The Journey

So, I created this blog not knowing exactly what I wanted to do with it. I knew I wanted it to have some connection to my spiritual life, so I named it "Gone with the morning mist." This comes from my favorite verse Isaiah 44:22 (NLT). "I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free."  

This verse has been a huge comfort to me throughout high school, reassuring me that when I screw up and when I fall short, that I am forgiven and He loves me. Although this verse does not directly correspond to my determined purpose for the blog, I feel that it is such an incredible comfort and truth that making it my header seemed appropriate. 

My final decision as to the use of my blog came from 3 primary sources. One is the new movie "Julie & Julia" (which I actually haven't seen). The movie is about one woman's attempt to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook in a year. 

The second source was a friend's suggestion to me upon graduation that she and I visit different denominations and churches in the Pella area to experience something outside of the Reformed doctrine we grew up in. Although we only ended up visiting an Assemblies of God Church, A Methodist Church, and a Non-denominational Church, it was still a good experience. The third source for my blog idea came from my mounting frustration with/ concern for the Christian Reformed denomination. I was born, baptized, and raised in the church which I am currently a professing member, but the past few years have shown me a side of the church that I am not fully comfortable with. I am unable to list all the reasons here in this one post, but hopefully throughout my journey over the next while, I can begin to describe and unravel these issues. 

What I've decided to use this blog for is to spend the next few months (possibly years; we'll see) to explore the different churches and denominations that call Pella home. There is a ridiculous number of congregations here for a town this size, and the fact of the matter is, I have no idea what most of them believe or who even goes to these churches. My intent is to visit these congregations and on this blog discuss the similarities and differences between them and my home church/ denomination. By no means do I intend to use this blog to bash my home church, or to imply I am "church shopping" for a new congregation to belong to. I am also not creating a "church review" (like a restaurant or movie review). I am simply trying to become informed about the beliefs and practices of the churches in my hometown- the churches of my own neighbors, and in the process, hopefully discover why the CRC believes what it does and how the Church universal works together.

And since my church explorations can only really happen on Sundays and weekends, I will be posting on other random theological matters I find interesting as the mood strikes. 

That is my intent and my goal for my exploration. Wish me luck. :)