Introducing Myself

[Left the Bldg]

I've already posted on one topic (the CCM thread) and didn't realize I can introduce myself.  I came to this site while doing a Bible study and had never been on a forum so I decided to try it.

 

My name is Laura.  I am married and  have 6 kids.  4 girls and 2 boys.  Ages 21 (girl), 19 (girl), 13 (boy and girl twins), 7 (girl) and 5 (boy).  My 5 year old has autism.  He's high functioning and has been in therapy (which I am very involved in) for about 2 yrs now and just started K-4 this year.

 

I only work on weekends at an assisted living facility working with elderly and memory care residents. My husband is a detective.  We live in the midwest.

 

I had been in and out of the AOG church for over 20 yrs but started to question their belief on salvation and tongues.  I think, for the most part, they teach that you can lose it.  I don't believe everyone in the church believes that but the denomination teaches it.  I never realized that until a pastor during a sermon mentioned missing the rapture and that disturbed me.  To make a long story short I searched for churches in my area that had children's classes that would be sensitive to my son's needs and does not teach on the loss of salvation and started going to an IFB church. Have been there for a year now and like it a lot.  At first it was a culture shock.  It's a smaller church than I'm used to but easier to get to know people.  The worship is different and other various things but I just want to go where the truth is being taught.  My kids love it and that is really important to me because there is no struggle to get them going.

 

I can't think of anything else to write about myself because it would be too long and maybe boring.       That's about the basics.  Thank you.

[John81]

Howdy Laura! Sounds like a wonderful family. Our youngest son, who will soon be 16, has some cognitive impairment, but he's high functioning and has even helped with some children with worse mental issues as well as some children with autism and downs. He's read books to them and helped them in various ways.

 

I was born again in 1981 (the reason for the 81 behind my name) while attending a night service at an Assembly of God church. The pastor there at the time was more conservative minded than some AoG pastors. I stayed with that church until he moved to another church and the pastor that replaced him turned out to be a VERY Charismatic pastor. It took awhile but the Lord finally brought a good Christian friend into my life and he introduced me to a fine IFB pastor and I became a member of his church.

 

It's good to have you with us, and thank you for the introduction!

[candlelight]

Hi Laura.  I didn't think you knew that you were supposed to introduce yourself.  I am glad that you did.  You sound like a very busy lady.  6 children?  Oy vey! 

I am glad that you are going to an IFB church.  I like my church very much.  During the winter months we don't have service in the evenings b/c of travel.  Our church is not close to home, and isn't accessible to many people.  After service, we have a fellowship lunch.  In fact, we do not have an actual church.  We meet in a civic center on Sunday mornings and Sunday nights in the Spring, Fall and Summer.  On Wednesday night, we meet in a nearby Lutheran church.  If weather permits we meet at our property in the Summer.  Those are my favorite services, b/c we meet outside.  Sometimes, the civic center is closed, so we meet at another civic center in my hometown on Christmas and Easter.  My point is, that no IFB church is the same.  That is the beauty of it.  We answer to the Lord Jesus Christ, with our pastor being the undershephard of the church.  When we make decisions, like purchasing property, our pastor and deacons meet then bring the ideas to the congregation.  I really like that, as I grew up in a church much different than that.  Fellowship is very important to IFB's.  I hope you are able to make some nice lady friends at your church.

I am glad you and your children like your new church.  I am sure you will grow there.  God bless you and yours.

[Alimantado]

Name sounds familiar--are you the person who likes CCM? Just kidding...

 

Welcome to the forum! This is the best forum on the net.

[DaveW]

Welcome Laura.

I have a friend who has a high functioning autistic child. You wouldn't know it until someone says something that he takes literally when it is obviously not meant that way. Otherwise he just seems a little intense - like he is concentrating. Once it is pointed out you sort go "Oh that explains it".
The mother homeschools her two kids, against medical advice, but has done great by her kids.


I have four kids - proud of them all.

[HappyChristian]

Welcome aboard, Laura. We really are glad to have you with us.

