I have put off writing this week on my blog because I haven't been inspired. So, I was going to share a song I wrote back in college....when I often found myself being inspired....when I shouldn't have been.....in class! LOL, oh well. Then I realized I left my guitar notebook at church and wouldn't be back there again until Sunday, so maybe next week I'll share one I've written.
Today however, I finally have something worth sharing I hope. I am truly blessed to work in a Christian atmosphere to where usually everyday we will have a devotion/prayer time before we open the store. (For those of you who don't remember, I work at LifeWay Christian Bookstore on the campus of Union University) Each year we will pick out a devotional book from the sales floor to read from. This year we are reading from Steve Gaines' devotional book called Morning Manna.
Today's verse was Matthew 18:6, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."
Wow. I mean, WOW! That is some intense stuff right there. We often don't realize what we do affects other people. One thing I have learned in dating Shaun and more specifically in dating a minister in the church is how in control you have to be of yourself. Self-control is a fruit of the spirit and it is crucial when you are in the lime light, so to speak. Growing up, I never had to be conscious of what I said and did because there weren't people in the church looking up to me and my actions. And now, I have to be overly intentional about everything I say and do. Well, what I didn't realize is that, even though they may not have been looking up to me in church, they were looking up to me everywhere else. At school, at work, at the grocery store....there are people watching my actions and making judgements based on that. People who know I am a Christian can very easily (and probably do) think that "oh, if Beth can do this and she is a Christian, then I can do that and it shouldn't be bad!"
Friends, you and I both have to be very aware of our actions so we won't be a stumbling block to our friends, aquaintances and the strangers around us! Because Jesus said it would be better for us to drown with a heavy necklace around our necks than to be stumbling blocks! Yikes!
Last food for thought. Let me challenge you in this....whether you are convicted about something you do or not....IF you do that something without personal conviction...think about how it might affect others...or cause them to stumble.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Floating By
This past weekend I got off work and went with some friends to float down a river in an inner tube. It was so much fun! Now, the sunburn that I have now isn't that fun, but oh well. There were about 9 of us that went. We had a girls car and a guys car. It was interesting! On the way there and back was great conversation! I'll talk about that more later!
We got there fearful of the weather because it had rained earlier that morning and was cloudy the whole trip. By the time we got out of the van from a very fast and curvy ride to the river spot, the clouds were separating an the sun was out! It ended up being a very nice, hot day! The cold water is just what the doctor ordered for the sunny day! So relaxing! No cell phones, no computers, no tv's, just us, floating down a river and enjoying life. It was great!
On the way back (we were in Missouri) we stopped by Lambert's! Home of the throwed rolls! So, we stuffed ourselves and brought home most of the food for lunch the next day! What? With all the "pass-arounds" we didn't have room in our tummies for the actual meal!!
On the way home we had another round of great conversation, which is the point of this blog today. To share what we discussed.
Being on fire for God is such a great feeling. Being overwhelmed with the holy spirit to where you can't contain your excitement is where it's at! I wish I was at the point 24/7!! What we talked about is How do we motivate others to do the right thing when the wrong thing feels so good?
Youth Ministry is HARD!!!!! I never knew until the past year or so! MOST, not all, teens today (and I'm referring to christian teens) love sex. They love drinking. They love drugs. Mostly? They love feeling accepted and wanted. If they don't, they want to kill themselves. They feel if they don't do all that stuff, then they are missing out on something, or they will disappoint someone. Disappoint a friend who wanted to get high with them, disappoint a significant other who wanted to experience the "act of love" with them. I could go on.
For me, it's a choice to not do those things because it's wrong. God commands us to live a holy life. Am I perfect? Heck no. Do I mess up? Of course. But how do you motivate others to do the right thing when they have 50 others telling them the wrong thing isn't that bad or isn't that wrong?
It's hard, but God understands. He's there to direct you on how to help others. Caring is the first way you can help. From there, God will turn you in the directions you need to go to make the difference He wants you to make. Be submissive. Be the example. Be Christ-like.
We got there fearful of the weather because it had rained earlier that morning and was cloudy the whole trip. By the time we got out of the van from a very fast and curvy ride to the river spot, the clouds were separating an the sun was out! It ended up being a very nice, hot day! The cold water is just what the doctor ordered for the sunny day! So relaxing! No cell phones, no computers, no tv's, just us, floating down a river and enjoying life. It was great!
On the way back (we were in Missouri) we stopped by Lambert's! Home of the throwed rolls! So, we stuffed ourselves and brought home most of the food for lunch the next day! What? With all the "pass-arounds" we didn't have room in our tummies for the actual meal!!
On the way home we had another round of great conversation, which is the point of this blog today. To share what we discussed.
Being on fire for God is such a great feeling. Being overwhelmed with the holy spirit to where you can't contain your excitement is where it's at! I wish I was at the point 24/7!! What we talked about is How do we motivate others to do the right thing when the wrong thing feels so good?
