do you ever have days where you'll look at yourself in the mirror and think, "wow...i have come so far" and at the same time think "wow...i still have so far to go"
?
sound crazy??? maybe, but hey, i can be a bit crazy at times...usually that comes out in some form of passion, depending on what i'm doing or what i'm talking about...in any case, i'm extremely passionate (in case you haven't already seen that from this blog)
lately i've really been praying about my image though...no, not how i look, but who i am really and how i appear to others...my identity in Christ, and whether others see Christ in me
there's a song by a band called Relient K, and its called "who i am hates who i've been"...yep, that is the honest-to God-truth
i went to my old Xanga blog the other night (which i STILL need to delete) when i couldn't sleep, and i read about 5o of my old posts...i really cannot BELIEVE some of the stuff i wrote about, or the level of immaturity i displayed (even when i spoke about Jesus) in so many areas of my life...and then there's the flat out fake-ness i had at times as well
it all makes me shudder with shame :-/
but in the past few years, as i've grown in my faith especially and as i've learned more about what it means to be a follower of Christ and to serve God, a lot of those things that used to be there have disappeared, and a different kind of maturity has appeared
yet then there are times when i'll think a certain thought, or display a certain attitude, or be walking through Wal-mart disgusted with some people i see, that i think "okay, have i really made any progress at all?"
i think life, even a life lived for God, is like that though...that often we take 3 steps forward and 2 steps back
yet in Christ, we have hope to keep pressing forward...to finish the race and know that at the end there is a great reward waiting if we continue to follow Him!
here are some things that i still want God to work on in me:
1. humility - to serve God with a humble heart and never think myself better than another, even when i know God's Truth...to speak the Truth in love
2. wisdom - to be able to discern the truth from lies, as well as help others do the same
3. friendship - plain and simple, to be a better friend to those around me and even those i've known for a long time
4. reconciliation - to mend relationships with people in my life that are still broken and hurting, esp. those relationships that need divine intervention
5. sacrifice - to be willing to give up what i want for God and for others around me
6. laziness - to get off the couch when i know that i have important things to do
7. genuinity - to not put on a front around others and to be someone they can turn to and trust
what about you? who are you becoming???
i am becoming me...
23.8.09
13.8.09
it's a material world, and i am a material girl…
let me just start by saying that many of you, if you are reading, will not like this blog…but i believe that it needs to be written and read by every Christian alive today…this is something that has currently been on my heart and on the heart of my husband as well, and has brought us to our knees together (though not physically)
“One sunny Labor Day, I had the opportunity to go boating with a group of six high schoolers in the clear blue waters off the coast of Miami. We enjoyed the beautiful weather while swimming and water-skiing off the back end of a pretty impressive boat that belonged to Dave’s father. When it was Dave’s turn to ski, I went to the back of the boat to slide him the skis while he dove into the water. When Dave resurfaced, he leaned back and let out a comfortable sigh.
‘Ahhhh,’ he said. ‘I wonder what the poor people are doing today.”
~ Walt Mueller in Youth Culture 101
when i read the above following passage in one of my books, i felt a pang in my heart and said out loud, “oh Lord, what have we (I) done”
do you remember the old song by Madonna, the one about living in a material world? though i’m not a Madonna fan, the lyrics are ones that stick with you no matter if you’ve heard it once or heard it a thousand times
but there is a unbelievable amount of truth in what she is singing about…that we live in a material world, and we are material girls (or boys, or people)
the world we live in is based on material things…we are absolutely infiltrated with them on a daily basis…it is impossible to turn on the television, watch a movie, go to the store, or drive down the road without seeing a billboard/ad/person advertising the newest, coolest cell phone, laptop, jewelry, car, clothing, expensive restaurant, you name it
Burger King tells us, “Have it your way.”
McDonald’s asks, “Have you had your break today?”
L’oreal boasts, “Because you’re worth it!”
Visa states, “Its everywhere you want to be.”
Apple Computer says, “Everything’s easier on a Mac.”
we have been targeted, manipulated, controlled, and bought by the marketplace in our society…there are very few of us who have escaped the addiction to stuff, and even those who have overcome it are still tempted no matter where they are
Kenneth Kantzer wrote this in a book: “The most serious problem facing the church today is materialism – materialism not as a philosophical theory, but as a way of life.”
