World Class vs Worldly

December 24, 2009 at 10:45 am (Stuff)

Here’s a thought provoking question for you…..are you a world-class type of christian or a worldly type of christian?

Maybe the definitions will help you some in answering that question.

World-class:

  1. Ranking among the foremost in the world; of an international standard of excellence; of the highest order
  2. being of the highest caliber in the world

You know.. being the best, foremost, first, top-notch, etc. You have world-class chess players, they are the best of the best at what they do. World class gymnasts, basketball players, business leaders and such. You get the picture here right? It’s being the best at what you do. Or being your best You.

Now lets take a look at the definition of worldly.

Worldly:

  1. of, relating to, or devoted to this world and its pursuits rather than to religion or spiritual affairs
  2. of or relating to material things

Being worldly is being fleshly & carnal. Your mind is on the things of this world. Most of the time that consists of gaining for your own self-satisfaction like money, material items and things of that nature. The world’s way of thinking is me, me, me. Me is always first in the mind.

So are you a world-class christian or a worldly christian? World class christian is one who has God’s agenda foremost in their thoughts. What is God’s agenda? The lost, the dying, the hungry, the poor, the widows & the orphans. It’s about helping others, loving others. It’s about love. A world-class christian is all about “What can I do to help”. They want to help relieve the sufferings of others. When world-class christians pray, they pray for the needs of others. They are interceeding on behalf of those hurting and in need, coming up along side of them to help ease their burden. They give because they have a heart for change, to further the kingdom of God. When they serve, they serve because there is a need and they can help fill it.

The worldly christian is one who has their self foremost in their thoughts. When (or if) they pray it’s all about them. They pray for their needs only. They give (if they give) only out of obligation not because they have a deep desire to help. The don’t want to give away their money because then it takes away from the things they want. They serve (if they serve) when it’s convenient for them, if it doesn’t interfere with their time & priorities. The worldly christian is all bout ME. ME, ME.

So what are you? I can honestly say that I have been a worldly christian a lot of times in my walk. Thank God I am a work in progress, continually growing, learning, & pressing forward.

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My Thoughts on Inauguration Day

January 20, 2009 at 10:16 am (Personal, Stuff)
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Obama's Oath

I didn’t vote for Barack Obama but I can tell you that today I am celebrating a great historical moment in our nation. I have laughed, cried, and been in total awe watching the inaugural ceremony today. What a country we live in that on this day we watch an African American become president when it wasn’t too long ago that they could not be served in restaurants, sit in the front of the buses, or share the same water fountain as whites. I have thanked God so many times today for the progress this country has made. Are we there yet? Absolutely not, but thank God we’re not where we used to be!

I have been blessed to witness this historical event. I pray that he will lead this country in a new direction for the better. Today I celebrate President Barack Obama, I celebrate a great nation that has allowed an African American to be our president, and I celebrate our God for He is good and mighty!

On a side note, I thank God for former President George Bush. I believe he led us to the best of his ability. We all make mistakes, hind sight is 20/20, but that shouldn’t make him the scapegoat for the problems our country has been in. Responsibility falls on every one of us from the former president, to congress, both Republicans and Democrats alike, all the way down to each one of us personally. That’s my opinion anyway. Thank you former President Bush for protecting & defending  our country and for your dedication to our country over the last eight years. God Bless you.

God Bless President Barack Obama and

God Bless America!

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Week in Review

January 18, 2009 at 11:17 am (Personal, Stuff)

  • My 3 favorite shows started this past week: 24, American Idol, and Battlestar Galactica (this one is TOPS). Doesn’t get much better than that! If you don’t watch these you are sadly missing out on the best TV ever!
  • Started the Daniel fast
  • Had a hellacious headache for 2 days straight…it was almost killer!
  • For the most part the fast has been good…I’ve been low carbing it for a while now so these foods are actually a treat for me. So that’s kind of cool.
  • found out that I love Soy milk…who knew? Even Jenna & Matthew like it.
  • It’s been really cold here. I don’t like the cold anymore. I don’t care that I was born and raised in Michigan I will never go back to that cold and snow….well if God makes me that’s another thing, but He’ll have to really convince me it’s Him making me go!
  • the boys went back to school this past week…wooohooo! It’s been nice and quiet around here, you know I love that!
  • Thomas made straight A’s on his report card. Yeah! I’m proud of him!
  • Things are still very tight financially I mean like squeezing hard tight but I am ok. God has blessed me with so much grace to handle this right now. It’s amazing, I should be like really freaking out. Poor Tom is doing enough of that for the both of us though. He needs a lot of prayer right now, it’s affecting him hard & it’s trickling down to every area of his life.
  • 8 more days and I turn ____! Oh my gosh! That’s crazy!
  • So today at church Pastor Bstepped ALL over my toes! Ouch, ouch! I was hurting afterwards and left with a lump in my throat. For real. I love to hear a message that convicts you and challenges you to rise up. I will blog more about it later. It really shook me up.
  • going to continue with the Daniel fast and see it all the way through. Tom and I had planned in December to do a fast for a week and then our church decided to do the 21 days. We still had it in our minds to do only a week then I read this and that changed my perspective on it completely!
  • On to another week…make it a good one folks!

