Child-like Faith

I have mentioned lately that I am a very independent person, and the drawbacks and positives of that.  For some reason the verse that says "except we come to the Father as a child."  (may not be word for word.)  I have a god-daughter that is two, and several girls that range from ages 8-14 that trust me and consider me one of their favorite people.  It does not matter what I tell them, they trust me and believe me.  My two year old god-daughter runs to me when she is scared (if her parents are not there.) and she trusts me to keep her safe.  She has no doubt that I will take care of her if at all possible.

I wonder if that's the reason God wants us to run to him and have child like faith.  I, as an adult, try to fix all my problems myself, and then when everything falls apart I turn to Him and beg Him to fix it before I have to ask other people to help.

I know I am not the only adult to continue in this cycle of insanity (by Einstein's definition).  God continually tells us in His Word to trust Him and He will take care of His children.  I wonder if He is grieved when we become too independent to need His help.  I know even as an adult I still need my parents and would not know what to do without them.  In some ways, with them, I am still a child.  I seek their approval, guidance, companionship, and love.  And as their child, I don't think that will ever stop.  That is what God is wanting from us, is for us to seek Him and trust Him.

Where have you become independent lately?

Pride

I have never really considered myself a proud person, but I really hate asking for help with anything. I am a very independent person. I like to do things for myself. I get really surprised when people offer to help me when I haven't even mentioned that I need help.

I had to break down and ask for help in several areas in the last month or so. I honestly think that part of my transition between jobs was about teaching me to accept help and to break my pride in not asking.

I feel like when I have to ask for help, that somehow I have failed in that particular area in my life. I hold myself to absolutely ridiculous standards sometimes. Just like the class I am teaching for the first time, I expected to be able to go in and teach like all of the experienced instructors I have had in my education. That has not happened at all. I have problems keeping them the whole allotted time (which I have to do), finding things interesting enough to say in the allotted time, and engaging with the students. I felt like they found me boring and uninteresting, and I felt the judgment and almost broke down in class. I expected to be perfect and I wasn't and I dissappointed myself.

I feel like this was pride taking over. I have been relatively good in the activities (whether work or play) I have participated in and I feel like when I am not immediately good at a particular activity that I have failed, and that is absolutely ridiculous. Where did I get these standards for myself? I would never impose these on anyone else. I was told over and over it was going to be hard. My thoughts were, “I can handle hard. I can do it. No problem. I am accustomed to hard work.”

Truth is, I can do it. I am not perfect. I will mess up. I will fail. This semester is my first and I will make plenty of mistakes. That I need to be taking notes of what I have messed up on and fix it later.

Truth is, I have a problem with pride I really didn't realize I had, until I was reduced to tears asking for help in a situation feeling like a failure. Pride goeth before a fall, and I felt like I had definitely fell. It really just hit me a couple of days ago why I felt like I had failed at life. I thought I had everything figured out, that I could do everything myself and without any help. How wrong I was.

What are you struggling with today? Are you feeling like you have failed because your standards for yourself are too high?

Waiting

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Waiting is hard.  No answers while you are waiting is hard.

I have no patience, so waiting, to me, is even harder.  I am a worrier, so having no answers is stressful for me.

I have come through a time of waiting concerning jobs.  My full time job fired me over something they had approved of me doing and I didn't have a back up plan in place yet.  I was left with a part time job that is 3 hours a week paying once a month.  I live by myself and pay my bills and 3 hours a week wasn't going to cut it.  I thought about taking jobs like waiting tables or something similar but my parents kept telling me to wait and see if something better came along.

I am so glad I listened to them. I put an application in that I really didn't know what I was getting into. The position I applied for was working a customer service desk.  What I got was an opportunity to not only work a  desk but to counsel all different types of nutrition (which happens to be my Bachelor's Degree).

A few weeks before I lost my full time job, I made a list of what I wanted my life to look like.  With this new job and a little bit of work almost all of those things on my list are being checked off.

Waiting is hard.  But the good things are worth the wait.


What are you waiting on?

Who Will Step Up?

This weekend a sweet dear lady passed away.  She was a faithful member of our church. She loved everyone and never said a cross word about anyone that I heard.  I had the privilege to sit with her through her rehab and visit with her several times.  There were two things she loved to do more than anything.  That was read her Bible especially to others, and to sing about Jesus.  Through all the pain and hard times, I saw her do these two things constantly.  She was a perfect example on how to be loving, patient, and humble.