Christians, followers of Christ, have become selfish, and we have believed the lie that “he who dies with the most toys [or clothes, or a big house, or a nice car] wins”…when did we forget that all of those things aren’t going with us when we die??? and when we don’t get what we want, we turn into people who don’t look very much like Christ…our attitude is, “don’t let anyone walk into my church wearing jeans with holes in them and a dirty shirt with greasy hair...i’m not giving handouts”
we think, and say, that someone is “blessed” if they have financial prosperity…but the word blessed, in the Bible, has nothing to do with money…in the Greek, this is the definition of blessed: “happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions”
those of us who are feel we are “struggling to make it” in the American economy still have a ridiculous amount of money, material things, and food…we don’t realize that the median annual income for the entire population on the planet is $7,000…if you have a car, any car, you are considered RICH by the rest of the world…if you have something to eat on your table every night, even if that something is a can of soup and crackers, you are considered RICH by the rest of the world
we have the wrong perspective on money and just how much we need to live and survive…with what ONE teenager alone (who gets the money from parents) spends on clothing, techno toys, food, and fun activities in a month, FIVE hungry families could be fed for 6 months!!!
in our brokenness and desperation to fill the emptiness inside, we believe the lies that we are not good enough, that we need money to feel secure or have peace, that we have no life if we can’t go buy the latest technological device or fashions in the name-brand stores…we have been brainwashed
the worst thing is that the marketplace, the consumerist society we live in, KNOWS that we WILL buy what they are selling, no matter the price, because we think we can’t live without it…our mindset is that having money and things will cure any feelings of low self-esteem, bring happiness, make us feel good, and get us the attention/popularity we desire
Christians in American are more concerned with having financial peace and security than whether the rest of the world goes hungry…and our definition of success is having money in our savings account and living in a nice, predominantly white, neighborhood with a two-car garage and a big backyard for b-b-q-ing on the 4th of July
here are some serious questions we, in the Church, need to ask ourselves:
- What do you want to pass on to your kids? Money or material things or godly character traits and a heart for serving Him?
- How much does your lifestyle reflect and conform to the idea that money buys happiness?
- If you’re a goal-oriented person, what are your goals for the next 5, 10, or 15 years from now? Are they primarily financial or material in nature?
- If someone you know was to write out a definition of success based on your leisurely lifestyle, what would they write?
- Are you always looking to get the competitive edge or keep up with the Joneses?
- Are you jealous when someone you know acquires something (nice car, better job, pretty clothes, lavish vacation) you don’t have but want?
- Are you the one who has something you don’t need but want (nice car, highest-paying job, pretty clothes, lavish vacation)?
- Do you refer to your wants as needs?
- When will you know that you’re “financially secure?”
- Someone once said, “You tell me what you spend your time daydreaming about, and I’ll tell you who your god is.” What do you daydream about?
- Do you possess your possessions, or do they possess you?
- Does your faith and security rest in God or in your money/things?
*Disclaimer: The following video may convict you and bring you to your knees in repentance. If you have a hard time viewing it, then perhaps you don’t need to answer the questions above.
we need to stop putting our trust in money, material things, financial peace, etc… and put our trust in God! we need to quit being selfish and thinking that if we have money we are something special! we could lose everything we have in a matter of minutes…and if we did, then what would we have??? IS GOD ENOUGH????
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” ~ Mark 8:36
“One sunny Labor Day, I had the opportunity to go boating with a group of six high schoolers in the clear blue waters off the coast of Miami. We enjoyed the beautiful weather while swimming and water-skiing off the back end of a pretty impressive boat that belonged to Dave’s father. When it was Dave’s turn to ski, I went to the back of the boat to slide him the skis while he dove into the water. When Dave resurfaced, he leaned back and let out a comfortable sigh.
‘Ahhhh,’ he said. ‘I wonder what the poor people are doing today.”
~ Walt Mueller in Youth Culture 101
when i read the above following passage in one of my books, i felt a pang in my heart and said out loud, “oh Lord, what have we (I) done”
do you remember the old song by Madonna, the one about living in a material world? though i’m not a Madonna fan, the lyrics are ones that stick with you no matter if you’ve heard it once or heard it a thousand times
but there is a unbelievable amount of truth in what she is singing about…that we live in a material world, and we are material girls (or boys, or people)
the world we live in is based on material things…we are absolutely infiltrated with them on a daily basis…it is impossible to turn on the television, watch a movie, go to the store, or drive down the road without seeing a billboard/ad/person advertising the newest, coolest cell phone, laptop, jewelry, car, clothing, expensive restaurant, you name it
Burger King tells us, “Have it your way.”
McDonald’s asks, “Have you had your break today?”
L’oreal boasts, “Because you’re worth it!”
Visa states, “Its everywhere you want to be.”
Apple Computer says, “Everything’s easier on a Mac.”
we have been targeted, manipulated, controlled, and bought by the marketplace in our society…there are very few of us who have escaped the addiction to stuff, and even those who have overcome it are still tempted no matter where they are
Kenneth Kantzer wrote this in a book: “The most serious problem facing the church today is materialism – materialism not as a philosophical theory, but as a way of life.”
