Tutor

Pain. Hunger. Exhaustion.
We live and walk in a world of tests.
We haven't studied.
We just wing it.
I'm in pain. I'm hungry. I'm exhausted.
You're in pain. You're hungry. You're exhausted.
But I need that A+.
You need that A+.
Why do I feel like I am only at D+ status?
I haven't studied, that's why.
Christ, he is my tutor.
He tells me what I should do.
What I need to do.
It's up to me to listen.
I suppose.
Then maybe, I can past this test.

A Day of Johnny Cash and "Phew" Moments

Today, of all days, I am absolutely exhausted. I don't know if it is from my lack of nutrition or my lack of sleep. But either way, my head is about to hit the keyboard as I am writing this. But on a more positive note, Sunday's and Monday's have recently become my new favorite days. Okay, yes, those are my two busiest days, but hey, I like to be busy. And the best part is watching Pretty Little Liars to wind down Mondays with Rachel, Kirsten and Brittany.

Now, on to my happy list.
But first, a little disclaimer: I forgot my happy journal today, so the list may not be as good as some of the other ones.

Myself: Good job with saying "no" today. Choosing water over coffee is a big step.

Dinner Table: Always much more fun when you have sporadic dance parties after eating.

TV: I don't care if you're an inanimate object, but I love screaming at you anyway, hoping you will at least hear a whisper.

Rain: Again, the sound of your sudden down pour almost put me to sleep.

iPod: Once again, you have gotten me addicted to your new photo app. I love you.

Today's Classes: The continuous references to "Space Jam" made me happy.

Johnny Cash: Rain falling + plus "Ring of Fire" = Smiles.

God: Stress is never a good thing, and today you have blessed me beyond belief. Thanks for that "Phew" moment.

Quote of the Day: "God is a God of little things."

Verse of the Day: Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14

More Recent Happy Moments...

Those weekends when you lay down at night and thing "Why does it have to end?"

The fact that experimental baking/cooking will always be interesting.

That look on a little kids face when a birthday candle is lit, or when they are eating an ice cream cone.

Screaming to your favorite song on the radio.

Watching ducks eat bread like it's Thanksgiving.

Climbing trees like your five years old again.

Who doesn't love a baby's laugh?

Watching two characters fall in love in a movie.

Capturing that perfect candid.

The sound of waterfalls and dogs barking all in one place.

Here's a few in picture form,

Little yellow houses make me smile.

McDonald's makes me laugh when they give
me a grilled chicken salad...with out the salad.

I love random, old rustic farms on the
side of the road.

I love days the days when I wear red Toms.

Black and white movies are the most interesting thing, ever.

Have you ever watched the sunset creep through the
windows and move across the wall?

Accidently baking something good is probably the most
exciting thing to ever happen.

And last but not least, standing beneath the shadows of huge crosses.
Humble is an understatement.

From the words of Kelsey Daisey....

• We search for something that no one can define.
  We cry from disappointment, when we thought our search was over.
  We dream that we’re surrounded in this universal desire.
  We must be on guard, for this desire can be counterfeited.
  We open our identities, not expecting that they will later be stolen away. Even when we get it wrong, we still tell our minds that it was right. Just so we think we found the universal desire.
  But stop looking. You won’t find the real thing on your own.
  You will only find hurt, or maybe a tarnished version.
  We are loved. More then you can imagine. Don’t ask me why. I deserve it the least. For I have found the real Love. The unfailing universal desire. Yet I still take it for granted and throw it to the side. To love someone, is to put them before yourself.
  To love someone, is to please them, no matter what your desire is.
  To love someone, is to die. So that they may live.
  May live. Meaning, you would die, so they could have the choice to live. Meaning, you could die, and they still throw your love away, and die also. This love, is the ultimate love. And it has been given, to all of us who want to take it. It is free to accept, but hard to hold onto.
  Because for some reason, we’re wrapped up in the idea, that love is physical. But one day, the physical life will be over. All physical love, is temporary. It’s up to you.
  Two options.
  Keep searching, and falling for a physical, temporary love.
  Or...stop searching, and see that the work of finding the ultimate love has already been done, and it was done...... all for you.
  
  I will love, because YOUR love, is the greatest love. It is all I need. and I am confident when I say, “I know You love me.” YOUR love is not physical. meaning....it will last forever. forever.....

