"...and then I got saved. The end."

Today I am joining the Good Morning Girls for Women in the Word Wednesdays.

Romans 10: 12-13 states:
" 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentiles-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." "

I love how this verse proclaims that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be blessed-no doubt, with eternal life, but also, I believe, with blessings in this lifetime. No matter who you are, or where you live, you most likely have at least one thing to be thankful for. (Shall we start with salvation? The BEST thing to be thankful for!)

We are blessed when we call on Him-but it doesn't end when we call on His name! It's just the beginning!

I was sitting in on a high school Bible study with one of my teens while my littles were attending Awana this past Monday. One of the facilitators, Ian, started talking about people and their testimonies. He shared that often, people who have grown up in the church, and don't have a dramatic testimony, feel that their testimony is "boring" or that they don't really have a testimony, compared to those of us who have gone through crazy things and then miraculously experienced salvation. Ian brought up an excellent point-he stated that just being saved is an exciting testimony in itself.

Ian went on to point out that many people with riveting, dramatic testimonies tell all this amazing detail about their lives before they were saved-they weave these wonderful stories that reel us in, and then end with: "...and then I got saved. The end." as if nothing exciting happened to them after they got saved! This was a huge revelation for me, because it was something i've never noticed. As someone who has a pretty wild past, I have thought many times about writing my own testimony, and, to be honest, before sitting in on this discussion, it probably would have ended with "and then I got saved. The end." After hearing what Ian had to say, I started thinking about some of the fun, exciting things that have happened to me since i've been saved. It really gave me food for thought.

I was saved in May of 2008. I went on to be baptized in August of 2008. I am still just a baby in all of this, but I have been so blessed even in such a short amount of time. This is a very small list of some of the blessings that have occurred in my life since I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior:

*I got custody of my 15 year old daughter, who had been raised by my mom since I was 18 years old. (Yes, I was a teenage mom-to two children.) I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to spend a few years with her before she reaches adulthood and possibly moves on. This is one of the biggest blessings in my life, as I had never thought it would happen after all these years.

*After years of being a single mom, I married the most amazing man ever. He treats me like a princess and I am so thankful that I don't have to do this alone anymore. I feel that my husband and I truly are a team.

*I have had the blessing of seeing 4 of my 5 children baptized so far.

*I get the pleasure, every Sunday, of taking my whole family to church-laughing with them and spending time at church events and praising God. This is an amazing, beautiful thing for me. My family didn't attend church when I was a child and I had to go to Sunday school alone when I went. I am truly blessed that my children have memories of being with their whole family and enjoying worship time.

*I have "inherited" a beautiful, loving mother-in-law. She is the caretaking/nurturing type and she spoils us rotten.

*Church: my pastor, friends, an amazing support system. I really don't feel so alone anymore.

*I was blessed with a van large enough to hold all of my children. I don't like listing material blessings, and I know that a vehicle isn't a necessity, but let me tell you-it has made life SO much easier, (especially grocery shopping!) and I LOVE that we can offer rides to church for kids in the neighborhood!

*One of the biggest blessings of all, just a general appreciation for every day life spent in my house. I don't feel like my housework and tending children are mundane, unappreciated tasks. I know that this is a calling, a job, that I have been chosen to do, and I take it seriously. I love normal, routine days where we all just hang around and relax together, where I teach the girls a hobby or we sing songs together while working in the kitchen. I love teaching my kids to keep house and take care of their future families-this is my career and it fills my heart with joy. I get significantly less burnout and resentment towards my family now that I realize that there is a purpose to all of this, and I have been blessed with it, not "cursed with housework".

It seems that often, as we pray, we ask ask ask for so many things-I hope that today we would take the time to give thanks for at least one thing in our life. And if you have a testimony, make sure to amend it now, to include the amazing things that have happened since you've been saved. As Ian pointed out, the book of Acts is full of wild adventures Paul had after his conversion-and WOW, what amazing adventures they were! What a testimony!