Needed every step

Recently, we started really plugging into our new church... Scott helped chaperone a youth ski trip... I performed in a church wide musical... But this past weekend was amazing.

In the Methodist church, young middles schoolers go through confirmation. It is a class that they attend once a week for a few months, a retreat, and then they have the choice of joining their church. My daughter is taking the classes... More importantly, SO AM I! My pastor thought it would be a great idea for me to attend with her. So, I am learning about the Methodist denomination, scriptures that I have been familiar with for years, and more of what our personal church believes and practices. I have learned a lot and have enjoyed going through it with Jessica and her 8 friends in the class.

This past weekend we went to Lake Junaluska. It was a district wide weekend for confirmands to learn about the promises they make through confirmation. The praise and worship was more like what I had grown accustomed in a previous church and I LOVED it. The sermons were decent and gave me a lot to think about. The classes were interesting and only explained further the things that I needed to understand. The tweens that went were fantastically behaved and a joy to hang out with. The food was yummy and the beds were comfortable. The scenery was beyond beautiful, and it was definitely in my top 5 most beautiful places I have witnessed....

But I am especially glad I went because of what I experienced... For me... On Saturday night, my pastor/friend had us walk through a prayer labyrinth... As we walked by ourselves on the way to the center, I was to pray at each curve about things I needed to transform in my heart... As I walked back out towards the opening, I was to pray at each curve about how I could conform to the desires of Jesus in my life... I am probably wording this wrong... But regardless, it was powerful. I am walking around this path with five adults and 8 kids... But I was completely alone in thought and prayer. I have had a crazy last 8 months... I have struggled in relationships, self pity, self doubt, self worth, new friendships, trying to learn new things, new church, new clothes, finances, raising three very different children, and meanwhile trying to do the right things... This time in prayer was needed. Don't get me wrong, I have prayed about these things before... Several times. But this night was different. I was able to walk and release. I approached the throne of God, knelt before Him, and was finally able to lay these problems, personal struggles, and personal sins at the feet of Christ... It was very freeing... I needed every step.