God's Beloved Childern: Taken By God.

The pass year I've learned more about how it is to be a real Christian. The struggles I've gone through have made my faith grow stronger in Christ. At the beginning of summer I found out my best friend (who lives 4 hours away) was going to be baptized. That started me thinking about Baptism and that I hadn't done it yet. One thing was holding me back... I had always heard at baptisms I'd seen that the Elder/Dad asked the person why they were being baptized, the answer was usually "I want to follow in Jesus's foot steps." or something along the same lines. So from a young age I thought that I had to be able to not sin anymore after I was baptized and that I needed to have my life cleaned up.

Then about two months ago, I was listening to my mp3 player and a Lecrae song came on. The words that played through my head phone seemed like a new song. "he was like; "Man I really wanna come to Christ, But I gotta clean my life up first, get my sins together..." It was partially same way I thought of myself with baptism. Then the chorus played. "...Will you take me as I am? I know the way I'm living is wrong, But I can't change on my own, trying to make it alone. I wonder, how could you love me when my life so ugly. But you came down and died for me. Will you take me as I am?" Will you, Lord? "...I'm all screwed up. Figure Hell is what I deserve, But your word says we all fall short so I guess we all outta burn. Teach me I wanna learn How you could save a wretch like me, before death says it's my turn. I think I finally understand No matter my past, you'll still take me as I am." When the song finished I had tears in my eye, God loves me and he has already taken me as I am.

Baptism isn't about being a forever good person after you've been baptized, as I thought when I was young.
Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize those that believe as a picture and testimony of their faith in Christ.

Last week I was at a week long mission trip in California know as Gleanings For The Hungry. The second day of work I woke up and had "Take Me As I Am" playing in my head. The next four days I was thinking about the song and about being baptized. On the last day of the week I felt like almost sharing about my struggle with feeling like I couldn't be baptized during testimony time. But I held back, then I told God that I would be baptized after my brother Grant. About a hour later I found out my brother would be getting baptized after lunch before we got on the road heading back home. So on Saturday August 31st I was baptized after Grant. :) I love my Heavenly Father!

Another cool fact. I was reading the book of John while I was there, the date of my baptism was 8-31.

John 8:31 says "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,"