Category Archives: THE REST of the STORY (my story & why I write)

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About Me & My Family History, The Rest of the Story #4

Christian Heritage

My familial upbringing contributed significantly to the making of who I am. Christian faith was an integral part of our family dynamics. I was raised with a Christian worldview. My parents’ perspective viewed everything including our choices with a spiritual purpose in mind and that we should live our lives that way. We didn’t add on Christianity, we lived it.

My father farmed row crops and orchard crops. We children always worked on the farm. We learned to be careful, responsible, and to think for ourselves. Our family lived simply with few frills. I didn’t resent this. It was a way of life. It made me value hard work. I knew I was well-loved.

Both my parents and all my siblings are lovely people. My father is a man with integrity, an honorable man. Not many come as honest as he is. I have Mother to thank for her encouragement of music, spiritual guidance, and academic support. Both parents built character and responsibility into our lives. They also were rather strict in what they allowed and didn’t allow, as was our church.

Protestant in theology, Baptist in church association, strong in Biblical teaching and personal accountability, we children developed our Christian walk through the home, church, and our college choices. I did see a few chinks in the armor, though. Later I would come to see areas of my Christian identity in a somewhat differing and expanded way. God would bring this to pass in His time.

Christian College

Triple Trio. I’m in the back row, far left.

My first venture out of the home was to attend a bible college: Western Baptist Bible College in Salem, OR. During my sophomore year, WBBC became a liberal arts college and changed its name to Western Baptist College, and now it’s Corban University. My major was Christian Education. Music, voice, and art were side studies. I traveled in music groups on weekends–concert choir and Triple Trio–whereby representing the school by performing in supporting churches.

At WBC, I loved the dynamics of being with like-minded peers. All WBC college students were required to complete 30 units of Bible and every student had to pass a Christian Theology test to graduate. Christian service was another requirement. I participated in jail ministries, music ministries, and as a puppeteer. I am grateful for the Bible-based coursework, for it contributed to my life by grounding my faith in spiritual truth.

After college, I returned to my hometown of Chico, California. I immediately began teaching at Paradise Christian school. I broke up with my college boyfriend and started to date a local man. He was a brand new believer from a nonspiritual background. He had become a Christian while stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. We first met at my church in Chico, and later became better acquainted after he was discharged from the Army. We married in 1980. My husband lacked the family/religious structures that played so significantly in my life. Our differences would not bode well for us.

Family and Church

1986

In 1982, I stopped teaching when our first child was born. My husband and I would eventually have five children. I was a stay-at-home mom. I didn’t want anyone else to raise my children even though it meant there was limited resources, and usually there wasn’t much money. Homemaking was what I did for nine years, and it was my favorite occupation ever. In 1992 we lived in Westwood, CA. After being encouraged to substitute teach by my third child’s kindergarten teacher, I passed the C-Best and reentered the teaching field as a substitute on a part-time basis.

Over the years, my little family was always active in the local church. I served in every church we attended, mostly as a teacher. One thing my family of origin had prepared me for was working in the church. I held many positions over the years i.e. Sunday School teacher, Christian Education Director, Women’s Ministries Director, Choir Director, Children’s Church teacher, AWANA leader, Christmas Program Writer-Director, and speaker.

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I know this post was a long recital, but I’m not a young chick anymore and there was lots to say (and I left a lot out). It is kind of nice to tell you some of my life story. I hope it wasn’t too boring.

More next week.

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Revolutionize Your Life, The Rest of the Story #3

God helps, heals, and restores. He gives us hope, peace and love. All the icky things lose their power when we see that God is in it with us. God is painting a grand landscape of great beauty. We are only a dot on that canvas. But the painting needs that one dot to be complete.

“God is enough.” There, I said it, the key concept, the defining point that describes my spiritual beliefs and my life. Everything I believe dove-tails back to a central belief that God is enough for every trial, sad event, hopeless moment, frustration, and personal loss.

When you have Christ on the throne of your life, no longer is your Christianity a form or a charade where spiritual life is lived out of duty or from performance-based expectations. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory. You have vitality that comes from within.

Christians who minister to the street people often minister with a humble Christ-like attitude–which is something to be desired and something I wish for in my life.

I know for a fact that God meets us where we’re at. He understands the biggies that trip us up, our unhealed hurts, unmet needs, unresolved issues, our anger, disappointments, and unbelief. God asks us to trust Him, to surrender our ‘stuff’ to His care. A response is required if we want God to to help us overcome and move forward through the occurrences in our lives.

This way of life doesn’t just happen by osmosis. No. It can’t. Not possible. God waits for us. He keeps drawing us to Himself as the object of His affection. He begins a work in our hearts. It becomes up to us with an act of the will to turn ourself towards God. At times, a restlessness sets in, a hunger for something more. Other times, it stems from our human neediness and deep-seated pain.

My life as a Christ-follower gained depth when I changed my approach to spiritual matters. My perception altered when I let go of my routines and traditions and let God begin a new work in me. I gave God the reigns of my life. It became His way, not my way.

This choice to put God first was a decision I made in response to neediness. Life had dished out a lot of hurt. I didn’t want to live that way any longer. I wrote my intentions in a journal and gave the list to God. An honest search began that day which continues to this day. That is when I discovered that God is enough to meet the obstacles of every day.

We put it out there. We take a risk. Not much happens in our spiritual journey until there is a reaching out with a ‘want-to’ in our attitudes and ‘wish-for’ in our desires. Seeking of God is initiated in your mind and heart. It takes both. God may allow circumstances or pressure points to draw us toward Himself. God even allows painful situations to grab our attention, but He never forces you to come closer or to follow Him.

God is a good Father, the very best. God is patient and long-suffering. The prodigal son story is an apt illustration depicting the patient, loving-kindness of the Father for His wayward and self-righteous children. We find both personalities in the prodigal’s story. (Both types are often in a family.)

Christ’s death on the cross and God’s perfect will accomplished in the redemption story demonstrate God’s sacrificial love to the world. God’s love for you was worth a Son. His love is great, compelling, and true.

I suggest you surrender whatever God shows you that needs surrendering. You will need His help, but He is up to the task. He is able and willing. Let God lead. Trust Him. Embrace new life in Christ. Let your joy abound as God revolutionizes your life.

I promise you, it won’t be boring.