Giving Thanks - day two

Today I am thankful for our church, and our church family. We attend a rather large church of about 600-800 people. Well, that might not be large by some standards but compared to the church I grew up in it's large in my mind!

Anyway, Bob grew up in this church and when we got married there was never a question about where we would attend. We planned to live locally and we just sort of automatically started attending there. When we were first married I was a little overwhelmed with the large church body and felt a little lost. I didn't really know anyone and it seemed like most people already knew Bob's family. For a while I did help with the teen ministry but I still really never felt like I'd found my place.

About 5 years after we married our first child H was born. Once I had H and began to stay home and not work I finally had more time to get involved within the church body. I began attending a ladies Bible study once a week and was able to meet a lot more women, including many that were my age who also had new babies. It was like I was finally finding my place.

Over the years since then I have served in various ministries from helping with Vacation Bible school in the summers to serving as a Sunday school teacher. I have also made so many wonderful friends - friends of all different ages. There are women who are my age who I cherish as some of my closest friends, there are women who are older who I look up to as mentors, and also many couples that Bob and I enjoy either spending time with or learning from.

I look forward to going to church each and every time because I know that every time I enter those doors I will see so many wonderful people and I will never cease to be encouraged. God's Word is preached and His Name is worshipped.

I also love that my children are learning and growing in the Lord at our wonderful church. H accepted the Lord as her Savior last year on Christmas Eve at our Christmas Eve service. The girls attend Sunday school and have many wonderful friends at our church. And when they see us serve in that place they learn a lot about what it means to serve the Lord - something I have already seen them practice.

I know some people may think a church is just a building, but not at where we go to church. We are all a part of the family of God, whether we meet in that building, or somewhere else. I love my church and my church family ... and today I'm choosing to thank the Lord for them.