I was never the same...

My friend Jill posted an awesome blog about her relationship with Christ. It is a MUST READ for all. I tried to put a link to her blog but it did not work. So I cam copying and pasting it on my blog.

If you didn't read my first post about this please refer back. Basically I am wanting my children (and anyone else who wants to know) to see how different things in my life have changed me. It's been so interesting for me to think back and see what has meant so much to me in my life.

I was never the same after...I asked Jesus into my life.

I grew up going to church. Every Sunday (except for the summers...I was HUGE into softball and that's when the tournaments were!) the Coopers were there in the second row on the right side. If we weren't in that pew then we weren't there :) Although there were a lot of things I didn't understand back then, I am so thankful that God was made part of my life from the beginning. I know that it made a difference in the future.

When I was in high school my church got a new youth pastor. Her name was Ann. She was awesome. We did ski trips, youth group and overnighters at her house. I think for the first time I was having a blast going to church. She was helping me to understand what it meant to know Jesus - as a friend. I remember thinking that she had such a great job. What fun to hang out with highschoolers {funny how God worked that out...}.

Anyway, I went away to college. Fort Lewis College -- Harvard on the Hill -- in Durango, CO. My first two years were spent trying to figure out what I was doing and who I was. Living a life that I thought I was supposed to live. I had planned on going to college then on to med school. When I realized that I wasn't that motivated, I switched to nursing (a lot less time in school). Honestly I was so unsure of what I was supposed to do. What was my purpose? Where was I going?

I met my friend Lori playing softball for the Fort. We were team captains together our sophomore year. She was a Christian. I remember thinking that she was some crazy Christian {forgive me Lori - I had no idea how awesome you were}. Crazy because she actually lived out what she believed. She brought her Bible with us on road trips - and read it! She was nice, genuine, caring, didn't cuss {I cussed like a sailor - sorry mom and dad - pot-ty mouth!}, and my friend.

We spent a lot of time together that year. I got to know her better and got to see what it meant to live your life with Jesus as the center. For my life, up until then, Jesus was on the outside looking in. I knew who He was, what He did and church was a part of my life but really, Jesus wasn't. He was part of that church thing.

One time at the beginning of my junior year Lori asked me if I wanted to go to a church retreat with her. I didn't want to. I was scared to death about what I might encounter there. Christians who were different from me? I didn't think I could handle that. What if they were super dooper weird?!

I told Lori that I didn't think we believed the same thing and that it probably wasn't a good idea. She asked me what was different. I couldn't think of much to say so I told her that I had lots of questions and really wasn't sure about the whole "Jesus" thing. At the time I was being challenged in so many areas of my life. I had a boyfriend who really was not good for me. I was confused about my future with school and confused about my life. And I was confused about God and church and Jesus. Why wasn't my faith the same as hers? What did I really believe? I mean, I thought I knew but then again, I had no idea.

Then she said something that I will never forget. She asked me if I wanted to meet with her once a week and discuss my questions and talk about things. This blew me away and here's why. No one, since my old youth pastor, had wanted to spend time with me. Intentionally. Sure I had friends. Sure we hung out. Sure we lived together, had class together, had fun together. But it wasn't the same as someone caring about me. Investing in me. Wanting to help me. Answering questions. Listening to my life problems. It was amazing.

So we started meeting. I asked all my questions. Lori did her best to answer. But truthfully, deep down, I didn't care about her answers. I wanted what she had. I wanted that peace and confidence. I wanted to feel secure, purposeful and content. She did a great job with my questions but I really wanted to know the Jesus she knew. And very soon I met him. And I was not disappointed. And I was changed from the inside out.

Since those meetings I have learned so much about Jesus. About Jesus my friend, not Jesus/church. Ya see, I, like so many others, thought that Jesus was church. That church was Jesus. I didn't always like church so I didn't always like Jesus. When church was great, Jesus was great. When it wasn't, He wasn't. Make sense? Now I know Jesus as my friend, my savior, my King. It's not about church. It's about a relationship with Him. And it's changed my life.

Because of those amazing people that God brought into my life {really only a couple were mentioned but there were sooooo many others} I learned about Christ's love for me, His sacrifice for me, His plan for me. It's an adventure that I have not regretted...ever. Not once.

This happened in 1996 - 13 years ago. Today, I am married to an awesome Christian man who I believe wholeheartedly God brought to me. We have 3 beautiful children who we are raising to know and love the same God we do. I am part of an unbelievable church and we have the privilege to work there!! How cool is that? Getting paid to do what we love to do - telling others about God's perfect love for each one of us.

I pray that I have been able to positively impact others around me for Jesus, just as Ann and Lori and many others were able to do with me. My life has never been the same since I met Jesus and for that I am truly thankful!


NOTE FROM JEN: Jill has been an amazing influence on my life and my curiosity about what a life living with Jesus on the inside looks like. God works in cool ways like this...