Christianity: A view from the sidelines

Christianity: A view from the sidelines

by | Aug 16, 2019 | encouragement, General

Have you ever stopped to wonder how people view you and your faith? Put yourself in their shoes? Have you been asked questions such as: if your God is so great then why is their disease? If your God is so great why are people dying? If your God is so great then why is there war and famine?

My God IS so great! My God gave us free will to make our decisions. He gave us the ability to choose which path we are going to follow and not force us to do His will. What does this mean? Why do we have diseases, war, famine, etc.? We choose not to follow God’s plan in our lives. He gave us FREE WILL.

Free Will defined in the dictionary is this:

noun
1.
the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one’s own discretion.
synonyms:

volition, independence, self-determination, self-sufficiency, autonomy, spontaneity;
Therefore, why are we blaming God for what is going on around us? If we were slaves and had no choice, then we could blame God for these crises. Of course, then we would accuse God of not loving us and being a dictator. No, God gave us the ability to choose. We have done it and now we say it is ‘your God’ who is causing these things.
God allows these things to happen. He gave us a choice. He also gave us a way to turn things around:

2 Chronicles 7:14 King James Version (KJV)

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

WOW! Think about that! Just give it a moment to sink in. If we humble ourselves. How do you humble yourself? Well, think about it – can you admit to having made a mistake? What happens when you make a major mistake and you owe someone an apology? Do you apologize? Or is it too difficult to eat that humble pie?

What’s next? Pray. Prayer is like a conversation with God. We are talking to him and asking for His forgiveness, admitting we are wrong, that we don’t know everything and that we make mistakes. We are seeking Him out.

Yet, these two things alone won’t change the path we are walking. We are required to do one more action; we need to turn away from the path we are on. What? I have to not just humble myself in admitting I was wrong and apologize but I need to STOP doing what I am doing? I need to change my course? I need to use my free will to not continue down a destructive path?

Well, okay say I “might” be willing to do this? Then what? God will hear us – it means not only is He listening to what we are saying but He is hearing what we are saying. We are making a change, we are showing Him we are willing to do something different. We are willing to set ourselves on a different path using the free will He gave us.

He has heard us. What does He do in return? He FORGIVES us. He accepts our apology. Then he takes it a step further and heals our land. He fixes our mistakes! He helps us when we are willing to admit we are on the wrong path, apologize and change our ways. All of which is easier to say than to actually do.

So, yes, my God is great. Yes, He has allowed us to cause these problems in our lives. Yes, He is willing to help us to fix them once we acknowledge our mistakes and ask for help. Yet, if we are unable to do apologize and ask for help in our daily lives with our friends and family, how much more difficult do we make it on ourselves when we need to do it with our God?

 

This website is run by volunteers. Would you like to help defer expenses? Please donate here.
Paxx Logo words only

Building up and creating your heart of worship

Building up and creating your heart of worship

by | Aug 1, 2019 | General, Praise & Worship

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

KJV

Imagine standing in a field or on the top of a mountain, spreading your arms wide as if to fly, the breeze moving over you. The warmth of the sun on your face as you lift it toward the heavens. Imagine taking in the vastness and the beauty of that one moment and then allowing it to grow larger. Now imagine, taking this feeling and carrying it with you. You pull out this memory every time you start to feel depressed or lonely.

This is a small comparison of what it is liked to be wrapped up in the heart of worship. The tremendous grace and blessing we receive when we go before the throne and we share our love and passion, our desire to draw close to the throne of grace. 

I remember learning about God’s love and grace. What I was moved by is that there is order in how we should approach Him. We enter into His gates with thanksgiving. We express our reasons for being thankful. Admittedly, during the dark times in our lives, it is much harder to find reasons to be thankful. It is much more difficult to see the blessing when we feel as if we have been cursed. The closer it is to have some excruciating pain cover our lives; whether it is the loss of a loved one, the loss of self, the loss of the ability to use our body – and we feel as if it is working against us. No matter what the pain is the more difficult it is to find a reason for thanks, especially when it has just happened. We shut down. We want to shut down. We want to shout out to God about how cruel and unfair it is.

