Before reading, please watch this: Background
That song pretty much wraps up everything I'm hoping to say in this post, but as this is my blog for my thoughts on life, here are a few words from me:
Often I find myself letting God play the background in my life, instead of the other way around. While God has a voice in my life, it's not as loud or as important as my own. And as I pray that y'all find it easier to let God take the lead in your life, I can't help but think that at least some other person who reads this has the same problem as I (whoever you are, this one's for you!).
I'm humbled as I write to you that this very day I have lived more for myself than for the Lord who died for me. While I read my Bible and prayed, sang Christian music on the way to work (and at work (my coworkers just adore me (sarcasm))), my focus was not on glorifying my maker, but on glorifying myself. And at the end of the day, how do I feel? Broken hearted over lost time and lost opportunities.
Most of my coworkers are "Christians" (as in, claim the name but that's about it), and I truly want to be a light to them. But I think I was stuck in this mentality of "waiting on God." And while this is a completely Biblical principle, I was going about it completely wrong. When we wait for God to move in our lives, we are to be already moving in order to be God's tools for spreading his fame. It's not a time to sit down and waste time till God shows up; it's a time to be moving towards God and inviting him to show up. Practically? It's not a time to be quiet about God until it pops up comfortably in the conversation. It's time to speak up and act up for God knowing that he will show up, because in reality he's been there the whole time. It's time to get on our knees and invite God to take center stage of our lives, to give us the courage to take the background. So instead of it being my life and God can chime in when I stop talking, my life is now His, and if I speak it is to reflect what he says, and if I move it is to reflect what he did. You see, when God takes center stage in my life, I'm the shadow. I don't question the next step to take or whether God will show up soon, because I'm just following his lead, I'm right behind him.
So will I continue to wait on God? Yes, but not by sitting still and letting my life take the forefront till God wants to do something else. My job is to prepare the way for the Lord, and I can't do that when I'm focused on me. So I'll be stepping to the background so God has as much room to move as possible. It may mean not saying that rude comment, it may mean not being cool, and it may mean some difficult conversations, in fact, I believe it will mean all of these things. But since God's the lead and I'm just the background I can trust his direction. I can rest assured that my labor is not in vain.
Christ died for me, therefore, I die daily to myself. I am not my own, I was bought with a price. And so were you. Therefore, honor God with your body.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Is Make-up Bad?
To use or not to use? That is the question. Whether tis' nobler... ok, that's as far as that goes.
A few months ago I had this epiphany that make-up was bad. I thought: Why hide the face God gave you? Is it not pretty enough? What are you hiding? Are you insecure? Underconfident with who you really are? I was convinced that make-up was most likely from the devil. Not really, I just didn't think I should wear it anymore.
But recent conversations have shed a better light on this topic. While my head is still swimming with thoughts and questions I think I have come to a few conclusions that I'm about to share, so get ready.
Firstly, labeling something as "bad" or "good" is generally impossible. While something may be bad in one situation or context, it may be ok, possibly even good in another. So I'm finding is the case with make-up.
When I first stopped wearing make-up I kind of had the mentality that others who did wear it were lesser or in some way erring in their ways and hadn't yet found their confidence. And this is where the problem lies. Whenever we take pride in our own actions being holier than others, we are the one erring, not others.
So the question is not, "is make-up bad?" because the answer to that is no. Not many things are inherently bad, the way we choose to use them is what determines if it's good or bad. So the question becomes, "are my motives for using this bad?" If you wear make-up to get attention, or if you don't wear make-up to get attention, both are equally sinful. Yes, God made us beautiful just the way we are. He also made us naked, and there aren't many people advocating we stay in that state.
But what about when people think differently of you because of which side of the fence you choose to fall on? My brother (being unusually helpful (justing kidding (just kidding))), said (and I quote), "Who cares?" Why does it matter what other people think? My call is to represent God in his love, forgiveness, gentleness, and beauty. And whether that means wearing make-up or not, it must be for God's glory and not my own.
And that's what it's all about folks.
