A Place for New Beginnings

Recently I have been going to a little church that meets at Pelion High School. I came about it quite by accident and I went one Sunday, and with the exception of one Sunday I had my grand boys I have been there each Sunday sense.
I have been compelled to go to this little church with a rather big name. New Life Christan Fellowship Baptist Church. " A place for New Beginnings"
Now for many of you, I have shared my LONG journey of finding a church home. I thought a couple of times that I had found it but could never get total peace. I have prayed and cried out to God and griped and mourned and groaned but it did me no good, and for a long time I was getting worried. My sister told me once that I over analyzed things and I could not help but wonder if this was part of the problem. Then someone told me that It was not important what church you go to as long as you go and it is a bible teaching church, well I could not get peace about ether one of those responses.
I has taken me a L-O-N-G time to even figure out what I was looking for in a church home. And I often got caught up in emotion as well as duty that it had clouded my perception a bit.
So I set just a few simple things into my head that I was looking for in a church home and of course I continued to pray about it hoping that I could get some light on why I was having so much trouble, although I did not expect much of a answer because for some reason those prayers have seem to hit the ceiling and go no further.
But never the less that was the plan.
But as I continue to go to New Life I felt more and more at home.
Now I have been part of big churches and I have been part of Small churches but I have never been part of a church plant, so I found this in its self very interesting. How neat to watch a church grow from 20- 200 to 500, who knows. I only know that my little church with a big name has a big heart, and big plans and a desire to reach the lost and at the same time know your name.
The task is big and this road may be long, but the company is sweet, and as I think about how long it has taken me to get to this place, I realize that Gods timing is perfect. That at any other time in my journey I would not have been ready for New Life and New life would have not been ready for me.
It does matter to God where you go to church, and although I am still not sure that all the analyzing was needed, it did prove to be helpful in shorting out my thoughts and desires about a church home.
The other churches have been great and I have learned allot, but for the most part there was a sadness that I could not understand at the time. I realized that one day recently I opened my bible. See I keep in my bible two very special memorials, one is my Mama's and one is Kenny's my nephew.
My home church I cant help but think about my mama when I walk in those doors. That was the only church she new and when she got well that is were she wonted to go. We never knew that her healing would be far greater than a physical one, never the less she never made it back there and I could not help but think of that each time I walked through those doors. And for Seacoast where I called home for a while, I think about Kenny, who was making his way back home as well, Only thing is he kept on going. He made it all the way home. Kenny has taught me more in his death than when he was with us. Things that I hold near and dear, but still bitter sweet memories when I walked through those doors as well. These are some of the things I could not find peace with nor did I recognize that until now. Finally the light got bigger, and I realized as the old saying goes....You cant go home.
So I have found me a new home "Finally" one that is ready for fresh memories and one that allot of help is needed and I am ready to get giggie with it, it has been a long time.
So this little church with he great big heart called New Life Christian Fellowship Baptist Church
" A Place for New Beginnings'' is going to be my home because I am sure ready for some new beginnings and to watch what God is going to do now.
A long name yes, but perfect indeed.

