My Baptism

Sunday was a special day for me, not only did we get to celebrate because Christ has risen, but it was a sort of Resurrection for me, I was born again and cast away my sins and turned to Christ.

Everyone kept asking me if I was nervous and they said if I was it didn't show. But do you know what? I wasn't nervous at all. I text my friend in the afternoon to say that I had butterflies, but I think it was pure excitement. All day I couldn't stop grinning, I looked like Wallace from 'Wallace and Gromit' just lots of teeth!

When we arrived at Church and I saw the pool it just added to the excitement. The Church leader talked me through how he wanted things to go and then we started the service with some songs and prayer, everything sort of went by in a blur, which is a bit sad because I wanted to savour every minute, but then I was called into the water "Do you turn away from evil?" I turn away from evil
"Do you repent of your sins?" I repent of my sins
"Do you turn to Christ?" I TURN TO CHRIST (I've written it it capitals because I'm sure that I shouted it so loud I could be heard at the end of the road, I've never known such an amazing experience and so glad that I have done it. I had to get dressed very quickly and return for the rest of the service as there were further baptisms after mine and to be honest it was the first baptism that I have ever attended so was desperate to see someone else be baptised.

I would also like to say thank you and God bless to my towel bearers, specially chosen to be there when I came out of the water a new person, after all they helped lead me there.

My Testimony

I was raised with the knowledge that I should go to Sunday school; my parents did not attend church. When I got older it was my decision that I would not continue to go to church, although it has always been apparent in my life.

I grew up without church; I got married, had children and worked hard. I lost my sister in 1998; this caused me to re-evaluate my life resulting in a divorce. I met and married Mark and we have Grace our beautiful 8 year old daughter together. Grace was diagnosed with a life threatening incurable illness in 2001.

We moved into Cottesbrook Close shortly after, the first day we moved in Nick and Vicki baked us flap jacks, when Grace first started school I befriended Rachel and Andy immediately,whom later asked me to attend the Alpha course at their church in Rugby, at that time I wasn't quite ready, but a year on here I am. I could say that I have made my fair share of mistakes and suffered our fair share of disasters on this journey.

I could tell you so much more but a testimony is more than just a spiritual CV. The big question is not what I have done, but who I have become? What difference has Christ made to me?

The more I learn about God and his hopes for me, the more I come to realise how far I am from meeting his expectations. We were meant to write when we felt we actually came to Christ, I think it was through a series of links, something which I have recently read about. Starting with Sunday school when I was a child and more recently, my friends and the examples set by many in church have helped me understand how to grow as a christian. Culminating on the day I opened the bible and decided to start reading, "where should I start?" I asked myself, well certainly in the New Testament because everyone knows the story of The Nativity right? I opened the book randomly and began to read Mattew 6: 25-34

The words spoke to me - "Do not worry, can anyone by worrying add one single hour to their life?" I was the worlds worst worrier and this was the first page I opened in the bible, there and then I found Jesus. I've since learned through prayer I can cast my anxieties to God and he will guide me.

I am still a 'work in progress' a quote that a good friend of mine uses often, but by reading the bible I learn:

James1: verse 5

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Just a year ago I would have said I wasn't ready for Christianity let alone baptism, but purely by reading the bible and being surrounded by the church community has made me see that baptism is an important step, a symbol of my sins being washed away and a celebration of the start of my new life with Christ.

Photos to follow......