Q & A with Nancy C.

Nancy C. is a mom, wife, provider, and a fabulous cook! She can make anyone feel calm in all situations. Here is a Q & A that shows God as a key component in all aspects of Nancy's life:

Q. Describe your relationship with God.
A. I try to find God in all that I do. I feel he walks every step with me through my life and that during trying times he really does carry me. He's sent me all of the people in my life for a reason and I have come to understand that everyone is important in my journey through this life.

Q. Do you belong to a religion? If yes, how does your religion support and/or become counter-productive to your personal relationship with God?
A. Yes, I'm a Protestant through the United Church Of Christ. I didn't grow up with my mother taking me to church each week until I was 10. All I really knew about religion was the Easter story and the Christmas Story. I had a friend Heather who invited me to church to sing with her in the children’s choir. That's how I became involved in my church. I call it my church because I truly feel that I'm part of it. I was the one who got my mother coming to church, which is pretty cool in retrospect that as a 11 year old I knew she needed something more spiritually. I did find that when I started attending Sunday school we were taught to not really question what they were telling you and when you did I was told "It's called Faith because you have to Believe." Just before my confirmation, there was a change… We got a woman minister, which really shook up how I looked at things. When I asked a question through class she Challenged me to answer my own questions with the word of God through looking up scripture. Rev. Lynn also told us that it was okay to have you're own beliefs and that you didn't have to accept everything that the church taught or what she was preaching each week. God gave us a heart and mind of our own and we each have to follow our own path. That was a vital turning point in my spiritual journey. Of course that didn't become apparent until I was much older and a more secure person as a whole.

Q. Describe your support system (family, community, etc.) in your relationship with God.
A. I have a GREAT support system! I have belonged to the same church for 26 years, and my husband and our children are all active participants in our church life. My husband and I have very similar thoughts about religion and that's very helpful in our marriage, especially since he was contemplating the priesthood before we meet. Granted we met in High School, but he was very serious about his faith and I believed he struggled with the decision to not go into the church. My friends and I talk about our faith freely and I feel very lucky that we can be open and honest with our faith. At times we may disagree because of our upbringing, but it's always a learning experience and I always have something new that I've learned or taken away; at the very least food for thought. I love attending the local women's conference with my friends each year, and I'm glad to know that as we take our walk with God we are here for each other.

Q. What is your advice to someone who is searching for God?
A. You need to open yourself to him because he's already with you. It may feel that it isn't possible but if you let yourself go to him, you will find him freely.

Q. Describe what faith means to you.
A. Faith to me is simply believing that everything that happened in this life bad, good and indifferent, all happened for a reason. It's not always obvious to you at the time or even when you look back to that situation, but I believe whole heartedly that in the end it will all become clear.

Q. You have a teenage boy, and a girl who is going to be a teenager if you blink once more! Do you feel it is a struggle for parents to keep a teenager focused on God when there is so much peer pressure outside of the home?
A. Yes, I think helping them focus on all things is hard. I think that if you instill love in your children that they will find their way. My children speak about their beliefs with their friends often, whether consciously or not. I hear my 14 year old often say, “During the sermon I learned...” or “The sermon made me think about...” He doesn't know how happy that makes me. My daughter is now 12 and even as a small child I knew she was a grace from God. She's become a very strong young woman who is not scared to speak her mind when she feels or sees others being treated unfairly. She is one to speak up. It is important to keep a line of communication open and let your kids know that they can come to you with absolutely anything, without judgment, and know when to ask them "Do you want to hear what I think?" And sometimes just the wisdom to let them cry on your shoulder and let it all out without saying anything other than "It's okay and I Love You."

Q. Do you have a favorite spiritual web site?
A. Yes. I do belong to Belief.net and they send me inspirational stories. I use the Bible site a lot to quickly look up scripture.

Happy New Year!

I created this blog on Jan. 2, 2010.
If you would like to participate in a Q&A interview to be published on this blog, please email me.  Please include a brief description about yourself.