Looking back, I have to admit it. The thought of leaving Hawaii to start life in Colorado, while quite exciting, also left me with the sadness of leaving our last three years behind. We had so many wonderful adventures on the islands that will forever be treasured memories. Aside from the daily rain episodes the weather didn't often disappoint us. The quietness of the North Shore beaches made for peaceful get-aways while the fast paced life of Waikiki was always exciting and fun. There was always something to do and we were always on the go trying to get our fill over the three years we were there. Most of all, We were never lacking in friends to share our experiences with. Our military friends became close family members that filled in for our family back on the mainland. We, in turn, enjoyed doing our best to fill in for the family members they left behind when moving to the island. We also gained an amazing family through Grace Bible Church, that will forever hold a place in our hearts and will always be family to us. Leaving years of memories in the past and leaving the family we acquire, is never ever easy. In fact, goodbyes are on my top 5 list of things I dread most about military life. So far, I would have to consider this last move as the hardest. We met many local families that became our family, and chances are we won't have the opportunity to see many of them again. God knows what he is doing though. He brought these amazing people into our lives for the season that we needed them and he continues to give us outlets to keep in touch with them.
With that said, my biggest concern about every move is finding a church to call home. Our first pcs move to Texas proved challenging in this area. To make a long story short, the first church we attended just did not feel like family. Our kids weren't excited to get up on Sunday mornings and quite frankly, neither was I. However, we would get up, get ready, and head off to church almost every Sunday. The messages were great, the kids had an okay time in their classes, but something was obviously missing. God decided to step in and through a post card in our mailbox, he led us to Christian Life Church. From the moment we were greeted at the door, we knew it was our new church home. The people there quickly became our family. For the next year and a half we all loved getting up every Sunday morning to hear God's word and to fellowship with family. We also looked forward to special events and weekly bible study.
Then the orders came down. Our time in Texas was coming to an end. We had to say goodbye once again. It was time to pcs to Hawaii. As exciting as it was and as ready for a new adventure as we were, it meant leaving that chapter of our lives to start a new one. Just a year and a half before, God led us to the perfect church for us. Now we would have to start over and find a new place where we could hear God's word and worship him on Sunday mornings. You can believe I did a lot of praying. I prayed that God would lead us to the perfect place. A place we would feel welcome. A place that focused everything on God. A place we would feel like part of the family.
It was in our favor, that we met an amazing Hawaiian family at CLC. The best part was that they happened to be pcsing back to Hawaii just weeks after us. They told us about a church in Hawaii that was much like CLC, just on a bigger scale. I later discovered it was a much bigger scale. Once they arrived on the island they invited us to join them at Grace Bible Church. God is so good. He heard my prayers, he listened to my concerns, and he didn't waste any time in taking us to the perfect church. GBC instantly became our family. For three years we were excited to get up on Sunday mornings to hear Pastor Norman teach the word and the kids loved attending Kid's church. We joined weekly small groups, we attended special events, I taught Kid's Church and we all volunteered in different areas.
Then the orders came down. It was time, once again, to pack up our things. In a way, Hawaii seemed more like home than any other place we had lived. I feel a big part of that was due to our church family. I can safely say that my relationship with Christ grew more in that three years than I could have ever imagined. I saw changes in my kids and husband as well. Without that experience we certainly would not be where we are today. So, again I started to pray that we would quickly find a new church home. I prayed that we would find friends as amazing as the ones we were leaving behind. As I prayed it dawned on me to look on the internet in search of possible churches in the Colorado Springs area.
Honestly, I didn't have to search for long. The first church that caught my eye was Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. I read every single word on their website from start to finish. Everything lined up with our beliefs, they had things for our children, and it just seemed perfect. I showed it to my husband and we decided we would start there.
After dropping our kids off with grandparents, my husband and I made the drive to Colorado. Our main goal was to find a house, but while we were there we decided to visit Cornerstone. Before we left our hotel room I checked online to get the address. Where it once had the location of a school, was now the address of the pastor's house. I was a little confused. I'll admit I was also a little nervous. We decided to go ahead with our plan and set off to find our destination. On the way there I mentioned to my husband that I felt a little awkward going to someone's house for church. If you know my husband you know he doesn't get worried about things like that. He's more relaxed than I am. He just smiled and said it would be okay. He was right.
From the minute we walked in the door and saw all those smiling faces, I felt a connection to the people inside. Any and all concerns I had on the drive there were gone. God had once again answered my prayers, even quicker this time.
Two months later we closed on our house, moved in, and started the Colorado chapter of our lives. Cornerstone is a big part of this chapter. God knew exactly where he wanted us and didn't waste any time in placing us there. Everything about Cornerstone is amazing. We are blessed every Sunday morning with the messages, time of worship, and fellowship with our new family. Our kids love going to youth activities and have established some amazing friendships. The friendships we have formed and the messages we hear carry us through the weeks. They aren't something you leave at the door as you exit service. It's so much more than that. In the few short months we have been here, I have already seen each of us grow in our relationships with God. I really look forward to what the future holds for us at Cornerstone, as individuals, as a family, and as a church family.
I find it amazing how much God loves us. He heard each of my desperate prayers to quickly find a new church home and he answered. He heard every desperate plea I made in hopes of being connected with good Christian families, and he answered. Through every pcs move, through every goodbye, through every ending, through every beginning, and all those times in between, he has not and never will leave us. Not even for a second. His love and dedication to us is something that no one could even begin to describe. He is God! He is Lord of Lords! He is King of Kings! He is perfect in every way! We are merely imperfect human beings making wrong decisions daily. And yet he, our perfect Lord and Savior, chooses to walk alongside us at every turn. What an amazing God we serve!
