Is Church Attendance Important?

First, before reading any further – God is asking you the following – take a few minutes and think about your answer:

I am not asking you how much you know ABOUT Him. (I know alot!)
I want to ask you “do you really KNOW Him?”
“Do you really WANT Him?”

I'm not sure when it happened exactly, but we had transitioned out of a church that I had primarily attended most of my life and on the lookout for a new home church. This decision stemmed from some hurt from within the church that really had an affect on me. I think part of me was so discouraged from the experience, the thought of finding a new church just seemed like so much work. Sure, we visited a few churches and even managed to stay at one or two for more than a few weeks straight. Now, this is a far cry from my almost nearly perfect church attendance in the past.

During that transition process, we moved out of the Florida to North Carolina for our careers. We kept saying, "we must find a good church". What is a good church anyway? Of course, I have certain expectations, such as great music, awesome preaching, a real move of God (don't we all think that occasionally?). Little did I know, church after church, they were all the same, very low-key, no deapth (at least that is how it appeared), no stirring in my spirit. Would we ever feel that feeling again? Is my approach to finding a church all wrong? During this time, nothing within me changed really, I still felt strongly about certain moral issues and knew ABOUT Him, but without the "church" as an active part of my life, I prayed less, read the Bible less, quit praying before we ate... before I knew it, I was so far from God. I didn't want that to happen, I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did. Did I still KNOW Him? Would I recognize His voice? Sadly, the answer was "no". It was like having a husband that you never speak to. What kind of marriage would that be?

For me, I really need at least one good element, good music or preaching, at least one must be at least "mediocre". We attended one church for a little while and it was okay but I just didn't feel like I belonged. You know, when no one knows you, it's real easy to get lost in the crowd. Some people are good with that, but it had been so long since I was involved, I really missed it.

As time went on, a girl from my department invited me to her church. She said, "our music is awesome"... I was thinking, "sure it is, I have heard that before". (haha). I attended one Sunday and I felt a sense of belonging, I felt the move of the Holy Spirit and felt compelled to change when I left (I think that is extremely important). When I hear a message, I want to feel compelled to change. I missed that! I really did.

We are regular attenders now or should I say "again". In the past month, I have felt the presence of God stronger than ever. I almost feel like I never "left". I say the word "left" because, you know, God never leaves us, we do that ourselves. Life gets busy, we get distracted or hurt by the church and just slowly slip away. Satan would love for that to happen to all of us.

The last question that I had asked in the beginning, "Do you WANT Him"? I want Him. I always did, I just got lost for a little while. Maybe you have gotten lost. Maybe you have been hurt by the "church" and think that you just can't bare to live through that kind of pain again. There is definitely something to be learned from our experiences. We should be discerning when it comes to people in general. Sometimes it's our fault for putting people in positions where only God should be. I think we all have done that from time to time.

I really WANT Him more than ever. I have been reading and studying His Word every evening before I go to sleep. The more I read, the more I long for Him. I really missed God so much. Being in a good church doesn't make you a Christian, no more than walking in a hospital doesn't make you a patient, but it certainly helps keep your mind focused on the things of God. It is important, I'm proof.

Hebrews 10:25 gives the command in no uncertain terms: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Be blessed! Be in church on Sunday! You'll be glad you went:)

God Knows ALL Things

 ^1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
   I'm an open book to you;
      even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
   You know when I leave and when I get back;
      I'm never out of your sight.
   You know everything I'm going to say
      before I start the first sentence.
   I look behind me and you're there,
      then up ahead and you're there, too—
      your reassuring presence, coming and going.
   This is too much, too wonderful—
      I can't take it all in!

 ^7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
      to be out of your sight?
   If I climb to the sky, you're there!
      If I go underground, you're there!
   If I flew on morning's wings
      to the far western horizon,
   You'd find me in a minute—
      you're already there waiting!
   Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
      At night I'm immersed in the light!"
   It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
      night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

 ^13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
      you formed me in my mother's womb.
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
      I worship in adoration—what a creation!
   You know me inside and out,
      you know every bone in my body;
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
   The days of my life all prepared
      before I'd even lived one day.

 ^17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
      God, I'll never comprehend them!
   I couldn't even begin to count them—
      any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
   Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
      And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!
   And you murderers—out of here!—
      all the men and women who belittle you, God,
      infatuated with cheap god-imitations.
   See how I hate those who hate you, God,
      see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;
   I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.
      Your enemies are my enemies!

 ^23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
      find out everything about me;
   Cross-examine and test me,
      get a clear picture of what I'm about;
   See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—
      then guide me on the road to eternal life. (Psalm 139, The Message)

I'm so Fortunate!