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
A few months ago I had this epiphany that make-up was bad. I thought: Why hide the face God gave you? Is it not pretty enough? What are you hiding? Are you insecure? Underconfident with who you really are? I was convinced that make-up was most likely from the devil. Not really, I just didn't think I should wear it anymore.
But recent conversations have shed a better light on this topic. While my head is still swimming with thoughts and questions I think I have come to a few conclusions that I'm about to share, so get ready.
Firstly, labeling something as "bad" or "good" is generally impossible. While something may be bad in one situation or context, it may be ok, possibly even good in another. So I'm finding is the case with make-up.
When I first stopped wearing make-up I kind of had the mentality that others who did wear it were lesser or in some way erring in their ways and hadn't yet found their confidence. And this is where the problem lies. Whenever we take pride in our own actions being holier than others, we are the one erring, not others.
So the question is not, "is make-up bad?" because the answer to that is no. Not many things are inherently bad, the way we choose to use them is what determines if it's good or bad. So the question becomes, "are my motives for using this bad?" If you wear make-up to get attention, or if you don't wear make-up to get attention, both are equally sinful. Yes, God made us beautiful just the way we are. He also made us naked, and there aren't many people advocating we stay in that state.
But what about when people think differently of you because of which side of the fence you choose to fall on? My brother (being unusually helpful (justing kidding (just kidding))), said (and I quote), "Who cares?" Why does it matter what other people think? My call is to represent God in his love, forgiveness, gentleness, and beauty. And whether that means wearing make-up or not, it must be for God's glory and not my own.
And that's what it's all about folks.
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
A Social Experiment
I read an article the other day (because I'm kinda a nerd) about how prettier people tend to be treated better and have a better likelihood of getting a better job. (I would cite it, but I can't find it...) So this got me curious. If people subconsciously treat prettier people better than less attractive people, how could this affect me? I'm a waitress at a Pizza Hut, not exactly fine dining, but if human nature is the same everywhere then this principle will still apply. What if I was to look prettier? Would I make better tips? Would people subconsciously (or even consciously) like me more if I look better?
So I'm embarking on a social experiment, beginning today I will on alternating days go to work "all-natural" (no makeup, and a pony-tail (this is my usual just btw)) and then "made-up" (gonna have to go buy some today, meh.). I will then calculate the percentage of tips that I get at the end of every night and maybe even make a chart for you at the end of my experiment which I may just do all summer in order to get good data.
For the research methods junkies out there, I will be using percentage of tips, not amount of tips to account for days that are just plain slow. And I will make sure to calculate and make sure that the hours I work in one state is equal to the hours worked in the other. And that's all I've thought through at this point sooooo if I'm messing something up, please tell me soon as I'm beginning the experiment today =)
I'm thinking I'm not gonna like the outcome of this experiment, but we shall see, perhaps humanity will surprise me. I hope so.
Stay tuned for the results/updates!
So I'm embarking on a social experiment, beginning today I will on alternating days go to work "all-natural" (no makeup, and a pony-tail (this is my usual just btw)) and then "made-up" (gonna have to go buy some today, meh.). I will then calculate the percentage of tips that I get at the end of every night and maybe even make a chart for you at the end of my experiment which I may just do all summer in order to get good data.
For the research methods junkies out there, I will be using percentage of tips, not amount of tips to account for days that are just plain slow. And I will make sure to calculate and make sure that the hours I work in one state is equal to the hours worked in the other. And that's all I've thought through at this point sooooo if I'm messing something up, please tell me soon as I'm beginning the experiment today =)
I'm thinking I'm not gonna like the outcome of this experiment, but we shall see, perhaps humanity will surprise me. I hope so.
Stay tuned for the results/updates!
The Summer I Didn't Do Nothing (yes, that's a double negative... sorry)
Summer is a time of rest and relaxing. After all the craziness that makes up the school year, it's a time to kick back, enjoy some sweet tea and coffee, and hang out with friends (whilst drinking said sweet tea and coffee).
But not this summer, not for me. Ok, maybe some... I'm only human for goodness sake.
