And so it goes

That day at Abundant Life Chapel I met the Holy Spirit and I never was the same.  When I got home that day I was very excited to tell my parents what happened.  Unfortunately, at that time, my father was not as open as he is now, and I got what felt like a lecture on "Emotionalism" and it's lack of importance in church.  I was crushed and angry.  I didn't buy into what he said.  I thought God created emotions, why not use them to worship him?  I was increasingly unhappy at my church where the only movement I saw during worship was standing and turning hymnal pages and then sitting again.  I attended ALC many more times before Monica and I switched schools and saw each other less and less.  But I'll never ever forget the love her family showed me.  I would say perhaps their love and acceptance was what kept me from being frightened and turned off by what I saw at their church.  I knew I was safe with them.

After I graduated from High School I went through some bad times with God and life (maybe I'll talk about all that another day), but found myself back in church seeking more from God.  I knew that what I had been doing all my life was not satisfying me.  I have told people that I knew all about God, but didn't actually get to know God until I turned 18 and left my parents' church and sought Him on my own.  I visited a Vineyard or 2, I attended a Calvary Chapel for a little bit, but I ended up at People's Church in their college group under Mike Chastain.  There I went through some major growth and exploration of the Trinity.  It was a wonderful time of life.  I began to learn about the gifts of the spirit and their use in the body.  I was prophesied over there and told that God would use my life experience (which was greater than it should have been by then) by giving me the gift of discerning spirits.  I really had no idea at that time what that really meant, and now only know a fraction of what it means, but I believe that to be true.  It goes along with the prophetic for me.  I was prayed over by my friends who were so gung-ho and full of zeal.  They prayed that I would be given the gift of tongues.  They encouraged me to speak it out, but it didn't happen for me.  There have been a few times when I have felt like there was something strange on the tip of my tongue, waiting to be spoken, but it has not happened for me yet.  If God wants to do that with me he can...  

While attending there I still felt torn.  As I look back now it was almost a battle over my life.  I was falling deeply in love with God and made the mistake of thinking I was ready for love on earth as well.  Then my focus turned to a guy.  I felt like I was being pulled from one end by God and another end by my emotions and lust.  I can talk more about that later.

Eventually, I ended up looking to God to meet my needs.  I ended up back in an MB church, which was just crazy to me.  But in my defense it was a contemporary plant that looked nothing like the church I grew up in.  It had a worship band.  This is where Chris and I met again.  (We went to High School together but he was focused on someone else.  If you have been at TFH you may have heard his story.)  Anyway, I still hadn't learned my lesson and we ended up pregnant and engaged and looking for a new place to worship that had young families like we were.  Chris had heard about a place called The Father's House that an old friend had been attending, so we thought we'd go and give it a try.  As we were  driving up we agreed, "If we see one couple that's our age and has kids we'll stay here at this church."  As soon as we said this I turned and looked at the entrance as Todd and Melanie Anderson were walking up with their daughter....

I will continue this story tomorrow.  :)