Post number 300 on Halloween! A landmark day on a landmark day!

I’ve said in many posts before this one, that I didn’t want to turn this blog into a pulpit, and while I’m not completely sold on the idea of doing this on a weekly basis, I felt this was something I wanted to go public with. Just less than a full year ago, I started a “read through the bible in a year” project and earlier this week, more than a month ahead of schedule, I completed that task. I read my bible every day because I feel like it helps keep me grounded in my faith and where my priorities lie. Now that that “one year” project is gone, I wanted to start my own studies in addition to my daily devotional that aids my reading every day, so starting today and every Sunday until I’m finished, I’m going to work on “12 Appointments with God,” a supplemental study and self examination in the back of my bible. The process is to read and understand the theme of the appointment, read a section of scripture, memorize one of the verses, read some stories from others on how to make the teachings practical, then writing in a journal about the topic.

Today, I write about how, when and where I became a Christian. My short journal entry, handwritten in my composition book, follows:

“I can’t pinpoint a particular time when I became an actual “Christian” but I’ve had that label on my life for as long as I can remember. For a long time, being a Christian, to me, meant saying “God” a lot, dressing up and going to church once a week. I didn’t know the words to the songs or the meaning of the sermons, nor did I care.

“As I got older, I knew what being a Christian meant, but my “Christian” life was less about following Jesus and the principals the bible taught and more about being social and the center of attention. I joined a church, became active, lead the congregation in reading, sang in the choir, even designed and updated the weekly bulletins. I thought I knew God but was lying to myself. I gave up on God and put my faith in myself. I thought it was all going well until, suddenly, I realized I wasn’t doing well for myself at all. I was out of work, unproductive, apathetic, and wasn’t genuinely happy.

“At age 24 (2009), I decided to actually put my faith back in God and almost immediately the blessings came pouring in. I found a great job, had gotten married to a wonderful woman and bought my first house. The blessings woke me up and after finding a good church, I fully accepted Jesus for the first time at age 25 (2010), got baptized for the 3rd time & and met my new life for the first.

“A few days later, I had a dream that I met Jesus on a beach. He was in a group and was healing people. When he saw me, he pushed through the crowd to me, then, without saying a word, yet speaking to my heart, said “Justin, you are forgiven.” I hit the ground in tears, then woke up. They say faith is believing without seeing, but that night, I saw. And I need no more proof that Jesus is Lord and the leader of my life!”

I’ve posted this before, but I love this song:

“I have written this to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
1 John 5:13

Enjoy today’s haiku:

So it goes like this:
Buy candy and decorate
Enjoy together