Building Community

I am really happy how Kyle and I are getting involved with the church in our local community.  We have been leading a married small group and already we have gotten so close to the couples in our group.  We have invested in our small group by not only meeting once a week but doing get-togethers outside of group.  Authentic friendships are formed by doing life together and we are all there for the same reason: to become friends with like minded people.

Some of my best friends have been people that have been in my small group.  It is really cool to be the leader and able to bring people together and facilitate the group growing together.  If you are not already involved in a small group, whether it is a married, singles or men's or women's group, I would strongly encourage you to look into it.

Another thing we have been doing is leading a Transit small group.  If you are not familiar with Tranist it is our church's middle school program.  They meet when adults are in "Big Church" and they have a similar schedule.  First when they arrive before it starts they have fellowship complete with donuts!!  Then once it is time to get started they have an icebreaker or game, then they listen to worship music, then they have a message tailored to their specific stage of life, then we break into small groups.  This is where we come in, as small group leaders we have the privilege to each lead a group of boys and girls.

The middle schoolers are so excited to be there and are eager to hear God's message in a relevant way that they can relate.  Then to be around adults and high school co-leaders that care about them and want to build relationships with them, they think that is pretty cool too!  They get to hang out with kids just like them from different schools as well.  It is so much fun leading these middle schoolers and it is neat to see the things they deal with were issues I faced growing up as well.  I think leaders get just as much or more out of leading the groups as the kids do.

I am just really happy with the direction our lives are going and being apart of such great communities and having such healthy relationships.  It definitely helps our marriage and brings us closer together too.  Any time you can spend time together serving common interest is always a plus! 

How do you serve and give back to your community?!

I Knew You Were Trouble

I'm sure everyone has that one relationship that they knew from the very beginning was going to be trouble. Taylor Swift's new CD "Red", that is going to be released October 22, has a new song called, "I Knew You Were Trouble." This song reminds me of one guy in particular that I knew from the beginning wasn't good for me. We didn't have a lot of things in common but we both loved to play soccer.

He wasn't a Christian but at the time I remember thinking I would influence him and then he would learn to love God the way I did. Christians have a term for this. It is called Missionary Dating and I do NOT recommend it. The idea is God's light will shine through you and they will become a believer. God also discourages this and that is why he calls us to be with a man who can lead us closer to him. My life has always been on fire for God and he was throwing water, so to speak, on my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

There is a bright side to this story...

 Through this relationship, as with others I have been in, it taught me what I did and did not want in a man. It helped me see the type of man God desperately wanted for me. I had known my future-husband for over a year and a half and after that other relationship I saw him in a whole new way. I was able to appreciate him for the incredible man is was and continues to be every day. I fell in love with Kyle and now I know it was all meant to be.

Kyle is a strong Christian, he is compassionate, brilliant, and dashing. He is everything I always wanted. Like the other relationship I knew from the very beginning how it was going to be, except this time I knew it was also what God wanted for me!! I am so grateful that Kyle and I are together and give thanks to God every day for blessing both of us by bringing us together. Through our relationship we are able to give glory to God. Marriage is now our ministry, and together we will shine God's light.