I was driving to work yesterday thinking about how sometimes I start summer off with this really great list of things I want to do by the end of summer, but yet by the end of summer very few of them ever seem to get done. This bothers me, I'm one of those people who will put something I just did on my to-do list just because then I get to scratch it off (you do it too, don't judge). So why does this happen then? Because during the summer, "There's always tomorrow." Until there's not. (I know, some of you are wondering how long it took me to figure that out. ha. only 20 years.)
So what am I gonna do about this???
Enter "Project Awesome Summer"
A lame title I know, but nothing better came to mind... Sometimes my creative juices run not so deep.
Eleanor Roosevelt (I think) said, "Do something every day that scares you." And I happen to think that's fabulous! Something every single day that scares me! Imagine the things I would get done. Imagine not having regrets at the end of the summer about the list (grr the list! (See? regret from last summer's list still lingers...)). So that's really all there is to Project Awesome Summer. I'm making a list (you're sensing a theme here, aren't you?), because I just really like lists (moreso, I like crossing things off of lists that I've made).
(I'm starting to think I use parenthetical statements too much (thats just how my mind works though (if it bothers you, just ignore them (they're just my side comments (can you put five parenthesis inside each other? (welcome to my brain)))))
"So where's the list?" you may ask. "And what on earth are you gonna do? Crazy stuff?"
Good questions. Answers: The list is right here (it's not finished yet, and if you have more ideas please let me know), and I don't think they're too crazy, but you can decide for yourself.
-Buy someone (less scary version: a friend. more scary version: a stranger) a tank of gas
-Run a race (I'm still looking for one, and I need someone to run with me. But I'd like it to be a 10k or half marathon. Any takers?)
-Visit people in the hospital or nursing home (I'm aware this shouldn't be scary, but I think it is. Your list can be different, so hush.)
-Donate 50% of my books to Goodwill. (if you know me at all, you know this one is gonna be way hard.)
-Ask how I can pray for my server
-Tip my server an insane amount, like 200-300% (Not so much scary, as painful)
-Stay up all night praying for others
-Plant a garden (I killed a cactus (see previous post), plants and I have a bad relationship that I need to mend)
-Fast (I like food. a lot.)
-Pray with a stranger
(there will be more soon, I just need to think more about it)
I want to do things that make the world a little more awesome and shine the light of the gospel. God tells us in his Word to not fear because he is with us 365 times, so just like Eleanor, God says to do things that require us to trust in him daily. A lot of prayer will be going into this project, and I'm thinking that God will open doors for other "scary" things that I can jump out in faith and do for him.
So it's gonna be a crazy summer, crazy awesome.
I'll be updating you with my adventures here so please keep checking in if you're interested to see how this goes =) Thanks for reading!
-
But not this summer, not for me. Ok, maybe some... I'm only human for goodness sake.
I was driving to work yesterday thinking about how sometimes I start summer off with this really great list of things I want to do by the end of summer, but yet by the end of summer very few of them ever seem to get done. This bothers me, I'm one of those people who will put something I just did on my to-do list just because then I get to scratch it off (you do it too, don't judge). So why does this happen then? Because during the summer, "There's always tomorrow." Until there's not. (I know, some of you are wondering how long it took me to figure that out. ha. only 20 years.)
So what am I gonna do about this???
Enter "Project Awesome Summer"
A lame title I know, but nothing better came to mind... Sometimes my creative juices run not so deep.
Eleanor Roosevelt (I think) said, "Do something every day that scares you." And I happen to think that's fabulous! Something every single day that scares me! Imagine the things I would get done. Imagine not having regrets at the end of the summer about the list (grr the list! (See? regret from last summer's list still lingers...)). So that's really all there is to Project Awesome Summer. I'm making a list (you're sensing a theme here, aren't you?), because I just really like lists (moreso, I like crossing things off of lists that I've made).