I'm Trying Something New.

Hello from Carrier Library.

I have had a journal with me every where I go for the past few days.
And every time something that happens that makes me smile, laugh, or just plain happy, I write it down. So I thought I would share some of these things. Maybe they will make you smile a little bit too. So, to those things that have made me happy lately:

Little Girl: Your mom bought you a huge pink bouncy ball at Walmart. I don't think I have ever seen a bigger smile.

Myself: When buying tissue paper, make sure it is not a table cloth in disguise.

The Berry Patch: You guys really know how to cook. Turkey (marinated in lime juice and cinnamon) Quesadilla's?! The epitome of "don't judge a book by it's cover."

My Lovely Hallmate: Thanks for teaching me how to say dumb cow in German... Dumme Kuh.

Muffins with a Broccoli Stalk Inside: You two are not made to be a couple. But thanks for the laughs.

Random Bike: You do not belong in the branches of a tree.

Rain: The way you sound hitting the windows is extremely relaxing. And I am fascinated by how you make little rivers on the sidewalk.

Umbrellas and Rainboots: You can make the most dreary days surprisingly colorful.

Elderly Couple in the Parking Lot: When you hold hands, I smile.

Quote of the Day: The kitchens in residence halls are kind of sketch. And by "kind of", I mean "very."


I like small happy things.

It's the small things in life,

that will make you happy.

Like experimenting with flavors at Starbucks, and realizing you just created a delicious combination.

Or watching the rain drops hit the window.

Waiting Patiently

I'm sitting in hallway at the moment, waiting for my class to start, which will be in about 10 minutes or so. But, my mind is not on the homework that I forgot to do, but it's on the tiny little picture of the beach on my phone. As a means to cure my summer depression, I set it as my phone wallpaper. But now, it is just making me even more homesick. I love little moments like this. But no worries, I go home for spring break in a week, and I most definitely will fill my beach craving. I don't care how cold it is. Oh, how I love my Fenwick Island.

In A Good Mood Tonight,

Mass amounts of coffee and exercise tend to make me a little goofy. So, I am in the mood for laughs tonight. So, funny pictures?

Who said James Madison was colonial? He's clearly a hippie.

Don't deny it, we all look ridiculous.

Freshmen Year + Roller Coaster = Very Funny Face by Christine

My dog bit off more than he could chew.

This picture. Get retaken. Every holiday. It's a classic.

The story behind this? A drunk girl in Mexico hitting on my 12-year-old brother.

Strangely enough, we were arguing when this was taken.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 14

This one will be short, only because I feel that this chapter is very similar to the last few.

But there is one verse I would like to point out.

Verse 13 says, "Even in laughter, the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief."

Mind blowing. Well, to me at least. Everyone knows that life is a roller coaster, people who seem happy may have horrible struggles going on behind the scenes. While people who are going through a hard time may come to find that the obstacles they are facing actually have done them some good. We all know these concepts, but it just amazed me that it was written down. In black and white. It's amazing what lessons the Bible teaches us, even if it takes us years to find them.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 13

"Evil pursues sinners..." (Verse 21)

Hmm, isn't that a scary thought? Evil will try and find us if we sin?! Yes. Evil will creep on us the more we sin, because the more we sin, the more desensitized we become sin. It becomes easier for evil to swallow us.

I also LOVE how the end of this chapter brings up the idea of eating and the stomach. The stomach, in these verses, represent that natural appetite of human beings. That is food, safety, sexual desires, or any other type of natural want. But, as these verses explain, a wise man does not let his natural desires control him. He is more interested in feeding the desires of his soul (his relationship with Christ and salvation) than his natural desires.

Interesting reading, I must say.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 12

Two verses really struck me in this chapter.

The first is verse two: "Whoever loves instruction, loves knowledge. But he who hates correction is stupid." Immediately after that reading verse, I immediately thought of a saying that is common among my church. More than once I have heard, "You can love a person to Hell." It means that we are called to love everyone, but you have to be careful not to be TOO careful or else you are just hurting them. Tough love is needed sometimes. Correction is needed.

