Post by rachel4 on Aug 9, 2011 16:27:29 GMT -5
Hi everyone, thank you for allowing us to come into the group. My name is Rachel, wife to Jeff, and mom to our daughter 10 and our son, 7. Brother Ben asked me to share some of my testimony and I thought perhaps sharing my reasons for wanting to join might be the best route to go.
My husband and I recently (over the last two years) have made a lot of changes in our lives. My husband and I were both working full time in professional careers, our kids, a girl 10 and a boy 7 now, were in public school, he not a leader in our home, and I not willing to let him be one.
We had a very trying year in 2009, my husband lost his job, we then had to move to our present location away from our families, away from our church where we'd been members nearly 10 years, new jobs for both of us, new schools for the kids, it was a disaster. When we got here our son was struggling with severe anxiety, the school here would not help us work with him, our daughter was miserable, and so were we. Out of desperation because we could not help our son any other way we decided to try homeschooling him. I quit my job, we stepped out in faith for God to help us in the loss of my income and we started homeschooling in late 2009. BEST decision, or one of them, we ever made.
I share this because I believe it is through that initial stepping out that God allowed some new ideas to be able to enter into our lives. Our homeschool co-op here is wonderful, many members are very conservative, they shared with me and God brought to me through other avenues (homeschool conventions and such) new ideas regarding modesty, roles of women and men, simple living, living more closely to Scripture. Please don't misunderstand, we have always desired to live in a Godly manner, but God has brought to my husband and I a new desire for our family. My husband has been involved with a men's Bible study for the first time ever in our relationship, he started doing family devotions with me and the kids in the evenings, we've taken our kids out of junior church and they now attend main service with us, we are much more intentional now in our discipling of them and ourselves, if that makes sense.
My daughter is good friends with a Mennonite family in our co-op, the ladies cover. She has decided to cover, and has taken a lot of flak for her decision, although some people have also been very complimentary. I found the site in an effort to encourage her that she can remain Baptist and cover, have a simple lifestyle, wear modest clothes. I do not want my daughter leaving our denomination, not that she could now, she's only 10 and is expected to worship with us as a family, but I wanted to show her that she can believe in a Baptist doctrine and still be modest, cover, etc. I recently started wearing only skirts and dresses myself, which is a big, big change for me, (I had a family member so shocked he literally nearly fell over!) she does as well. However, I do not cover, and have not felt a conviction to do so, I am open to what God has for me but have not felt convicted that I need to as of yet. So,.one reason I want to be a member is to help her.
The other reason is because I need help myself! We are already seen as ultra-conservative in the church we attend here because we homeschool, irregardless we still are being fed, the preaching is sound, and we have good fellowship. Now that I have begun to dress modestly, as my daughter is as well, and she is covering I feel a little distanced from our friends and some of the congregation. I feel, and please, I don't mean this pridefully, that we are seeking in a different, more serious way to follow God than the majority, not all, but the majority of people in our church. I need encouragement and others I can talk with, particularly women, who can help me and my daughter, and even my husband and son, although because their changes don't involve clothing they haven't been as remarked on. I guess we just need help, brothers and sisters! Its a blessed thing we are doing, and I love the changes, love the way our family is closer to each other and to God, but some days I feel like we are aliens!
So, hoping this isn't too lengthy and I haven't bored anyone to tears yet! So ooking forward to getting to know everyone, being able to ask questions, and having some good fellowship.
Blessings to you,
Rachel
My husband and I recently (over the last two years) have made a lot of changes in our lives. My husband and I were both working full time in professional careers, our kids, a girl 10 and a boy 7 now, were in public school, he not a leader in our home, and I not willing to let him be one.
We had a very trying year in 2009, my husband lost his job, we then had to move to our present location away from our families, away from our church where we'd been members nearly 10 years, new jobs for both of us, new schools for the kids, it was a disaster. When we got here our son was struggling with severe anxiety, the school here would not help us work with him, our daughter was miserable, and so were we. Out of desperation because we could not help our son any other way we decided to try homeschooling him. I quit my job, we stepped out in faith for God to help us in the loss of my income and we started homeschooling in late 2009. BEST decision, or one of them, we ever made.
I share this because I believe it is through that initial stepping out that God allowed some new ideas to be able to enter into our lives. Our homeschool co-op here is wonderful, many members are very conservative, they shared with me and God brought to me through other avenues (homeschool conventions and such) new ideas regarding modesty, roles of women and men, simple living, living more closely to Scripture. Please don't misunderstand, we have always desired to live in a Godly manner, but God has brought to my husband and I a new desire for our family. My husband has been involved with a men's Bible study for the first time ever in our relationship, he started doing family devotions with me and the kids in the evenings, we've taken our kids out of junior church and they now attend main service with us, we are much more intentional now in our discipling of them and ourselves, if that makes sense.
My daughter is good friends with a Mennonite family in our co-op, the ladies cover. She has decided to cover, and has taken a lot of flak for her decision, although some people have also been very complimentary. I found the site in an effort to encourage her that she can remain Baptist and cover, have a simple lifestyle, wear modest clothes. I do not want my daughter leaving our denomination, not that she could now, she's only 10 and is expected to worship with us as a family, but I wanted to show her that she can believe in a Baptist doctrine and still be modest, cover, etc. I recently started wearing only skirts and dresses myself, which is a big, big change for me, (I had a family member so shocked he literally nearly fell over!) she does as well. However, I do not cover, and have not felt a conviction to do so, I am open to what God has for me but have not felt convicted that I need to as of yet. So,.one reason I want to be a member is to help her.
The other reason is because I need help myself! We are already seen as ultra-conservative in the church we attend here because we homeschool, irregardless we still are being fed, the preaching is sound, and we have good fellowship. Now that I have begun to dress modestly, as my daughter is as well, and she is covering I feel a little distanced from our friends and some of the congregation. I feel, and please, I don't mean this pridefully, that we are seeking in a different, more serious way to follow God than the majority, not all, but the majority of people in our church. I need encouragement and others I can talk with, particularly women, who can help me and my daughter, and even my husband and son, although because their changes don't involve clothing they haven't been as remarked on. I guess we just need help, brothers and sisters! Its a blessed thing we are doing, and I love the changes, love the way our family is closer to each other and to God, but some days I feel like we are aliens!
So, hoping this isn't too lengthy and I haven't bored anyone to tears yet! So ooking forward to getting to know everyone, being able to ask questions, and having some good fellowship.
Blessings to you,
Rachel