I loved this woman very much, but I am not sad she has passed away. I hurt for the family, knowing that they feel a loss.  Our church will feel the loss of this wonderful saint.  But as I keep thinking about the future without her, I keep having one constant thought. Who will step up and take her place down here on Earth?

 She was such a Godly example, and I don't feel like I will ever be able to live up to her example, but I will try. This world needs people who will pray and love like Jesus did. She prayed constantly and talked about Jesus every chance she got.  How often do we even think about Jesus much less talk about Him to other people?

She was so humble and content with whatever life dealt her, even in the hospital and rehab I never heard her complain. How often do I whine because I don't get my way on a daily basis?

I see her life as a challenge to me to step up and become a Christ like example to the younger ones who look up to me as I did her.

Who has challenged you to step up in your life?

At the Sweetheart Banquet 2014

Comfort Zones

It seems like lately, all that has happened is pushing me out of my comfort zone. Work is stressful and this office has potential to close at any time.  I am dealing with making lifestyle changes because I could be facing some scary health situations. I am working on a project that could become my  career. I am working with people I don't really care for and they may not like me on a project that I don't really want to do.  And these are just the recent examples.

Part of my problem with getting out of my comfort zone is so many times I lack the faith it takes to just step out.  Stepping out of your "bubble" is scary. You could fall on your butt. Really Hard. Falling on your butt hurts. A lot. I honestly believe I have potential to do great things, but I am scared most of the time of failing.  Most of the time, I don't have a problem being different as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, and that includes me too.

I believe in each case that has gotten me out of my "bubble" lately is God's doing and that I really need to do these things.  So I have to believe He is with me through these hard times. 

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness  Isaiah 41:10

He will help us and hold us in His righteousness. We have nothing to fear when we are in the palm of His hand.

For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.  Isaiah 41:13

This verse reminds me of a loving parent holding their child's hand, guiding them and encouraging them to not be afraid.  He is our Heavenly Father who is leading us, so it makes sense, He will encourage us too.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6

I love the fact that this verse tells us to be confident in the God that began this work in you.  He put those desires to be different in you for a reason. He not only began a good work, but He is there every step of the way until it is finished.


What are your comfort zones you are being called out of?

Comparisons and Flowers

I continuously compare myself to others. I am skinnier than them. I am fatter than them. I have longer or shorter hair than them. I am taller or shorter than them. They dress better than I do.  They are prettier than I am. I am nicer than they are. They have more money than I do.  And it goes on continuously through my mind.

I have noticed I play the comparison game more when I am around people who I am not sure of their opinion of me or I know they don’t like me.  I never make comparisons with family or best friends.  I can notice the differences and likenesses without tearing myself down or building myself up where there is no problem.  My family and friends that should have been family know my strengths and weaknesses and they don’t hold them against me.  They encourage me the way I am.   

When I was involved in my book club every week, I never  worried about what they thought of me.  When I was my lowest in college, they took me in and loved me the way I am.  They accepted my weaknesses and encouraged my strengths.  I never felt like they were comparing me against themselves, and I didn't feel the need to compare myself to them.  Where I go to church at right now, there is a group of people who I constantly feel like I am being compared against, so I feel the need to measure up to them, even though it is obvious we have different talents and will never measure up in the same areas. 

Because we are strong in different areas, I feel the need to be strong in every area, and you know as well as I do, it just can’t be done.  I will have weaknesses. I will still fail. I still won’t be the best at everything.  But I cannot let that make me feel like a failure at life.  Those people may never like me.  They may never feel like I measure up to them, but I really shouldn't be seeking their approval anyway. And when I get down to the bottom of the matter, that is exactly what I am doing by comparing. I should be seeking God’s approval and let everyone else have their own feelings.  I should be so focused on God’s opinion that no one else matters if they don’t agree with Him.

Flowers don’t worry about blooming prettier than the flower next to them. They just bloom as pretty as they can. I should be a flower!!!!

So to all you gorgeous flowers out there, Have a wonderful Day!!!!

Intentional Living

I was reading an e book on organization sometime last week, and it asked the question what do you want your life to look like?  I have pondered on this question since I read it and have been writing down things I want my life to look like, but the one theme I keep coming up with is intentional.

I want to live with a purpose and clear goals.  I want to feel like I am pleasing God and my life is making a difference to someone. I want a challenge in life, not just to sit at a desk and do the same thing every week.