The second verse that hit me was verse nineteen: "The truthful lips shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." That is the way it should be, but think of how is on Earth. If someone is truthful, they are considered so until the moment the lie, and then on out, they are always considered a "liar." Our world has a tendency to hold grudges like that.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 11

To be wicked or to be righteous? That is the question. Or, at least, that is the question that I found most evident in chapter 11. The entire chapter goes a bit like this, "The wicked man does _____ so _____ happens, and the righteous does _____ so ______ happens." Hopefully my readers digest version makes a little sense.

When reading this chapter, I imagine a balance. One side wicked, the other side righteousness. Of course, we always want the righteous to weigh more than the wicked, but things keep getting added to this balance. Its all about adding and taking away items to keep it that way. Getting rid of the wicked, and adding to the righteous.

The one verse that really hit me in this chapter was verse 2: "When pride comes, then comes shame. But with the humble is wisdom." I know it's not just me, but I have a really hard time keeping myself humble. But, as Proverbs tells us, pride does not do us any good. Only shame will come from it.

Dear Past,

I've been thinking about you a lot recently. I'm king of addicted when it comes going through my old picture albums. Whether the memories are normal, cliche or insignificant....

Or whether they are completely strange and random.

I can't stop thinking about you.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 10

This chapter contains many proverbs from Solomon. It almost reminds me of a list of proverbs, rather than a flowing chapter like all of the ones previous. I would encourage anyone and everyone, regardless if you are doing the Proverbs Projects, to read this chapter and look at each proverb that Solomon writes. Chances are, you will find a few that are currently applicable to your life.

Here are some verses that struck me and apply to some currents aspects of my life:

“Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.” (Verse 12) - I have been internally dealing with some past issues and events lately. I have harbored up all of this guilt and hatred towards these people from my past, but this verse just reminded me that hate will get me no where. Hatred will only make things worse. It may be hard to forget facts  of the past, but what is not hard to forget is the feeling I had during those moments. I need to love those people from my past, not maintain a past, over-due anger.

“He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.” (Verse 17) - I have had a hard time lately admitting I am wrong. But, it just goes to show, that I am not always right (obviously!) and that I need to be open to instruction.

“To do evil is like a sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom.” (Verse 23) - I don’t find sport in evil! But I have witnessed this love of sin so much recently. People of the world find so much entertainment in committing sin, regardless of its consequences.

That’s all I got for this chapter folks! I mean, this chapter is pretty cut and dry, black and white.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 9

My absolute favorite part of this chapter is verse 13. It actually made me laugh out loud. Let me elaborate…

Verse 13 states, “A foolish women is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing.”

Let me put that in terms people today would understand, “Girl, you are obnoxious, conceded and stupid.”

That is just so funny to me. I can imagine a modern-day Solomon saying this to a foolish girl, and then the whole room going silent, with the occasional “Ooohhhhh” or “Oh snap.” Maybe even some nervous giggles.

If you don’t want to be this foolish girl that Solomon so bluntly describes, just follow verse 10.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” So, to avoid being that obnoxious, cocky, and stupid girl, seek and love God with all your heart.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 8

Wisdom is speaking directly to us now. Instead of Solomon telling us what Wisdom is or what Wisdom can do, he writes as Wisdom. He lets Wisdom have a say in all of this. Because “Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?” (Verse 1)

Wisdom’s “declaration” in chapter 8 seems to hit two main points. One: What I have done. And two: What I can do for you.

In regards to number one, what I have done, verses 22 through 31 explains this. She states that she has been in existence since the creation (22-27). And not only has she been with us since the beginning, she has rejoiced for God since the beginning (30-31). I would like to point out how cocky we, as humans, would be if we have lived to see all days of the Earth. But instead of putting herself on a pedestal, Wisdom is humble and rejoices in God. Wisdom IS humility.

Next, point number two: What I can do for you. Wisdom points out in verses 10-11, that she will give you knowledge and instruction for your life. And later in the chapter, she says that you will blessed if you harbor wisdom (Verses 32-34).

I love this chapter. It is probably one of my favorites so far, only because Solomon gave wisdom life and gave her a voice. It is extremely empowering to read.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 7

In verse 3, Solomon writes that wisdom is our sister, our closest kin.

A sister is a best friend, a side-kick, a role model, an ear to listen, a should to cry on, a light of guidance, and a loving heart. Thinking of wisdom as my sister, in all reality, amazes me. I think of my little sister when I read that verse. She eleven years younger than me, but I still look up to her. Her innocent way of life makes me look at life differently, and through they eyes of someone who doesn’t let anything ruin her day.

