of it mowing our jungle yard! But the kids & I had lots of fun! & they were all off to bed early since nap yet again was not accomplished for one today!
And then tomorrow starts it all over again! This Monday, was a little unusual, one little one made it early into our bed & sleep wasnt that great... & i was up shortly after Brad went to work... figured it was time to get up if I was just going to lay there!
A busy week lies ahead as our youth get ready for a mission trip to Vilas, NC! But it has been a good Monday! :)

GRACE: God's Redeeming Adoption Comes Everlasting (part 1)

Why this title? This I decided on early in the year to make as my theme for 2013, GRACE! & then the acroymn followed. I've leared a lot over the last year about God's Grace! He has been working on me for a long time to understand Grace! But the last year, He has really opened my eyes! Wish I could say I'm oh soooo full of grace, but often I am not & He has shown me that my need for His grace is soooo great! Also, even though I fail time & time again, that He has a desire to for me not only to accept & receive His grace but to also, BE GRACE, be a grace giver...... I've learned just when I think someone doesn't deserve it, that is exactly another reason why GRACE is needed! Oh, how i do not deserve His grace, but He has lavished it on me in abundance! Wouldn't life be so much different if we too, were more like Christ & lavished grace on others!
WHY? for one because we have been REDEEMED! have you ever really thought about that word & what it means & what it means for each of us who have Christ! We have been rescued, reconciled, restored! Our sins, our very life has been atoned for by the blood of Christ! We have been saved by His grace alone! We have been given life--eternal life! The hope & assurance of Heaven! Colossians 1:13-14 "For He has rescued us from teh dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdomof the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgivness of sins." The debt of our sins has been paid.... we deserved His wrath, condemnation, hell (eternal seperation)....  but instead we have received His redemption... our sin payment has been received in full.... we are forgiven! We were once slaves to sin but now we are free in Christ! We have been promised Life because we are redeemed! PRAISE GOD! There is only one redeemer, His Son, Jesus Christ!
To be continued.......

Growing Up

Blogging? Why? Well, I've thought about it for a long time, dismissed it or too busy or it seemed to hard to get started! But recently I've read about some blogger's blogging for accountability! & Accountability, I need, so I thought, why not? Why not now?! This may take some time to get use to... so here goes!
Why Growing Up? It's been on my mind a lot the last few weeks! & today i thought that would be a great place to start! So, I didnt realize how torn I was about growing up, growing old.... until we were ready to go to camp with the youth @ DSBC to Snowbird. I was torn between feeling young again and really old, as I became a camp chaperone! I thought back to my days as a youth like it was yesterday.... but was overwhelmed at first that not only was I responsible for the kids as a chaperone but I was old! lol..... oh well.... I did learn, you have to grow up sometime.... it's about time, since we have 3 toddlers! :) But it is good to be young at heart as well.... to remember..... to relate!
I pray as I begin to grow up, not only will I find my way (God's direction!) & figure out what I want to be when I grow up, but that I will grow in HIM! Find true Joy & peace that only comes from a relationship with Him. Lately, I've been living my life in a constant fear & anxiety has too often taken over..... but God is showing me that not only can He heal my anxiety but that He doesnt want me to live a life ruled by anxiety but one that is ruled by peace! His peace! I'm learning how He desires for our hearts to be culitivated by gratitude and for us to truly be thankful! Lately, Philippians 4:4-9 has encouraged me in many ways! Rejoice! Yes, i must grow up.... definately grow up in thankfulness, in knowing my Redeedmer, my grace giver! Next, I'll explain my title.... it's my theme for 2013... GRACE: God's Redeeming Adoption Comes Everlasting!
soooo we will see where this blogging world takes me! Leslie Bumgarner <><