What does church mean to you ?

Yesterday was an awesome day at church with my wonderful loving church family. We have the kindest, giving group of people who reach out and wrap their arms around you at a moments notice and just hold you close for hours if that's what you need. They are quick with forgiveness, forever smiling, always have food in a crisis, ready to extend the hands of JESUS to any and all no matter what.

Their hearts and minds are that of the LORD in everything thing they do. I strive to be more like them in my everyday life. Less selfish, less focused on me, more giving and more gentle with others.

It was a vey hard day for me yesterday, it was the 9th month anniversary of D's heaven date. But we weren't in church for me, we were in church to glorify GOD, to prepare for the most wonderful birth of CHRIST. My mind however kept going back to the many, many Sundays that D and I had set in our family pew, the many secrect smiles, hugs, teases, jokes and silent dreams we shared in that beautiful home of GOD. The church is more than a building, it is more than brick and mortar, it is a room full of memories for me.

It's were we dedicated our two beautiful grandsons, it's were our son rededicated his life to CHRIST and Jeremy baptized Ian, it's the last place our daughter sang a solo and played a baby sheep, it's the first place I was ever asked to preach and serve the LORD's communion. It is were D proudly served the LORD at the CUP. It is were we have laughed, cried, rejoiced and watched our family pew grow in size from the two of us to three then four then six then all the way up to ten at one time. The spiritual growth of our family is unmeasurable.

It's a place where Ian can hold his Tata all thru church because GOD sends him the gift of love and compassion. No one makes fun or finds it odd, they find it beautiful that a child loves someone that much to show it so openly.

We are all different, many of us are extreme in our love of the LORD, we are all quirky and funny, unconventional at best, but.....we are all children of GOD and we all strive to LOVE HIM more than anything or anyone else.

Church is were D and I made and have developed lasting friends and lifelong relationships.

It's a place a memories of the faces of people who love us unconditionally and forever. It's the faces of the people who we will greet side by side with JESUS or they will be with HIM when we get to HEAVEN whoever gets there first waiting to welcome us home.

This wasn't the blog I was going to write today, but GOD had a different purpose on my heart and when GOD calls it's best to listen and obey.