It's a birth Birthday!! :)

I did it!!  I got baptized!! It was just as amazing as I thought it would be.  I had a permanent smile on my face all day. I was ecstatic by my family and friends that showed up to be there for me.  Not one of them can even begin to understand how much that meant to me. Well maybe they can, because they were there, they took the time and effort to be there for me. Some rearranged their schedules to be there, one rushed out after her church service to be there, at least one drove quite a distance to be there and ALL of them made sure to stick around after I dried off and got warm clothes on to congratulate me.  There were several of us that got baptized that day, as I stood there waiting for my turn, I looked out into the crowd and I realized just how many were there to celebrate with me. They would look my way and give a big smile, I even got a few thumbs-up!  I thought I would be embarrassed to have all eyes on me...side note: church was packed that day!!, but I wasn't embarrassed or nervous at all.  I was excited, I was proud to be standing there in front of so many, publicly proclaiming my love and devotion for Jesus Christ.

Last spring when I mentioned to my friends that I was going to start church hopping there was just one friend that suggested I check out Pine Hills Church (PHC).  She wasn't a regular of PHC, in fact she had only been there one time, but she enjoyed it enough to suggest it to me. Sunday after my baptism I was standing around talking with another friend and there she was!!...the friend that had suggested PHC to me so many months ago.  I grew up with this girl, from grade school on up we were friends.  I don't think I've seen her since High School, but we have kept in touch via facebook. She didn't know I was getting baptized that day, in fact, this was the first time she had been back to PHC since her first visit there last spring. She said she looked up at the screen, saw my name and was like, "Hey, I know her!"  Lol...I couldn't have been more thrilled to see her.

It really was one of the best days ever.  Many of us went out to dinner after church for my birthday, my actual birth day that is, lol. Here they are all looking nice and I'm in my swooshie pants, hoodie, wet hair, smeared mascara and a hat on, out to celebrate my birthday!! It was great!! I even came home to a cold house, furnace wasn't working, and wouldn't you know it, they were calling for an ice storm that day! I got frustrated for about 10 minutes, then it just left me. I called the technician, put on warmer clothes, curled up under a blanket, put my smile back on and watched TV.  It was only about 2 hours total before it was fixed and we had heat again.  Whew!!  Thank God for a little change in my pocket (ok, maybe more then a little) and  for Sunday workers!! :)

Who woulda thunk it?  A year ago or even last spring I never would have thought I would have been baptized or even wanted to, not yet anyway. It never meant that much to me. I was definitely never moved by watching others get baptized either, but like I mentioned in my last post, I was thrilled and brought to tears to watch my friend get baptized.  I surely didn't realize what it meant before or what a huge step it was in my walk with God. I knew it was commanded in the Bible, but I thought of it more as a nice gesture then anything else.  Not only is it commanded, but it's also a way to show my family and friends how in love with Jesus I am and that Jesus is my life!!  

I already have more to talk about, so maybe I'll get 2 blogs in this week. :)

Till next time...Have a great week...Be YOUtiful and if you have snow, be thankful you have shelter, warm clothes and the sight to see it and even the strength to shovel it!! :)

“Baptism separates the tire kickers from the car buyers.”  ~ Max Lucado

(haha, I love this!:)

Acts 2:38 NIV

... “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.