Redemption

As you may have noticed, I've added a place to the right where I can add cool places that interest me. I have an eclectic collection of interests, and I wanted a place to share with you the sites I frequent the most. I also wanted a place to share with you things I feel passionate about, or places that someone else may find useful. It'll take me a bit to add my entire collection of blogs and websites, but you should find something new fairly frequently. As I add links to the right I will tell you about them here.

The first link I put up is to the MacDonald Family Singers website. I have the distinct privilege of living next door to this wonderful family. You can read about them at their site, but basically they are an extremely talented Christian homeschooling family who have turned their gift of music into a ministry that they take around the country to share the good news of Jesus. This family doesn't just talk the talk. They walk the walk. Every day of their lives.

But my reason for linking to them isn't just because they're my  neighbors or because they're extremely talented people who have an amazing gift to share with the world. It's much more personal than that. The wife and mom of this family helped me find the greatest gift of all-my salvation. For the rest of my life my story will be linked to her.

There was a time a couple (few?) years ago that I felt like something was wrong-like something was missing in my life...in my heart. I had been going to this church for a long time, but had long since stopped enjoying or getting anything out of it. Going became a chore...I just went  through the motions because that's what I was supposed to do. One day Mrs. MacDonald came to see me after returning from a trip. She brought me a copy of the bible on CD and told me that while she was on tour the Lord had put a burden for me on her heart.  We'd never had any kind of relationship at that point-so it was very unusual for her to come here and tell me that. I told her how I'd been feeling-how I'd been searching for something...how something had been missing from my life that I couldn't quite put my finger on.  That was the day I knew God had been working on both our hearts to bring us together. When she started talking to me about Jesus and salvation it was like something clicked and I finally-finally found peace. I accepted Jesus as my savior that day. I got down on my knees and praised God for giving me this amazing gift. And from that day on everything changed.

Now don't get me wrong-as hard as I try it's still a struggle everyday. Old habits die hard. Every single day is a battle between the person I want to be and who I am that day. But I'm learning. And growing. The MacDonald ladies came and had a weekly bible study with me for a while. I learned so much from them. I pray and go to church (we found a new one). I read the bible and I pray some more. I'm teaching my children from a very young age so that they don't have the same battle as adults that Donnie and I do.

But here's the bottom line: Jesus says in the bible "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."-John 14:6. Take it from me, one of the biggest sinners you'll probably ever know-there is no other way. Make no mistake about it. The life we live on earth is nothing compared to eternity. Eternity. "Believing in God" isn't enough. Praying isn't enough. Jesus is the only way.

So now you have the story of my salvation-I know it's not what you came here looking for, but I just had to get it out there. Now back to our regulary scheduled program.