I love my readers… and their questions (and my hair!)

So let’s answer a few more…and I was going to do this tomorrow but Becki and Soliloquy were antsy… because their questions were answered in this one… and because I’m nice, I’ll do it today…

Soliloquy asks:

Being a new believer that found Jesus in the way you did, what advice do you have for believers who are timid in sharing their faith? What offended you? What didn’t offend you? What drew you?

Jesus is all over the internet, you know that don’t you? He works through the internet, oh yes he does. And I have to wonder… do you think that Jesus is a Mac or PC user?

Regardless, yes, it was through the internet that I found my Jesus. Ok, so he wasn’t lost, I just decided not to go looking for him… waiting for Him to come to me. Because I like to play hard to get that way… it’s one of my better qualities. I even have a whole post about “playing the dating game with God” but I can’t flesh it out the way that I want. One day.

And although I fell head-over-heels-in-love with Jesus, I wasn’t quite ready to share how I felt about Him. It’s not that I wanted to hoard him to myself or anything, because I can share, but it was more that I was afraid of being labeled a Jesus Freak or Bible Thumper, both names with negative connotations in my “old world” mind.

And really? For me? I was going through a MAJOR change in my life with this whole God/Jesus/Saved/Church thing… and I was afraid at how people might react.

The short of the story was that Lisa B and I met on the internet through my business and she decided she wanted to be a Biblical Coach and needed some people to practice on. I had always found the Bible to be fascinating and I told her to sign me up. She never offended me. Ever. But I have a pretty open mind.

I started this blog the day I started attending church. So there wasn’t much old Heather out there, but I tip-toed around my faith. There were a few posts here and there that touched on it, but on May 29th, 2007 I proclaimed to the bloggy world that I needed to be more vocal about it. And I have.

Now, since then, I have been to many Christian and non-Christan blogs. I’m offended only by those who are the Christians that would make people say “well if that’s what Christianity is all about I don’t want anything to do with it” and really? They are few and far between. At least from what I’ve seen.

Lisa B wants me to share my testimony here on this blog-o-mine and maybe I will. One Day.

Jenn asks:

i’m guessing by some quick math that you finished your college education after your kids (at least one) were born. i have actually been meaning to write you an email about this because it amazes me and because i am in serious need of inspiration.

how how how did you possibly do that? it is currently a very difficult road for me.

This was not easy. At all. But the answer is, yes, I went back to school, for the 3rd time, when Matthew was 4 and Samara was 18 months.

Notice I said back. I went to college, Boston University to be exact, right after high school. It lasted a semester before I fell in love, dropped out, got knocked up, and married. And yes, in that order.

When I was pregnant with Samara, I did take a class or two because I wanted to go back but then stopped again but when my ex-husband and I split, my parents offered to let the kids and I move in with them and go back to school full time, while I continued to work full time. My dad said that I needed to get a degree and make something of myself so that I could support the kids and give them a decent life.

So I went back to school.

Yes. Work for 40 hours a week, 19-21 credit hours a semester and two children under the age of 5. But I did it. With the help of my parents and through the grace of God. I couldn’t have done this if I didn’t live at home with a phenomenal support system.

The up side to my arrangement was that I got my 4 year degree (another post for another time) in roughly 2.5 years but the downside is that I missed ALOT and I mean ALOT of my kids’ growing up. I’m grateful that my parents were there to help, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and I love working from home now so that I don’t have to miss out on any more.

Except, homework. I would like to miss out on homework. And temper tantrums. And meltdowns.

I would love to go back and get my masters degree just to get it. I’m a geek in that I love school, but right now? There’s just no way. I’ll reconsider when (a) my kids are older and don’t require a sitter or a taxi (b) when they are grown and gone or (c) if i one day get married and have the support of my husband.

It was a tough three years, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I’d do it all over again. When I divorced, I was making $18k a year and couldn’t afford a car payment, rent, and daycare. The degree has helped me more than triple my annual salary and helped me with my business and my life over all.

Becki asks: