Goodie Bags!

I went to a celiac support group meeting last week. I wasn't expecting it to be terribly exciting, but then I remembered that Wegmans was supposed to be coming to speak and they were going to bring samples.

Boy, did they ever bring samples.

We each were given a Wegmans reusable shopping bag FILLED with gluten-free samples from a bunch of awesome suppliers. I got Pizza Dough mix from Bob's Red Mill and cookies and soup and I don't even remember it all.

And there were so many extra goodie bags that? I took two.

We spent a very exciting weekend running all around the city.

I took the girls and went to the doctor's office on Saturday morning, then ran to Wegmans and then stopped at Emily's preschool to pick up our Angel Food boxes (it's a low-cost food ministry that has NO income limits. The only requirement is that you eat food. Which is, you know, AWESOME. Check them out. They're super cool.) and dropped off our recycling which was threatening to take over the garage.

Mike worked in the bathroom and managed to get all the new drywall hung on Saturday. He started mudding and taping yesterday.

We had a family birthday party for Mike Sunday evening, which was very nice. I made a gluten-free chocolate cake from a mix I'd received in my newcomer box from last month's celiac support group meeting (not all meetings are going to send me home with something, but it's been really nice!) and it was really good. I also bought Mike a fruit tart from Weggies that was definitely NOT gluten-free. And I've been working hard to keep my fingers out of it all day.

Mike and I also had a couple of talks about the church situation. A small (very small) Sunday school has been started by Mike's sister. It is basically her reading the kids a Bible story and doing a quick talk about what it means. Then they play until service is over.

Mike feels that this is sufficient for our kid's needs and I agree, for the most part. I wish that there was more to offer them, but they don't really need more at this point (Lucy is pretty much oblivious anyways).

However, I remain very unhappy at the church. I feel that the only reason this Sunday school was started was because the other families left the church. I also feel that there has been little done to ensure that families with small children feel welcome in this church from the beginning. This church is primarily made up of older people, whose children have already left home. That's great, but it means that I have little in common with the other women. And my kids aren't meeting other kids of their faith, other than their cousins, who we are currently getting together with multiple times a week.

I reiterated my unhappiness with the church to Mike. He said he feels that I am reneging on our deal by continuing in my desire to leave the church even though there is a children's ministry available.

I asked him how long I needed to stay at that church while not liking it. How much time did I have to attend the church unhappily and not finding fulfillment before we would be able to leave the church and try to find another place that was fulfilling and satisfying for every member of the family?

He didn't have an answer.

So, on Sunday afternoon, I told him that I will no longer be attending that church. He is free to continue to go to the current church, (though I sincerely hope that he will start seeking out new places with me) and we can work out how the kid thing will go.

I feel as though the church and all its problems is affecting my relationship with God. And that's bad. I haven't been able to pay attention in quite a while. Part of that is the lack of sleep I deal with constantly. Part of that is the atmosphere of the current church.

In some ways, I hope that Mike decides to start searching with me. It feels as though we're divorcing over this church. And I know that isn't the case, but it feels completely foreign to even consider attending another church without him with me.

We've been living here and going to this church for four years. And I have been moderately to very unhappy with it for almost the whole time. The people don't have much (if anything) in common with me. If I say something, I always feel as though it's the "wrong" thing to say. Sarcasm is the devil's handiwork. Harry Potter is an abomination. Public school is the government trying to get their hands on your kids. Early intervention is the same thing.

Every time I opened my mouth, I felt like someone was about to jump on me for being "un-Christian".

I am hopeful that I will find a new church that is more in line with what I am looking for in a church.

And that search starts this coming Sunday.