Super {Church}

I grew up going to church - heck, I grew up going to a Lutheran school K-12 even (with a short break in 8th grade).  Going to church was just something that was done every Sunday.  Then I grew up and out of my childhood home and church went to the wayside a little.  I never stopped believing and never stopped praying, but the practicing went away.  I grew up going to smaller Lutheran churches as did Josh.  It's all I really knew as far as church went.  It was mundane much of the time, not a lot of youth programs as a kid and full of a lot older people it seemed like (everyone is old when you're 10)! Even though I felt a lot of those things about our small Lutheran churches - I never felt comfortable anywhere else.  The big(er) churches (like where SALT was for my 'Eburg friends) just were kind of scary to me.  They were too over the top.  I know that sounds terrible, but I'm not into raising my hand in the air like I just don't care while singing songs in church, I was not raised where you were baptized in a tank; that was weird to me, I wasn't/am not used to going up to the front of a church and having the preacher lay their hands on me in prayer.

Once we had kids - we knew we wanted to raise them in church as well, but the question came as to where?  Both boys were baptized as babies in the Lutheran church Josh grew up going to.  When we were in ghetto-way (Federal Way) we were even looking into private schools for the kids (more for the lack of ghetto and less for the God part).  I tried out a Lutheran church in Auburn when we lived in FW that was ok - there were a decent amount of kids for a good Sunday School program - but even though there were a lot of kids, there didn't seem to be many adults around my age that I could find. No one was overly friendly, introduced themselves or tried to get to know me.  Now, I have to admit, I didn't do any of those things either, so I am just as guilty...but believe it or not, I am a very introverted person if I don't know anyone.  I can talk your ear off - heck, both of your ears and be loud and obnoxious as all get out if I know you - but if I don't know you - I clam up and probably come off as a total B.  The boys and I continued to go there every few Sundays (Josh wasn't totally on board with getting back into church yet) because I liked the kids' program.

Fast forward...we (all 4 of us) have been attending Church on the Ridge a non-denominational Christian church for over a year now and are really liking it.  It's more over the top than the churches we grew up going too, but not so over the top that I feel like I need to turn and walk out!  It took awhile for me to feel comfortable because again, I'm not overly out-going to newbies and it's a "big" church.  Not Mars Hill big, but definitely bigger than the little Lutheran churches we grew up going too!  Our neighbors attend and have for years, so they know a lot of people - they have graciously been introducing us to people there and we are slowly developing our own friendships.  The children's program is great - who wouldn't want a McDonald's playland in their Sunday School, haha!

Superbowl Sunday was pretty spectacular at church!  They really outdid themselves and it was awesome!  If all of my old Lutheran church friends would've seen this they probably would've thought the antichrist had taken over!  Who says you can't have fun and learn about the Word at the same time?!