Motivation for Monday: Church

Isaiah 54:13 - All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace.


We moved here a year ago. Some transitions were easier than others. Beau & I both agreed that finding a church home would be our first priority. We visited 6 or so churches. Researching online and listing the local churches was something we'd do during the week in the summer of 2011 when we weren't unpacking boxes. God has blessed us with some amazing church homes in our past that we were confident to find one here. 


One of the last churches we visited was Open Door Church in Edenton. I instantly loved it. As we walked up with our boys I could hear the praise & worship music coming from the sanctuary. I'm a singin' fool. I love to clap my hands and sway to the music. Music is important to me. The people who greeted us at the door and showed us to the children's ministry were very welcoming. When you're new feeling welcome in an unfamiliar place puts you at ease. We were also very impressed with the children's program, which was another important factor in choosing a church. Julian comes home with graphing calendar for the week. One side has a Bible story and verse references and the other side is where the parents write down the date and verse they read to their child during the week. The children's ministry at Open Door encourages parents to read the Bible to their children during the week. I really loved this idea. What a great way to keep parents accountable. All in all, we really enjoy attending Open Door Church. We consider it our church home. It is so worth the 30 minute drive. 


When I was pregnant with both boys I prayed that the Lord would capture their hearts at an early age. Julian recites Bible verses and John sings "Jesus Loves Me". I know God is answering my prayers. This verse in Isaiah really spoke to me this morning. It's promise reassured me that the Lord is indeed capturing their hearts. I am so thankful for this. If I do anything right as a parent it'll be that I introduced my children to the God who created them and told them about the One who saves. This brings me peace.