I know what you are thinking...Offense???? Is this a blog about football? Actually no it isn't but there is a reality that the Bears offense has been offensive as of late!
Anyway...I am thinking more of the offense of being a Christian. I am wondering if my Christian example is offensive or am I working active offense, protecting the "name" of Christian? Am I protecting the reality of Christ by my actions? My prayer is to not be offensive in my walk but to create a hunger for others to have what I have. I wonder how I am doing and what I need to do differently.
Christianity is about action. It is about relationship. It is about living out Christ in such a way that others want what I have. My actions need to be grace filled, loving. I think that I am doing a better job of being active and alert for what God has for me. I am not perfect, but then, I am not called to be perfect. I have been created and called to be who God wants me to be and to plant a seed that encourages others to live out what God wants for them too. My actions therefore need to point others to Christ instead of turning them away, be offensive.
Many times I say the wrong thing, act the wrong way. I have been offensive, or at least not Christ-like. There are some clear times where my actions were offensive to God and to others. There are others who claim to be Christians and then participate in offensive behavior. This makes it very difficult for Christians that work very hard to live out Christ's example. My walk has been bumpy and I have wandered in circles in the dessert, thinking I knew the way. It is offensive to God to think I know better than Him or to only half listen to what He is saying to me. Reality is that God knows the way and is the only way. He is very patient and loving. He gently whispers the directions that I need to take, not leaving me in the dessert alone.
My prayer is that I continue to be on the offense, protecting the name of Christ. I pray that my life lives out the mercy and grace of God. I pray that my actions not be offensive. So which are you...on offensive living out, protecting the Name of Jesus; or are your actions offensive to God?
Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Necessary Endings....Henry Cloud....WOF
Women of Faith was amazing!!! I will never miss a WoF weekend again. My life is forever changed! I decided to write out my notes via blog so that I can review, think and never lose them!
God imagined all of this. He is the Creator. He birthed the dreams inside me thus is on board with me following those dreams.
IMAGINE:
Clinical: Life where you feel good
Relationally: People that fuel you and celebrate you
Performance: gifts/talents are suppose to show up in this world, being used for God
IT'S NOT GONNA STAY BEFORE FOREVER!!!
Happiness - overall sense of well-being, joy, SHALOM
Anything circumstancial only counts for 10% of your happiness but even that only lasts for a short time.
Constitutional/ genetic part of you - Set of life practices and attitudes~God has wired your brain this way.
***Be a giver. Experience the joy of sharing what God has done for you!
***Be connected to people. BE MY MONKEY!!! (MONKEY will be a separate blog all by itself!) Ecc 4:12
***Be goal oriented. Have goals. My life is God's! Step out of comfort zone and be challenged. Resurrect that Goal that you have thought you could do!
There has to be a leaving to get where God wants you! "I have a different tomorrow for you." It requires movement on our part. NECESSARY ENDINGS
Today may be the enemy of your tomorrow!
You can't go to God's Promised Land and take Sodom and Gomorrah with you.
Ecc. 3 A season for everything. People hang on to things longer than it's season! (Fear, etc.)
Pruning is necessary because we produce more buds than we can sustain...Same with plants/flowers.
**Keep only the best.
**Prune the ones not going in the right direction
**Prune the dead branches.
What is God wanting me to end? What do I need to prune? Lots of stuff taking time and energy are getting in the way of what God's desire for me is.
Everything is for a Reason and a Season.
Some of those things are hard to die to.
You can't get where God wants you to be when you are in denial about what God wants for you.
Why don't we Prune? FEAR - There is nothing better...nothing else
God is my source and will supply all my needs.
Fear of moving forward: Hurting someone's feelings
Searching for life...connectedness
No Connection (Hell) - hopeless, meaningless, isolation, empty
Bad Connection (The Law) - negativity, abusive, perfectionism, NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Seductive Connection (Sin) - empty promises, addictions, feel better for the moment
Real Connection (God) - Total acceptance by God, The real YOU can show up!
Perfect means COMPLETE not flawless...
Through the window of my brokenness is the place where I can see the face of God.
We don't have to carry everything~only what God gives us to carry....HE will carry the rest!
Original sin - "I will go at it without God."
Be tethered to the body!
Be in conversation wit God constantly/consistently
Keep your bumper on - Shelia Walsh
There is a "Critical Parent" born inside each of us...GUILT...Our conscience is not pure, it is fallen.
The Garden of Eden was a place where self-assessment didn't exist.
Self-esteem has nothing to do with performance.
Self-Image - God and my monkeys love me....
God imagined all of this. He is the Creator. He birthed the dreams inside me thus is on board with me following those dreams.
IMAGINE:
Clinical: Life where you feel good
Relationally: People that fuel you and celebrate you
Performance: gifts/talents are suppose to show up in this world, being used for God
IT'S NOT GONNA STAY BEFORE FOREVER!!!
Happiness - overall sense of well-being, joy, SHALOM
Anything circumstancial only counts for 10% of your happiness but even that only lasts for a short time.
Constitutional/ genetic part of you - Set of life practices and attitudes~God has wired your brain this way.
***Be a giver. Experience the joy of sharing what God has done for you!
***Be connected to people. BE MY MONKEY!!! (MONKEY will be a separate blog all by itself!) Ecc 4:12
***Be goal oriented. Have goals. My life is God's! Step out of comfort zone and be challenged. Resurrect that Goal that you have thought you could do!
There has to be a leaving to get where God wants you! "I have a different tomorrow for you." It requires movement on our part. NECESSARY ENDINGS
Today may be the enemy of your tomorrow!
You can't go to God's Promised Land and take Sodom and Gomorrah with you.
Ecc. 3 A season for everything. People hang on to things longer than it's season! (Fear, etc.)
