Watermark Church

Yesterday, the church I attend voted to change its name from First Baptist Church Ashford to Watermark Church. Why? It's simple: God wanted us to.

Before going into much further detail, I'd like to give a short, but sweet spiritual background on yours truly. Having practically grown up in the Baptist church, I used to live in this world where you go to church on Sundays and Wednesday nights, you do/say the right things, don't drink or smoke, don't cuss, sit still in church, don't offend others with any radical spiritual behavior, and the list goes on. Then, one day, God rattled the fishbowl I was living in and through the use of an honest friend and devoted parents, made me realize that there's way more to being one of His followers than the simple ritualistic "religious" things that outsiders see us doing. In short, I was no better than any other lost soul out there. I was a sinner who needed a savior and that's that. As a youth, I continued to grow spiritually--again with the help of devoted parents and best friend who was never afraid to boldly rebuke me whenever I needed it. Then, one day, reality slammed me in the face that life's not always easy, especially for us Christians. It didn't matter how good you are. Suddenly, being good wasn't cool. Nobody wanted to date a virgin or hang out with you if you didn't drink or cuss. Frustrated and so desparate to fit in, I took a detour on the wayward path where I stayed for many years. Sure, I'd come to church sporadically and usually for the wrong reasons. I'd pray here and there if I needed something. But inwardly, I knew I wasn't where I needed to be in my walk with Christ. No matter how far I strayed, I couldn't escape that quiet voice calling to me, beckoning me to come back. It was like God was calling down to me from the mountain tops where our relationship was once at its peak. One great thing about God is He'll never leave you--even when you've left Him. I continued to distract myself from that small voice until finally, God knocked me upside the head with a simple question that went something like this:

If you died today, who will be able to say they knew me or came closer to me because of you or anything you did?

I didn't have an answer. I didn't have an excuse. I was simply too prideful.

Now I know that ultimately, we can't blame ourselves for another's rejection of the gospel, but still my mind often wonders what about the chances I've had time and time again to witness to someone who's lost? Why didn't they deserve the chance to know Christ? Did He not die for them too? Am I that self-absorbed or close-minded that I can't take that risk to speak about our beliefs? 


How does this have anything to do with First Baptist changing its name?  Well, it was the conviction I felt by that question that led me to seek out a church to join and start attending regularly. That's when I came to First Baptist and I have been blessed beyond measure ever since.

Again, how does this tie into the subject of changing our church's name?

My story is just another one of many lives who've been touched by or changed through God's work at First Baptist. Change itself is never easy. It was terrifying for me to join a relatively large church where I knew only one other member. It was even more horrifying having to meet new people and begin serving in Vacation Bible School and choir and ultimately Upstreet. But as time progressed, I came to know and love so many people. God opened doors for me and began to bless me with people I could turn to in tough situations and have them pray with me. And if changing our name to Watermark will open more doors of opportunity for others to experience what I have, then I'm all for it. God is on the move! The world around us has changed and will continue to change as it always has. As followers of Christ, it is our calling to be ready to face the challenges of a growing diverse society and embrace those who are different, love those who've never been loved, and be willing to flex our spiritual muscles and grow to accomodate a newer, stronger body of believers.

Welcome!

Welcome to Jennifer's Random Chat Cafe where the entertainment news and personal fun facts are served fresh daily!

I wouldn't be the proper hostess if I didn't start off by introducing you to the Hollywood chatter platter that includes a healthy dose of Hollywood news mixed with some random information and revelations I've received throughout the day:

* Water for Elephants, a film based on the Sara Gruen novel by the same name, is due to hit theatres April 15th 2011. I'm so there! The film stars Robert Pattinson (swoon!) alongside oscar winners Christolph Waltz, and Reese Witherspoon as the novel's three main characters, Jacob, August, and Marlena. If you have a heart for adventure and a zeal for romantic drama, I highly suggest you read the book!

* I saw the move, Charlie St. Cloud a few weeks ago. Despite the loveliness of Zac Efron's cerrulean eyes and pefectly sculpted physique gracing the screen every five seconds, I must say the book is by far much better than the film. Critics at http://www.ew.com/ also agree.

* Breaking Dawn parts one and two, the final installments of the beloved Twilight franchise, are set to be filmed in Vancouver and Lousiana this October. I'm thinking it's time for a little roadtrip New Orleans...

And as for any personal deets or fun facts, I'll start off with a course of baby news for ya:

* My husband, Chris, and I are pregnant with our first child, Isabella Grace (Izzie). Her debut is scheduled for December 12th. Knowing our luch, the little diva could be fashionably late. No matter when she arrives, she's already the jewel of our eyes and the captor of our hearts.

* An article that I read at http://www.cnn.com/ around Mother's Day showed Isabella as being the most popular name for the year 2010. Many are attributing that to the success of the Twilight franchise where the heroine's name is Bella. With that said, I would like to make it known that my child's name is neither derived from a fantastic saga, nor is it a family name. Chris and I simply liked the name Isabella and decided nickname our daughter "Izzie".

Finally, in my professional-slash-amateur life...

* I am in the process of working on a novel that I've been writing and polishing for the past year. Many thanks to those of you who've read the rough (and I do mean ROUGH) drafts and offered your input. If and when any progress is made toward publication, I will certainly remember you and the work you put into steering me in the right direction.

This first post is simply bits of information I cared to share with anyone who cared to read it. As time passes and talent is perfected, I hope to be able to share more interesting facts and news with you all. Again, thanks for stopping by!