I'm where I'm supposed to be... and so are you!

In life we tend to go through things and think "WHY do I have to go through this?? This is painful!!"

Truth is, like a father telling a child "no, you can't have candy before dinner is ready", God is the same way. You are going through that 'thing' and I'm going through things I'm going through for a reason. It's not a punishment. You (and I) are in the process of learning something.

You'll thank Him later ;)

Thank God for grace....

Sometimes I'd hit dead square in the face by my choices and sins. Tonight I had a string of arguments with my wife. In the course of them, I started to realize... I'm always operating out of selfishness. and honestly, we all do. We all tend to look at things from the "what's in it for me?" point of view. Whether it's talking to your friend about his problems, deciding what to eat for dinner, or trying to talk your wife or husband into accepting the fact that you are right (LOL!), we are selfish creatures. And it's sad, really sad. I know from my own perspective, I want here to understand ___________, and I want her to say ________________ so I feel better. That's selfishness! Sometimes I feel like I'm so far behind that it's pointless to keep going, sometimes I feel that I'm the only one feeling the emotions I may be feeling, but then sometimes I get prideful and think "oh ya - look at me! I'm faithful!! I did everything right in that circumstance."

Thank God there is grace... because without it I'd be toast. Absolutely and completely.
 

How to be a Christian

No, not seriously. But in reading some of Donald Miller's excerpts (http://donmilleris.com/) I came across this, I'll paraphrase a ton here.

Take out a piece of paper and write out how to become a Christian.

Now, take out another piece of paper and write out how to fall in love.

You will probably come to the same conclusion... you can't simply get there by defining "what do do" - it isn't a scientific process. It's a relationship thing.

I'm a mess!

We should clarify something. I'm completely, utterly, without exception... broken. I'm a mess. Here's the thing though: I have a relationship with Christ not because I’m good but precisely because I am not good. He rescued me from myself and the ruin I was causing. But He’s changing me. I’m still a mess, but I’m God’s mess.

Too many people think that Christians are right wing, extremely conservative politically, complete "do-gooders" who are hypocritical and think that they are better than you somehow... and unfortunately there are believers who are just that. I can say personally that the church I came from had the same type of people. These same people looked down their noses at people like me as well. When I was going through severe personal problems I was shunned by some of these people.

And it's people like this that make it hard to be a believer in a world of non-believers. I must admit that there have been times in my life when I've questioned "what is truth?", am I really a believer or am I just another hypocrite.

Well of course I'm a hypocrite!  I don't follow the normal 'dogma' like so many other 'religious people' do though, and honestly Jesus wouldn't have and DIDN'T. The right wing, extremely conservative politically, complete "do-gooders" who are hypocritical and think that they are better than you somehow type Christians back in Jesus' day were called Pharisees. They HATED Jesus. They actually KILLED Jesus they hated him so much. Yet, this is what Jesus warned believers of. He literally said DON'T be that way.

Don't get me wrong...I have all kinds of things wrong with me. Tons and tooooonnnns of baggage and personal problems. We all do, both believers and non-believers. Do I try to do good? Yes, but it's not because I'm trying to seek approval of others, and it's sure not to 'get into' heaven. I realize that simply by accepting Jesus, heaven is a given. BUT. I TRY to do good because I love others. I care about others. I still drink too much beer, cuss too much, have perverted thoughts, etc,  just like everyone else. Truth be told, probably MORE than anyone else. ;)

But I'm still loved. I'm a huge mess, but I'll accept that and leave that to God.

A couple of friends and I were in a bit of a heated debate a couple days ago. It didn't start out heated of course, but once it started to get heated we did all take a deep breath and no punches were thrown. At least at that time.

The debate: Religion. Who is God? Who was Jesus?

You see, one of my close friends is Jewish, which means (to sum it up quickly) that he doesn't believe in the New Testament, and believes that Jesus is not the Son of God, etc.

Personally, I try to have an open mind. There are alot of things that can be proven historically that make me to question the validity of some things in the new testament. Even just one thing, for example, is that there was no "Jesus" 2000 years ago. It was "Yeshua". There is no "J" in the ancient Hebrew language.

Research just WHY the name was changed to Jesus from Yeshua. You'll  be suprised. Research why some of the original books that were written at that time are not included in our "New Testament". Google why there even is a "King James" version.

The drama and mystery goes on and on.

All that can get in the way of what we really were created to do though, which is love God. All the ifs, ands, whys, hows, buts, and all the gory details of exactly "what you are SUPPOSED TO DO" and "how you are SUPPOSED TO DO IT" all just politicize religion.

I look at it this way. A guy was trying his hardest to 'fit in' to his church group/family yet he was always not doing something correctly, or told that he should be doing something else in order to be a 'better Christian'. He felt he never could do the right things. One day he walked outside of the church and saw a man sitting on the steps. As he got closer he said "you getting fed up with church too?". The man, Jesus, turned around and said "don't feel bad - they don't want me in there either"

Who I've been hates who I am...

Several years ago, Relient K released a song called "Who i am hates who I've been". I've definitely felt that way, but I've also felt the opposite.

 I think both statements are equally depressing - the first states the naivety of youth is something to be ashamed of, while the latter underlines the compromises adults make and I guess for me represents a bit of backsliding.

I'm not sure what's worse though... remembering all the stupid things you did that was wrong in the past or thinking of how you were once maybe a bit closer to God.

Thoughts?

What are YOUR talents?

Was thinking tonight, and I feel it's 100% completely true.

God gives everyone gifts and talents.... and at SOME point in their life there will be The Choice and The Opportunity behind the door that you will come face to face with to use those talents or gifts. Those who are happy tend to be those who are using their talents in some way to better life in some way.

The really sad part is that way too many will never see this.

Why? Because of fear, lack of initiative, or lack of self esteem.


It doesn't have to be that way though...