Dear God

There is this cloud of guilt hovering over me that sometimes I notice, sometimes I don't.  Hubs and I have been discussing churches, and trying to pick one to go to together, for years now.  We have differing opinions on certain things that add to the difficulty of settling on a church to go to together (one example - he was baptized when he was an infant, I was baptized when I was 14 years old - our children will decide later what they want to do).  He was raised Catholic, but has not been a practicing Catholic since he was living at home with his family.  I was raised non-denominational Christian.  I went to church or church related activities 3, 4, 5 times a week - my whole life.  I stopped going to church when I was 23/24 years old, but my faith in God, and my relationship with Him has remained ever-present.

Since having children, our "we need to find a church" conversation has become increasingly more common.  I've looked online, I've talked to friends, I've gotten recommendations from friends and ministers, we've visited a Baptist church but just didn't think that was the place for us. 

We're still looking, but in the meantime, we're raising our kids to know God, to love him, and to trust him despite of a lack of "church" in our lives.  We talk about and pray to God everyday.  Before naps and bedtime, we all gather around Aidan's bed and say prayers together.  Generally, its either me or AJ leading the prayer.  We'll ask Aidan to say the prayer sometimes, and he pretty much always fights us on it - he acts embarrassed, like he doesn't know what he's doing. Its not something we push too much on, he's a pretty stubborn child.  But regardless of who does it, prayers are always said, and when its done, there is a chorus of Amens, including my little Liam.   

Today, I overheard my son praying to God on two separate occasions, asking for help with things that were trying him at the time - but not before thanking Him for the day and for everything He's given him.  I can't fully express how this makes me feel.  I think of my church upbringing as a blessing in that it taught me about God, it taught me the Bible, taught me to know the scriptures, to have convictions, morals, a depth of love for God and his creation.  Today, I've been reassured that my children are well on their way.

Proverbs 22:6

King James Version (KJV)

6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old,
he will not depart from it.