If your "religion" (I prefer the term "spirituality" to "religion" because the latter term can carry a nasty stigma unfortunately) is EXCLUSIVE [by that, I mean, excludes people of any kind for any reason] then you are totally missing the boat. Jesus is for all people and God's word cannot be used just to suit your personal fancy. {Revelation 22:17-19} You can't pick and choose from the Bible - it's all or nothing.
If you are going to pick one verse, you have to pick them all. AND, if two verses seem to have conflicting ideas, don't get mad and throw the Book. STUDY, learn WHY and then SHARE with others what God has shown you. {Revelation 22:7}
Then, think, what does it all boil down to? Why am I spiritual (replacing the word "religious") anyway? Do I keep the two most important commandments? Do I know what are the two most important commandments? {Matthew 22:36-40} What does that mean for the whole big picture -- for me and everybody else?
If you are trying to share Jesus with others, shouldn't you figure out why everyone's lost before you can even begin to try and help them find Him? Wouldn't that make more sense than just shoving it down there throats "your" style? Isn't that what Jesus himself did? I believe so. He met people where they were (in whatever lifestyle or situation), instead of getting in their faces with, "This is who I am and this is how it is!" Consider the woman at the well. {John 4}
Church, or how ever you meet up with people who share your beliefs, has to be more than a social event. Use your spiritual time to learn & grow, and ultimately bring others to know God's boundless love for us ALL.
The plan for a life change on this topic:
- Don't dissect the Bible
- Study independently, even if it's just a little whenever you have time
- Meet people where they are
- Don't say or do things that make others feel excluded from knowing God's love
- Love God, your neighbor & try to love yourself (God does & He knows all your faults just like you do)
- Add what you learn in these experiences to your personal testimony
- Share your testimony with others
My friends, I pray my brief words for consideration on this topic somehow opened your hearts & minds to new ideas and ways of approaching your own spirituality & the spirituality of others. Love in Him...to you, from me!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Eggs: My First Customer
I'm excited to announce that I now have a non-family member egg customer!!
Strangely, I bought two new layers because one of my layers died last week & one went broody (sitting on eggs in the nest), and then today, Ginger, the momma hen to my chicks hatched July 3rd is MISSING. So is my blue laced red Wyandotte who was creeping up on point of lay (just about to start laying). I almost feel like I'm fighting a losing battle, but I will somehow get a handle on it.
I think that I will order some pullets from the hatchery and sell what I don't need. I know of a couple of ladies who would like girls for layers as well, so I'll contact them and see if they want to split an order. Anybody else interested in getting in on the order-splitting? Let me know!!
Strangely, I bought two new layers because one of my layers died last week & one went broody (sitting on eggs in the nest), and then today, Ginger, the momma hen to my chicks hatched July 3rd is MISSING. So is my blue laced red Wyandotte who was creeping up on point of lay (just about to start laying). I almost feel like I'm fighting a losing battle, but I will somehow get a handle on it.
I think that I will order some pullets from the hatchery and sell what I don't need. I know of a couple of ladies who would like girls for layers as well, so I'll contact them and see if they want to split an order. Anybody else interested in getting in on the order-splitting? Let me know!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Head First
Yea! My first ever blog post! I have wanted to blog for a long time; so, today -- SPLASH -- I just decided to jump in head first. "Head first" is normally how I function best. This blog will be a place for Rob & I to share ideas & communicate with you; although, I'm quite sure you will rarely hear from Rob as blogging is not really his thing.
Seems to me here lately that the topic of "comfort zones" is taking a forefront in conversations that I'm having with others. So, for this first post, I'm going to talk a little about comfort zones.
What's your comfort zone? Are you afraid to leave it? If so, why? Have you thought BEYOND the scary part? I mean, once you step out there, what will it really look, feel, smell, taste, sound like? Would it be a growing zone, a disaster zone, a happy zone -- more so than the zone you are in now? HAVE YOU EVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR ZONE? Well, you should! Where ever you are, you are in a zone & it's all yours. You've helped create it, and you are nestled down all snug and warm, but did you realize that in your moments of displeasure or despair that God is calling you out of hiding? Yep, He sure is. All the disgust you feel (in whatever form that may be) is an urging to explore ahead. There are great blessings waiting for you beyond your zone. I can state this idea so broadly because it really applies to everyone. All of us have blessings waiting for us on the other side of that scary thin line.
