1. I love my church. I came from a very small church (began with about 25 people), moved to a mega church (about 2500 at the time), and now I've settled in a nice mid sized church (about 400-500). My church is very family oriented. We are also ministry oriented. We go on about 20 different missioons each year. I am very involved in my church. My main ministry is worship. When I first moved here I was the interim worship leader for the youth group for about 6 months. I also served as a youth leader. I've served in the Children's ministry as a teacher and baby sitter for midweek services. Then there are one time or sporatic events.
2. I don't have much time for fun. Honestly, I have a very busy life so my fun things mostly involve doing worship or other musical ventures with the team. I'm a bit of a homebody. I like to play keys, sing, and write music. I record a little, and I also love spending time with my nieces and nephews, and any other children. Oh and I love having friends over or hanging out with them, though those encounters usually end up being musical also.
3. Hmmm... a motto. I've had a few in my life. I used to always say "God is good, and I'll survive." though I realized while true it's a bit dreary. One of my life verses is "My grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in your weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9. I also love Phillipians 1:6b "he who began a good work in me will be faithful to carry it on to completion until the day of Christ." and Psalm 29:10 "The Lord sits enthroned over the flood. He is enthroned as king forever."
4. What sets me apart? That's a tough one. Well, I'd like to say we're all created uniquely and that, therefore, makes me set apart; but I'm guessing that's not what you want. Well, I like to go to sleep early and wake up early. I normally start falling asleep around 8:30. If i weren't a teacher, I'd be a mid-wife. I've done so much research about pregnancy and childbirth that I could probably deliver a baby right now. In fact, though I've never had children (my two are in heaven), my pregnant friend ask me for child rearing, pregnancy, and delivery advice and information. Children are my world. I joke every time I got to Mexico that I may not come back because they may jail me for smuggling little Mexican babies across the border. I also am very well verse in birth defects and other developmental issues. I love working with these types of people. I am also about as loyal as they come. I stand by my friends and family. I will always be there if they need me.
5. I believe what I believe because I have seen God prove it to me over and over. I have seen Him in my life and the lives of those around me. While I am not a bible scholar, I am able to discern what is scriptural and what is not even when it's a person in authority telling me. I have many wise people in my life that I talk to and pray with on a regular basis and they show me who God is.
6. I grew up in an abusive family. Both of my parents were abusive, though my father was the worst of the two. I grew up believing that my identity was a seductress because this was the identity instilled in me by him. I grew up also taking full responsibility for every abuse because of how my mother treated me. In all, I grew up believing that this was all normal behavior and treatment.
I met the Lord at 13 as I stood at my kitchen counter with a steak knife carving into my hand. He spoke to me there and I finally knew He was real despite having been raised in a church. While I live with my mom, I separated myself from my family and began pursuing God all alone. 14 years later I'm going strong. And through the years God has continued to reveal himself to me and show me what true reality is.
So to answer the question, I act the way I do because I grew up knowing all too well what it meant to be unloved and deceived. I grew up knowing abandoment and rejection and perversion (sexual and otherwise). So I am loyal, affectionate, and I love people. I love helping and talking to people. I love kids because through them I can see what it really should have been like. They show me how precious I really was when I was being treated like a rag doll.