I have a picture in my head where I can work at the school four days a week (because that is all they go) and work from home in my home office/craft room the rest of the time.  I would come home to a wonderful family and be able to take care of them.  I would be able to teach them from Scripture and see them grow up and have families of their own.

I hadn't realized that this was my dream until I was asked what I wanted my life to look like. I kinda always had the picture in the back of my mind but it wasn't clear until this past week, but now I know what my dreams are I can work on making them come true.

The only problem I have with my dreams is making sure it's God's Will for my life. I am praying about them but I never quite know for sure.  I tend to think I wouldn't have them if He hadn't put them there, but then again it could be a distraction from the other side.  I think God will give me what I need as long as I follow Him and try to live intentional.  I really don't want to live just floating by letting life pass me by while I sit in an office working on trip reports week after week.

How do you live intentionally? What would your dream life look like?

One Day At a Time

I am at work and it is snowing again! The last few weeks I have had this feeling like I wasn't doing enough with my life that actually mattered.  I whined at my mom about it and I whined to another friend who was sweet enough to listen to me while dealing with her own struggles.

But then I thought, this whining will get me nowhere.  All I was doing was having a pity party waiting for someone to just drop something in my lap that I thought mattered. Then it hit me.  No one is going to just "drop" something in my lap.  I have to pray and find it and then work for it.

Well that sent me into a new round of anxiety about how I had to find my purpose or calling and get it done that week and plan my whole life around for the next fifty years. And that doesn't really make sense either.

My pastor preached Sunday about taking one day at a time, and how we don't have to hold the burdens from the past and the future at the same time we hold the present.  I have realized, I have a few great ideas that may all come into one sometime in the future, but I don't have to get everything done today.  I need to work on these goals a little by little and accomplish them one day at a time.

I don't need to keep beating myself up for the regrets of my past (and let's face it, who doesn't have at least one?) or driving myself crazy over my future.  He already has it planned out.  All I have to do is seek His face and trust Him to have it all under control and finish the goals He placed before me for today.

I hope everyone has a safe snow day and that you can stay at home where you can be cozy!

I Have Decided to Follow

My church sang a song Sunday morning.  It is a very simple song but full of implications.  It was "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus."  This song has been on my mind since.  What does it mean to truly follow? AM I truly following Jesus? Do I want to turn back?

Following means that you will do whatever the person you are following does and tells you to do. Jesus loved others. Jesus did not complain. Jesus did not do or say things out of spite. Jesus prayed and immersed Himself in Scripture.  I say I follow Jesus but I have fallen short in all these areas and most of them just last week.  There are days I question God's plan for me. There are days all I do all day is grumble about something.  There are days I do not give Jesus a first thought much less a second thought.  Just typing that sentence makes me feel like a failure at being a Christian.  Jesus also has grace, which I am thankful for that He gives me, but there are days I don't show grace to others.  I hold the wrongs people has done to me against them.  So there are days I follow and there a days I fail.  I really need to be more consistent with following rather than failing.

The last of the song says no turning back.  There are days I want to turn back and not care what happens, but then I realize I am so much more happy following Jesus that I can't imagine myself turning back.  I see the lost of the world and how miserable they are even with all the money and possessions they could imagine.  I don't have much money compared to America's standards and I am  working on getting rid of things I do have, but I am truly happy following Jesus.

Have a great week!

Loneliness

I have times where I get so lonely its depressing.  Going to a sweetheart banquet alone sent me back into one of those times. It hit me so hard at the banquet I went into the bathroom and cried in the middle of it, and told someone later that I wished I hadn't even gone.  That feeling is still lingering, here at the end of Monday.  When I hit these times, I do two things: 1) I shut everyone out except a very select few, 2) I eat myself silly and I can guarantee you it is not healthy food I am gorging on.   On top of this, I am very stressed at work the last few weeks and I tend to do the same things when I am stressed, so combine the two and I am a basket case that gobbles chocolate!!!!

I have recognized the feeling before, but this is the first time I have recognized the behaviors that go with the feelings. So now that I have recognized, I have to do something to change it.  I feel better eating fruits and veggies, getting fresh air and exercise, writing my feelings out, and the most important immersing myself in Bible studies.