(I'm starting to think I use parenthetical statements too much (thats just how my mind works though (if it bothers you, just ignore them (they're just my side comments (can you put five parenthesis inside each other? (welcome to my brain)))))
"So where's the list?" you may ask. "And what on earth are you gonna do? Crazy stuff?"
Good questions. Answers: The list is right here (it's not finished yet, and if you have more ideas please let me know), and I don't think they're too crazy, but you can decide for yourself.
-Buy someone (less scary version: a friend. more scary version: a stranger) a tank of gas
-Run a race (I'm still looking for one, and I need someone to run with me. But I'd like it to be a 10k or half marathon. Any takers?)
-Visit people in the hospital or nursing home (I'm aware this shouldn't be scary, but I think it is. Your list can be different, so hush.)
-Donate 50% of my books to Goodwill. (if you know me at all, you know this one is gonna be way hard.)
-Ask how I can pray for my server
-Tip my server an insane amount, like 200-300% (Not so much scary, as painful)
-Stay up all night praying for others
-Plant a garden (I killed a cactus (see previous post), plants and I have a bad relationship that I need to mend)
-Fast (I like food. a lot.)
-Pray with a stranger
(there will be more soon, I just need to think more about it)
I want to do things that make the world a little more awesome and shine the light of the gospel. God tells us in his Word to not fear because he is with us 365 times, so just like Eleanor, God says to do things that require us to trust in him daily. A lot of prayer will be going into this project, and I'm thinking that God will open doors for other "scary" things that I can jump out in faith and do for him.
So it's gonna be a crazy summer, crazy awesome.
I'll be updating you with my adventures here so please keep checking in if you're interested to see how this goes =) Thanks for reading!
-
Saturday, May 4, 2013
This is why we can't have nice things.
(An easy read for your enjoyment, or confusion, whichever occurs, it's for that.)
I have killed a cactus.
Need I say more?
The poor thing is dead. Apparently you can water them too much.
I did not know this.
And now my cactus is dead.
I googled how to kill a cactus and the only other way to kill them is to dump gallons of weed killer on them.
So yeah, I'm the equivalent of gallons of weed killer to plants.
Awesome.
I should probably never be allowed to have kids, pets, fine china, or anything that could possibly ever break, become hungry, or be overly watered. (Can you over-water a child???)
It's sad when you think you're doing such a great job remembering to water your cactus just to find that your love in this act of watering is actually killing it.
I over-loved my cactus.
That sounds much better than killed...
Inteviewer: "What would you say your biggest weakness is?"
Me: "Over-loving"
Is it weird to call plant murder, over-loving?
Probably.
They'll never know...
So moral of the story? If you want to get me a present, make sure it's not a living thing or could possibly get hurt if dropped from a 5 story building.
I have killed a cactus.
Need I say more?
The poor thing is dead. Apparently you can water them too much.
I did not know this.
And now my cactus is dead.
I googled how to kill a cactus and the only other way to kill them is to dump gallons of weed killer on them.
So yeah, I'm the equivalent of gallons of weed killer to plants.
Awesome.
I should probably never be allowed to have kids, pets, fine china, or anything that could possibly ever break, become hungry, or be overly watered. (Can you over-water a child???)
It's sad when you think you're doing such a great job remembering to water your cactus just to find that your love in this act of watering is actually killing it.
I over-loved my cactus.
That sounds much better than killed...
Inteviewer: "What would you say your biggest weakness is?"
Me: "Over-loving"
Is it weird to call plant murder, over-loving?
Probably.
They'll never know...
So moral of the story? If you want to get me a present, make sure it's not a living thing or could possibly get hurt if dropped from a 5 story building.
Boldness in Prayer
I'm reading in 2 Samuel 7: 27-28:
"For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saving, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant."
This is David praying to the Lord for blessing on his house. He spends the first 4/5ths of the chapter saying, "God, you are God." (A little redundant, but you can't question it's truth I suppose...) He praises God for who he is and what he has done in the past. Then he finds the courage to ask the Lord for blessing on his house.
I love the boldness of this prayer! David recognizes that he has no power but that it's all God and then asks the God of the universe for blessings? How durst thou? (That's 'How dare you' in really cool speak.)