Wisdom is my sister too. Wisdom is there to guide me and lead me. I don’t have a biological older sister, but I have a spiritual one. She is always there ready and willing to give me advice. She even has the power to silence the little devil on my should trying to tempt me, and she knows my weaknesses.

In contrast to Wisdom, is the Seductress that Solomon writes about. She is temptation. She is sin. She is evil. This harlot, this prostitute if you will, is “lurking on every street corner” (Verse 12), and she is “loud and rebellious” (Verse 11), even though we are called to be “quick to listen and slow to speak” (James 1:19).

This sinful Seductress will make everything seem so glamorous and fulfilling. “I have spread my bed with tapestry, colored coverings of Egyptian linen. I have perfumed my bed, with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.” Sinful temptations will make a situation look so enticing, and so intriguing. We all know that feeling of internal battle. Is this right or wrong? Will it be worth it? Is it really that bad?

We already know the answer. Solomon writes that Wisdom, if you so desire and ask for it, will teach to open your ears and avoid her astray paths. The Seductress’ words will be “enticing” and “flattering.”

But listen to Solomon. Listen to Wisdom. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Listen to Christ. Listen to God.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 6

Solomon writes, in verse 16, “These Six Things” and “Seven are..”

It’s a list. How often do you find a simplistic list of anything in the Bible? (Other than the Ten Commandments). Not often.

Let’s look at the 7 Things listed her a bit more closely. (Now I  feel like I am quoting a Miley Cyrus song.)

One: A proud look. Christianity is a based off of humility. Have you ever liked some who’s head was too big for their own good? You know the type. No, you don’t like them! At least I would hope not. God doesn’t like that either.

Two: A lying tongue. Again, have you ever been please when some one lied to you? Do you love watching someone being lied too? Has deception ever had a pleasant outcome?

Three: Hands that Shed Innocent Blood. Of course this refers to murder. Blood is life. Humans live a life. Humans were made out of the image of God. Murder, whether literal or not, is a blasphemy.

Four: A heart that devises wicked plans. Wickedness is not a virtue that is exactly looked up to. So lets try to stay away from any type of mischievousness all together, shall we? I am not saying its a sin to play a prank, but let’s be aware of our limits.

Five: Feet that are swift in running to evil. We are humans, and we make mistakes. God knows and understands that because he gave us freewill. So along with the freewill, he gives us grace. So its okay to make mistakes, but lets not continue running into the same sin over and over again. Learning from mistakes is key.

Six: A false witness who speaks lies. This is different than lying. This, I feel, is talking about false doctrine. Let’s make sure we know exactly what we are talking about when we talk about the Bible. The Bible is not up for interpretation, so let’s make sure we get it right and prevent leading others down the wrong path.

Seven: One who sows discord among brethern. Six words for you: Silence the violence, increase the peace.

By the way, I used the New King James Version in case any one was wondering.

Love and peace,

God Bless.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 5

The Christian walk is like a sports event in many ways. You are the player, and you much listen to the coach. You must do what the coach says because you know he knows best and he knows the playbook. Sometimes, you might not know the purpose of your coaches instruction, but you know should follow them anyway. You have a team playing with you-they have your back no matter what position you play. You practice at least once week with this team, or maybe even in solitude, but the real test of your skills is putting them into action the game. There is a team playing against you-ready and willing to push you out of the way to get the ball. There is a playing field, and its either your home, the field that you know very well. Or it’s away, a field that is completely new to you. And you have spectators, who judge you based on your moves. If you screw up, they blame you for losing the entire game. But if you make a great play, there excitement lasts only until another person makes a great play. These spectators love the game, but they don’t know how to play it. But they think they know how to play it, so they scream and yell from the sidelines, telling players what to do and giving advice. These spectators are so loud! You focus on making them happy, you focus on their screams, letting their excitement fuel your determination.

But what about the coach? We always seem to forget the coach. It’s only when he screams our name at the top of his lungs that we remember he is watching the game too.

God is that coach. He knows best. He knows the playbook. But sometimes we get so focused on the crowd of spectators, we lose focus of him. It’s easy to think that a good game is one that wins and pleases the crowd. But it’s not. A good game is one where you work hard, showing your coach just how hard you are willing to play.

