#tellyourstory

Our church is doing a hashtags #tellyourstory as we share how Gods love has changed us and transformed our lives.  This is a story of a girl who doesn't have a massive turnaround story but a daily walk and a daily life trying to do my best to live Christ in a tangible meaningful way. He's uses us all.
Heres my story.

Grew up in church. Pastors kid who always loved Jesus and his church thanks to the influence of my parents and the local church.
Growing up its easy to say i'm sure i was the most disciplined child of the 3. I can tend to be pretty mouthy and have a raw attitude.

I was baptized at 12 or 13 in Bellingham at a church we were attending. Our family had stepped out of ministry for a few years after an incredibly difficult time at a previous church. I remember vividly trying to come to grips with my dad not being the lead pastor anymore. My faith could no longer be tied to him. It was now my own. Baptism for me was that statement.

We moved down to Seattle and I met Jason at the young age of 16. He always wanted to be a pastor and I always wanted nothing to do with ministry.  I had had enough of the spot light, or so i thought.

We dated through high school and college and then started our life together. Me a nurse and him a youth pastor at a local church. My faith again was tied to work.  Church was a good thing, but i didn't do it out of a love of God's church but out of dedication for the youth we were serving.

We struggled under the leadership and eventually gave notice and left the church without another job.

Ive never felt God so vividly in my life give us instruction to do something. I could see Jason slipping away as he felt devalued. We didn't love God's church anymore, we loved the people. I wanted to love both.

My dad after a few months called Jason up and said they were looking for a youth pastor and that started our journey with Creekside.

As you can see my Faith is wrapped up in the church. It can be sticky at times to separate my personal faith with the direction God has put our life on.

If you see us today you would see a couple surround my family and friends. As we are. But i hasn't always been that way.

Youth ministry at this church was lonely. I sat alone in church for years. Years. The pastors daughter who's husband was also a pastor, feeling alone and out of place. That's no ones fault but my own.
Our church was small and declining at the time. The pay cuts, staff leaving, and no friends took it toll on me.

I found myself desperate for something to come alive in me. I started reading blogs and listing to sermons by John Piper.  He has a quote that changed my life forever.
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him."
That changed my entire life almost 5 years ago. My entire outlook on life, on circumstances, on whatever comes my way would now go through this filter.
I am satisfied in God alone. He is my joy. He brings me peace. He eases my anxiety when it cripples me many days. And because I am satisfied in him, he is glorified through me.

It is so simple yet so profound of a statement.

Anxiety cripples me often. My only source of hope is God's word. Those who are intimate with me know this to be true. It can be a joke at times but I face the reality of it in my own life and mind daily. God is my only hope and strength. I am satisfied in who God says he is. And an overflow of me being satisfied in God is God is glorified in me and through me.

That's my story that hasn't ended yet.
Whats your story?
#tellyourstory.