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United States, Tennessee, Humboldt, English, Susan, Female, 36-40, Christianity, Bible Study, church, music, trumpet, CD's.

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United States, Tennessee, Humboldt, English, Katie, Female, 30-35, Christianity, Bible Study, church, mom with two kids, full-time student.

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:: Saturday, February 15, 2003 ::

Being an Example Setter

When a person becomes a Christian, he/she automatically recieves gifts from the Holy Spirit. There are many classes about spiritual gifts and these classes are good. It is important to know what our gifts are and how to use them to benefit the kingdom of God. Sometimes it's tough trying to figure out where our gifts lie. Sometimes we don't know why we are here and when we figure out a gift we might have, we next try to figure out "What am I called to do with it?" We may not always be sure of the "special" gift that the Spirit has given us but there is one thing we CAN know for sure. As born again believers, we are ALL called to be example setters and we are ALL equipped to do so. I'm not saying that it is an easy task because it isn't.......at least for me.......not by a long shot.

I am a divorced mom with two kids and every day I have to be an example to my children. They are the ones who watch me the most. I try to be a good example of integrity and fairness. It is NOT an easy task! I have to show them how a person behaves when they have Jesus in their heart. Well, let me be the first to confess that I am often not the example I ought to be. But today, I realized a place in my life where I really set a bad example, especially these days. I have not been good to be "anxious about nothing, but in everything with thanksgiving, bring my requests before God".

Recently I have been so under attack by the enemy. I have been hit from every side faster than I can deal with it. I have not been including God in every aspect of my life. In fact, I haven't been including Him in much of it at all. I go about my life "serving" and "studying" I talk about Him and how great He is. I listen to music that inspires me but really........I haven't been talking with Him, praying to Him or really praying for others with my heart like I should. I just sit around worrying all the time.

I never realized just how much I really do worry. While reading Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer, I learned something
interesting. "Worry is the mind racing around trying to find a solution to its situation. A person who worries still thinks that in some way he can solve his own problem. The proud man is full of himself, while the humble man is full of God. The proud man worries; the humble man waits." Only God can deliver us, and he wants us to know that, so that in every situation our first response is to lean on Him and to enter His rest."

I know Sue is probably saying, "Okay, so is there a point to all of this?"

Yes. There is. The example thing....

I try so hard to be a good example to my kids. I try. Do I want my children to grow up and be worriers or warriors? I have to set the example. But I can't do it unless I am resting in Him. He can and will be an example through me. I can do nothing on my own but in Christ I can do all things!

Father, help me to let go and let you have total control. I want YOU to be Lord of my life. You set the example of Christ living in me. I can't do this alone.

Amen

:: Katie 2/15/2003 05:55:27 PM ** ** [+] ::
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A Heart Thing

For the past year or more I have been loving God with my mind. Studying studying studying His Word through reading, in-depth bible studies and listening to messages on the radio, at church, or conventions. I was even reading my Baker's Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics for fun!

I have been longing to feel His Presence more. I have been missing something and couldn't really figure out what. Then, one day a week or so ago, Katie said to me "What you need is more 'heart' stuff". I thought about that and I think she was right. I have been so busy with learning the Word, chapter and verse, that I wasn't getting the stuff "between the lines". I would turn on the radio only to hear teachers give me more lessons. I would avidly take notes at church. All this is good stuff, but I was missing the "heart stuff". While it is always important to love God with my mind and be able to give a reason for the hope that lies within me, it's more important to spend time with Him. Praying. Loving His heart with my heart.

So, I have somewhat changed my approach and returned to some of the things I was doing when I felt so close to Him. I am forcing myself not to turn on radio preachers, but instead l am listening to music that glorifies Him. I am playing music that lift Him up and lyrics that lift Him up and praise His attributes. I have always listened to music, but lately I've been giving more airtime to talk radio. It is helping, especially with all the great new Christian Music out there. I can't get Jeremy Camp's debut CD out of my player! It's got some beautifully written music that is heart tug stuff and reminds me about how awesome God is. How He took our guilt and shame. How he can't love us more than He already does, no matter what we do. How He is always there for us, always.

I have also tried to keep my nose out of the apologetics books and into books that will help me discover God's heart. The book I have been reading today and is really pretty awesome about how God can work in our lives is a book written mostly for teens. It is "The Journals of Rachel Scott". Talk about having a heart for God! This book makes me laugh through tears! It's funny, it's a heart-tugger, and it examines the relationship of one special young woman with her Creator and Lover of her soul. I highly recommend this! It's such a quick easy read and it will touch you.

I am also really making an effort to spend more time in prayer with him. Amazingly, the music I have been listening to actually helps to encourage conversation with my God. I am so thankful for the life God has given me and HE NEEDS TO KNOW IT! It is not always easy, but with Him it can't be impossible. I do love Him so much, and I need to spend more time with Him!

"So take my life, take my mind, take my soul, take my will....I give it all to you!" TAKE MY LIFE!

:: Susan 2/13/2003 12:04:05 PM ** ** [+] ::
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*UPDATE*

I recently learned that the person I blogged about here died from a heroin overdose. Sad.

:: Susan 2/12/2003 11:58:07 AM ** ** [+] ::
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Do I Expect Too Much From Christians?