As time goes by, we rely on our faith and our belief, we remember that we aren’t given more than we can handle. I will admit, I have challenged that in my own life. What I feel I can handle and what God feels I can handle are definitely two different things. Yet, even in these challenges, I have learned to move forward. Once you can get to a place of thankfulness, it allows you to increase your joy. 

Which brings us to the next step; entering His courts with praise. Praising Him for the things in our lives. Again, it is easy to focus on the good things. Pleasant things. The positive things. It is easy to compliment others when we aren’t feeling angry and oppressed. When we aren’t mad at the world for all the negative that is going on and happening. Yet, when we can learn to turn these things into a reason to sing His praises, how much sooner we are able to feel His presence in our lives once again.

I am guilty of not always giving thanks and praise when times are tough. It is definitely not always the first thing that comes to mind. The struggle of the flesh against the spirit is real. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It doesn’t mean you are less or weaker than someone who has learned to give thanks and praise in all things. 

It is a worthy goal to strive to a place of existing; like our perceptions of Mother Theresa. As well as other people who loved peace, who loved their people, who moved toward those goals of helping and building. These are individuals who served and yet I am certain that they struggled in their own private lives at times. Yet, they kept it between them and God and openly gave thanks and praise. 

We are all called on different journeys. We all serve in different ways. However, no matter what you are called to do or how you are called to serve, you will find strength in praise and worship, in giving thanks and praise in all things. Opening the door to a closer relationship by developing a strong heart of worship.

I am but a humble servant

I am but a humble servant

by | Jul 2, 2019 | Fruits of the spirit, General, kindness, love

I thought I knew what humility was until I was put in a position where I was unable to take care of myself. I had to rely on someone else to help me do everything.

I am, after all, a very independent individual. I am the one who takes charge and cares for others. So, to have this situation happen where I was unable to take care of myself was a very difficult position to be in. I had a back problem that completely incapacitated me for a time. Yes, I am very, thankful that it was only for a time. However, it put me in a position to understand what really being humble was.

We are a society that prides ourselves on our accomplishments. On our works. On our actions. A lot of us like to say we are humble individuals. Yet, are we? Or is it just another word we toss around to make us sound better?

 

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

James 4:10

Mother Teresa was, in my opinion, a very humble woman. She didn’t go out of her way to point to her works. Her works spoke loudly about who she was. Even though she began her “mission within a mission” at the age of 36, most of us didn’t become aware of her or really know about her work until later in her life; when her humanitarian efforts were broadcast by others.

While I am sure this media attention helped her ministry, she didn’t seek it out, it came to her. She did the work she was called to do and didn’t say, “Look at me. Look at what I am doing to help the poor and needy.” She simply did it. Can we say the same? Would we follow in her footsteps?

It is a difficult road she traveled and she remained humble about it, faithfully in service to her calling.

In a lot of churches, there are foot washing services. This is pretty much just what it sounds like. Someone in the congregation comes with a bowl of warm water and a cloth and washes your feet. The idea is to experience the sense of humbleness & humility that it takes to serve someone in this manner.

The experience is shared as both the servant and the ‘master’. The person whose feet is being washed generally feels humbled by having someone attend to them in this manner; washing their bare feet. It is comparative to what Jesus experienced when the prostitute washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. Her humbleness in that moment of pure servitude is something most of us will never experience. We are too full of who we are and think too highly of ourselves, it is hard to get out of our own way in order to act voluntarily as a servant for anyone else. We want to be served, not be the one who is doing the serving. Yet, even when being served, we want it on our terms.

(Parents can be a great example of this. They serve their children’s and meet their needs, yet they often forget to pass along this very valuable lesson to them. That the act of serving is as great if not greater than that of ‘master/mistress’ ie the person being served. Also, we often only give this way to our children.)