In Proverbs 5:21, it says, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord. And He ponders all his paths.”

I love that verse. For the ways of man ARE before the Lord. We cannot forget he is watching us.

The rest of the chapter goes on to explain that if we lose our ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, Godly from wordly, we will only be hurting ourselves. We will only be caught up in our own sin, our own mistakes in the game, and we will lose.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 4

Let me tell you a story, that I am sure all of you have experienced at one time or another. I got home late from work one night, tired and dirty, since I work a restaurant, and all I wanted to do was just lay in my bed. I share a room with my, at the time, seven-year old sister, so she of course had been asleep for hours. Trying to avoid waking her up, I slowly crack open the door, blocking any possible entry for the hallway light. The room is completely dark.I take my shoes off, take off my socks, start tip-toeing to my bed and then BAM! Face plant. I hit the floor, shaking the bed side table, knowing the lamp over on the floor, hitting some random toy that start lighting up and singing songs. No surprise what happens next. My little sister wakes up and I have my dad yelling from the living room, “ARE YOU OKAY?!”

The verses that really struck me really hard in chapter 4 were verses 18 and 19.

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun. That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.”

I immediately thought of that night when I read those words. And I know everyone has experienced something along those lines as well. What amazed me the most was “they do not know what makes them stumble.” I have no idea what I tripped on that night, but it didn’t make the fall any less painful or loud.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 3

(New King James Version) Proverbs chapter 3 includes one of the most well-known and most recited sections of verses I know.

Verses 5-7: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all you ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil”

If anybody is confused as to what the definition of wisdom is and what exactly the idea of wisdom is, it is all said in these verses. In black and white.

I find it amazing how Solomon writes Proverbs with such trust in God. There is no doubts of his power and now worries about life because of God’s grace.

Especially in Chapter 3, it really shows us what a true Christian’s faith should look like.

Complete, 100%, all-trusting faith.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 2

Being tempted is always a problem in the walk of any Christian. And temptations vary per person, but it is amazing how skilled Satan is at finding that one thing that will break us down, and constantly hit us with it. It’s like a beating drum, it may be quiet sometimes, but there is a constant hit and constant noise. It’s overwhelming. And everyone knows that feeling of helplessness. That feeling of, “I don’t know how to fight back. What do I do?! God help me!”

I love how chapter two gives us the image of God as a shield in verse seven. It is so true. Shields will no protect us if we leave them on the ground or if we decide we don’t need the shield. They shield never loses it’s ability to protect you, but the key to utilizing it’s ability of protection is picking it up. Picking it up and holding it tight. God is the same way. God will always be able to help and protect you, but he is not going to do us any justice if we turn from him.

As I continued reading, the value of wisdom was truly revealed to me. You need to be wise to survive. In verse 14, it says if you do not ask and work towards discretion and understanding, loving evil is not that far off. And I don’t know about you, but I never want to reach a place where I “rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perversity of the wicked.” Being told that doing something sinful is fun is just Satan beating on that drum again, but even harder and harder every time.

But as Proverbs says, if we want to be wise and protect ourselves, we just need to pick up the shield that is Jesus Christ.

Proverbs Project: Chapter 1

Proverbs 1:7, 23 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” & “…Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.”

It is amazing to me how relevant the Bible is to every, single aspect of your life. We are taught from elementary school that learning is good, right? Learn a lot, be successful. But if knowledge is good, and we want knowledge, what really we need to do is just listen to God. Open our ears and hear his instruction! Of course, knowledge includes an extremely wide range of subject matter, and Proverbs mostly refers to wisdom, but think about it…God will help us with all of it if we truly devote our lives to Him.

Proverbs 1:15-16 “My son, do not walk in the path with them, Keep your foot from their path; For their feet run evil, And they make haste to shed blood.”

You when you were little your parents always referred to these apparent “bridge-jumping” friends? The infamous, “Well if you’re friends were to jump off a bridge, would you?” Well, this is God’s interpretation of that statement. Except He is pretty much just skipping the rhetorical question and jumping right to, “You are just plain stupid if you do this.” I mean, it’s written in black and white. “Keep your foot from their parth; for their feet run evil.” I’m not sure how much more clear that can get.