Life according to La Tay

Yesterday would have been my Mama's 82 birthday,if she had been living. I am not sure what she would have thought about turning 82. Age was not kind to mama but then again life had not been to kind to her either. So as I thought of her yesterday I had what my grandson Cole would have called a sad heart pretty much all day, and as I went to bed last night I could not help but feel a great loneliness. Something mama worried about for some reason, me being lonely. So much so that on her dieing bed she made my poor baby sister make a promise that she would not leave me alone. A promise that is impossible to keep. For a time I thought it was just something mama worried about thought the whole death process, but now I am not so sure. I think mama worried about me being alone through my life and despite our often turbulent relationship my mom worried about me my whole life. Now I have to be careful, because as so many people do they tend to glorify the loved ones that have gone home, we just don't wont to think ill of the dead, so we are always quick to bring out the good and not the bad, so lets just say my mom was a tough bird as my husband so kindly puts it. As Forrest Gump would say that is all I am going to say about that.
I have learned so much about her in death, and come to realize that she has taught me allot. Now these lessons have mostly been a bit unconventional lessons, but they are life lessons just the same. I like to call them "Life according to La Tay " She has taught me allot. so I thought I would share just 10 things that come into my head, that I have learned, in honor of my mama's 82 birthday.
1. Navy blue always looks good with white.
2. Bitterness will eat you up in side if you let it.
3. When you truly love someone, you love them for a life time.( no matter what )
4. You can not really cook good with out fat back
5. First impressions are lasting
6. You never ware white after summer, no matter what crazy people say
7. Hamburgers with onions are part of the food chain
8. You never mess with a mama's child unless you are ready to fight.
9. Dance while you are still able to. ( mama loved to dance )
10 Friendship is a life time deal.

Happy Birthday Mama.!!!!!!!

Glimsp of Heaven

My daughter recently invited me and a select few others t0 a bible study at the church she is attending. Realizing my need for a bible structure. a study that some one will hold me accountable in the studying of the word of God, and working out of a book and then meeting back up with others to talk about and refine and correct is a great way t0 be held accountable, and to make sure you are on the right tract. Let us not forget that satin is a deceiver and would like nothing more than for Christians to miss interrupt the word of God.
Second it allows you to be in fellowship with many other believers, in this case women, who all share the same things that Christan women deal with, work,home,husbands,job,and Christ.so then it becomes a bit of relationship thing that women need. ( yes fellows we need )
Well the study is by Beth More titled When Godly people do ungodly things, and if you have every studied with her or been to one of her conferences you know right off the bat two things.
She is biblical sound and this is going to hurt.
Well let me tell you, it did not take Satan long to hit me full force with distractions in MANY forms, so my first thought is GREAT!!!! this must be where I need to be studying what I need to be studying for the next 6 weeks.So I girded up my loin ( that bible talk for pulled up my big girl panties and sucked it it ) and I started praying to my Holy Daddy for help, and I got ready for a heart change ( which is normally what these kinds of studies do ) and you know heart surgery hurts. My father in law told me once, when a study hurts that is when you know that you are on the right track. OUCH!
So any way, I walk in this room and said to myself "self you are one of the oldest women in this class" and self said yes you are, but don't you look good, and as I tell my much younger prettier sister, that beauty fades, but wisdom is forever, I was wondering how I fit in to this and I felt a bit out of place. But in the coarse of the evening as we all talked and shared a bit I began to realize something awesome. EVERY ONE OF THOSE WOMEN IN THAT ROOM,WERE BORN AGAIN,SANCTIFIED,GODLY WOMEN, that wonted to be there, they were hungry for God words and they were willing to put EVERTHING on hold to get it. I could just imagine that was what it must have looked like when Jesus stop to teach ( but on a bigger scale ) undevided attenion .and it was incredible. As Kirk Franking sings " all eyes on you Jesus, all eyes on you " To be in a complete room of saints like that my heart welled up and I could not stop crying and when they prayed it hit me, God allowed me to get a teeny tiny peak of what it if going to be like in heaven, to walk among the saints in one accord, to share and pray and most importantly praise. In all my Christan walk I have never been exposed to so many solid saints in one room, that I have felt such power. Here is the other kicker, we shared prayer request not the ones that you throw out in a crowd so people don't think your life is perfect, we shared deep request, as for mime already I see God moving with the answers.
With that brings a whole new perspective when it tells us in God words that he answers the prayers of the righteous. not that I ever doubted that, but never have I seen it happen so fast.
What a ride this is going to be and I am sooooooooo excited. I may limp for a while but my heart even leaps for that.
So at this moment, I think when I get to heaven, I will probably do a whole lot of crying, good tears of course but if that glimsp is anything like I felt in that room, it will be tears.
LET THE REDEEMED SAY SO!!!!