I Told You So

Why do we do stupid things?

For years, I’ve been drinking the Mexican tap water (well using it) when I brush my teeth. Mama has always warned me about it. Don’t use the “bug water” to brush your teeth!! But, I did it anyway.

Fool. Haha…Now, I’m sick. That’s what I get for drinking “white man water” for the last two years at college! No…that’s what I get for not obeying mama.

How many times do we do what we know is foolish because we want our own way? How many times does it lead to pain or failure?

Why do we walk into traps when the Lord has so easily given us a way out? Why do we ignore the advice of others selfishly and end up regretting it…

Stubborn independence brings pain, suffering, broken promises, hurt, anger, regret and more. What does it take to say, “yes, You know better than I?”

Swirling

Sometimes, when you are stressed and overworked, your brain goes crazy! Millions of things to do, and your brain goes round and round, from subject to subject!

They say women are generally like that, we spaghetti from one thing to another. Supposedly, men can shut stuff off and only concentrate on one thing at a time, or none at all! Right now, my brain is chaos. I wish I was a man sometimes. Women frustrate me in general, and I am at times ashamed to be one. But if I were a man, I’d think the same of men.

My brother said there is at least one good thing about being a woman. You don’t have to marry one!  HAHA! Goodness, to have to deal with a woman every day of my life! Poor men.

Maybe, I’m just tired of evil old sin. Yup, that’s it. Sin makes people mess up, and sometimes, the sins of women are so much more LOUD. Not only loud, but public, and chaotic. Men’s flaws are a bit more quieter…but then that can be disastrous, too…

Conclusion: Sin is bad. Humans are messed up.

But, then we knew that already, didn’t we! ;) Praise the Father who sent His Son to liberate us from sin and lead us in a path to righteousness and holiness! One day, we shall be complete in glory with HIM! Isn’t that the most beautiful thing EVER!

Media Egoism

While egoism has its faults (it’s quite outrageous in many ways!), it’s applicability is a huge support.  Our society gives into our megalomaniac tendencies in so many ways, especially through the media and social networking.

A few years ago, when I first started using Facebook, I definitely began thinking about myself more. I even began to think in “status” mode. Every time I did something, my brain would focus on it as an act by ME. Especially when Facebook statuses could only be Your Name is____.

While I still use Twitter, Facebook, and blog, I realize how they tend to push me to focus more on myself rather than others. Who cares whether I mowed the lawn, think a certain child pop star needs help, or the fact that my history final is going to kill me! Yet, I still put such random self centered statements up for the world to comment on. Companies and organization understand that we have egoistic tendencies and take advantage of them to make money (thus acting in egoism themselves). Even the government takes part by not taxing money we give to charity. The society we live in today makes egoism seem more applicable than ever!

Yet, we must strive to not give in! And  as Christians, we can. By the power of His Spirit, we can focus on God first, others second, and ourselves third.

We must be  the thr33. Let’s do it!

Give It Up

Today at cell group, Jose talked about Peter, the miracle of the many fish, throwing the net over to the other side…I really enjoyed the study. It sure got my brain thinking…here are some notes:

Entrega total…Giving it all up

…he had already given up a lot…it was late, he’d given his time, strength, work. And for nothing, there were no fish. Still, Christ asked him to give more, he asked what seemed ridiculous. Yet, what seemed an obedience to an odd command, was humility, giving it all up before Christ. A sign of the Lordship of the Master fisherman over him.

The other side…a simple act. Plain, yet powerful.

I ask myself, have I given all…yet still lack the humility to show that I am truly His, truly Yours, Lord? I pray You show me where I can show your Lordship in my life, to show You are He that rules and reigns in my life. Where can I give more? What more do You ask of me? What to I need to leave behind, what is not of Your desire?

What do I need to give up? Lord, guide me, please? Show me what You ask…

Joy vs. Happiness

So, today I feel happy. My mama is coming home from her trip! This feeling of positive goodness is definitely circumstantial. When mama left 10 days ago, I did not feel happy, but I could feel joy.

Joy is not dependent on one’s circumstances, while happiness is.

I felt joy because my dear overworked mother would get a wonderful break from it all and get to spend time doing something she loved (genealogy). I was not happy that I would not get to see her for a whole long ten days.

So many times, I have chosen happiness over joy. Not only am I given a rollercoaster of a ride, but I end up feeling dry and empty when circumstances change.

Even so, I am prone to finding myself depressed when my circumstances are amazing.

I have all I need. A family that loves me, an amazing boyfriend and his family who love me, a chance to get an education, a past where God has always provided, and most of all a saving relationship with Christ! So why, why do I get depressed at times? Why is my “happy-ness” level on Zero?

I believe it’s because my focus is on myself and not on Christ. I want to “feel” good. I, me, and myself.

Joy looks at what Christ has given me, who He is, and praises Him in Sunshine or Storm. Joy moves on. How I wish I chose joy every time over happiness!

Will you choose joy? It’s so much more longlasting…

Little Mother

It’s been four days that I’ve been little mother. I miss my mama lots and am getting a refreshed  perspective on all that she does. I’ve always been aware of the vast amount of what my mother does for us. She’s been an amazing mom and has given up a lot for us. She’s been a great teacher for 20 plus years and has taught me to do whatever I do well.

