Bitter Sweet...

I was in the 6th grade. It was in a cafeteria at a local school. There were hardly any children or youth. There wasn't even a full time pastor or music minister. But what they did have was a vision, a mission, and a love for people that enveloped all those who visited and joined including my family.

It was Ridgecrest Baptist Church, my church family and home for the next 21 years. It was where I made and have kept my best friends, where I rededicated my life to Christ, where I spent my "youth" years, where I graduated high school and later on college, where I was married, where I dedicated my babies, where my children spent their preschool years, where JB and I served along side some of our dearest friends for the 9 years we have been married, where I became apart of a family that will be for eternity. I saw Ridgecrest go from worshipping in a school cafeteria to the sanctuary it uses now and all that came in between.

Today, I had a bittersweet moment, we became the newest members of FBC Greenville.

Bitter because a huge part of me wanted to leave my membership at Ridgecrest. You see, leaving somewhere you have been apart of for over 20 years is hard; leaving somewhere that has had such an impact on your life spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. Leaving a place where those pivotal and milestone moments that I listed above happened. I didn't want to leave behind the life I had there. And somehow holding on to that membership kept apart of my life back home and kept me apart of that life. I didn't want to face another final and official goodbye as I have had so many this past year. Bitter because for me, saying goodbye is harder than saying "hello". I can control and handle the "hello's" a little easier than I can the goodbyes. Bitter most of all because it's the beginning of an end. A time to let go when you don't want to let go but knowing it's the right thing to do.

But there is the Sweet. Sweet from becoming new family members. Sweet because of the blessings God has in store for us. Sweet because of the new friends we have made. And excited about the new ones to come. Sweet because of the service God has for us through FBC.

While we miss our dear family and friends back home...I have a feeling and my prayer is that maybe just maybe...one day I'll be able to post about having the best of both worlds....2 families in 2 different places that I can call home.