A little more than a year ago, I was waiting tables at the Outback Steakhouse because there were just no jobs in Lee County, Florida. Can you believe it? A profession with a master's degree and relying on tips to pay my bills. I can say though that I was greatful for that job, as little as it seemed at the time.

It was a difficult decision to move from where I had lived my entire life to a completely new and different place. I had applied for a job at Drake Software as a Presenter and Trainer for their software. I got it!

Now, I get to do what I have always enjoyed with the bonus and benefits of traveling occasionally and meeting new people. What sparked this thought today is that I received a "Thank You" note from a client who I had trained last week. It was a handwritten card expressing their appreciation for my time! Who does that these days?

God is so good and I really mean that.

Facing Your Giants!

The Next Year....

Well, mom was home and life is back to normal (can someone please define "normal" for me?). It was an adjustment, we never knew our mother when she was sober so we had to get to know her all over again. Well, me being almost a teenager and my sister coming up right behind me, you can imagine how fun that must have been!

My parents put us in a small private Christian school because we were having some trouble in public school with bullies because we were softies (ask anyone who knew us...) I tell you, God never misses a beat. He always has managed to put the right people in my path my entire life and I thank God for that! Mariann, who was my teacher, really turned into my mentor and Goldia, my best friend's aunt, took the roll as spiritual mom. Even though my mother had quit drinking and I totally contribute her healing to Him, she and my dad never did go to church. I used to spend the night at Goldia's just wanting answer to every Bible question there was. I'm quite sure I drove her crazy but she never let on like it did :) I was saved at the age of 12 and God did something amazing in my life. I was the kid on fire for the Lord, witnessing to all of the other teens. I just wanted to serve Him.

Throughout my years there, God placed Ron and Sharon Hooper into my life as well as many others who helped guide and direct me.  We never realize the value in our role (or maybe we do "sometimes"), the things we say, the conern we show others.... these people have all been divinely placed into my life to lend an ear or a helping hand and word of encouragement. What we perceive as "little things" are really big things in His eyes.

I prayed for my parents every day that they would come to know the Lord as their Saviour. My mother passed away over a year ago and we had "talks" and I believe that she is in heaven. Recently, the most amazing thing.... my Dad got saved! Let's see, I started praying for him when I was 12 and now I am _____ well, I can't tell you that part, it will give away my age! But, a LONG time!

The good news: God never ignores your prayers. He may not answer them when you think He should but He does answer them... in His time. If it was all up to us, i'm sure we would make a mess out of it. It's much better to let him take care of the big things, don't you agree?

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. - Luke 19:10

God IS Real

When I was younger, about 11 years old (I should have said, much younger!). My mother was an alcoholic. The only way my sister and I knew about church was through a little old lady who was our neighbor, Mrs. Higby. She had asked my mother and father if she could pick us up on Sunday's and take us to Sunday School. We loved going to Sunday School and we never missed a Sunday. My Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Taylor, awarded me a Bible with my name engraved on it for perfect attendance. She wrote this in my Bible "Lori, may this book keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book". I still have that precious gift.

During that year, my mother passed out cold while pouring her last screwdriver. I was alone with my sister when that happened and quickly rode my bicycle for help. In a short period of time, an ambulance came to our house and took our mother away. Alcohol treatment was much different 25 years ago, I can assure you. For her first month, she was tied to her bed while detoxing. For those of you who have never experienced that, it can be quite frightening for an adult, let alone a child.

We were allowed to visit her for Christmas, she had been there a little over one month. We were so excited as you can imagine. But, what we saw....the things she said...the things she did... was that our mother? She didn't remember me and I was sad. An elderly woman lay in the bed next to hers and was very sweet. She called for me to come near her and she quickly got my mind off of the terrible things that had taken place. She said, "Honey, what do you want to be when you grow up?" I said, "I want to play the violin". The dialog continued but she asked if she could pray for me and I said, "yes". From that point on, when it was time to visit my mother, I would go and see her instead.

Anyway, after she was half way through her treatment, she had lost alot of the muscle tone in her legs and the doctors feared that IF she lived, she may never walk again.

At home, I over heard this call and took my sister by the hand and told her that we would go and pray for her. We didn't know how to pray except what Mrs. Taylor taught us. I can imagine that it was a simple prayer asking God to make our mother better.

In a short period of time after that, my father got a phone call that would confirm that not only was Mom feeling much better but she walked down the hallway by herself. The nurses all stood to the side in amazement. That day I knew that God was real. He heard the prayers of two children who were hurting and missing their mother and wanted to make her a testimony of His healing power.

Yes, my mother quit drinking (Praise God) and I never did learn how to play the violin, but I learned how to play the piano! :)