So onto the cakes. Wow! It has been so cool. I will have to blog about what we have been through in the last few months/years... (can you say add?)
We recently left the church that we had worshiped at for 11 years. It was the hardest thing that we have done in many many years, possibly ever. So much of our lives where wrapped up in the building. Yes that is what it became. I became so busy serving that the One that I was serving was not the driving passion of my life. I was still serving Him, I was still doing His will and work. He still had His annointing on me, but that Love. That all encompasing Love that makes you drop to your knees and has you bawling when you hear His word, was dimming. I don't know. I could blame a dry church, and a unloving family. Or I could look to myself. Was I just doing because I could? Was I staying out of responsibility? Or of a deeper darker root of power? I was a ministry leader. I ran vbs. I ran girls clubs. I ran the Christmas play. I I I did you get that? My identity was no longer in Christ. It was in who I was and what I did. Yes, I still loved God, but I was missing the point of Grace. It was becoming a love and act of works not Grace. I had never gotten that, it took hitting rock bottom (leaving our church) to get to the place where God could minister to me about His Grace. Wow. It was like a death of sorts. But wow, I would not go back. Now think about this. How can a passionate on fire Christ lover loose that passion? Just think on it and where you are on your walk, life, path, relationships.
Now fast forward. My life was filled with doing for the church. To the point that my family was suffering. ALOT. We where not at a healthy place. We had become like everyone else. Grumbling. So God finally removed us, not quietly, but with a huge hard shove (did I mention that I am kinda stuborn?) Stripped us down to nothing and started rebuilding. It kind of reminds me of Nehemiah returning to Jerusalem after the Israel captivity in Babylon. Rebuilding the walls that where in ruins and rebuilding the temple. God has blessed us so much with His love, His mercy, His life. He has brought us into an absolutely amazing fellowship of believers. He is diligently helping us rebuild the walls that where allowed to be torn down. Amazing.
We are coming up to our 6 month anniversary with our new body of believers. It starts going through my head, where am I going to serve? where am I going to serve? No where for now. It took my new pastor telling me,"You just have to sit and worship" to get me to feel ok, about taking a season to just worship. God is not looking down on me for that, neither is my pastor (yippee!) Do you know how freeing that is? Finally.
Well back to cakes. God used baking as apart of my healing process. :o) Coolness! I needed an outlet for all of my creative buildup. He didn't just stop there, he added in baking cakes. Now if you know me you know that I am a wicked good cook, I can do the dessert thing quite well too. But baking? Ugh. Not so now. It has been so amazing to see how God has taken everything that I am good at. All the gifts and talents that He has given me. Scrapbook designs, sculpty creations, etc and wrapped them all into one. And I am pretty good at it?! Wow. It is crazy how God works. It is a blessing. It is outreach (that is where my heart is), it is nurturing, it can even bring in extra money, gives me time with my daughter (she is loving fondant work).
Six months ago I NEVER would have seen where we are now. God is truly Amazing and Sovereign. He never closes one door without opening another. I can only wait expectantly to see where He takes us next! I can't wait!
Now do you see where the add comes in? Just keep checking in, this is a journey...