Last night, my roommate Katy and I stayed up pretty late talking with the boy she had over (I forgot his name already) about their beliefs. We stayed up until after midnight which tells you how much I enjoyed the conversation, being that I am usually in bed by 9 or 9:30pm. Anyway, Katy and the boy are both Mormons and live their lives unlike most of us, which I find quite intriguing. I'm sure many of you already know, but Mormons have different guidelines to follow in the ways in which they live. For instance, they dress more conservatively, they don't drink or have premarital sex, and they go to church for 3 hours every Sunday (among other things). Last night they let me ask them all sorts of questions, which was entertaining and quite educational. They are much more conservative than most but also are much more passionate in their beliefs (and also very knowledgeable) and do not care what others think. After speaking with Katy and her friend, it reminded me of when I publicly acknowledged my beliefs and passion for Jesus Christ this past summer, which is an experience I will never forget.
For those of you that do not already know, I was baptized in August at 12Stone church in Lawrenceville. My parents and I met up with Jeremy for church that Sunday when they happened to have an open baptism call. Baptism has always been something I had wanted to do. I think it is very important to publicly acknowledge that you love and want to live for Jesus Christ. So, we were sitting there watching person after person being baptised at the end of the church service. I looked at my parents and Jeremy and told them that I would be right back and went up there, in my street clothes and all. I don't think my parents thought I was going to go get in line- I'm pretty sure they thought I was making a trip to the restroom or something. Anyway, after I was baptised in front of the whole congregation, I went to a room and met a 22 year old girl named Jessica who prayed over me. She congratulated me and was such a warm little lady. Overall, it was a life changing experience. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to share my love for Jesus without caring what other people think.
All in all, I think it is important to be passionate about your beliefs and to be true to yourself. Oh how refreshing it is!
"Baptism is, in fact, much more than a ritual conferring membership in a community, as many people conceive it nowadays. It is a process of birth, through which a new dimension of life opens out." ~Peter Seewald
About the pictures:
*The first picture is a picture I took the beginning of this summer when I was going through a very rough time. It made me realize how small my problems are in comparasion to the grand scheme of things. I think it was a direct sign from God telling me that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that behind every cloud there is beautiful sunshine.
*The second picture is blurry but it is from the Sunday morning I was baptised.
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