why I GO TO CHURCH

One of the posts I decided to showcase on my SITS day was about the time we skipped church.  The post generated a lot of comments, more than I was anticipating; however, one comment that basically said, "What's the point?" really caught my attention.  I decided I wanted to spend a little bit of time talking about why I go to church.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Or, I'm a Mormon.  Or, I'm LDS.  I was born and raised LDS.  After I left home and started living life on my own, I chose to remain LDS.  Being a Mormon is so much more than just attending church on Sundays.  It's an entire lifestyle.  No, I'm not one of 15 wives married to the same man, but I am a  Christian who firmly believes in the teachings of the LDS faith.

It is because of this that I choose to deal with the ups and downs of taking a toddler to church.  I have been blessed beyond measure for doing that which I know to be right, even when it seems to have no purpose.  Before I was a mother, I would attend church and feel so uplifted and motivated to be a better person.  After my daughter was born {and before she was old enough to attend the nursery}, I rarely, if ever, had those same feelings.  I was going to church strictly out of obedience to God, having faith I would be blessed for it later.

Some Sundays are great.  Others not so great.  Either way, I always feel like I did the right thing when I go to church, regardless of what I got out of it.  At the very least, I know by consistently going to church, I'm teaching my daughter what I deem important in life.  And I want my daughter to know that I don't just talk about what I believe, but that I put into action what I believe.

So, to the person that asked, "What's the point?"  My simple answer is, "Because it is the point."  I can't imagine how my life would be if I didn't believe in a Heavenly Father that knows and loves me.  I can't imagine how my life would be if I didn't feel like I mattered.  Because of church, I know I matter.  I know who I am.  I know where I came from.  I know where I'm going.  I know I am here for a reason.

And that, my friends, is why I go to church.

WELCOME to my BLOG

Welcome, Everyone, to my Thought Blog.  I am the featured blogger on SITS today!

My name is Emily and I am a thirty-something wife and mother that began blogging back in 2007 to chronicle my family's life.

After a few years of documenting just my day to day activities, I felt the need to start another blog that focused on different aspects of my life.  It's been a struggle keeping my creative juices flowing, and I sometimes slack in posting on a regular basis, but overall it's been a great experience for me.

And I'm really happy you have taken the time to visit my little corner of the Internet.

I'd love to gain new readers as a result of being the featured blogger, so here's some ideas about what I blog about.

First, I love and adore music, so every Monday {except for today, of course} I feature a song, artist, album that I really like.  Or, it could be a song my daughter really likes.  Or, just something that revolves around music.

Second, I love to take pictures using the app Instagram; hence, INSTAGRAM wednesdays.  This is basically a way for me to get in a post without actually having to write anything.  I co-host this meme with my very good friend, Karen.

And last, I write a lot about my marriage and about being a mom.

I definitely don't think I write anything earth-shattering, but I try to be as raw and real as possible.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  Please come again!