J
Jethro
Guest
It appears as though I just jumped into the fray without introducing myself. My apologies...
My father was raised as an anabaptist Christian (Mennonite), and my mother as a Mormon; thus most of my early years were spent in the Mormon church. When I was 14, my parents realized they were part of a cult (through their own research), and decided to return to the church where my father grew up.
For 20 years I tried to shake the teachings of a misguided religion, all the while feeling as though I had committed my life to Christ. I was involved with a loving church family, and I felt right at home -- I even met and married my wife there.
In 2002 our first child was born. After a very long, difficult labor; the doctors decided a C-section was the best option. We were so exhausted that we just wanted them to do whatever it took to get the baby out safely... and were blessed with a baby boy.
It would be an understatement to say that I was not prepared for the feelings that would follow... I had witnessed the miracle of life, and staring back at me were deep blue eyes that pierced my soul. I recognized those eyes, despite never seeing them before. Even to this day, after the birth of our second child (a girl), I am awe-struck at the miracle of these little blessings that brighten our days.
I was shook to the core by these events, and realized that I could no longer keep my faith in God silent. I needed to publicly proclaim Christ as my Lord and Savior, not just for myself; but so my son would grow up knowing what his father believed in. So I decided I needed to get baptized for real.
The pastor of our church was able to help answer a lot of the questions I had about Christian theology, and helped me to get a better understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. And on Easter Sunday 2003, I was baptized. Hallelujah.
My wife and I still struggle with what it means to be Christian parents in the 21st century, but with the Word of God as our guide (and a lot of prayer), we have faith that we are headed in the right direction...
And if anyone actually read through all that, I thank you for your patience. :-D
In Christ,
-Jeff (Jethro)
My father was raised as an anabaptist Christian (Mennonite), and my mother as a Mormon; thus most of my early years were spent in the Mormon church. When I was 14, my parents realized they were part of a cult (through their own research), and decided to return to the church where my father grew up.
For 20 years I tried to shake the teachings of a misguided religion, all the while feeling as though I had committed my life to Christ. I was involved with a loving church family, and I felt right at home -- I even met and married my wife there.
In 2002 our first child was born. After a very long, difficult labor; the doctors decided a C-section was the best option. We were so exhausted that we just wanted them to do whatever it took to get the baby out safely... and were blessed with a baby boy.
It would be an understatement to say that I was not prepared for the feelings that would follow... I had witnessed the miracle of life, and staring back at me were deep blue eyes that pierced my soul. I recognized those eyes, despite never seeing them before. Even to this day, after the birth of our second child (a girl), I am awe-struck at the miracle of these little blessings that brighten our days.
I was shook to the core by these events, and realized that I could no longer keep my faith in God silent. I needed to publicly proclaim Christ as my Lord and Savior, not just for myself; but so my son would grow up knowing what his father believed in. So I decided I needed to get baptized for real.
The pastor of our church was able to help answer a lot of the questions I had about Christian theology, and helped me to get a better understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. And on Easter Sunday 2003, I was baptized. Hallelujah.
My wife and I still struggle with what it means to be Christian parents in the 21st century, but with the Word of God as our guide (and a lot of prayer), we have faith that we are headed in the right direction...
And if anyone actually read through all that, I thank you for your patience. :-D
In Christ,
-Jeff (Jethro)