My step-grandpa was a pentecostal preacher (not with the AoG, though). After he got to the point where he couldn't get about, he began really reading the Bible. Although he died a pentacostal, we used to tease him that he was sounding more like a Baptist every day. :-) And he was. We loved talking with him about the Bible. He joined my uncle in Glory a while back, then his wife went to Glory, with my dad joining them all almost two years ago. Looking forward to seeing them again!

[Left the Bldg]

Name sounds familiar--are you the person who likes CCM? Just kidding...

 

Welcome to the forum! This is the best forum on the net.

 That's me!  You know what?  They haven't deleted me.  Yet!  So yeah...thumbs up.

[Left the Bldg]

Welcome aboard, Laura. We really are glad to have you with us.

My step-grandpa was a pentecistal preacher (not with the AoG, though). After he got to the point where he couldn't get about, he began really reading the Bible. Although he died a pentacostal, we used to tease him that he was sounding more like a Baptist every day. :-) And he was. We loved talking with him about the Bible. He joined my uncle in Glory a while back, then his wife went to Glory, with my dad joining them all almost two years ago. Looking forward to seeing them again!

My parents passed recently from Alzheimer's.  7 months apart.  I think about that all the time...seeing them again.  Can't wait for that glorious reunion but still have work to do here.  Sometimes it's hard to see my residents at work because in the short time I've been there...I can already see the changes in their deterioration.  After the experience with taking care of my parents,  I feel I'm there for a reason.  It taught me to let go and completely rely on God.  There is no greater source.

 

My sister still goes to AOG.  They teach salvation correctly, I think, but the thought of losing it made me feel worse after the service was over than I how felt before it began.  I didn't like questioning my salvation.  It made me question my family's as well. My pastor now (IFB) conducted my parents' funeral in July.  He did a beautiful job in comforting all who came and preached assurance of salvation.

 

What made you go to a Baptist church considering your background? 

[Left the Bldg]

Welcome Laura.

I have a friend who has a high functioning autistic child. You wouldn't know it until someone says something that he takes literally when it is obviously not meant that way. Otherwise he just seems a little intense - like he is concentrating. Once it is pointed out you sort go "Oh that explains it".
The mother homeschools her two kids, against medical advice, but has done great by her kids.


I have four kids - proud of them all.

By looking at my son, you can't tell either.  He gets obsessed with things (balloons and flags) and repeats himself a lot...kinda just gets stuck.  I sent him to school because one of the symptoms of autisim are social in nature.  He's very academically smart and very clever.  Yeah...they don't get sarcastic humor.  They take it literally.  I have to keep reminding my other kids so they don't get into arguments.

 

Nice to meet you.  :-)

[Left the Bldg]

Howdy Laura! Sounds like a wonderful family. Our youngest son, who will soon be 16, has some cognitive impairment, but he's high functioning and has even helped with some children with worse mental issues as well as some children with autism and downs. He's read books to them and helped them in various ways.

 

I was born again in 1981 (the reason for the 81 behind my name) while attending a night service at an Assembly of God church. The pastor there at the time was more conservative minded than some AoG pastors. I stayed with that church until he moved to another church and the pastor that replaced him turned out to be a VERY Charismatic pastor. It took awhile but the Lord finally brought a good Christian friend into my life and he introduced me to a fine IFB pastor and I became a member of his church.

 

It's good to have you with us, and thank you for the introduction!

That's wonderful!  God uses your son to help others with similar issues.  There's always a reason for everything even if we may not understand or have all the puzzle pieces.

 

It's very nice to meet you!

[Left the Bldg]

I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome and hope to get to know all of you more and meet new people.  We need each other. 

[Arbo]

I do not know how socially correct it is to offer welcome to someone who has been here longer than I.  In the spirit of caution-throwing, welcome. 

 

 

Is that French?  I think I see some English and Spanish words too.  I'm part French but only speak a little.  Le bag...le car...Pepe Le Pue.  :-)

 

 

It's spam.

[Left the Bldg]

I do not know how socially correct it is to offer welcome to someone who has been here longer than I.  In the spirit of caution-throwing, welcome. 

 

 

 

 

It's spam.

It's spam?  I have a lot to learn on how forums work.  :-)  

 

Welcome to you!

