Conviction.

Last Friday, a group of wonderful ladies from my church, myself included, and a few extra friends united with matching t-shirts and headed south to Falls Creek. We experienced an "interruption" from God that inspired us all to live a life full of joy, love, purpose and...Jesus! We attended the 2010 Oklahoma's Ladies' Retreat called "Interrupted." Their mission was to "encourage women to embrace and echo God's heart for the world." And let me just tell you...I was convicted.

It's fair to say that I didn't grow up in a Christian home. Please let me make it clear that there was (and still is) a lot of love, comfort and support in my family and we were, by NO means...non-believers. We believed in God. One of my favorite childhood gifts continues to be the Precious Moments Bible my mom gave me with my name engraved on the front cover. It will always have a place on my night stand. However, the real truth of the matter is...I didn't grow up going to church on a regular basis. I didn't pray consistently. I didn't always talk to my parents about God or all of the wonderful things that He continues to stand for. We didn't thank God for the life that we lived nor did we ask Him to help us live a life that glorifed Him. We just didn't. I didn't know God. I'm not upset about this. Nor do I blame my parents for not introducing me to Jesus any earlier. Do I think my values, morals and standards would have been different...yes. But in a very contradictory kind of way...I don't regret the way my younger years played out because it created the person that I am today. I have, since, talked to each of my parents about God and every conversation continues to be positive and good for the soul. They encourage my walk with our Savior.

It wasn't until one year ago that I experienced the magical essence of our Lord by truly inviting Him to be a primary part of my life. Brian and I were saved in the comfort of our very own living room, our Pastor by our side. And as I continue to grow, each and every day, as a Christian...the believer, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend that I wish to be...becomes more apparent. I feel that when I put this in writing, it seems a bit "over the top." I'm not one who looks down on others for not attending church. Or one who preaches the bible to every person who crosses my path. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with that...as God has called each one of us to be His disciples...it's just not the way I share my beliefs. However, this is a place for me to journal about my own experiences (my new yearly goal is to print my blog off in a "book" so that I can save it and truly have a "journal" to reflect back on). So...I'm speaking the truth. My thoughts. My feelings. My salvation. My journey.

Last weekend, it became clear to me that I was missing a few important parts of my salvation. And I was convicted. The Bible is a Word of God. It is God speaking to us. It contains all the good news of what God has done and will do for us. And as we read it, it has a washing, cleansing effect upon our minds and lives.

My new goal is to spend more time reading the Word.

Prayer is one of the most important things that a Believer should do and it is a conversation between them and their God. In prayer, we do the following things: we praise and worship God. We ask Him to help us. We let Him know what our needs are. We pray for others.

My new goal is to spend more quality time in prayer.

It is important for Christians to testify to others about the wonderful things the Lord has done for them. We need to give others the good news of salvation, deliverance, healing and restoration that Jesus has provided them. We are told to witness everywhere. And to not be ashamed of witnessing to others.

I know that there is a place and time for sharing my beliefs and my goal is to be constantly mindful of that fact.

As Followers, each of us has our own individuality. We are personally known by God. He knows everything about us. Nature. Personality. Talents. Abilities. God sees them and has a very special plan and purpose in every one of our lives.

My goal is to always seek His will in everything I do...in everything we do as a family.

Above everything else...my new goal is to begin living a life that is more "Christ-like." I am a mother who wants her children to know God and to confidently trust that He is a part of our daily life. I want my children to see me walking the path of a loyal Christian and hopefully, help inspire them to do the same. Thankfully, our God knows that we all fall short of His glory. I am not perfect. Never have been. Never will be. Never will try to be. I'm positive that I will have failed attempts. I'm positive that what I see as "Christian" will be different than what others see. And I'm okay with that. We each live our own lives the way we see fit.

And most importantly, we all need to be content in our own walk!