Yet, it’s funny how a good dose of housework and some cooking can assure you that there’s no need to hurry into getting a place of your own. All in God’s timing…*smile.

Summertime

There is so much time to use! I’ve got two online classes, an online job, and vbs this summer. But that is it. Aside from housework and volunteering randomly at church.

Oh yes, and helping out with the youth. I’m excited about that. Hopefully, it works out….

Sharing. There is so much that the younger generation has to share with the older. At least in the ways of technology.

But what about the past? What about the experience the older generation has to share with the Younger ones. Will they listen? If they do not, the second law of thermodynamics will take effect in a much greater way.

What do you have to share?

No More Mister Nice Guy

Today, I began reading “Smart Women, Foolish Choices,” by Connell Cowan and Melvyn Kinder- some book I picked up in the back of the library for a quarter. I’m skimming it- since half of it is 80’s psychology I already know. Lol…But the part I bookmarked caught my eye. It was what I was looking for.

“This masked “nice guy” is truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is often to hard to detect at first, as he is quite skillfull at maintaining his guise. But if one looks closely he can easily be identified by three basic traits. First, this nice guy never really gets angry- at least not at first. Secondly, he is wonderfully sensitive and understanding, again for a time. And third, he is highly motivated to be supportive and helpful, provided the woman expresses early and often, her gratitude and appreciation, and also spends all her free time with him.

…So compelling is his need for women that he identifies with their struggles in order to confirm his sensitivity and secure their trust. Watch out!! This same “nice guy” can be counted on to subtly sabotage the woman as soon as he senses she is becoming too strong and independent….

Home Sweet Home

So, it happened again.

Each time I come home for a visit or break from school I do it. I am used to living the life of a single adult with no responsibilities. I come home ready to relax and tell Mum how to discipline the kids.  Then the ever-occurring argument ensues.

Moving home can be amazing; it can be trying, too.

As college students, we are used to running the show. Setting our own bedtimes, even eating times. Then we come back home, and everything is already in it’s own grove. We have to mold. And we don’t like it.

Come to think of it, home is a much better prep for the real world than college is. For example, it teaches you to be part of a team. Dishes, housework, cleaning, and sharing the tv are all things which not only will help one when married or sharing apartments with others, but also in the workplace.

College is such a false reality, especially dorm and cafeteria life. Someone washes your dishes, someone makes your food, someone even pays a lot of your bills at times. It’s a prolonged “highschool”. Oooh, I have a bunch I could say about that but, I’ll wait ’til laters.

Boiling the Frog

It’s something you’ve heard since you were a kid.

Bad company corrupts good morals. Don’t let your friends influence you for the worse.Yeah, it’s what mother’s been telling you since you heard Johnny in the sandbox say a four-letter expletive.  And you know she’s right.  Even more, you agree. You’ve seen it happen before and you try to stay away from those druggies and women of bad repute. Try to.

But then there are those other friends. The ones who aren’t selling drugs or swearing every five minutes. They are believers and profess to follow the Lord. They talk the talk. They lift their hands in worship. You even find yourself admiring them.  But then…well, there is that other side of their lives.

• They watch movies filled with swearing, but then they post those Hillsong praise music videos.
• Their conversation can get crass, but then they praise the Lord for providing for their college tuition.
• They worry about getting married, but then they “know” the Lord will provide for that missions trip to Mexico.
• They cuss out the security guard for booting their car, yet give testimony of the Lord’s goodness in front of the congregation.

Does the godly act justify the ungodly act? Do you praise the Lord with the same mouth you damn mankind? It just doesn’t make sense. It would seem the whole concept of “being in the world, but not of it” has been taken and used as an excuse to fill one’s life with that which doesn’t glorify the One the claim to serve.  I’m pretty sure Jesus was the best example of being in the world and not of it. He ate with the Pharisees, yet did not participate in their lifestyle of good works as a way to heaven. He ate with the tax collectors and prostitutes yet steered away from living like they did.

“Shall we continue in sin, so that grace abound?, By no means!!” One of the most famous servants of God said those words. And he was right. “Everything is permitted, yet not everything is beneficial.” The same dude, Paul, again.  Just because it’s not a sin specified in the Bible, doesn’t mean it is not bad for you.

Watching R rated movies which are filled with the misuse of the name of the One you claim to serve doesn’t add up.

How can you benefit from watching people have sex? Would you watch the Smiths next door have sex? No, but it’s ok to watch Jolie and Pitt do it.

How can a logical Christian man justify this?  A non Christian man cannot.

One of my friends is dating a non-Christian. He tells her there is no difference between “you and me”. And maybe he is right. Is there a difference between you, a believer, and a man who is not? How can you serve two masters? How can the light abide with the darkness and be at peace? One will surely over take the other.

It reminds me of the frog in water example. Drop a frog in boiling water and he will flee. Drop him in cold water and slowly raise the temperature. He will die before he realizes. If you are thrust into sin, you might flee. But slowly desensitize yourself to that which is not of Christ, and soon your communion with God and sense of morality will be as dead as the frog in the water.

Yeah, so those friends? Maybe they’re better off being just acquaintances.