What would Jesus want ME to do?

Do you ever think how you affect others lives?  I am sure we all go about our lives looking for ways to help and touch others in a positive way.  But do you ever think about the things you do that might truly hurt someone?  I don't mean intentional hurt but that hurt that happens because you just don't think.  Or that hurt that you cause because you are selfishly thinking about your self and how it would be easier for you?  That hurt that happens because you just don't think.....or just don't care.

So, what would Jesus want you to do?  

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.  Proverbs 28:26.

It is hard to put our own mind and feelings aside and open to God and do what Jesus would want us to do.  It is even harder to put aside the people around us that continuously appear as concerned or even Godly when they only have their own self serving agenda that concerns them.  

 Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.  2 Timothy 3:5

 

There are many false prophets out there and Satan does his best work in people who appear as the most wonderful, sincere, God loving people.  Yep, hard to know who to trust and who not to trust.  The one thing I do know is that when you are sitting on that ivory self serving tower, God will eventually come along and knock it right out from under you!

So, what would Jesus want ME to do?  I believe he would want me to pray for the self serving, put Satan behind me, and  be there for ALL God's children!  Not be selective and be there for only the ones that make me feel good, but for all! 

Think about how you affect others, not by what you do but maybe by what you don't do.  Every decision you make in your life will affect someone in either a positive or a negative way.  Perhaps if we stop and think about everybody and everything, and take ourselves out of the picture, we can strive to positively influence all!  That is what I think Jesus would want ME to do......

Burning Bridges..........

Burning bridges one by one

What I'm doin' can't be undone

And I'm always hoping someday

I'm gonna stop this runnin' around

But every time the chance comes up

Another bridge goes down .....

Garth Brook

Watch out for the fires you start....it is very hard to rebuild the bridges.  In my classroom, I tell my students that when they walk out every day, that day ends.  When they walk in the next day, it is a new day and yesterday is gone.  We need to make each person feel that way.  That is the way God looks at us.  

Then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

 Hebrews 10:17.

This week, I witnessed someone assist another person that had previously burned bridges.  The bridge was freely rebuilt not by the one who had burned it, but by the one who cared enough to reach out and be there for a brother in Christ.  The bridge is there, will it remain?  

We all have problems, but we need to own our problems and mistakes, make our amends, and move on.  We need to not blame others and look deep inside ourselves for the reason for the action or reaction, and change as necessary.  We need to forgive and not hate.  We need to stay on our side of the bridge until we feel that we can once again cross it.  We should not burn the bridges.  It is much easier to sit on our side than it is to try to rebuild.  

Each day is a new day, God assures us of that.  Let us take each day with the joy, peace, and love that Christ has given us!

Adventures...

Well, I am adding to my adventures.  This Saturday, October 13, I am joining my cousins in the Warrior Dash in Watson Louisiana!  It will be great to see them as it has been many years since I have seen some of them!  It will be a blast!  Pictures will be uploaded to share all the fun!

I also will begin the process necessary to become a Certified Lay Speaker in the Methodist Church.  It will require classes and training but I am very excited about this pursuit!  

So my life since August (when I began teaching full time again) has just gotten busier and busier.  But my Dad used to tell me to have a "Spirit of Adventure", so that is what I am doing!

I am very blessed and will continue to seek opportunities to share these blessings!

Who is your family?

Wisdom

The gift of wisdom allows people to understand deeper meaning and apply knowledge, beliefs, and experience to every day situations.  Wise, gifted individuals make connections and help other make them as well � to understand the implications of our beliefs and actions.  Those gifted with wisdom often understand root causes of disagreements, conflict, and barriers to growth and development.  People with wisdom help others understand and clarify options to make good decisions.

This was what the Spiritual Gift Assessment said was my primary Spiritual Gift. I have always been one that likes to  analyzing everybody and everything.  I am know as a fixer.  I like for things to be settled an come to a conclusion, hopefully with everyone happy. 

 I am really searching for wisdom right now.  Without going into the drama, I have had to separate myself from most of my siblings in all ways.  It is sad and hurts badly but is the only solution.  I have prayed for resolve and have looked at this definition of Wisdom and made many attempts to use the gift that God gave me but I must now use the wisdom from God to move past the evil and go on with His plan.  I must now make the decision that I know is right.   The "good decision".  