We want to be healthy and in charge. We don’t want someone helping us because we are unable to help ourselves. We don’t want to be in that “weak” position. That very humbling position. We want to be powerful and strong, both in body and mind. We want to take the strength of our youth and carry it throughout our entire lives. What we want and the reality of our situation may not be the same. The older we get, the more our bodies tend to fail us in unexpected ways or at inconvenient times. Even the seemingly healthiest person can unexpectedly fall to unforeseen factors. 

This is where our ‘community’ come into play; in other words, we are supposed to rely on those around us. We gain strength from it. It makes us better people when we learn to balance our lives with not only our strengths and but our weaknesses. We gain even more strength when we allow others to help us in our weaknesses and in our times of trial and tribulation. Whether it lasts a few moments or decades. We are put in a position that not only can benefit us, but also be blessed to those who willingly choose to help us.

Unfortunately, it is our mindset that keeps us from learning these lessons. The way we are raised. The things we are taught. The ability to survive on your own and be independent having a high value. Taking care of yourself and others and not having anyone there to help support and take care of you, etc. These actions, these situations, they work against our personal growth. It may take those of us who truly believe we are self-sufficient even longer to learn certain lessons.

There are many scriptures, books, sermons, speeches that talk about humbleness. We listen to them without hearing them. We believe we are humble without truly knowing what it means or ever having experienced it. There are some amazing role-models out there that really do exhibit this trait. People who are often over-looked or not thought about. If you look around you will find them and you can learn great lessons from them.

 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

Phillipians 2:3

dark dawn desktop backgrounds 1642770
Confession or manipulation; sharing your heartache to benefit others

Confession or manipulation; sharing your heartache to benefit others

by | May 26, 2019 | General, self control

We all have secrets. Skeletons that lay dormant in our closet. Things we never speak of or we don’t want to talk about. Things that have damaged our psyche and have scarred us. When is it okay to talk about what you have gone through? What you are going through?  Recently, or not so recently depending on how much you follow the news, the spotlight has been shining on the abortion issue. More recently “celebrities” have been stepping forward to share their abortion stories.

First, I must admit, at this point, I haven’t read the stories. I don’t know if they did it because of crisis, due to sexual assault or where the pregnancy wasn’t viable for whatever reason. In other words, the baby had expired or wasn’t forming correctly and an emergency D&C had to be provided. There are situations where abortion may indeed be needed.

In so many cases, though, it is a life choice that someone is making because they made the mistake of not using birth control. Not because they were assaulted. Not because the child wasn’t viable (missing a part of their anatomy, brain dead, etc.) In the case of viability, yes, I believe the mother needs to make a choice. A decision to decide how to best proceed for themselves.

We are all made differently. Our strengths and weaknesses are different. What we can handle or we can’t handle. I admit, my own beliefs are colored by my experiences. Having a child wasn’t an option for me. I had miscarriages. Unfortunately, the system was set up against me. Health insurance covers abortion, and other preventative measures to not get pregnant. The majority of the time it does not cover fertility treatments or other methods of getting pregnant and sustaining that pregnancy. Unless you are wealthy enough to pay for the premiums that do cover this, you are out of luck. (Military insurance does cover fertility. And I know there have been cases where women have afforded fertility treatments and had multiple births – when they were on welfare.)

So, what is my argument? Part of it is based on my faith and my belief system. The other part is based on personal experience. The first time I knew I was pregnant I couldn’t prove it. What do I mean by that? The tests came back negative even though I showed all the signs of pregnancy. We didn’t say anything to anyone. We dealt with it when I miscarried, and then we went to the doctor and he said, “we can’t do anything about it or even investigate it until you have had multiple miscarriages.”

