Borrowing from another introduction I wrote a week ago:

Let’s get started getting to know one another . . .

I am Cynthia. Thus the dilemma begins to figure out what words to use to create a snapshot of my life.

A wife, a mother, a grandmother. My husband and I have been married for 23 years, seeking to break the cycle of rampant divorce in my family. We share this journey with our nine children . . . 24 yod, 22 yod, 19 yos, 17 yod, 16 yos, 14 yos, 13 yod, 11 yos and 9 yos. Last year, we experienced the joy of becoming grandparents and will continue when we welcome our second grandson in Spring of 2009.

A homeschooler, an artist, a blogger. Our children have been educated since birth despite one fateful year that my oldest daughter was in public kindergarten. It is a choice that has evolved over the years and one that took me to religious places that are not comfortable to recall. Regardless, it is a choice to which we remain committed and are grateful for finding a path of grace in it all. Two years ago, at 42, I began to discover myself as an artist. Beating back the critic that claims that I am too old, that it is too late to begin, that this is not my place in the world, I am learning to create. I hope to enroll at Converse College in Fall 2010 to pursue my Art Therapy degree. And when I find spare minutes, I blog. Just an incredibly informal place for me to share my thoughts, my interests, my life.

A Christian, a believer. a follower of Jesus.  What label can accurately name who I am in Christ or what it means to be a fellow heir in the kingdom of God? I spent years knowing or at least thinking that I knew the truth. Years of being imprisoned by rules, self-justification, self-sanctification. Years of playing the game, of molding the behavior. Years of empty life. Finally, the questions became so loud that I couldn’t ignore them any longer. This is it? This is really all there is to this life in Christ? There has to more than walking in a door on Sunday mornings, keeping babies while others sit in chairs I will occupy later, going home and trying to live a Godly life but ultimately feeling like a failure.

Those questions which grew exponentially led me to the emerging conversation where I found permission to take all of the uncertainties to God. As my questions and doubts have grown, somehow, my faith in God has grown larger. God is the only constant. The mysterious life of Jesus has become clearer yet more mystic and unbelievably more powerful to me.

As the questions settled down a bit, I become more focused on being active in the Kingdom of God and Michael Frost introduced me to the idea of missional.  (Not literally — via a podcast)  I spent a weird chapter of my life struggling to figure out, “am I emergent?” or “am I missional” before figuring out that they are not mutually exclusive but part of the whole package that is my journey.

It is with great joy that I find others sharing this faith journey. I pray that our conversation will be full of encouragement, grace and love.

Peace!

Welcome to Missional Tribe. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!