August 26, 2012

2 Corinthians 5:17- This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Ezekiel 26:36- I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Romans 6:4- We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Revelation 21:5- He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Today, just outside of Elbasan, Albania, at river rushing with life, I gave myself again to God. Today, August 26, 2012 I was baptized. I know what you are probably thinking. Why is she getting baptized AFTER having been a missionary for all this time. Why hasn't she been baptized yet?

The truth behind it all is very simple. I have been baptized once before at the age of 6 or 7 (I really don't remember), in a church called Bethany Church in White Settlement, Texas. I loved going to church there and my parents put me in a course about baptism, at the end of which every child in the course would be water baptized. 

Having spent some serious time in prayer and study over the past year on the subject of baptism, I began to remember my own baptism, and realized that I had not even asked Jesus to be my savior when that happened, I just did it because it was a class my mom and dad put me in. So, I began to desire to be baptized again. I took a year to pray and think about it, while studying the word, and decided to do it again, and what better time or place than here with the people I love in the nation I adore? 

Therefore, today I took a step that could have been taken the wrong way by many people, and I gave myself fully to God by my own will through the symbolic gesture of water baptism. I can truly say that God has done a new thing in me. I am excited about the things He has called me to do here in Albania, but I am also very excited about the fact that while He ministers to other through me, He also continues to grow my relationship with Him in ways I could have never predicted. 

I want to thank all the people who were there with me today to celebrate our god and His majesty in our lives. There is one who stands out amongst the group who has been by my side through good and bad and even very bad. She has been a rock and the friend any person would hope to have. She is one of a kind and I love her dearly. Thank you Kerri, for being there with me today and standing by my side through it all. So cool to have a rock star with pink hair do my baptism!

Thanks for reading,

Julie