While Katie is coming up with solutions for world peace, I just want to speak my piece! I work in a CD store. We have these nifty LVS (Listening and Viewing Stations) that allow people to sample music from most any CD in the store. It's a pretty awesome thing and it really is neat! You want to hear the new debut from Jeremy Camp?...scan and listen! (Then buy cause it's great!) or the new double live CD from John Mayer?...scan and listen! (Then buy cause it's great!) How about that new Audioslave? ...scan and listen! (Then buy because it ROCKS! all except for that "Set if Off" song...it rocks, but I would prefer and edited version. Why do some bands ruin an album for me because they include one or two objectionable words? Would the quality of the recording suffer if they just left them out? In the case of Eminem it would because there would be no lyrics at all! )

Sorry, I digress...the original point of this blog was to answer the question "Do I expect too much from Christians?" What got me wondering is that the wonderful LVS machines in our store have caused a bit of a problem for store organization. Everything is alphabetized. When a person removes a CD from it's proper place to sample it at the LVS it does not make it back to its proper place. To attempt to come up with a solution, we made "sample pockets". Those pockets are directly below the LVS machines and are marked "Put Sampled CD's Here". Some people use them appropriately, others act as if they don't notice them. Cds are ending up everywhere throughout the store.

I sell mostly urban music, so the rap section is the most travelled and the most used. There are rap CDs everywhere and it is so difficult to stay on top of keeping the sections alphabetized and organized. It is very distressing. Then, I notice another section that gets pretty messed up. It is the gospel and contemporary Christian music section. This irritates me in some ways moreso than the rap section being all messed up. I thought Christians were to be respectful. I don't ask people to put the CDs away...I ask them to drop them in the pocket where they already are! Then I am wonder if I should even expect more from a Christian?

Does God expect more from a believer?

Christians are sinners, but we are striving to serve Him. Are we serving Him the best way possible when we aren't respectful of things, and of others, in even the smallest of ways? I get irritated when people that I am waiting on are using their cell phone and still expecting me to find the CD they are looking for. I am there to help people find what they want and to suggest other things, but I am not there to shop for them. This is a rude behavior and as Christians we should be aware of it and how it effects those around us. Should Christians care about rude behavior? Should I be more bothered by the fact that a Christian didn't say "thank you" when I help them pick up their dropped books, then I would be a non-Christian? Do I hold Christians to a higher standard? Should I hold Christians to a higher standard? Do I hold myself to a higher standard?

Katie posted that Christians should "Love God and love others". Christians should be known by our love. That is a pretty high standard. Does your love show? How? I think love shows in many ways...including through respect and courtesy.

The next time you are at Walmart and decide not to get those refrigerator magnets you picked up a few aisles back, don't just set them anywhere. Give them to an employee or take them up front, or even put them back where you got them. It isn't a great "I have a dream" speech or anything, but it is showing respect in a small way for the work others do. It's humility. Humility is a Christian standard. No? Do I expect too much?

:: Susan 2/11/2003 10:34:20 PM ** ** [+] ::
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Solutions for World Peace

I think I have found the answer! I know how to aviod war with Iraq! I know how to solve world hunger and how to have world peace! It's so simple! But then again, to our disadvantage, we are all human. Anyhow, if every single person on earth puts God (The one and only true God, I Am, Jehovah) first, and if every single person loves his neighbor as himself, and if every single person puts the needs of others as being more important than there own, and if every single person loves his enemies (which means nobody would have any) and if every single person put self on a shelf, all our needs would be met. Everybody would love everybody....true love, Godly love.

Nobody would be angry because somebody else got the promotion. Nobody would be jealous or envious. I think that if the two most important commandments were filled, all the others would automatically follow. There would be no need to break them. If every single person loved God first and others as himself/herself (c'mon now, we must be politically correct.....oh brother!), would anybody covet their neighbors wife? Commit adultry? Steal? Kill? Use the Lord Almighty's name in vain?

Throughout the Bible we read about people like the Pharisees where everybody works so hard to obey the rules. There's millions of them! They get off track and lose sight of the two most important commandments. Love God and love others. It's that simple. Or is it simple?

The solution to World Peace is simple........Love God and love others. Period. Problem is, we can not humanly do this. However, if God were first in all our hearts all of the time..........it would be simple wouldn't it? So we have a solution, but one that doesn't appear very realistic. It would be easy for God to force us all to love Him. But, instead, He gives us the freedom to choose and all of mankind (ever since the garden) has chosen self first. It's hard not to. It's instinct, natural. We are born sinners. There is hope though. Jesus. He never sinned. He truly thought of God and others first. As Christians, we alone can't see world peace obtained because there are many unbelievers in the world. Also, unfortunately, even those who believe still struggle with selfishness. For Pete's sake, how many wars are fought in the Name of God? Seems hopeless doesn't it? However, if we do our best to model the One who died for us, we probably will not establish world peace, but one by one, we will reach out to those unbelievers and change the world, one lost soul at a time. We will encourage and lift up other believers. We can set the example for others to follow. It's not anything we will do in our own strength, but His. For it is by GRACE we are saved through faith alone, not of ourselves. We cannot boast for Christ took our place.....a gift from God alone. Neither by works of righteousness or anything we have done. But by the blood of the spotless Lamb through faith in God's own Son.

I need to pray more.

:: Katie 2/10/2003 08:28:55 AM ** ** [+] ::
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