Baptized and set free

As a Child of God, baptized and set free, I am clothed in Christ.  Without Christ, facing life is not possible.  He is with us through trials and struggles, through joys and praises, through discernment, through all our lives.  

"Give your life to God", "Hand God your concerns and struggles", these are phases that I have heard and I am sure you have too.  While it is often spoken with such absolute, the actual fact of doing such thing is not so easy.  I want to give my life to God, I want him to lead me in down the path that has designed for me.  

Ten years ago when someone asked me, where do you see yourself in 10 years?  At the age of 14, I most likely, responded with: teaching in an elementary school or teaching exceptional children or something to do with teaching in schools.  Would I have ever guessed then, that I would be preparing a resident policy for a homeless shelter?  Would I have ever guessed that I would be part of making crucial decisions for the coming soon homeless shelter?  There is no way, that 10 years ago, I would have ever guessed that now in 2014 I would have a important part in opening a homeless shelter in Caldwell County for men, women and children.  God has this plan for us that is breath-taking.  I hold to extreme value that everything I learned while studying to be an educator helps me each day.  I hold to extreme value that the road blocks that I hit in attempt to become an educator, has made me a stronger teacher.  I may not be a certified educator in the standards to teach in a school, but I teach everyday.  And I will continue to teach every day. 

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. - 1 John 3:23

God is with us in all that we do.  I am finding that in my world right now, so much is going on.  There is a lot of anxiety and feeling lost.  My congregation has reached a time of transition.  This past June, we said goodbye to our pastor of 12 years.  He accepted a calling to a new church, the opportunity to continue on the path that God is leading him. We have welcomed in a supply Pastor each Sunday for the past 5 months.  This past Sunday we welcomed in a Interim Pastor.  Pastor Mike Riley will lead us in worship, visit Shut-ins, and doing some of the workings of the church.  He is with us as we journey together to prepare for a new pastor.   

I posted on Facebook this week about entering this time of transition. We are beginning a time for our congregation to refresh.  In order to welcome someone in we must move on and not reflect on how it always has been done.  Change is good.  No one likes it, but it is good for our souls so we can refresh. We need to flatten our lives out.  Give our lives and our search for a Pastor to Christ.  Believe it or not, but God already has that person picked out for us!  He is leading us to the man or women that is going to be our new Pastor.  Most likely this is going to be a long road.  Possibly exhausting, a times we may feel lost or discouraged, we may feel that there is no hope, but we must remain to have faith in our LORD Jesus.  

LORD JESUS, MY LIFE IS YOURS.  YOU KNOW MY CONCERNS, MY ANXIETIES, MY STRUGGLES, MY THOUGHTS.  YOU KNOW HOW TO HELP ME HANDLE THINGS.  I WANT TO GIVE MY LIFE TO YOU LORD! WALK WITH ME AS I WALK THE PATH.  WALK WITH MY CONGREGATION AS WE ARE ENTERING THIS PHASE OF TRANSITION.   AMEN.