[John81]

 

 

 

 

 

It's spam.

A lot of people say that about French!

[HappyChristian]

My parents passed recently from Alzheimer's.  7 months apart.  I think about that all the time...seeing them again.  Can't wait for that glorious reunion but still have work to do here. So true!! Sometimes it's hard to see my residents at work because in the short time I've been there...I can already see the changes in their deterioration.  After the experience with taking care of my parents,  I feel I'm there for a reason.  It taught me to let go and completely rely on God.  There is no greater source.

 

My sister still goes to AOG.  They teach salvation correctly, I think, but the thought of losing it made me feel worse after the service was over than I how felt before it began.  I didn't like questioning my salvation.  It made me question my family's as well. My pastor now (IFB) conducted my parents' funeral in July.  He did a beautiful job in comforting all who came and preached assurance of salvation.

 

What made you go to a Baptist church considering your background? 

Oh, I agree - working at a home like that can really help us see how short life is!  We (my hubby and I) lead a Saturday morning service (well, he leads it...I just help with things like the music, stories, etc) at an area nursing home weekly.  We've been there for 12 years now and we've seen a lot of people pass on. Praise the Lord, the greater majority have been saved, some even through our ministry. What a blessing that is!  Kudos to you for being willing to spend time with them. I know it's a job, but I'm thinking that it's probably more than a job for you!

 

All of my Dad's family is still pentecostal (if they go to church at all).  The only one besides my Dad who left that is the uncle who is now in Heaven.  It's interesting - they are the only 2 (of 5 living) who joined the Navy and thus left the area.  They both got saved and became Baptist.  He is actually my step-Dad. I was 9 when he and my mother married.  We had gone to church some when we were younger, but I don't know what type (I only remember a little church at the end of our street. My sister and I had matching [other than the color] "granny dresses" - seriously, that's what they were called - and we wore them that day. LOL - the things we remember from our wee years!).

 

After they were married for a bit, a church bus captain came visiting the neighborhood (a different one from the one I mentioned above).  I was invited, said yes, and then promptly forgot about it.  The next Saturday I spent the night with a friend.  The bus captain came back; I felt really bad about missing the bus; I rode and really liked it.  The pastor then came to visit. It wasn't until years later that I found out that, for various reasons, my Mom had been praying that God would intervene in our lives.  And He did.  

 

The church was IFB (in fact, one of our members here, calvary, is a missionary sent out from that church) and less than 3 years old.  That was really our first experience with IFB (although in later years I found out that one of the first Baptist elders in America was my 11th generation back g-grandfather...he wasn't IFB [it didn't exist then], but he was Baptist...kinda neat, really!).  My Dad loved it, so did my Mom.  We moved from there (WA) to WVA, my Dad's home state.  We didn't live there for many years (we moved a lot when I was growing up), but were able to get to know family really well.  I think, had we lived near them before getting involved in Baptist circles, we likely would have become pentecostal simply because of the family.  I love my family dearly, but I do believe God protected us from that, knowing that we would be moving there.

 

My hubby's family isn't pentecostal, but there is some flavoring from it (his Grandma was, and his Mom never lost her belief that one could lose their salvation).  We have talked and prayed about it often.  It's so hard to know - are they saved?  Did they truly trust Christ?  Well, I'd have to say yes to many of them.  While they do believe they can lose it, when they were saved, they fully trusted Christ - and were later taught they could lose it.  It's a sad way to go through life.  I know we all have issues, but to not have peace in the heart about eternity - especially when we lose loved ones - would have to be miserable!

 

The tongues thing bothered me before I ever became Baptist. In fact, the friend I spent the night with the weekend I was supposed to ride the bus was pentecostal.  We attended her church the next morning. Quite a fancy church it was, too. And there were tongues.  Scared me, that's for sure! 

 

It sounds like you are one busy lady!  We only have one son. He's married now and living about 3 1/2 hours away.  We don't get to see them very often, but love it when we can.  They haven't been married for a year yet, so no grandkids in the picture (just a granddogger).  But soon, we are hoping (they really want kids, too, so it isn't just us  ).