A month or so after the 3rd attempt, we lost a family member near and dear to our hearts...my husband's Dad passed. I remember my brother in law saying..."you will for sure have a baby soon, Dad is up there right now talking with God". While I didn't cling to this hope, it was always in the back of my mind that maybe this was our time since, "the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21 My mind ran wild with imagination and hopes that this was his perfect plan, to send a baby to our family during the most devastating situation, filling a void that could no other way be filled. Sadly enough, this wasn't his plan at all. Several weeks later, our fourth attempt, our "natural cycle" was unsuccessful. I was numb. This left us once again at a decision point...move on with our lives or try again. I just didn't have it in me. We decided to take a break and really focus on God's plan for our lives. Now this was in no way easy because I still ached to be a mother.
I kept thinking something wasn't right. I had this yukky feeling in the pit of my stomach that had nothing to do with fertility. This "prompting" had been there for a long time. I just chose to ignore it rather than explore it. As I began to focus less on myself and more on God, I figured out the problem...I wasn't saved. As a small child, I remember walking the isle at GA camp and then being "dunked" when we got back to church. I just couldn't nail down when that was and the thing that bothered me most was that I couldn't remember ever truly asking Jesus into my heart and meaning it. On January 13, 2011 I sat with my pastor and asked Jesus into my heart. The yukky feeling that I was referring to earlier was gone immediately. I was baptised on January 23, 2011.
How To Be Saved
If you want to know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it's so simple ...!
1 -- Acknowledge in your heart that you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
**Sin is all the things that we have done against God ... ie. lying, adultery, theft, idolatry. The Bible is clear that every last one of us have sinned or will sin. And so we need God's forgiveness.
2 -- Realize that Jesus Christ died for your sins. Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
**Jesus is the only person who walked this earth COMPLETELY sinless. HE was the sacrifice for our sins and He took our sins on himself and died for us. Then 3 days later He rose from the grave!!! He buried our sins in death and rose again with new life!
3 -- Know that we are all on a path of eternal death BUT Jesus' offers salvation and eternal life as a FREE gift. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
**What we deserve for our sins is death, but accepting His gift of forgiveness that gives eternal life in Heaven is absolutely free. There is nothing we can do to earn God's grace, forgiveness and salvation - it is absolutely free!
4 -- Pray. Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
**Confess your sins to God, ask for forgiveness, tell Him your heart (He knows it already ;) and tell Him that you want Him to be Lord of your life.
If you have never asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, now is the time! It's so simple. Why? Because the God of the universe loves us and wants you and I to live an abundant life with Christ. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
1 -- Acknowledge in your heart that you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
**Sin is all the things that we have done against God ... ie. lying, adultery, theft, idolatry. The Bible is clear that every last one of us have sinned or will sin. And so we need God's forgiveness.
2 -- Realize that Jesus Christ died for your sins. Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
**Jesus is the only person who walked this earth COMPLETELY sinless. HE was the sacrifice for our sins and He took our sins on himself and died for us. Then 3 days later He rose from the grave!!! He buried our sins in death and rose again with new life!
3 -- Know that we are all on a path of eternal death BUT Jesus' offers salvation and eternal life as a FREE gift. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
**What we deserve for our sins is death, but accepting His gift of forgiveness that gives eternal life in Heaven is absolutely free. There is nothing we can do to earn God's grace, forgiveness and salvation - it is absolutely free!
4 -- Pray. Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
**Confess your sins to God, ask for forgiveness, tell Him your heart (He knows it already ;) and tell Him that you want Him to be Lord of your life.
If you have never asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, now is the time! It's so simple. Why? Because the God of the universe loves us and wants you and I to live an abundant life with Christ. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
I know what you're thinking...hallelujah this girl has finally learned her lesson and we can move on! I totally get that but, God has other plans in store for us. Funny thing is that, I am fine with that. We are still on our "break" and lovingly listening to every direction God gives us. He will tell us when it is time to make a move. Right now, I focus on the JOY I receive in simply waking every morning and anxiously waiting on what or who will be put in my path.
i love y'all so much <3 we really need to get together soon!!!
ReplyDeleteSo so good Jennifer! This story keeps getting better and better! Love you!
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