The last time I miscarried, we knew the baby had already expired in my womb. I was given the option for a D&C or to wait until nature took its course. I chose the latter as my choice is anti-abortion unless there is NO other option. I ended up in the hospital after an ambulance ride, with a morphine drip while I lived through a very painful delivery. After that, we chose not to try again. (I am blessed to have adopted a child in between these things, but that is another story for another time.)

The biggest issue I have with abortion is that too many people use it as a method of birth control. They use it for their “accidents” instead of protecting themselves to prevent it. We are one of the countries whose birth rate has been dropping dramatically. Germany is another one.

However, I digress: the real point I am trying to share here is when is our personal tragedy, our personal pain, something worth sharing and for to what end? Are we sharing these things in the hope to prevent the same situation or help other’s deal with their own burdens? Are we sharing them to manipulate others into doing what we feel is the right thing? My stand on abortion isn’t going to be the same one that others take. As a matter of fact, rather than share my pain, I would rather point out that not only are birth rates dropping, but there is a large group of women, who for whatever reason, are unable to have children. They have tried and were not able to, yet, still crave having a family.

Adoption is something that we should focus on more. I read an opinion piece of why are “Christians” against abortion when they are failing to do anything to help the children who are in the system? I might agree with this opinion except I did adopt a child out of the system. Not only did I do that, but I had to fight in order to do so. (Again, this will have to be another story for another time.) I would point out that we are focused on other countries before our own. We are focused on helping children and adopting them from these countries, rather than our own. I would point out that our focus shouldn’t be on what others are doing, but on what we are doing ourselves.

We can’t change someone else. Change has to come from within. What are you doing to help with that change? What are your motivations? Are you “helping” out of a desire to truly help? Or are you “helping” because you want to manipulate someone into changing? Into doing something that you want them to do?

You know your heart. You know your reasons. No one can read into that, except for God who sees us and knows us for who we truly are. I am not judging why people are sharing their stories. I am simply asking for us all to check our own motivations when we do things. Are we confessing for health, growth, and comfort? Or are we confessing to manipulating and control?

Just do it!

Just do it!

by | May 7, 2019 | encouragement, General, strength

Have you ever been in a quandry about what step to take in your life?  To stay in school or to leave?  To look for a different job because you think your employer’s not treating you right?  To continue in a relationship, whether it’s with a “friend” or a “romance?”  To stay at your present location or move somewhere else?

Here are some steps that have worked for me – and perhaps they will for you, too!

A T-Sheet. 

This is something my mother taught me years ago.  I don’t always do it, but when I do, it sure helps to clarify what I should do.  Take a piece of paper (yes, an old-fashioned piece of paper), and draw a big “T”.  On one side of the “T”, write “pros”; on the other “cons”.  Now, write down one of the directions forward you are considering.

Pros and cons of staying in a particular job was always a big one for me, to help determine whether I should stay or seek employment elsewhere, and that’s the example I will use here.

Start asking and answering questions of yourself, in writing.

Do I like the work?  Am I being paid fairly for the job I am doing?  Is my employer living up to the agreement they made with me?  Is there an area for growth?  Am I learning?  Am I making a living wage? (One that covers my current lifestyle, without my going into debt.) Any other issues – like personality clashes, etc.?

If most of these are positive answers, but there are areas that need improvement, like not being paid enough to make a living, what are some solutions if I decide I like the job and would like to stay as my preferred answer?  This is where communication with the boss comes in – and is probably the toughest area in life.

Once a decision about the direction is made, then the action part kicks in.

Fear plays a big factor here.  The question is – how to approach your boss for an increase in pay?  How to talk to management about meeting agreements made?  The biggie for me was overcoming the fear to talk to the boss about matters that affected me.  There were several times over the course of my career when my boss had promised me a bonus for meeting a certain expectation, or covering the cost of my car expenses when I had to go call on potential clients or run other errands for the company, and failed to do it.

Before taking the next step, I made sure I had another alternative for work.  Most often, I had already been approached by a competitor to move to their business.  On occasion, I had made a business plan and arranged a loan to start my own business.