Youth Ministry is HARD!!!!! I never knew until the past year or so! MOST, not all, teens today (and I'm referring to christian teens) love sex. They love drinking. They love drugs. Mostly? They love feeling accepted and wanted. If they don't, they want to kill themselves. They feel if they don't do all that stuff, then they are missing out on something, or they will disappoint someone. Disappoint a friend who wanted to get high with them, disappoint a significant other who wanted to experience the "act of love" with them. I could go on.
For me, it's a choice to not do those things because it's wrong. God commands us to live a holy life. Am I perfect? Heck no. Do I mess up? Of course. But how do you motivate others to do the right thing when they have 50 others telling them the wrong thing isn't that bad or isn't that wrong?
It's hard, but God understands. He's there to direct you on how to help others. Caring is the first way you can help. From there, God will turn you in the directions you need to go to make the difference He wants you to make. Be submissive. Be the example. Be Christ-like.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Book Review: Heaven is for Real
I haven't ever been much of a reader until I hit college. Then I found that with the right book I actually really enjoy reading. Then 3 years ago when I started working at LifeWay I found there are a lot of books out there that I would love to read. Problem is finding the time to read them. Arg. So, the weekend is when I find the most time to read....so that's when I'll read...if I get the chance to read then.
http://www.lifeway.com/Product/heaven-is-for-real-P005323045
The last book I just read was Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. Once I got into it a few chapters I couldn't put it down! I read the last 3/4ths of the book in one afternoon! This is a book he wrote based on an experience his son had, going to heaven when he was only 3 years old (he's only like 11-12ish now) when he was having emergency appendicitis surgery. Over the course of the next 2-3 years after the experience, Todd's son would tell him things that he saw while in heaven. Many of these things are confirmed in the bible and things that a 3 year old would have no clue about normally. Things that the book of Revelation discuss even! And a 3 year old knew about it!
It was crazy cool all the things he would describe about what he saw. He saw God. He saw Jesus and he saw the Holy Spirit?!! He met his unborn sister that he didn't know existed. (His mom had a miscarriage and never told him because he was so young...he wouldn't understand, and she miscarried before they even knew it was a girl!) He met his great grandfather that he never met and who his great grandmother had worried the past 30ish years wondering if he was in heaven or not.
So many crazy things!! It is so hard for me to believe he actually experienced all of this, but at the same time there is NO WAY a 3 year old would know all of the things he knew and answer all the questions he answered...and without batting a lash when answering!
Do I recommend this book? YES! If for no other reason, I want to hear your thoughts on the book and if you think you can believe it. I think I do!
God stresses in His word the importance of having a childlike faith. I think for me personally this is a time I need to have that childlike faith and believe this story and that this boy really did experience it!
Heaven really is for real! So is hell. Both are as real as the computer I am typing on. Eternity must be decided. If you don't decide on Earth, then unfortunately it will be decided when you die and you may not like the choice. Eternity is too long to spend in Hell. Christ made a way so we wouldn't have to endure it, but so we could spend it with Him and His dad! (as Colton put it in the book!)
Heaven is for Real. Are you going there?
http://www.lifeway.com/Product/heaven-is-for-real-P005323045
The last book I just read was Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. Once I got into it a few chapters I couldn't put it down! I read the last 3/4ths of the book in one afternoon! This is a book he wrote based on an experience his son had, going to heaven when he was only 3 years old (he's only like 11-12ish now) when he was having emergency appendicitis surgery. Over the course of the next 2-3 years after the experience, Todd's son would tell him things that he saw while in heaven. Many of these things are confirmed in the bible and things that a 3 year old would have no clue about normally. Things that the book of Revelation discuss even! And a 3 year old knew about it!
It was crazy cool all the things he would describe about what he saw. He saw God. He saw Jesus and he saw the Holy Spirit?!! He met his unborn sister that he didn't know existed. (His mom had a miscarriage and never told him because he was so young...he wouldn't understand, and she miscarried before they even knew it was a girl!) He met his great grandfather that he never met and who his great grandmother had worried the past 30ish years wondering if he was in heaven or not.
So many crazy things!! It is so hard for me to believe he actually experienced all of this, but at the same time there is NO WAY a 3 year old would know all of the things he knew and answer all the questions he answered...and without batting a lash when answering!
Do I recommend this book? YES! If for no other reason, I want to hear your thoughts on the book and if you think you can believe it. I think I do!
God stresses in His word the importance of having a childlike faith. I think for me personally this is a time I need to have that childlike faith and believe this story and that this boy really did experience it!
Heaven really is for real! So is hell. Both are as real as the computer I am typing on. Eternity must be decided. If you don't decide on Earth, then unfortunately it will be decided when you die and you may not like the choice. Eternity is too long to spend in Hell. Christ made a way so we wouldn't have to endure it, but so we could spend it with Him and His dad! (as Colton put it in the book!)
Heaven is for Real. Are you going there?
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