Pruning is necessary because we produce more buds than we can sustain...Same with plants/flowers.
**Keep only the best.
**Prune the ones not going in the right direction
**Prune the dead branches.
What is God wanting me to end? What do I need to prune? Lots of stuff taking time and energy are getting in the way of what God's desire for me is.
Everything is for a Reason and a Season.
Some of those things are hard to die to.
You can't get where God wants you to be when you are in denial about what God wants for you.
Why don't we Prune? FEAR - There is nothing better...nothing else
God is my source and will supply all my needs.
Fear of moving forward: Hurting someone's feelings
Searching for life...connectedness
No Connection (Hell) - hopeless, meaningless, isolation, empty
Bad Connection (The Law) - negativity, abusive, perfectionism, NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Seductive Connection (Sin) - empty promises, addictions, feel better for the moment
Real Connection (God) - Total acceptance by God, The real YOU can show up!
Perfect means COMPLETE not flawless...
Through the window of my brokenness is the place where I can see the face of God.
We don't have to carry everything~only what God gives us to carry....HE will carry the rest!
Original sin - "I will go at it without God."
Be tethered to the body!
Be in conversation wit God constantly/consistently
Keep your bumper on - Shelia Walsh
There is a "Critical Parent" born inside each of us...GUILT...Our conscience is not pure, it is fallen.
The Garden of Eden was a place where self-assessment didn't exist.
Self-esteem has nothing to do with performance.
Self-Image - God and my monkeys love me....
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Listening Ears
So, last Wednesday night at church, Mary's class talked about listening ears. They then, as a project created listening ears to bring home and wear...Mary has been wearing and talking about listening ears...but not really listening any better than any other 5 year old I know...She talks about her listening ears, but hasn't really figured out the application of it...That has gotten me thinking about listening in general and wondering about how well I do that, outside of my office...
As a therapist, I listen to people everyday. I think that I am an active listener and believe that my clients would agree...I paraphrase and rephrase what they say to check out and make sure that I have heard correctly...I am empathetic to what many of them say, as much of the time, I can relate from my own experiences...My listening problems become crystal clear in just about every other area of my life...
It is in my personal and spiritual life where I believe that I struggle the most with listening...I think that I hear what is being said most of the time...Not always as I do only have 20% hearing in my left ear....but never the less, listening doesn't seem to be a strong suit in general...
My husband loves me dearly but admits that much of the time, he feels that I don't listen to what he says...It isn't a matter of being obedient to my husband, but just listening to the advice and warnings that he gives...I will admit that he has more street smarts than I do, though I have more book smarts...I also am willing to admit that sometimes I do the opposite of what he says, not intentionally, but that sometimes I interpret his advice or warnings as more of suggestions...This is very frustrating to him, but not intentional on my part to be frustrating...I am working on being more active in my listening to Jon as he does look out for me and most often does know what is in my best interest...
My kids also tell me that they told me stuff that I don't remember hearing...more examples of my not being present with my children...not acceptable to me!!! It is thus most important to set the example of listening so that my children will learn to listen...
Thus leaves my spiritual area of life...I am realizing that I also have not been using my listening ears when it comes to what I have been hearing...minimal action to my hearing...God has taught me so many things...Sometimes I don't feel that my actions follow what He has taught me, thus I haven't been using my listening ears...I know that He is telling me things all the time...I know what He is telling me...I just don't know why I don't listen...The Bible is full of things, directions, advice for me and for everyone that makes life so much easier...There are promises from God throughout the Bible telling me what He will do when I do my part...I already know the outcome...The path should be easy when I know where I will end up...I just want to listen...God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should be listening twice as much as speaking...
I am certain that I am not the only one that needs to learn or be reminded of this important lesson...Any ideas on how to do that? Happy to entertain suggestions...as well as to know that I am not alone....
As a therapist, I listen to people everyday. I think that I am an active listener and believe that my clients would agree...I paraphrase and rephrase what they say to check out and make sure that I have heard correctly...I am empathetic to what many of them say, as much of the time, I can relate from my own experiences...My listening problems become crystal clear in just about every other area of my life...
It is in my personal and spiritual life where I believe that I struggle the most with listening...I think that I hear what is being said most of the time...Not always as I do only have 20% hearing in my left ear....but never the less, listening doesn't seem to be a strong suit in general...
My husband loves me dearly but admits that much of the time, he feels that I don't listen to what he says...It isn't a matter of being obedient to my husband, but just listening to the advice and warnings that he gives...I will admit that he has more street smarts than I do, though I have more book smarts...I also am willing to admit that sometimes I do the opposite of what he says, not intentionally, but that sometimes I interpret his advice or warnings as more of suggestions...This is very frustrating to him, but not intentional on my part to be frustrating...I am working on being more active in my listening to Jon as he does look out for me and most often does know what is in my best interest...
My kids also tell me that they told me stuff that I don't remember hearing...more examples of my not being present with my children...not acceptable to me!!! It is thus most important to set the example of listening so that my children will learn to listen...
Thus leaves my spiritual area of life...I am realizing that I also have not been using my listening ears when it comes to what I have been hearing...minimal action to my hearing...God has taught me so many things...Sometimes I don't feel that my actions follow what He has taught me, thus I haven't been using my listening ears...I know that He is telling me things all the time...I know what He is telling me...I just don't know why I don't listen...The Bible is full of things, directions, advice for me and for everyone that makes life so much easier...There are promises from God throughout the Bible telling me what He will do when I do my part...I already know the outcome...The path should be easy when I know where I will end up...I just want to listen...God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should be listening twice as much as speaking...
I am certain that I am not the only one that needs to learn or be reminded of this important lesson...Any ideas on how to do that? Happy to entertain suggestions...as well as to know that I am not alone....
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