The Lord hasn't parted a Red Sea for me or allowed me to turn water into wine; nothing that dramatic has happened in my life. However, I feel extremely blessed for the things that haven't happened in my life. My children weren't born unhealthy, my parents didn't die or get divorced when I was a child, I haven't suffered any life-threatening illnesses, and I haven't lost any of my 5 senses. My life may seem mundane to many people and that's fine; I know that I have been blessed many times for the 'little things' in life.

The Quest has been a blessing as well. Being involved in writing the devotionals for the Quest has forced me to analyze my spiritual life: what my faith is, what it should be, and will I take the steps necessary to grow spiritually. Attending church services restores my faith when the world seems to tear it down. Helping out, either by cleaning or bringing food, is a way for me to serve the church and God. The youth group has also given my daughter an avenue to learn about God, serve, and contemplate her faith.

My personal experience has taught me that faith in God and a compassionate church are a powerful combination: both can work wonders--enormous or tiny--in your life if you just give them a chance.

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Dear brothers and sisters...Rejoice. Change your ways. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Cor. 13:11)

Since I've been a member of a church family, one of the main things I've learned is that whatever I'm going through, I don't have to go through it alone. I've been shown over and over again that if I'm going through something and feel alone, I've probably done that to myself.

I've never liked asking for help. I don't like telling people about my problems, because I feel like I'm burdening them. I don't like calling people when I'm struggling with things, because I feel like I'm supposed to be happy all the time and I don't like people to see me at my worst. I hardly ever ask people to pray, specifically, for me, and I get uncomfortable when someone isn't happy with my typical, "I'm fine," response to their questions and insists that I tell them how I really am.

Whether it's an issue of pride or timidity or self-esteem or fear, this is how I have always been. It has always been easier for me to carry my burdens by myself than to bring them into the open and ask for someone to help me with them. Over the past year or so, though, I've seen that when I'm dealing with something, people genuinely want to help. They want me to talk about it. They want to know what's going on, not so that they look nice for caring or so that they can judge me and tell other people, but so that they can be there for me. Plain and simple, people care and love me and want to walk with me through what I'm going through.

It's a Biblical principle. We're told in scripture to laugh with those who laugh and mourn with those who mourn. I've seen that idea put into practice so many times, and I'm blessed by everyone who takes that message to heart.

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Have you ever had "one of those days"? I was having one of those years. Nothing in my life seemed to be working and I mean nothing. Life was miserable. I had lost a job I loved, not because I didn't do a good job or work hard, but because of jealousy and lies. I was devastated. It brought on a host of financial trouble. Worse, I was fighting very hard not to fall back into depression, an illness I've suffered with for most of my life. This effort was further complicated by a debilitating physical illness that caused great pain and exhaustion which my doctors still have not diagnosed over a year later. It was the worst year of my life.

I thought the answer to everything would be to find a good job and I wanted God to tell me where to go and how to do it. "Where do you want me to be God," I shouted at my ceiling, "Just show me what you want and put it in black and white. I'm tired of guessing. I just want to know!"

A few hours later I checked the mail. There in the midst of the bills was a mailer from a new church announcing their launch Sunday. The Quest was starting and it was doing a series on tough questions. There in bold letters on the front were several of the questions to be discussed, but only one stood out to me: the question on job loss. I knew that God had answered my prayer in black and white just like I had asked.

Though I hadn't been to church in years I was up that Sunday for Quest's official launch. I knew immediately that I had found a home. I've never looked back except to learn that God isn't as concerned about what job I work as He is about having a relationship with me, and it's in all seriousness that I say I'd face as many bad years as necessary to learn that lesson.

So what happened? The bills got paid, I found a job, the "mystery illness" is largely gone and the depression, well it comes and goes but I'm getting better and better at dealing with it. But the best part is that I've rebuilt my relationship with God and I've a church family that helps encourage me to grow closer and closer to Him.

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I am one of the older members at the Quest church. Hang on now, I'm not that old. It's just that around so many of the younger generation, I do feel a little older than I used to. Maybe it's wisdom as well as age; I hope so.

When I was growing up in a more traditional church setting, there were always young children, young couples and families, middle age familes, and older folks. Some of the middle age families were able to keep their children involved in church through the youth program, but once they started college, they basically disappeared. We had very few if any college kids in the church I grew up in. We might see some around the holidays when they were back visiting their families. Our church just couldn't seem to ever draw any young adults. Several saw this need, and a few younger couples tried to start some programs to draw and support the younger adults. But none of it seemed to last.

As my own children moved through their teenage years, this became more of a concern for me. But I never knew quite what to do about it. After I heard John reveal his vision for the Quest church, I went out and bought and read several books that he had recommended. It soon became clear that God was calling me to join the journey with the forming of the Quest church.

I desperately hope that Quest will remain faithful to its initial vision, of being a place directed toward the "emerging" generation. This is the late teens and 20 some things that are trying to find their place in the world. It's the youth wrestling with learning about who they really are, it's the college kids leaving home for the first time and learning to make it on their own, it's the young couples falling so deeply in love but unsure of how married life will bring even more changes to such an exciting part of their lives, it's couples having their first child. So much is going on emotionally during these years, and many are left without a strong spiritual support system when they most need it.

I remember that these were difficult years for me, especially during my teenage and college years. I struggled during those year, dropping away from youth group, and just trying to find my own way with only the support of a couple of close friends who were struggling just as I was. I needed then what I believe Quest now offers for today's emerging generation. I hope and pray that it offers for my own kids all they need to find their way into a vast new world, filled with possibilities and excitement and a very loving God.

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Reliance

More than anything else, I've been learning of late that I really can't do anything on my own. Life is too big. No matter how hard I try, no matter what efforts I go to to control my surroundings something always slips. I recently started back to school and time suddenly became much more precious. It would be easy in the rush of life to forget God, to ignore His call or simply not listen, and sometimes that is exactly what I do. More often than I care to admit or even think about. The amazing thing is that God never once treats me the way I treat Him. Through all the busy times and while I'm going crazy trying to order everything, He is there, helping me, calming me, and every time I turn to Him, He is waiting. Its amazing how much it helps to just admit to God that you need help, that you can't do it, and its amazing how often I forget to do just that. I guess the real point is, that when I'm trying my hardest to figure life out and try to make it work like I want it to, everything just falls apart. When I turn to Him, and seek Him, well, sometimes everything still falls apart, but I can deal with it, I have peace. Every life is a journey, and a work in progress, so often I get hung up on the end result that I can't enjoy God's work as it happens.

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