Energy Saving Mode
Last year my family and I decided to leave the mega church and find something smaller. Somewhere that is more accepting of individuality, community, and less about how big your pockets are. It was a rough season for us, more so, for our children. Leaving something you've known for most of the seven years on this Earth can be quite challenging. Especially for one who loathes change. After visiting multiple churches, one morning my husband said "lets try that place we always pass, The River".
So, we went. Very welcoming from the moment we turned into the parking lot. Familiar faces from childhood reassured me the first time visiting wouldn't be so intimidating. Then to noticing a clock on the wall that we just sold in a garage sale with the same broken hands felt like it was a sign that this could be home for us.
Disclaimer: I asked, it was not our clock we sold. But how coincidently that it was broken just like ours had been.
We have been so welcomed there. From lunch and golf with the pastors, to weekend retreats, to being asked to do small things, to people loving on us and our children. It is the first place that I have gotten anyone to come to church with me, and continually to come. It is the first place that we felt like value added to something.
A couple weeks ago I signed up to join a group at church because I need to plug in more and honestly, open my bible more. Well, I went last night to the first class, orientation you could say.
HOLY SOCKS BATMAN.
I didn't realize what I signed up. Its pretty much like Christian boot camp!
Here are the requirements I am to meet:
Not miss any of the 6 meetings ( There are multiple levels of this class)
Must attend church service on Sunday
Attend a midweek service weekly
Daily reading and Journaling, the SOAP way
Pray aloud for 10 minutes a day
Memorize weekly verses and recite them to your coach
Create a Godly lifestyle
2 hours a week of media or t.v.
Serve at church weekly
Invite someone to church each week
Homework each week and study for at least two hours
To some this may sound simple. To some this may sound stupid. To me, it sounded overwhelming. Why? Because my schedule is filling up during the week with the girls' extracurricular activities already and between work and college, I barely get enough time to catch up on Big Bang Theory. So how will I fit all this into my schedule too?
I sat there during the teaching last night and the teacher kept looking at me while he was teaching. I am not sure if it were the overwhelmed look on my face or if it were God using him to push this on me. Telling me, " yes,I am talking to you and you need to do this". Well, it is making me uncomfortable, so I am assuming it is what I need to do. My pastors are amazing. They are both so authentic and relatable, I was reassured it will be worth it and okay. So, I am diving in, heart first.
It is all that I asked God to help me with this year. Every single requirement.
Ask and you shall receive!
But media for 2 hours a week! Okay, okay, I will obey. I know it is mind-numbing and time-wasting. Sometimes more often than not, I catch myself on there just scrolling and scrolling looking at people I DON'T even know. I know you are guilty too. And there are people who do not like me or what I post and for the most part, I give two shits, but using social media as a platform to make extra income, part of me has to care. So, I am going to take some time off and focus on me and creating better habits.
Keep up with the blog to see what is going on over here in my world and comment so I can hear what is going on in your world! Just hit the subscribe button to get my blogs in your inbox.
P.S.
This is also an excuse to get more cute notebooks and highlighters because those things make me feel like I have my life together :)
Love you all,
Cayla
So, we went. Very welcoming from the moment we turned into the parking lot. Familiar faces from childhood reassured me the first time visiting wouldn't be so intimidating. Then to noticing a clock on the wall that we just sold in a garage sale with the same broken hands felt like it was a sign that this could be home for us.
Disclaimer: I asked, it was not our clock we sold. But how coincidently that it was broken just like ours had been.
We have been so welcomed there. From lunch and golf with the pastors, to weekend retreats, to being asked to do small things, to people loving on us and our children. It is the first place that I have gotten anyone to come to church with me, and continually to come. It is the first place that we felt like value added to something.
A couple weeks ago I signed up to join a group at church because I need to plug in more and honestly, open my bible more. Well, I went last night to the first class, orientation you could say.
HOLY SOCKS BATMAN.
I didn't realize what I signed up. Its pretty much like Christian boot camp!
Here are the requirements I am to meet:
Not miss any of the 6 meetings ( There are multiple levels of this class)
Must attend church service on Sunday
Attend a midweek service weekly
Daily reading and Journaling, the SOAP way
Pray aloud for 10 minutes a day
Memorize weekly verses and recite them to your coach
Create a Godly lifestyle
2 hours a week of media or t.v.
Serve at church weekly
Invite someone to church each week
Homework each week and study for at least two hours
To some this may sound simple. To some this may sound stupid. To me, it sounded overwhelming. Why? Because my schedule is filling up during the week with the girls' extracurricular activities already and between work and college, I barely get enough time to catch up on Big Bang Theory. So how will I fit all this into my schedule too?
I sat there during the teaching last night and the teacher kept looking at me while he was teaching. I am not sure if it were the overwhelmed look on my face or if it were God using him to push this on me. Telling me, " yes,I am talking to you and you need to do this". Well, it is making me uncomfortable, so I am assuming it is what I need to do. My pastors are amazing. They are both so authentic and relatable, I was reassured it will be worth it and okay. So, I am diving in, heart first.
It is all that I asked God to help me with this year. Every single requirement.
Ask and you shall receive!
But media for 2 hours a week! Okay, okay, I will obey. I know it is mind-numbing and time-wasting. Sometimes more often than not, I catch myself on there just scrolling and scrolling looking at people I DON'T even know. I know you are guilty too. And there are people who do not like me or what I post and for the most part, I give two shits, but using social media as a platform to make extra income, part of me has to care. So, I am going to take some time off and focus on me and creating better habits.
Keep up with the blog to see what is going on over here in my world and comment so I can hear what is going on in your world! Just hit the subscribe button to get my blogs in your inbox.
P.S.
This is also an excuse to get more cute notebooks and highlighters because those things make me feel like I have my life together :)
Love you all,
Cayla
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