Proverbs 1:24 “Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded.” & 1:33 “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, with out fear of evil.”

In times of stress, worry, fear, or hurt, all we really have to do is grab the hand that has been reaching out us the entire time. I don’t know about you, but feeling safe is a great feeling. And it is an even better feeling knowing God is the one that is keeping you safe.

So, what exactly do all these verses have in common? Well, I have personally been struggling since I first set foot on this campus. No one will disagree that freshmen year is overwhelming a lot of the time. It’s about finding yourself and figuring out how you want to conduct you life, especially since you finally get to live your life on your own. Reading this chapter was eye-opening simply because it lies out the type of life you should live in a nutshell. Ask God for knowledge and don’t refute it. Don’t give in to the lives and pressure from others. And lean on God for everything and take his out stretched hand.

Well, I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a more simple explanation. Thanks Father.

Polysoulmatism.

You know how you haven’t talked to anyone in years, or even better, you talk to someone you have never met before, and you have a conversation like you have known each other your entire lives?

You may spend your entire life looking for your true love, but there are multiple soul mates out there for you. Whether it is in the form of a friend, a family member or a complete stranger.

Compatibility isn’t limited to romantic relationships. It applies to friendships too.

Having a friend that you find a soul mate in is almost as fulfulling as finding your true love.

But that’s just my opinion.

Lukewarm

I have been really captivated and intrigued by the idea of a “lukewarm” Christian lately. I have been questioning myself, my faith, and my walk trying to decide what my weaknesses were. Knowing that God would spit me out of his mouth if I was lukewarm (Revelation 3:16), scares me to death, as I am sure it does most people.

But thinking about it, I wonder if this statement is an oxymoron. Is there even any room for a lukewarm Christian? Scripture “leaves room” for Christians making mistakes, and Christians needing conviction, and so on and so fourth. But the reality is, you either live your life for Christ, or not. So where do these “lukewarm” people come in? In regards to your walk with God they really don’t. If you are lukewarm, God is just as repulsed by your sin as he is with nonbelievers. I am not saying its wrong to make mistakes, because we are human. We are going to make mistakes no matter what. What I am saying is, if you are lukewarm, you make a mistake, and don’t seek to change it. Making you just as cold as nonbelievers.

This idea comes from a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. And although I have not read the book, I have read parts and seen a few videos. A few months ago, someone from my sorority handed us an outline of the scripture given in the book about lukewarm Christians. I didn’t pay much mind to it until recently and it holds a lot of truth.

So I felt the need to share it with you guys:

Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go. (Isaiah 29:13)

Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church…as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra, it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right? (1 Chronicles 21:24, Like 21:1-4)

Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right in times of conflict. They desire to fit in both inside and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions than what God thinks of their hearts and lives. (Luke 6:26, Revelation 3:1, Matthew 23:5-7)

Lukewarm people don’t want to be saved from their sin, they want to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They are only sorry because they know God will punish them, not because they are truly sorry. They don’t believe that this new life with Jesus will be better than the old sinful one.(John 10:10, Romans 6:1-2)

Lukewarm people are moved by stories of people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expects of all of his followers. (James 1;22, James 4:17, Matthew 21:28-31)

Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors. They do not want to be rejected nor do they want to make people uncomfortable. (Matthew 10:32-33)

Lukewarm people gauge their morality of goodness by comparing themselves to the secular world. They are satisfied, because they don’t see themselves nearly as horrible as the guy down the street. So they must be okay. (Luke 18:11-12)

Lukewarm people love God, but do not love them with all they have…..heart, soul, and strength. They are quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of devotion isn’t possible for the “average” person. (Matthew 22:37-38)

Lukewarm people love others, but do not love others as much as they love themselves. Their love for other typically depends on who loves them in return. Their love comes with strings attached. (Matthew 5:43-47, Luke 12:12-14)

Lukewarm people serve God and others, but their are limits as to how far they are willing to go. (Luke 18:21-25)

Lukewarm people think more about life on Earth than eternity in Heaven. Daily life is focused on the day’s to-do list. They rarely consider the life still to come. (Colassians 3:2)

Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, but rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point out that “Jesus never said money is the root of all money, he only said that the LOVE of money is.” Numbers of lukewarm people feel “called” to minister to the rich, and not the poor. (Matthew 25:34, 40. Isaiah 58:6-7)

Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves form feeling to guilty. They do the base minimum, to do what is “good enough”, without requiring too much of them. (1 Chronicles 29:14, Matthew 13:44-46)

Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaved to the God of control. They are scared to sacrifice and take risks for God. (1 Timothy 6:17-18, Matthew 10:28)

Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a confession of faith at age 12, got baptized, came from a Christian family, vote republican, or live in America. (Matthew 7:21, Amos 6:1)

Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens, they have their savings account. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they stopped believing in God. (Luke 12:16-21, Hebrews 11).