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Year in Review from Uncle Jay

January 3, 2009 at 7:50 am (Fun, Stuff)
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Something funny I came across. Uncle Jay explains the news in 2008. Enjoy!

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The Kid’s Version of the Mom Song

January 2, 2009 at 7:45 am (Stuff)
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I have previously posted the Mom Song by Anita Renfroe and the Dad song by her also. If you want to check them out again you can go here and here.

I came across this “Kid’s” version by Vanessa Van Petten and thought she did a great job in bringing this perspective along. You can check her blog out here.

I’ve posted the lyrics below. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Lyrics to the Kid’s Version of the Mom Song

I am up, I am up, I’m up and dressed

Can I wear this, am I cute, are the boys impressed

Where’s my clothes and my shoes and my backpack at

And, Yes I’m wearing that

No mom, no OJ, where’s the pop tarts at

Where’s my lunch, eww gross, do I look fat?

After school bring me a snack when I get back

And then its homework until I collapse

Watch some TV shows, to us teens it’s the most important thing of all

Get my TIVO for set up for gossip girls—the coolest show of all

Please remember not to come downstairs when my friends are over here

Just stay upstairs all the time so when we gossip you will not hear

TTYL, Not now, Im coming, can you drive me there

Close my door, Get out! Please don’t touch mess up my hair

I said thank you, I don’t want to, please don’t bother me

There’s my cell phone, it’s a text, Ill have to BRB

LOL, cu later,  take me to the mall

Wait one second I have to take this call.

That’s so chill, so cool, oh mom please chillax

ROTFL, oh please dad just relax

I hear breathing mom,  is that you on my call

While you’re here though can I have money for the mall

Hi mom, its me, Im over at sandy’s

and I’m wondering if I can spend the night? We’re watching movies And yes, Sandy’s mom is also here right now,

talk to her, oh maybe she’s in the shower so im not sure how.

Oh man what If my parents catch me

there are some things that we do that all parents cant see

I forgot my homework, what I’m grounded, oh you are so unfair

Were you never young, you’re the worst, and you are always late to day care

Do I have to, I don’t want to, can I have some money

Not a boyfriend, we’re just friends, just an FWB

You don’t get me, your so lame, can you drop me off here

I don’t want my friends to see you near

My day was fine, and my test was just ok

ill never be like you, my kids will be great

don’t read my diary, just give me my privacy

Can I go to the dance, I wont get an STD

Oh and about parents who patrol

about Parental controls

they don’t really work

We know when you lurk

And often cover up

With fake homework

Or IM our friends red parents alert

So I want to tell you that when we say that we hate you

We know

you really want to keep us safe

But can I just make our case

Sometimes we just want a little freedom from your rules

And when you nag us, and tell us to

Take out the trash and clean dog poo

Our only course of action is to roll our eyes at you

Mom!

Brush my teeth, wash my face, fight with mom

Text my friends, ask for money, put my retainer on

I guess its true, I love you

And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom’s nags never end

Can I have a later curfew

I need it, just trust me, everyone else does it too

Hey mom hey mom hey mom hey mom, hey mom

I love you, I do, Even though I never tell you!

 

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Friday Fill In

January 2, 2009 at 7:07 am (Friday Fill-In, Stuff)

fridayfillin  

 

1. The world is a very scary place!

2. Goodbye was the last thing I said.

3. I wonder why I wonder why all the time?

4. I hope I’ve accomplished all God wanted me to at the end of all things.

5. There’s something to be said for being free emotionally!

6. A warm sunny beach is where I want to be.

7. As for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to chillin to some SCIFI , tomorrow my plans include taking down the Christmas tree and Sunday, I want to rock out at ROCK Church!

 

This is my first Friday Fill-In. You can check out Friday Fill-Ins here.

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2008 A Year in Review

December 31, 2008 at 5:10 am (Personal, Stuff)
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Wow 2008 is over.  Hard to believe another year has ended and now we forge on to a new year ahead. I have this excitement building in me for the coming year. I have no idea what it holds, but I am really excited about it.