These things help me to see that I am valuable and there is a reason I am single. It also shows me that even though I am single, I am not alone. I have a God who has a plan for my life and takes excitement in planning my life and molding me to His plan. I also have a wonderful family who also wants the best for me.  I have friends who have stuck  by me in some of the toughest situations.  I have kids at the school begging me to come back and calling me just to tell me they miss me and love me.  I have widows who think I am the sweetest thing on the planet ( I have them really fooled! lol)  I have a pastor and pastor's wife who ask me weekly if not daily about my life and let me know that they are praying for me.

I may not be in a romantic relationship at the moment, but I know God is with me and has a plan for me.  Even if I don't know what it is at the moment (even if I have hopes), I trust Him with my life because every time I try to take over I completely mess it up!

God's Plans

I have found this to be true, especially lately.  It seems like everything has been falling apart lately, job, relationships, friendships, everything.  But I have watched doors open lately that I thought would never open back up.  My hours at my full time job has changed and I get to volunteer at the school again (not as much as I want but it is a definite improvement!)  I have gotten a part time job where I get to serve seniors and will carry me through if my full time job falls apart.  I have some friendships that have fallen apart but looking over the friendships I do have, they have lasted for years and these people have been with me through some hard times.  I have a wonderful family support. I am talking to a wonderful guy who I can't say enough good things about.  Just when everything was falling apart, everything came together almost perfectly, and it will be perfect when His plan is completely finished.

Hope you are having a wonderful Monday!

Tired and Restless

These last few weeks have been busy, but it is mostly work stuff that I am busy with.  My full time job makes me tired. Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually also.  I work just to make someone money, and I constantly see that money mishandled and wasted and I think of everything good for others I could do with that money.  I see people take the money I bring in and live high on the cares of life and come in miserable after that money is gone and they are stressed out because they have no money.

I am tired of seeing people hurting and I can't do anything to make the pain go away. I am tired of people deliberately hurting others. I am tired of people being wrapped up in their own lives they can't give anyone else the time of day.

But on the other hand, I am restless.  I have so many ideas on how to help people that I don't know where to start.  I am working on one project that could help people tremendously if it works out like I want it too.  I am restless to do God's Will in my life and give glory and praise to Him.  I am more restless to work and serve than I ever have been in my life.  Once I got that desire doors have just been opening up to where I can serve.  I now have a part time job where I will be helping seniors. I also have the chance to volunteer regularly at the private school again!  I am so  excited about getting to be a part of my kids lives again I just can't contain it.  I get to go to the nursing home tonight.

And yet, with these opportunities, it still doesn't seem like enough.  I am not sick and tired, just tired and restless.


Hope everyone has a great week and finds somewhere they can serve!

Refreshing

Today, so far, as well as the rest of this week, has been very blah.  You know what I am talking about.  That feeling that nothing is quite right.  You are drained and tired and nothing makes sense in your life any more.  That is the feeling I have had since Saturday night.

Well I am tired of that feeling. This very moment I am starting over.  I was reading a book yesterday on refreshing yourselves so you can be more of a service to others and that is exactly what I am doing.

This moment I am grabbing a cup of hot tea, going to focus on my work, and when work is done will work on some fun rewarding projects I have going on.  I am going to church tonight and refreshing my soul and going to spend the weekend with family.

I  am going to refresh so I can help others and quit feeling so negative because  we all know that won't help anybody.

Here is the book I was talking about.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

http://www.therefreshbook.com/

Forgiveness

I had a whole post in my head about how we as Christians shouldn't shun people who are not like us and things like that because I feel strongly about that, and will probably still write it and save it for later. But today I have been discussing Valentine's Day and the sweetheart banquet at our church that I am expected to help put on because my Sunday School class is in charge of the food and decorations and various things like that.  I am still single (even though I am talking to someone), but that is not why I hate Valentine's Day.  I think it is a manufactured holiday that people pressure their significant others into commitments they may not be ready to make or buy expensive gifts they can't afford or get fat from chocolate, but that is a whole other soapbox to stand on another time.

I am really not looking forward to the Banquet because my ex and former best friend will be there. I feel betrayed my both of them.  Even though it has been years, since the main drama happened (they have kept it going), I still have very negative feelings toward them.  I feel like I should be over it now, but truth is every time I see them I remember how close I was to each of them and what he have now is nowhere close to what it was.

They remind me that people will hurt you to get what they want in life. They remind me that people are not always who they say they are. They remind me that people are not perfect. They remind me that people will put themselves first.  They remind me that people will lie to you.