Lukewarm people probably drink or swear less than average, but besides that they really aren’t that different from a typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong.

So that is the scriptures and such. I know I have been convicted reading some of them. I don’t take credit for this by any means, I just know it has helped me, so I passed the message on!

Soooo….. are you BURNING HOT, LUKEWARM, or ICE COLD?

I Love Finding Old Essays from English Class

The prompt: Define a klutz.

          ” I am physically in capable of walking in a straight line. Nor do I have the ability to walk the halls of school without tripping on air. I blame myself and only myself for my lack of gracefulness since my mother always calls me out on my accident-prone lifestyle. She tries to help, but it is a lost cause. So now as a result I will always be called a klutz.

            The most pathetic part of my existence it the fact that I have crossed the line between clumsiness and klutz. Almost everyone on the planet is clumsy. Every person has some horror story of losing their balance while walking on the side walk or running into the wall while looking talking to someone behind them. But I am the extreme. Klutzes have an excessive amount of these experiences, and not only do they continually occur they are much more dramatic.

            Admit it, you have tripped on the stairs before. Going either up or down a floor, you misjudge the distance between the stair you are on and the next one causing a two second panic attack. You quickly grab the railing and all is good. But when I trip on the stairs, you can believe it is much more than losing my footing. To add to being a klutz, I have an amazing lack of reflex skills. So I don’t realize my body is hurling toward the ground until my face is several inches from the ground. I then try to stretch during those imperative few seconds between flight and impact. My arm then becomes crushed under the weight of my body causing pain to shoot up my wrists. And considering arms are not very good landing pads, I fling sideways into the wall and crush the glasses that sit on my face. True story.

            Klutzes are the people you feel sorry for. So, I don’t mind if you feel sorry for me, because I feel sorry for myself. My scars are not from some heroic experience but from my own stupidity. Just don’t feel sorry for people who clumsy because, to be honest, they have it easy. They get bruises, I get lacerations.

            Klutzes have two left-feet. They unwillingly have to watch their feet while they walk to be sure a random cloud of dust won’t suddenly interfere with their balance. And God-for-bid they try walk on an escalator because that is just a recipe for distaster.

            I am the epitome of a klutz. It’s sad I know. But at least I entertain the evil humor of everyone who watches my careless disasters.

Look what I found!

This was one of my college application essays. I just rediscovered it on my jump drive. I love it. Oh, and by the way, the topic was about your personal level of intelligence and your achievements or something along those lines. So, no worries, I wasn’t trying to be conceded and call myself really intelligent.

“Intelligent? How could you call me intelligent? Honestly, I am offended. I don’t take credit for any of my achievements. Sure, I’ve won several first-place awards, and yes, I was class president at one point in time. But I caused none of that. I take credit for nothing because I am a procrastinator. I am clumsy. And I am shy.

I give the credit to my younger brothers, for showing me how to live life with genuine innocence.

I give the credit to those “popular” kids in my high school, who made me strive to be something I wasn’t.

I give the credit to the family I lost in my father’s divorce, for helping me realize that losing a cell phone is actually not that painful.

I give them the credit.

I grant all the glory to my cousin who dropped out of high school for showing me just how terrifying the “real world” is.

I grant all the glory to my best friend who taught me how to act like a fool in the most public of places.

I grant all the glory to that one teacher I hated my freshman year for making me work harder than I have ever worked before.

I grant them all the glory.

I thank my mother for being the optimistic backbone in my family.

I thank my father for giving what he could even when he had nothing to give.

But most of all, I thank my grandfather, who’s fatal illness inspired me to think about more than what I was going to wear to school the next day.

And here you were thinking I was intelligent. You thought I did everything myself. You, evidently, were wrong.”