My Story
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My Story- Part 9
There we were. We had learned that church and ministry didn’t have to be ugly. That leaders in the church could be kind. So, with this in mind, even though they had a smoke machine, we joined a small church launch called Discover Life Church in 2014, also known as DLC. I could sum it up nicely- say the past 7.5 years have been awesome (they have), that God has done amazing things (He has), but for me, the process to see myself as a church leader, a pastor even, has been one marked by a lot of changes, a lot of ups and downs, and many difficulties. There was…
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My Story- Part 8
The Lord is always on time. As my story, now our story, continues, I can now look back and see God’s hand all over it. Preparing me, shaping me, running me through the many necessary processes to grow me into a place where I can truly see myself, and others, in a light that reflects the Father’s intent. I think I was always keen to see some others. Although I would never say it out loud, there were worthy and unworthy, when it really came down to it. And now, of course the problem of evil still exists and I would give pause to those who seem overcome with it,…
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My Story- Part 7
(I felt like churchy clipart was apropos for this post) We are all in process. Our process in the early years of marriage I will call ”just trying to figure it out.” I still had so much religion in me, I just knew that I was failing in many ways. But gosh darn it (because if you say the other word you go you know where) I was going to try to do the whole church thing! And Andy was so new in faith I think he needed to believe that this whole community of faith thing wasn’t a complete sham. There had to be some folks in it for…
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Andy’s side of the church story
We met. I am not going to get into all of the mushy details, but we started talking at a perfect time. A month earlier, or a month later, and I think things would have probably been completely different. When we met, she was my light. In a life of darkness, that, to sum it up contained an abusive upbringing, drug use, homelessness, heart stopping (3 times), guns in my face, and ended with a stab wound in my stomach, eviction, and sleeping in a gas station bathroom, she was my light. As we began to talk, I had questions about God, because, how could someone so intelligent believe in…
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My Story- Part 6
This part of my story was a transition. It is also the time in my life that is most exciting because I met and married the man I call my husband (and he’s the best!). God definitely used him as a catalyst, which is evident in my side of our story. As I came out of my fog, or probably partially while I was still in it, I tried to relate to God in ways that made sense to me. I rejected the angry God of my youth, I didn’t think it could possibly be all about “rules” and what you don’t do. And I was right there. I couldn’t…
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My Story- Part 5
*There is nothing graphic or specific in the following post, but please do not read if you are an abuse survivor and triggered easily* For anyone just joining in on my story, I start here. If you have been reading along with me for the last few weeks, thank you for being here. I did not know that some of this needed to be written, but as I wrote today’s the tears flowed, because the heaviness of what I have been delivered from was tangible to me. I pray that if you are in the same place, needing a burden lifted, this story gives you hope that Jesus can and…
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My Story- Part 4
I quickly learned that having a family drama very easily parlayed into having an excuse. Where I had strived to be the “good girl,” even co-hosting advertised “alcohol free” parties and inviting friends to church, I suddenly didn’t care. Maybe I would feel better if I drank, maybe life would be easier if I didn’t have to try so hard. Maybe, after all, I didn’t really care what my parents thought. I slowly started making decisions that I would not have made before. Friends that I kept at arm’s length I suddenly made better acquaintance with. In my mind, I had every reason to drink, to party, to try to…
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My Story- Part 3
When my family moved, things were relatively the same for a little while. Our church didn’t lose many people in the church shift, since part of the reason for our geographic change was that many of our members had moved a county over. So, we launched a new campus in a new county in a temporary space. I guess now you may call it a church plant, but we were an established church just moving to an unestablished location. We met in a performing arts studio and I became well acquainted with the meaning of the words “set up” and tear down” at the age of 14. I believe this…
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My Story- Part 2
Mine is a story of reconciliation and restoration through Him, God… of finding myself and a relationship with Him through my broken pieces. So, this story, more than anything, is a spiritual journey. How the Lord rescued me from my own self-inflicted bondage, restored me through his loving kindness, and has now reconciled me to his bride, the church. If you were a church kid in the 80s or 90s, maybe yours is a similar one. Growing up, I just wanted to be happy (hence my dissolve into tears when I displeased someone or someone else was displeased in general). And, above all else, I wanted life to be fair. I…
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My Story- Part 1
I guess I will start at the beginning. Paint a picture of my simple beginnings if you will. I was born in Lake City, Florida. A smallish highway town adjacent to the even smaller town where my parents lived and served as youth pastors- Live Oak, Florida. There is a certain beauty to the town. It does indeed have some beautiful mossy trees. The kind you see in movies and that you picture in sleepy southern towns. Sometimes the movies don’t lie about these sorts of things. I don’t actually remember living here. But I did visit as a child and even into my young adult years. My dad had…
