I've started this blog in order to keep my thoughts, writings, and insights of the Word in a safe place. I have notebooks of all sizes adorning my bookshelf in the other room but what would happen if there's a fire? Or they get lost in a move? I'd like a place that saves everything and that can be accessed from anywhere there is this amazing thing called wireless Internet.
Don't plan on these entries to be organized.. it will be my thoughts as they come to me at around six-ish in the morning (you might be able to tell a difference when the caffeine kicks in!).
Just a little background on me - my name is Elizabeth. I am almost 24 (April!) and have been a believer and student of the Word for a long time. I grew up in a Methodist church and memorized many Bible verses, probably in the New King James version, and also went through confirmation. As we know, confirmation or any other rite within the church cannot secure salvation, only true belief that Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior. However, my education before confirmation aided in my growth as a Christian when I truly accepted Christ ten years ago this March. I memorized all the books of the Bible, countless verses, and had a very boxed-in view of Who God was. But, it was a start.
The following narrative is an explanation of the events in my life that have formed who I am today. I won't apologize for the length. If you want to read it, fine, if not, fine. It's nice to have it out there.
When I was 16, I started going to an Assemblies of God church which was very interesting to me. I had never heard speaking in tongues, only read about it in Acts and Corinthians. My faith grew and was sustained over a period of about five years. I met my husband Aaron at that church and in that period of time my faith was bolstered incredibly. It was an amazing time of growth.
Aaron and I spent three years apart when I went to college [Go Bradley Braves!] and he went to Master's Commission. We saw each other many times, but during my sophomore and junior years in college I fell into a depression. I was not very involved with church and I was experimenting with things I never did a whole lot while in high school ("experimenting" for me was cussing, moderate drinking, and doubting the Word of God and His Sovereignty). So no wonder I went fell into a pit... I had helped to dig it! After many long and late conversations with my then-boyfriend and soon to be fiance, I went to therapy and began taking medication to correct my depression. I never regret making that decision. It was essential for my performance in college and I was nearing the end of my undergraduate experience. I took medication and received counseling through the last semester, which is when I student taught.
During this time, my last year, Aaron was home again in Pekin. We started attending a new church and we got involved in different activities together. I began singing and playing keys on the worship team and he worked with the kids in children's church. It was a great period of growth for us.
We were married in our new church in June of 2008 and moved to Peoria. I feel like this was the turning point to which I can attribute my growing faith now. That summer I stopped taking my medication and have not turned back since. I am not advocating stopping antidepressants cold turkey. I should have stepped down with the supervision of a doctor. However, it was a small dose and after I graduated Bradley I never found another counselor or psychiatrist. Many of my stressors came from living at home in a very stressful, high-strung environment.
Aaron and I chose to exercise faith in the first year of marriage that I'd never experienced. We began tithing before we married and have continued that. I cannot describe the blessings that have flowed from that one act of obedience. We went to Honduras on a missions trip two months after our wedding. That was a wonderful and rewarding experience. I began teaching high school and he continued to work at Cat. Then, in December '08, on the last day of school before winter break, we found out he was going to be laid off with his last day being in February.
So, what the heck were we going to do? My work had horrible health insurance. Aaron was going to go back to school on Cat's tuition reimbursement (he had had some classes at ICC and then he had classes from Master's Commission, but no degree at that point in time). He had worked for six months as an interim children's director/pastor at our church the previous year but we knew with the economy a children's pastor was not something churches would hire. And we didn't want to leave our current congregation.
He joined the Army as active duty. It was a quick and easy decision and didn't really take a whole lot of explanation. It felt right and Aaron started working out in order to join. He enlisted in late February and then left in mid-April for Basic training. Those seven weeks were wonderful, even though we didn't have a lot of money. It was tough though because all my student loans had started coming due back in November. At about the same time we were taking a Dave Ramsey class, Financial Peace University, and learned the basics of getting our butts out of debt and into investing. God has been so good since then - I've stayed here to work this year while he's in training and by the time my paychecks stop coming in August for this job we will be able to live off of one income.
I guess if you read back it sounds like we did a lot. We really didn't. We were obedient and as you can see in Scripture over and over again, blessing follows obedience. I have absolutely no doubt that if we hadn't been obedient in tithing and being good stewards of everything, not just money, we. would. not. be. here. No doubt in my mind.
So... that is the story of my faith. I feel I have never been closer to the Lord than I am at this point in my life. It's basically out of necessity. If I weren't close to the Lord, there's a very good chance I would have dug myself back into that pit of depression. When Aaron left for Basic training almost a year ago, I vowed that I would throw myself into Bible studies and make the most of my time alone.. with the Lord. It's been tough, it's bee rewarding. I've woken up in the morning with puffy eyelids from crying myself to sleep more times than I can count. But He is good and His mercies are new every morning.
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