This has led me to think about who my family really is.  I have some amazing friends here that are definitely my family.  Sometime we don't see eye to eye but we all know that there is something that is more important than blood and that is love.  Chris said it in his sermon Sunday.  Love, without love, we have nothing.  I have many of my extended family members that also are very important in my life.  Why, because of love.  Christ love overcame the world, with it, we too can overcome evil and the world!  

So, I will be fine because of the love that Christ has for me, the love I have through him, and the love of my "family" of his people.  

Peace and love to you all!

Busy time but blessed!

Busy time for us the last few weeks.  Derek is home and doing well.  He had an appointment with the doctor today and things look good!  He will go for another appointment on Friday and hopes to be able to attempt to return to work next week!  The speech is fine and thought processes getting close to normal again!  I have been very busy with my new job.  Work is a little slow for Steve but we hope that it will pick up soon!  So as we have made it through this crisis, we continue to count our blessings!  Next month I will be seeing some of my cousins that I haven't seen in may years and are very excited about that!  We will be participating in the Warrior Dash in Watson La.!  And then the LSU vs Texas A & M game!  So for now, blessing upon you all!

Moving Mountains---well, moving Son In Law

It has been a frightful last 2 weeks.  Our Son In Law, Derek, had TIA's (mini-strokes) last week and was hospitalized.  He was released on a Thursday and then this past Friday had a much more sever stroke.  He is only 39 years old!  Well, the hospital he was at did not have the unit or equipment to do all the necessary test and was treating the effects and not the cause.  So I did some research and we had him transferred (not an easy task but it was going to happen one way or the other) to Mischner Neurological Institute at Memorial Herman Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.  They have runs several additional test and we are presently waiting on the Doctor to make his rounds.

This has been a little sureal.....Derek is only 39.  This should not be happening to him.  It has been so difficult to see an intelligent young man that is a Chemical Engineer with 3 degrees struggle to make a sentence.  I sat with him writing words on a white board for him to try to read and pronounce.  I have sat with my daughter as she cries for the man she loves.  Tough indeed.....I am grateful that the strength my Father always had is within me and for the faith that will never leave me!

For now, I will be here by their side doing what I am best at......supporting them and driving the medical staff crazy with questions and insistence on doing everything to find answers.  I am after all, a Mother and that is what we do!

Moving Forward

I have been thinking a lot about the Second Step Meeting this Sunday night.  If you know me well, you know that I say what I feel.  So here goes!

One of the things that has disturbed me the most lately is the few people that make the statement that "It is like we are two churches".  Well I strongly disagree with this statement.  We are not two churches but one Church with 3 amazing services!  Each service serves a very specific purpose in Gods plan for Klein UMC!  If you view Klein as two churches, then perhaps you should change your perspective.  No, I don't mean leave.  I mean visit the other services and get to know the members that attend them.  You may not like the specifics of the service, but that is fine!  It serves a purpose for the people that attend  that particular service!    If we all start saying and believing that we are one church, then it will feel as such!  Pastors, staff, volunteers, members....we ALL need to work together to be one church!  So, lets be one church and forget meeting with small groups to get people to see it your way. We should  begin to work together and do it Gods way!  Let's move forward together!  Let's not make this about if we are going to change or not and let's make a plan to move forward in God's world!

I am an educator and work from very specific lesson plans, Steve as an Engineer works off of very specific plans and formulas, construction workers work from blueprints.  When there is no specific plan or blueprint, things look scary or unplanned.  This frightens many including myself.  I prefer to know how to move and the overall picture for where and what to do next.  This changes as things go on but at least I have an outline and idea of the outcome.  This perhaps is where we are now in our steps.

What would I like to see happen Sunday night?  I would like to see our Church take up the mission to show people that we are ONE Church!  I would also like to see a plan.  This plan may or may not include looking at changes but I would rather have a blueprint for moving forward rather than going blindly.  Yes, the blueprint should change and adjust as we move on.  But that is ok, in fact, that is exactly what God wants.

Blessings and prayers for Klein UMC.......ONE Church for ONE God!