Billy has tried out a few churches in his lifetime, and we together have tried out a church the past couple years, however he never felt quite right with it? Billy has in the past, had some strong views/opinions on churches and religion, and he kept searching for that church that fit most of his views but had yet to find it...
As for me, I really wanted my boys especially to be involved in a church and grow up with those morals. It was something very important to me. So I would spend nights praying that hopefully one day we could find a church where we fitted, where we belonged, where everyone in our family felt comfortable with it and I didn't have to drag Billy to church every Sunday! (hah!)
So I was really surprised one day last month when Billy says that he's been thinking of trying out the LDS (Mormon) church. He has a couple good friends he had talked to about it, answered some questions for him, and he wanted to know more.
Then not even a couple weeks later we had our first missionaries from the Mormon church come to our door and so we set up an appointment to meet and talk. Since then they've come every Saturday to meet and talk with Billy and I. Billy wanted to find out everything about the church and learn about it before he made the decision to attend. But everything he was learning was things he believed and agreed with. Things were feeling very good and right to him.
Finally he was ready to attend church and we went Easter Sunday for the first time, but without the boys. Since we were going to meet and greet some other people in the church, see the boys' Sunday school room, etc. it was easier to leave them with my parents who were at our house for Easter anyway.
Billy is really really on board with all of this. 100%. He's not having any doubts or second thoughts or weird issues at all. He's taking it all very seriously.
Now he's planning on getting baptized in a few weeks! (And most likely me with him)
He said today that when taking sacrament (like communion) he felt an "odd" warmth or peaceful feeling come over him. It was his first time ever taking sacrament of any kind. He said it all just felt right, like it was a sign or message to him that this was right..the right path for him.
I'm so happy for him, for US, as this is what I have prayed for. To be INVOLVED with church and not just a back row infrequent Sunday attender only. To be a part of something, a part of our lives Monday-Saturday as well.
It's all just began but I will keep praying that it continues! That every Sunday he's just as inspired and enthusiastic with things as he is now. Like Billy himself said....it's a lifestyle change for us. Already the change in our family is noticeable. I complement Billy daily on his new outlook of things; his determination to stop swearing, treat each other more respectfully, raise the boys with these same morals, and more. And it's not just him that needed to work on things, I myself have been having to change some of my ways as well! I like to think of it as an "Extreme Family Makeover"! hah!
So for those who we haven't told yet, that's the truth of it! At first we were a bit hesitant to tell people about this new decision we were making - just because of the church it is and people's general view of it? However, as Billy says, it's nothing to keep secret or hide. It's going to be our church! We should be proud of this fact and shout it from the rooftops. :)
And so here I am, on my blog, shouting it from they uhh...cyber rooftops!
~Bethany
Wonders never cease! I got a good picture of the whole family, except of course I never like pictures of myself - and I had to "photoshop" myself into this picture since there was no one to take our picture all together.
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