Even with all of that, though, I have to be able to forgive and so far I am not doing well with that this last time.  There have been times when I had peace about the situation and felt like I had truly forgiven them, and then one of them would do or say something to start the drama all over again, and I begin the fight with bitterness, hurt and anger all over again.  Forgiveness is not easy for me. I feel entitled to my hurt.  I feel because they hurt me, I should be able to hurt them without consequences.

I was listening to a lesson on forgiveness, and Jesus says we must forgive others or we will not be forgiven.  And not just once but over and over and over.  I sometimes feel like they have reached their limit and I shouldn't have to forgive them anymore, but then I am reminded how many times Jesus has forgiven me and I still haven't reached a limit with Him.  And we are called as Christians to be like Him, so therefore I have to forgive without limits also.

Forgiveness is not for the other person though. It is for ourselves. The other person could honestly care less if I am upset with them or not, but it is spiritually and emotionally killing me.  I cannot do anything about what they did to me, but I can forgive and move on. I am not their judge nor do I want to be, I have to worry about myself.


So for Valentine's I am buying a fabulous dress and going to do lots of praying and soul searching.

What are your thoughts and opinions on Valentine's Day?

Wonderfully Made

My favorite verse is Psalm 139:14. It says I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.    

I love the thought that God took the time to make us individually.  The whole chapter talks about how God made us and put thought into how we would look and act.  He knows exactly where we are  all the time.  He knows our every thought, the nice and the not-so-nice ones ( I know I am not the only one who has them!)  He knows what people say to hurt us and what we say to hurt others.

He knew what we would look like because He made us that way. He knew that I would have blue eyes, brown hair, strong legs, and my momma's nose.  He knew that I would be missing a front tooth and skin that tends to break out easily or dry out or freak out for no apparent reason.  He knew I would be clumsy and would need strong bones so I didn't end up broke in a million pieces.  He knew I would tend to gain weight if I am not extremely careful and have an obsession with chocolate that must be controlled or I will be big as a barn.  He knew I would take family and friends very seriously and cannot stand people who lie, cheat or steal to get what they want.

He knew all these things about me, because He made me this way.  I have been dealing with back trouble for the last week pretty badly and have been hating my fat rolls alot more lately than normal, and I am trying to accept that some of these things I can change and some I can't.  But He knew I would be like this and He wants me to rely Him to know best and take care of me the best I can.

That means being easy on back and eating to keep my weight down and limiting the chocolate.  It means surrounding myself with people who make me feel better about myself and encourage me when I am down. It means being the best version of me and not trying to copy people I admire and trying to be them.  It means not worrying about the people who try to imitate me just annoy me.  It means immersing myself in Scripture and prayer until my thoughts are only on pure things.

Be the you He created you to be and trust Him to fill in the gaps and weaknesses you think you have!

Cravings

So one of my New Year's Resolutions was to completely give up soda.  Today is day 6 that I have been soda free, but this morning on my way to work I was hit with an incredible craving for a Diet Dr Pepper that has not gone away four hours later.

  I will not get one, but it got me to thinking.  What if I craved time with the Lord like I did Diet Dr Pepper?  How much more effective could I be in life?

 For my devotions I will be starting Made to Crave for the second or third time through. It is a wonderful book that has so many good points which this blog will probably hear about.

Here in the last few weeks, things have been working out just like I needed them to, which is wonderful, except that it moved me to a place of complacency when it comes to my relationship with Jesus.  I know that He is responsible for everything working out, and I am grateful and then I kinda just left Him hanging, which is so wrong of me. I would get mad at a friend if they did me that way, how can I even think about doing that to the most important person in my life? But that is exactly what I did.  So with the beginning of the new year, I am making it a point to spend more effort in craving more of Jesus.

What are you craving today?

New Year's Resolutions (or lack of)

I have mixed feelings about New Year's Resolutions.  It seems like a lot of pressure to put on yourself only to fail and stop doing whatever you said you were going to do, and then you feel awful about yourself for quitting and you fall back into bad habits or start doing something worse.  I really only have two resolutions that I have to do everyday. They are give up soda completely and to make my bed up everyday.  I know they are simple but I need simple.

That being said, while I don't have many resolutions for the New Year, I do have goals that I want to accomplish in this next year.  I am going to sit down soon and write each of these goals down and how to accomplish them.  This is not an exhaustive list, because I think as people we should always be looking to improve ourselves.  But here is the rough draft of goals for 2014.

