This
Easter Season I want to tell you (in
a very simplified manner a bit)
of my journey to believing in the Bible and Jesus Christ.
I
hope in return you'll share some of your own memories!
MY EASTER STORY
When i was born, back in the 1940s, I lived in the house my Dad built in a very small Washington rural town along the Methow River.
My parents were Christians and they attended a Methodist Church.
They took me to that church to be infant baptized. Which was a way of parents telling God and others publicly that they intended to raise a child to believe in the Bible and Jesus' birth, death, and Resurrection. (Many churches do dedications rather than infant baptism since it is the faith of the parent presenting the child and later the child at age of accountability can personally accept Christ and be be baptized by immersion.)
While growing up the family had filled baskets waiting them in the morning, followed by egg hunts, Easter church services, and then a big nice family dinner.
For the Easter celebration, back then, parents always tried to save money so that they could buy new shoes, new clothing, and even fun frilly hats and white lacy gloves.
Children often carried a little fancy handkerchief (if they didn't have a purse or pockets) to church with coins tied in the corner that they had saved to give to missionaries.
We moved to another small community 40 miles away when I was in the 2nd grade. My parents never went to church there since my Dad was working away from home.
But on Sundays me and my siblings still went; we walked to the Log Church which was a Community Church a few blocks from our house.
I got to travel in the summers to places my Dad worked as a logger in Montana and while in different towns there me and my siblings always went to what ever church denomination that was closest to our home to walk to and attend Sunday services and vacation Bible school programs.
Mom made sure each of the kids had their own Bible (Mine was a small white one with a zipper side).
My paternal Grandma was also a Christian and active member of the Lutheran church. She came to America from another country (in the Ukraine area) to escape people who persecuted Christians. She always taught me to listen to the small still voice within her heart (AKA: the conscience) for that is how the Holy Spirit speaks. She said I was to obey the Holy Spirit's nudges as this would be God's way to guide and teach me to do good not evil and follow God's will for my life.
In my teen years I didn't go to church as much. In 1976 I started going to an Assembly of God Church when I had children of my own to raise and to teach them in God's ways too (just as my parents had done for me). I was immersed baptized in 1979 as I confessed my personal need for a savior to forgive my many years of sinning.
When i was born, back in the 1940s, I lived in the house my Dad built in a very small Washington rural town along the Methow River.
My parents were Christians and they attended a Methodist Church.
They took me to that church to be infant baptized. Which was a way of parents telling God and others publicly that they intended to raise a child to believe in the Bible and Jesus' birth, death, and Resurrection. (Many churches do dedications rather than infant baptism since it is the faith of the parent presenting the child and later the child at age of accountability can personally accept Christ and be be baptized by immersion.)
While growing up the family had filled baskets waiting them in the morning, followed by egg hunts, Easter church services, and then a big nice family dinner.
For the Easter celebration, back then, parents always tried to save money so that they could buy new shoes, new clothing, and even fun frilly hats and white lacy gloves.
Children often carried a little fancy handkerchief (if they didn't have a purse or pockets) to church with coins tied in the corner that they had saved to give to missionaries.
We moved to another small community 40 miles away when I was in the 2nd grade. My parents never went to church there since my Dad was working away from home.
But on Sundays me and my siblings still went; we walked to the Log Church which was a Community Church a few blocks from our house.
I got to travel in the summers to places my Dad worked as a logger in Montana and while in different towns there me and my siblings always went to what ever church denomination that was closest to our home to walk to and attend Sunday services and vacation Bible school programs.
Mom made sure each of the kids had their own Bible (Mine was a small white one with a zipper side).
My paternal Grandma was also a Christian and active member of the Lutheran church. She came to America from another country (in the Ukraine area) to escape people who persecuted Christians. She always taught me to listen to the small still voice within her heart (AKA: the conscience) for that is how the Holy Spirit speaks. She said I was to obey the Holy Spirit's nudges as this would be God's way to guide and teach me to do good not evil and follow God's will for my life.
In my teen years I didn't go to church as much. In 1976 I started going to an Assembly of God Church when I had children of my own to raise and to teach them in God's ways too (just as my parents had done for me). I was immersed baptized in 1979 as I confessed my personal need for a savior to forgive my many years of sinning.
Through the years, I was active in various denominations and non-denominational churches (Missionary work on the Blackfoot reservation, Nazarene, Church of God, and Lutheran) as the Lord called me to serve through Bible teachings, leading prayer groups, and being the church's secretary/treasure.
I continued to follow as the Lord lead me into Independent Community Chaplaincy Services.
All that I do is CONFIDENTIAL (so I may seem intent, disconnected, or illusive at times -- forgive me.)