How could we ever ask the Lord for blessings on our lives? Isn't the point of prayer to conform our will to the Lord's, not to conform God's will to ours?
Indeed.
But lest we forget, God loves to give us good gifts! And just like your grandma who will get you socks for your birthday if you don't tell her exactly what you want (mine actually got me underwear once, that was entertaining at the party....Thanks, Granny), God will hear your request. He may not always give you exactly what you ask for, but he will give you good gifts, this he promises.
Matthew 7:11 "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
So ask him! We have a direct connection with the creator of the universe. All too often we excuse prayer because, "God hears my thoughts and knows my heart, he knows what I want and what makes my heart break." But there is something to be said for a person who spends intentional time with the Lord pouring out their heart and seeking his will. You'll find that it does conform your will to his and when you ask him for something, he hears you.
Don't skip out on prayer, and don't be weak or fearful in prayer. This God died for you! He wants you! He wants your worship and your praise, and he wants to hear you call upon his name.
"For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saving, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant."
This is David praying to the Lord for blessing on his house. He spends the first 4/5ths of the chapter saying, "God, you are God." (A little redundant, but you can't question it's truth I suppose...) He praises God for who he is and what he has done in the past. Then he finds the courage to ask the Lord for blessing on his house.
I love the boldness of this prayer! David recognizes that he has no power but that it's all God and then asks the God of the universe for blessings? How durst thou? (That's 'How dare you' in really cool speak.)
How could we ever ask the Lord for blessings on our lives? Isn't the point of prayer to conform our will to the Lord's, not to conform God's will to ours?
Indeed.
But lest we forget, God loves to give us good gifts! And just like your grandma who will get you socks for your birthday if you don't tell her exactly what you want (mine actually got me underwear once, that was entertaining at the party....Thanks, Granny), God will hear your request. He may not always give you exactly what you ask for, but he will give you good gifts, this he promises.
Matthew 7:11 "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
So ask him! We have a direct connection with the creator of the universe. All too often we excuse prayer because, "God hears my thoughts and knows my heart, he knows what I want and what makes my heart break." But there is something to be said for a person who spends intentional time with the Lord pouring out their heart and seeking his will. You'll find that it does conform your will to his and when you ask him for something, he hears you.
Don't skip out on prayer, and don't be weak or fearful in prayer. This God died for you! He wants you! He wants your worship and your praise, and he wants to hear you call upon his name.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Nevertheless, not my will, but thine.
This morning I'm reminded of how I don't live but Christ who lives in me. Everything's not me, it's God. What a relief!
I don't do good works, God prepared good works for me beforehand that I could walk in them,
I don't lead people, God leads me.
I don't walk in righteousness, God makes me righteous.
I don't run toward God, He chases me down.
I don't use words of eloquence, God speaks through me.
I don't know anything, God shows me his creation and Himself.
I don't teach, God makes my weakness his strength.
I don't save myself, God sent his son to die in my place so I could live.
I don't sing to the Lord, God gave me a melody and to do anything but sing for the Lord makes no sense.
I don't do my will, God's will becomes mine.
I don't love, God shows me what love is and I do a messy, ugly job of reflecting it.
I don't breathe, God gives me breath.
So what do I do?
I die daily, so that through Christ I may live.
I don't do good works, God prepared good works for me beforehand that I could walk in them,
I don't lead people, God leads me.
I don't walk in righteousness, God makes me righteous.
I don't run toward God, He chases me down.
I don't use words of eloquence, God speaks through me.
I don't know anything, God shows me his creation and Himself.
I don't teach, God makes my weakness his strength.
I don't save myself, God sent his son to die in my place so I could live.
I don't sing to the Lord, God gave me a melody and to do anything but sing for the Lord makes no sense.
I don't do my will, God's will becomes mine.
I don't love, God shows me what love is and I do a messy, ugly job of reflecting it.
I don't breathe, God gives me breath.
So what do I do?
I die daily, so that through Christ I may live.
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