So here’s what I did:  I made an outline of what I wanted to say.  Then I made an appointment to see the boss.  I said a prayer for God’s wisdom, guidance, direction and will.  Then – and this was probably the most difficult part – I took a deep breath, forgot about everything, and just DID IT.  I just walked in, sat down, and started telling the boss my dilemma, in a nice but determined way.

Once that was done, I felt a sense of relief.  The results came – sometimes as I hoped, and sometimes not.  There were times when the boss said they couldn’t meet my expectations, for a variety of reasons.  Other times, they did, in order to keep me, acknowledged as a valuable employee who brought income into their business.

Through the years, whichever way it worked out – whether I stayed, or whether I moved to another company – or whether I did indeed start my own business, I learned from the experience and grew in self-esteem and the ability to communicate better and more easily.

Today, I use this program quite effectively for the decisions I make.  And, the “just doing it” comes almost without thinking it anymore.

When Life Begins – Accounting for your belief

When Life Begins – Accounting for your belief

by | Mar 29, 2019 | General, Observations

When does life begin? That is a debate, that for many, has been going on for decades. As a believer, if you fully believe the word of God as it is written, then you may say that life begins in the womb or at conception. However, at various times in the Word, we are told, “I knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb…” (Jer 1:5) and you were set apart.

What do you believe? How do we encourage others to share this belief? We can’t force our beliefs onto another person. You can’t force someone to change their mind. You can force the illusion of someone changing their mind. Only God knows what is in our hearts. We can’t force change on other people, we can make a change in ourselves. Knowing this, how do we stand firm in our faith and beliefs and share with others what we know to be true?

Often we come across a crisis of faith; teetering on the edge of what we believe and if it is strong enough for us to stand up for it and against what we know is wrong. Yet, so many people falter when it comes to this moment of truth. When someone falters it is not our job to stand in judgment, but to help guide them back toward the light by not only sharing the truth with them but being a beacon of light as well. There are some people who are so firm in their adverse ideals, that they will not be swayed by words, but it will be our actions that bring them to the truth.

Unfortunately, once again, our country has reached a crossroads where life is not being valued. We have become desensitized to abortions; the number of which happen during a day is outstanding.  The argument becomes “a woman has a right to choose”. While this is true, a woman does have a right to choose. She also has a right to choose not to become pregnant (baring outstanding circumstances which must be recognized due to the vast number of criminal activities that take place in not only our country but our world.) However, I firmly stand against a woman’s right to choose to use abortion as a method of birth control. I stand firm against late semester abortions simply because suddenly someone changes their mind and no longer wants the child.

If you have gone so far as to carry a child to full term, then why not use another acceptable method of removing the child from your life, adoption. The number of families out there who desperately want a child and for various reason are unable to have one on their own, is outstanding. It probably comes close to the number of abortions that are happening. Adoption is not only a viable option, but it is a life-giving option. One that saves a child and helps create a family.

The number of births every year is dropping at a vast rate. Not only here in the U.S. but in other countries as well. (See Germany’s birth rate as an example.) There will be nations that will disappear simply because children aren’t being born. I realize some people may applaud this idea; since some firmly believe that the world has become overcrowded. Yet, murdering innocent children is not the way to attain this ‘goal’ that some may have. When you could give the gift of innocent life, that would be cherished by other parents, rather than destroy that same life; what has this world become when this is what people would rather do?

You have a right to choose what to do with your body. Do you have a right to choose to destroy an innocent life simply because you didn’t choose birth control? When there IS another option open to you? Again, I recognize, that in some extreme cases (such as rape) someone may choose not to keep the child. Remember, that life is appointed by God. There is a reason that things happen.

I would like to encourage you to take a stand for life. Think before you act. Pray. Seek God’s wisdom. Stand firm in your believes. Know that you are loved. Someday you will stand before your maker; are the choices you are making ones that you are willing to be held accountable for?