August 3, 2017

Greetings My Friend,

I remember when I was an youth adviser to the teens that something special happened when we went on retreats or a mission trip, we grew close to each other, depended on each other and we learned some wonderful things. As we left to come home the glow of the event filled our hearts for a few days and then we began to settle back into our family, school and work lives. I am experiencing much the same thing from the revival that has fed me for 3 weeks. Junior and I mentioned to Pastor Joe and his wife Jenny that we may go to some of the Wednesday night Bible studies around our county, to see if we all are willing to truly be one body, one church, the body of Jesus Christ. Pastor Joe seems to think it more important for us to grow our faith at Clintwood Baptist. I ponder his words in my heart, honestly we have not gone to Wednesday night services for a few years. My health has not allowed me to do it, although now with my Parkinson's medication, a long afternoon nap I find that I more than likely can commit to going. I know this because we were able to attend most nights of the revival other than when we had doctor's appointments which can be a bit much when we travel 2 hours one way to the appointment. As the glow of the revival wears off, I find that I might be more comfortable being in a familiar setting. I want to be one body for Jesus, how does this look? Does it mean being involved with different churches, maybe accepting that we worship differently but we worship the same Jesus? Is this a matter of where my heart is? I have lots of questions, I ask a lot of questions these days, I am not that wallflower I once was and frankly some people are offended by all of my questions. I feel like a sponge soaking up all that I can learn which means I am desiring to understand more fully. Sunday night's Bible study, Pastor Joe was talking about the rapture, showed us some passages and then he was teaching us that the word Catholic means universal so that prompted me to ask a ton of questions in regards to the Catholic church. For the longest time I wondered if the Catholic church's services resembled the ways the Jewish people worshiped God. Then I had heard a Catholic talk show teach that the true church is the Catholic church because they felt that Peter founded the church and Jesus had said he was the rock on which the church will be built. Pastor Joe taught us that the Hebrew word meant stone, not rock. I learned more, at the same time I wound up taking us off topic. I appreciate Pastor Joe allowing me to ask questions, it helps me in my faith walk. I also know that I have offended other Pastor's in the past with my questions to the point of being asked to not ask so many questions. I was crushed and embarrassed so I took a time out from my home church and visited other churches in the area until I settled down my emotions then went back. That leave showed me that the Word is preached in most of the churches around us which made us happy to know this. Some were real friendly and welcomed us, some not so much. I relate the most where we go right now. I grew up and attended a church until my divorce, when my ex who asked for the divorce kept wanting to talk to me so I left. Junior and I attended the church where we met for 10 years before moving to Virginia, we have been at Clintwood Baptist for 8 years now. I don't leave churches, they become my family so my heart is starting to desire to do Wednesday night's at my home church. Junior will push me if this is important, I have learned to trust him so if he insists I will go. I think that I can be friends with others of different denominations and I am close to a few that are. We love Jesus and we share a deep love for each other. So many questions roll around my brain and God will lead me and that is okay. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet