Invite Others to the Table

Before I share about my church experience today, I first have to tell you another funny story about how God works! Yesterday, Linda gave me an award and as I was looking at her blog, I thought to myself how pretty it was. I have also been talking to Veronica about how awesome her blog makeover is. I remembered that Abigail, Linda's granddaughter, designed her blog and that she had talked about creating a business out of it one day. I wondered to myself if she had started that yet, because she is really talented. I also thought that I should get her to design me a blog makeover one day.

So, then I checked my email later that day, and Abigail told me that she had something for me at her blog. I thought to myself, did I win another award? How exciting! So, I went over to her blog and you will never guess what I won...........

A Free Blog Makeover!

I am not making this up, I promise!! LOL She had been having a contest to rename her blog, and I won runner-up and that was the prize that she decided to give! Can you believe that? I can, because things like this have been happening at every turn in my life lately! I am so blessed!!

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Okay, so I wanted to tell y'all about my church experience today too. Jennifer and I were planning to go to the same church as last week, but she got a cold yesterday and didn't think she'd be able to make it. I got this thought in my head late last night that maybe since she wasn't going to be able to go, that I would visit another church on my list that I wanted to check out. Then, this morning, at about 9am, Jennifer called and said she was feeling better and was going! Well, that church starts at 9:30 and there was no way I could get ready by then, since I wasn't planning to be at this other church until 1oam. So, she ended up going to the one we went to last week and I went to a new one.

The church I went to is brand new. They meet at our local golf course, in the recreation center. They just launched in January. I have been excited about them since I heard about them. Well, we were about 5 minutes late today, but we made it! I got the girls settled in and K was super excited because her best friend from her class was there. I went and sat down as they were just beginning the service. If I had to guess, I would say there were no more than 20-25 people there, but everyone was really friendly. The music was awesome too. They just had one guy playing his guitar and the words up on a big screen so that you could sing along. I felt completely comfortable and even sang along to the songs (I am super shy, so that was a big deal for me).

As luck would have it, the Pastor was not there today! LOL He was out of town for a wedding. So, they had invited a Pastor from Little Rock, Arkansas. He delivered a great message from Matthew 9:9-13 about how it's okay to "hang with the wrong crowd". The idea was that Jesus invited tax collectors and "sinners" to his table to eat, because it is not the righteous that need to be healed, it is the sick. He talked about how sometimes it's hard for us to show others about Jesus and we don't understand why sometimes they just don't get it. We don't understand why they aren't running to see what we know about Jesus. But, we have to invite them, and have patience, and hope they will see what we see. I thought it was awesome that this was the message, because I feel like I've been talking alot lately about how I finally see what others have seen this entire time. I finally "get it" why it's so important to put God first.

Also, one of the last songs they sang had something to do with wanting to always yearn for the Lord. How many times have I said recently that I don't ever want to stop having this passion I have now for the Lord? It was a perfect song, and it seriously made me tear up!

The girls had a blast and said it was their favorite one yet. I just looked at a flyer that I picked up and on Easter, they are starting a new series about the afterlife. I can't wait! I am super obsessed about the afterlife. I try to read every book I can about Heaven and Hell. I'm sure you have seen several posts on here that I've written about the subject, not because I'm trying to preach, but because I just am so interested in it. I find it fascinating! When I saw that was the upcoming topic, I knew that I had to keep going to this church for a few weeks, at least. It's kind of exciting to get in on a church and grow with it from the ground up. However, the drawback is that not alot of people go there yet, so there aren't that many people to meet.

So, that was my experience today. Thank you for coming along with me on my journey! I am really excited to see where the Lord leads me.

If anyone is interested, some of the really good books I've read about the afterlife are:

Embraced by the Light by Betty Eadie
90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper
Heaven is Real by Don Piper
23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese
Hell by Bill Wiese
Raised from the Dead by Richard L. Madison
My Descent into Death by Howard Storm
and I'm currently reading Heaven by Randy Alcorn

If you have not read 90 Minutes in Heaven, run right now to Walmart or Target and buy it! I'm serious, it is a must read book. It is a proven fact that Don Piper was dead for 90 minutes as the result of a car crash (nearby my home town actually) and this book is about what he experienced at the gates of Heaven! It is amazing!!!!!!!!