1) To start my Master's in Psychology.
2) To lose at least 20 more pounds and get extremely healthy.
3) To spend more time on this blog. This blog has become an outlet for me and I feel mentally and spiritually healthier. I hope to incorporate physically with that in the next year also.
4) To be more financially responsible.  I am not the best with finances and realizing that I want to put more effort into being more responsible.
5) To sew about 90% of my clothes in the next year. I love to sew and I have wonderful fabrics just waiting to be used and that keeps me from shopping as much.
6) To find an outlet where I get to help people, whether it be volunteering or an actual job.
7) To start up an Etsy store.  I love the crafty things but could never use them all myself and I think that would be a great way to make a little extra income.


That is what I have had floating in my head. I may think of others later and hopefully I can sit down later and expound on each of these.

What New Year's Resolutions or Goals do you have?

The Meaning of Christmas

A friend of mine and I were talking last night, mostly about Christmas and our plans and we both really like Christmas, but we came to the realization on how many people really don't like Christmas.  They told me to pay attention to when others were asked were they ready for Christmas, and the majority of the time the answer is "I'm ready for it to be over."

This extremely saddens me!  Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy and giving in remembrance of why Christ came to Earth.  People have taken this holiday so out of context, all they see is misery.  Everyone looks at the presents.  Presents they are getting. Presents they have to get for family. Presents they have to get for Co workers. Presents they are getting people they don't even like.  Presents that cost more money than what they make in a year just to make a spoiled child happy for five minutes.  The one Present no one thinks of anymore was the first Present ever given on Christmas-Jesus.  If more people would think about why He came and what He did while He was here, and tried to do similar, they would be sooooooo much happier.  

My family has decided that we have so much more stuff than what we really need, that we are going to find people who can't afford anything for Christmas and spend our money on them.  We are all stubborn in our family, so everyone will still get everyone else a little something, but the majority of our Christmas money will go to someone less fortunate. (Next year, I will also be supporting only local stores and vendors for Christmas presents, if I don't make them myself, but that is a whole different rant in itself.) I believe our family will be so much happier doing this anyway.  We have always tried to help others around this season anyway, and we enjoy that more than when we get together and give our Christmas gifts to each other. We went to Kentucky last weekend to give away gifts and food, and that might as well have been Christmas day for me to see the gratefulness of those families. And then, last night at the nursing home, singing Christmas carols to those people and seeing them sing with us just made my heart soar. (I know that sounds cheesy, but that's how I felt.)  

I hope with just a week from Christmas that we (and I say we because I get caught up in this mentality too.) can remember the real reason for Christmas and that we can try to act like He did with love and compassion for others!

Applause

So there is a Lady Gaga song on the radio right now, and all it talks about is how she lives for the applause of her fans and peers.  That song seemed really sad to me after I got to thinking about the implications and meanings.  It is a catchy tune, and once you hear it, it is STUCK in your brain and won't go away while you are trying to sleep, but it is still sad.  If all she is living for is the applause of others, she will never be satisfied.

Then I got to thinking about other people that call themselves Christians (myself included). Do we really live for the approval of God or the applause of others? Do we do things for others because we know we are being Jesus to a hurting people or because the pastor will be proud of us and the church members will talk about how good we are?  Do we go to church because it satisfies our need to fellowship with God or because we get approval for being faithful?

I tend to go out of my way not to be like others because I don't like cookie cutter people, and I tend to get applauded for that, for just being myself. Now I could let that applause go to my head and go to more and more extremes to "just be different", but I would be exactly like Lady Gaga. She goes to extremes to shock her fans and hope that they approve of her methods.  I think its a little crazy to show up to an awards ceremony in an egg, but her goal was to shock and I was shocked and therefore she got the applause she craved so badly, but after that show was done, the applause and shock died, and now she has to think of even more shocking methods to get applauded, to fulfill that craving.

I have nothing against Lady Gaga at all, but I do think it is important for us as individuals to examine our motivation behind the things we do.  If we are just living for the applause like the song says, we will never be satisfied.  If we do our Christian deeds because we know Christ will approve of us, then we will know true satisfaction.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

Just a Reminder

There is so much pressure in the world to be beautiful and perfect and I think this picture sums up what we should be thinking about when it comes to beauty and perfection! It's found in Jesus!


Have a Wonderful Wednesday Everyone!