I am certified in Hospice Care, Nursing Home Care, Domestic Violence Counseling and Crisis Counseling.
Life is hard!
I certainly am not perfect , I definitely still need much improvement in my character, actions, and deeds (merely a work in progress). I am one who eats and drinks with the sinners and would have it no other way. I have been forgiven much and many times by God and others!
Mankind is just humans, each being full of their own personal struggles.
I continued to follow as the Lord lead me into Independent Community Chaplaincy Services.
All that I do is CONFIDENTIAL (so I may seem intent, disconnected, or illusive at times -- forgive me.)
I am certified in Hospice Care, Nursing Home Care, Domestic Violence Counseling and Crisis Counseling.
Life is hard!
I certainly am not perfect , I definitely still need much improvement in my character, actions, and deeds (merely a work in progress). I am one who eats and drinks with the sinners and would have it no other way. I have been forgiven much and many times by God and others!
Mankind is just humans, each being full of their own personal struggles.
EVERY LIFE GOD SENDS MY WAY I LEARN AND GROW FROM:
be it the patient in the hospital or a hospice setting,
the call from the depressed suicidal drunk in the night,
the old man in the cafe who speaks of the death of his disabled wife & loneliness he now lives with,
the 90 year old who struggles to keep on keeping on living independently in her own home,
the call from the man who just found his illness is terminal and he really needs immediate help getting his estate in order,
the young single mother who feels overwhelmed with her multiple struggles,
the letter from the prisoner in jail searching for a new path,
the call from the married woman having an affair looking for a way out,
the CPS worker with an abused child & the parent in custody,
the parent who's child just self-mutilated his body,
the parent of the mentally ill child she just had to place in a 24/7 care facilities,
the grandma who's grandson is homeless on the streets,
the young man who's mother just died of cancer,
the morally or sexually confused wondering what the Bible says regarding homosexuality, transgender, and abortion consequences,
the unemployed needing a bit of motivation & self-confidence,
and even sometimes from others in ministry who need a boost & prayers for themselves.
be it the patient in the hospital or a hospice setting,
the call from the depressed suicidal drunk in the night,
the old man in the cafe who speaks of the death of his disabled wife & loneliness he now lives with,
the 90 year old who struggles to keep on keeping on living independently in her own home,
the call from the man who just found his illness is terminal and he really needs immediate help getting his estate in order,
the young single mother who feels overwhelmed with her multiple struggles,
the letter from the prisoner in jail searching for a new path,
the call from the married woman having an affair looking for a way out,
the CPS worker with an abused child & the parent in custody,
the parent who's child just self-mutilated his body,
the parent of the mentally ill child she just had to place in a 24/7 care facilities,
the grandma who's grandson is homeless on the streets,
the young man who's mother just died of cancer,
the morally or sexually confused wondering what the Bible says regarding homosexuality, transgender, and abortion consequences,
the unemployed needing a bit of motivation & self-confidence,
and even sometimes from others in ministry who need a boost & prayers for themselves.
THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
And Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34
"They OVERCAME and conquered him BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND because of THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY,for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death." Revelation 12:11
THE
GOSPEL
1 Corinthians 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I DECLARE UNTO YOU THE GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 BY WHICH ALSO YE ARE SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES;
4 And that HE WAS BURIED, and that HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, HE WAS SEEN OF ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED BRETHREN AT ONCE; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so WE PREACH, and so YE BELIEVED.
1 Corinthians 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I DECLARE UNTO YOU THE GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 BY WHICH ALSO YE ARE SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES;
4 And that HE WAS BURIED, and that HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, HE WAS SEEN OF ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED BRETHREN AT ONCE; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so WE PREACH, and so YE BELIEVED.
And
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
I Love to Tell the Story
Alan Jackson
I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above
Of Jesus and his glory
Of Jesus and his love
Alan Jackson
I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above
Of Jesus and his glory
Of Jesus and his love
I love to tell the story
Because I know 'tis true
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do
Because I know 'tis true
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do
I love to tell the story
'Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his love
'Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his love
I love to tell the story
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest
And when in scenes of glory
I sing the new, new song
'Twill be the old, old story
That I have loved so long
I sing the new, new song
'Twill be the old, old story
That I have loved so long
I love to tell the story
'Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his love
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his love
'Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his love
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and his love
Alan Jackson - I Love To Tell The Story
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Disclosure: Much of what is in my posts are things I have compiled through the years and I do not know if they have copyrights. What I do know about origin or website I give credit and have tried to always post a link to the origin. I do not market anything in any way on this blog -- I merely hope it will encourage and inspire others.
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