I have been reflecting on this past year this whole month. I think just about everyday I have had to stop and thank God for this past year. I have seen amazing growth and progress in me over the past 12 months. It was a slow progress but progress none the less. Things have happened in me and changed me in ways I could never even begin to describe.

I know at the beginning of this year I was crying out to God for freedom, healing, and to know Him in a deeper way. I remember dreaming of being free from emotional chains that had me bound. I am amazed how He has answered those prayers and dreams. It has deepened my faith, my trust, and given me confidence I have not known in many years. I can truly say that I have FREEDOM in many areas of my life. Self made chains and shackles have been broken link by link. It’s awesome! It’s an awesome feeling to feel free.  I believe this growth was preparation for the coming year that’s why I am excited about 2009.

 

brokenchain_rainbow22

Goodbye 2008, hello 2009. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

Happy New Year everyone!

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Christmas 2008 Photos

December 26, 2008 at 7:54 pm (Stuff)

 

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great Christmas this year. God blessed us tremendously in many ways. He’s an on time God and knows what you need and provides. He’s amazing!

This was a very light Christmas due to our financial situation but the old saying that less is more held so very true for us. The kids each got the one big thing they really wanted…I thank God that he helped us find each of these items at a deep discount, I mean deeeppp discount. It really is amazing how He provided for us. And to think all these years we went overboard with too many things and at times went into debt to have such an elaborate Christmas. At the end of the day Thomas said to us…”this is the best Christmas ever” and Jenna & Matthew agreed.

Who would have thought that less really is more? Our Pastor said a few weeks ago that no matter what you get your kids it will be more than enough, amen to that. I will remember that and this Christmas for a long time.

Now I’m getting excited about the New Year ahead!

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Things I’m Learning

December 6, 2008 at 1:32 pm (Personal)
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Here are a few things I am learning while dealing with a difficult person.

I am learning to:

  • become more patient
  • be more compassionate
  • forgive quicker
  • be more understanding
  • lean on God more
  • pray more about situations instead of griping about them
  • roll with the punches so to speak
  • see the positive first in everything
  • love the unlovely
  • not look at others through a magnifying glass
  • not see myself through rose colored glasses

I am realizing that I too can be difficult at times. This makes me more aware of how that makes those around me feel when I am difficult. I can sit here and justify my issues but being difficult weather big or small is still not good. It doesn’t honor God when I am being difficult.

I want my life to honor my Father. If that means changing my ways then so be it. God is so good.

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Dealing with a Difficult Person

December 4, 2008 at 5:51 pm (Family, Personal)
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I’m just going to vent for a second here….I have been totally frustrated, annoyed, irritated, and just plain ticked. Why? You ask. Well I have a difficult person in my life. I’ve had a difficult person in my life for as long as I can remember. It’s really been getting bad and I need some relief in this area of my life so I have been PRAYING a lot about it. The following are some of my thoughts on this subject, maybe just a reminder to myself to help me endure the difficult person in my life.

So far I have come up with these truths:

·         There will always be difficult people in the world. Some you can just turn away & never deal with again, some are family or coworkers who you have to deal with. That’s just life, like there will always be sin in the world because of the fall, there will always be difficult people.

 

·         It doesn’t matter what you do you just can’t please some folks.

 

·         When dealing with these difficult people, remember it’s more about them than you. Try not to take it personally. Hurting people hurt people. They don’t even realize how difficult they are.

 

·         Most difficult people are just angry, bitter & resentful people and unfortunately take it out on those closest to them.

 

·         You can’t change a difficult person! Only God can change them, with a little help from the difficult person themselves.

 

So how does one cope with a difficult person? I am going to try and put into action the following:

·         Love them anyway, no matter how hard that is to do

 

·         Try and see them through the eyes of Jesus and not my own eyes

 

·         Focus on the positive attributes of the difficult person

 

·         Try to empathize if not than sympathize

 

·         Have patience, my lack of patience only exasperates the situation

 

·         Don’t argue with them, it’s pointless

 

·         Try and keep a sense of humor

 

·         Pray for them (and myself)

 

Having to deal with a difficult person in your life can leave you exhausted, stressed, and really bring you down with all their negativity. I think most important is to keep myself before the Lord. He is the only one who can give me strength, endurance, and patience to see me through when I am dealing with this difficult person.

I think the Lord is dealing with me in how I respond to this difficult person. I really want to do the right thing it’s just SO hard sometimes. But I know that I am called to do better and be better. So after weeks of suffering from irritation & frustration over my difficult person I began to seek the Lord in the situation. I told Tom that this person was going to be my service project this holiday season. I am going to do right, act right, be nice and patient even if it kills me!

 

Do you have a difficult person in your life? If so, how do you cope with them? Especially when that person is a close family member?

 

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