Christians, followers of Christ, have become selfish, and we have believed the lie that “he who dies with the most toys [or clothes, or a big house, or a nice car] wins”…when did we forget that all of those things aren’t going with us when we die??? and when we don’t get what we want, we turn into people who don’t look very much like Christ…our attitude is, “don’t let anyone walk into my church wearing jeans with holes in them and a dirty shirt with greasy hair...i’m not giving handouts”
we think, and say, that someone is “blessed” if they have financial prosperity…but the word blessed, in the Bible, has nothing to do with money…in the Greek, this is the definition of blessed: “happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions”
those of us who are feel we are “struggling to make it” in the American economy still have a ridiculous amount of money, material things, and food…we don’t realize that the median annual income for the entire population on the planet is $7,000…if you have a car, any car, you are considered RICH by the rest of the world…if you have something to eat on your table every night, even if that something is a can of soup and crackers, you are considered RICH by the rest of the world
we have the wrong perspective on money and just how much we need to live and survive…with what ONE teenager alone (who gets the money from parents) spends on clothing, techno toys, food, and fun activities in a month, FIVE hungry families could be fed for 6 months!!!
in our brokenness and desperation to fill the emptiness inside, we believe the lies that we are not good enough, that we need money to feel secure or have peace, that we have no life if we can’t go buy the latest technological device or fashions in the name-brand stores…we have been brainwashed
the worst thing is that the marketplace, the consumerist society we live in, KNOWS that we WILL buy what they are selling, no matter the price, because we think we can’t live without it…our mindset is that having money and things will cure any feelings of low self-esteem, bring happiness, make us feel good, and get us the attention/popularity we desire
Christians in American are more concerned with having financial peace and security than whether the rest of the world goes hungry…and our definition of success is having money in our savings account and living in a nice, predominantly white, neighborhood with a two-car garage and a big backyard for b-b-q-ing on the 4th of July
here are some serious questions we, in the Church, need to ask ourselves:
- What do you want to pass on to your kids? Money or material things or godly character traits and a heart for serving Him?
- How much does your lifestyle reflect and conform to the idea that money buys happiness?
- If you’re a goal-oriented person, what are your goals for the next 5, 10, or 15 years from now? Are they primarily financial or material in nature?
- If someone you know was to write out a definition of success based on your leisurely lifestyle, what would they write?
- Are you always looking to get the competitive edge or keep up with the Joneses?
- Are you jealous when someone you know acquires something (nice car, better job, pretty clothes, lavish vacation) you don’t have but want?
- Are you the one who has something you don’t need but want (nice car, highest-paying job, pretty clothes, lavish vacation)?
- Do you refer to your wants as needs?
- When will you know that you’re “financially secure?”
- Someone once said, “You tell me what you spend your time daydreaming about, and I’ll tell you who your god is.” What do you daydream about?
- Do you possess your possessions, or do they possess you?
- Does your faith and security rest in God or in your money/things?
*Disclaimer: The following video may convict you and bring you to your knees in repentance. If you have a hard time viewing it, then perhaps you don’t need to answer the questions above.
we need to stop putting our trust in money, material things, financial peace, etc… and put our trust in God! we need to quit being selfish and thinking that if we have money we are something special! we could lose everything we have in a matter of minutes…and if we did, then what would we have??? IS GOD ENOUGH????
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” ~ Mark 8:36
10.8.09
to love and be loved...
this past week, i went to Chicago to spend time with my Uncle Steve (Dad's bro), Aunt Carrie, and the kids (my cousins) Genevieve and Grayson
it was a wonderful time, and a much needed visit with them! i hadn't seen them since our wedding, and even then neither Paul or i got to spend any time with them because things were so crazy
its been a tough past few years for them, and its been a tough year for me...so this was a special time for us to love one another and be loved in return! i especially had some awesome bonding time with the kiddos
we went to a few neat places downtown...Michigan Ave., Navy Pier, etc.,
here are a few pics from the trip!
cool view from the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier!
me and the kids walking down Michigan Ave.
in some cool indoor plant place at the Navy Pier!
in front of Lake Michigan!
in front of the cool bridge...we rode a water taxi in the water!
farm people statue...it had just been built not long before that!
at my Uncle's nifty office downtown...i can't tell you what he does for a living, but he's pretty important ;)
i just flew home today, and i already miss them like crazy! but i am so glad that we were able to love on one another for a whole week :)
thank you GOD for FAMILY <3
it was a wonderful time, and a much needed visit with them! i hadn't seen them since our wedding, and even then neither Paul or i got to spend any time with them because things were so crazy
its been a tough past few years for them, and its been a tough year for me...so this was a special time for us to love one another and be loved in return! i especially had some awesome bonding time with the kiddos
we went to a few neat places downtown...Michigan Ave., Navy Pier, etc.,
here are a few pics from the trip!
cool view from the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier!
me and the kids walking down Michigan Ave.
in some cool indoor plant place at the Navy Pier!
in front of Lake Michigan!
in front of the cool bridge...we rode a water taxi in the water!
farm people statue...it had just been built not long before that!
at my Uncle's nifty office downtown...i can't tell you what he does for a living, but he's pretty important ;)
i just flew home today, and i already miss them like crazy! but i am so glad that we were able to love on one another for a whole week :)
thank you GOD for FAMILY <3
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