Joy Joy Joy Joy Down in My Heart!

I can NOT stop SMILING!!!!!!!!!!

I am so happy/overjoyed/excited to be getting baptized!

I was worried at first about what people would think knowing I was baptized before, but I got past that fast!
It doesn't matter what people think!

Before New Hope Church, all I had by way of Jesus and religion was the religion part. I thought I had Jesus but I had legalism!


The first day that I walked in to New Hope I was a little bit nervous.
It was SO Huge!!
I get a lot of anxiety in new situations, so just going was big.
We walked up to the doors and greeters opened them and gave us a nice handshake and hello, we walked in and I am sure looked lost, and someone directed us to where and how to check the kids in and someone showed us where to take them. It put me at ease that people were so helpful and friendly.

Then the service just blew me away!
The music was so exciting and you can tell that the leaders really worship up there and it is not just showy. They have some amazing talent and use it for God's glory.

Guess what, the pastor preaches in JEANS!!!!!!!! And you can bring your pizza (from the cafe) in to the auditorium! Gasp! That is unheard of in all the churches I have ever gone to! So this church was unlike any I have ever attended.

Once we heard the message, I knew this was where I wanted to be. The pastor makes it all so simple. Christianity is not complicated. Jesus is not complicated like I once thought it was, and all the legalism I once adhered to, I soon learned was garbage. You know what matters, Jesus, thats it. Not the man made rules that so many churches treat like gospel.

Anyways, we soon joined New Hope. We fell in love with the church, the people, and most important for me was that I finally after years of thinking and trying fell in love with Jesus!!!!!! I can not stop smiling now because this is finally genuine and real. It is something I have wanted for so long but never knew how to get it.

I could go on FOREVER about the great thing with my church, it is amazing and I think that New Hope helped restore my faith...... I thank God Daily for my church.

So after all I have gone through I am getting baptized at New Hope July 24th, I have done it once but this time I am doing it right, with the right intentions, the right heart and the right mindset. Washing all the legalism away and starting fresh with Jesus!!