Spiritual Journey paper

       NOTE: this is not really a blog. Its just a synopsis of my personal spiritual journey. Its not very long and I don't really expect many ppl to be interested in it. I know that there are some people I am friends with who are interested in what I'm doing in school so I will often copy and paste the papers I write for different classes to my blog just to keep the ones who care in the loop of my life. This is one of those papers. It is my first assignment in theology class and I'm guessing I'l be posting a fair amount of papers from that class on this blog. So to those of you who are invested and interested in my life and the place I am currently "Thank You!" :) ~D



        I believe my 'spiritual journey' began before I was ever born. It began with the devoted prayers of my parents on my behalf. I came nearly seven years after my next older sister, and was very much of a surprise baby! In spite of that, I was joyfully welcomed and dearly loved both by my parents, and my five older siblings. My family took great care to teach me the stories from the Bible, good morals, and the importance of a personal commitment to following Christ.
             As a child growing up I several times asked Jesus to be a part of my life, but when I was eleven I made the choice to turn my life over to Him entirely. For the next few years I enjoyed a relationship with Him and sought to know Him more through the preaching I heard at church, the teaching I received from my private christian school, and through the example of my parents and older siblings. My family belonged to the Mennonite church but my parents never put any pressure on us kids to be Mennonites, a fact for which I am very grateful. Between the ages of eleven and fifteen I wrestled with whether or not I wanted to join the church. I weighed the pros and cons, studied the doctrines of the church, and prayed much about my decision. Around the time I turned fifteen I came to the decision to join the Mennonite church. It was definitely not a light thing to decide. Choosing to take a stand with a group of people that looks and acts differently than most of the world is not something to be done on a whim. I knew when I made that choice though that it was where God wanted me. I'm glad today that I made that choice, even though its not always an easy stand to take.
              My relationship with Christ is something that has grown and changed dramatically over the years. I have found His Word to be a constant and renewing source of strength. I am so very grateful for what He reveals to me about Himself in it! I do believe, very firmly, that it is the will of God that each of His children ground their lives in His word. I do my level best to live in accordance with the Bible and to show Jesus Christ to the world around me. I personally feel strongly that we as humans need something to base our beliefs on, and for me that something is the Word of God. I feel strongly that it is absolute truth. My deepest desire is to be a friend for all the people I meet. I feel that there is no better way to show the love of Christ than to consistently love the people around me. That is my goal in all things. Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Sweet Wind of the Holy Spirit are the dearest in all the world to me and more than anything I desire to show their love to the world around me.