My most recent step across the scary thin line was when God called me to go to nursing school in 2008. It was nerve-racking, nausea-creating, marriage-trying, kid-neglecting, fear-facing horror! Most of you don't know that I used to get sick and faint at the sight of blood...even just a drop...I'm not kidding. You can imagine how many times I saw THE BLUE DOTS in nursing school (you know, the ones you see before you pass out) -- quite a few, but I called on God, breathed deeply, and trudged ahead. Today, I have NO PROBLEMS at all & I am a working RN. A true miracle, I kid you not. Before I was completely debilitated by my fear, and now I AM HEALED!!
So, how do you cross that scary thin line? I believe there are a couple of different ways to approach. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, there is the "head first" method, which is self-explanatory, and works well for me. Then, there is the "plan" method, which can work better for those big life changes. One could apply the Nursing Process here:
Assess your life and where you want to go from today onward -- or, even better, where does God want you to go...what is His plan for you?
Diagnose what's holding you back, what must be changed or left behind, what or who will help you cross that scary thin line.
Pray (in nursing this step is called Plan, but in life it really should be Pray).
Implement changes, omissions, inclusions (of people or events) as identified above.
Evaluate your new outcome related to your original Assessment goal.
Your evaluation will be very positive if you've indeed stepped across that scary thin line and prayed all the while, trusting & allowing God to take the lead.
Sounds easy, but it's hard. As the old folks say, though, "Nothing in life that's worth having comes easy."
I, your friend in Christ, Deanna, invite you to step out of your comfort zone!! Head first or make a plan -- the choice is yours -- do it!! Feel free to share stories about when you were called from your zone (did you jump, or plan, or do nothing at all) & how did it turn out?
Seems to me here lately that the topic of "comfort zones" is taking a forefront in conversations that I'm having with others. So, for this first post, I'm going to talk a little about comfort zones.
What's your comfort zone? Are you afraid to leave it? If so, why? Have you thought BEYOND the scary part? I mean, once you step out there, what will it really look, feel, smell, taste, sound like? Would it be a growing zone, a disaster zone, a happy zone -- more so than the zone you are in now? HAVE YOU EVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR ZONE? Well, you should! Where ever you are, you are in a zone & it's all yours. You've helped create it, and you are nestled down all snug and warm, but did you realize that in your moments of displeasure or despair that God is calling you out of hiding? Yep, He sure is. All the disgust you feel (in whatever form that may be) is an urging to explore ahead. There are great blessings waiting for you beyond your zone. I can state this idea so broadly because it really applies to everyone. All of us have blessings waiting for us on the other side of that scary thin line.
My most recent step across the scary thin line was when God called me to go to nursing school in 2008. It was nerve-racking, nausea-creating, marriage-trying, kid-neglecting, fear-facing horror! Most of you don't know that I used to get sick and faint at the sight of blood...even just a drop...I'm not kidding. You can imagine how many times I saw THE BLUE DOTS in nursing school (you know, the ones you see before you pass out) -- quite a few, but I called on God, breathed deeply, and trudged ahead. Today, I have NO PROBLEMS at all & I am a working RN. A true miracle, I kid you not. Before I was completely debilitated by my fear, and now I AM HEALED!!
So, how do you cross that scary thin line? I believe there are a couple of different ways to approach. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, there is the "head first" method, which is self-explanatory, and works well for me. Then, there is the "plan" method, which can work better for those big life changes. One could apply the Nursing Process here:
Assess your life and where you want to go from today onward -- or, even better, where does God want you to go...what is His plan for you?
Diagnose what's holding you back, what must be changed or left behind, what or who will help you cross that scary thin line.
Pray (in nursing this step is called Plan, but in life it really should be Pray).
Implement changes, omissions, inclusions (of people or events) as identified above.
Evaluate your new outcome related to your original Assessment goal.
Your evaluation will be very positive if you've indeed stepped across that scary thin line and prayed all the while, trusting & allowing God to take the lead.
Sounds easy, but it's hard. As the old folks say, though, "Nothing in life that's worth having comes easy."
I, your friend in Christ, Deanna, invite you to step out of your comfort zone!! Head first or make a plan -- the choice is yours -- do it!! Feel free to share stories about when you were called from your zone (did you jump, or plan, or do nothing at all) & how did it turn out?
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