Thursday, January 31, 2008

GOD, Relationships and Patience

Greetings! Here is another attempt for me to break out of my “comfort zone” and become more transparent. As you guys already know if you have been reading my blog, I am following GOD’s message to be more open with myself in order to break free of my fears in life.

Ok let’s get started. So I was talking to one of my colleagues, (he is a single’s pastor outside of our workplace) and he was telling me about what he was doing with his ministry. Of course being single, I was intrigued. He told me to write down 10 things or attributes that I would like to see in a “significant other”. He told me, “take your time” and, “put some serious thought in this list”. Of course I had some “core values” I already looked for in a person, but to have 10? I had to sit down and think. So below are the 10 attributes:

10 attributes in no specific order except for #1

1. Must have a relationship with Christ.

a. I would like to have someone that shares the same values in life as I have. Jesus must be the focus, and they should have a GOD-centric mindset. This is the ONLY foundation for a successful relationship.

2. Should be Family Oriented

a. I would like the individual to be close to their family because I am close to mine. I have a large family and they mean a lot to me.

3. Be able to communicate

a. I am a talker I like talking to people about anything. I would like to see the individual be strong minded and opinionated.

4. Would like to experience new and different things in life.

a. This is something that I look for in a person because this shows me how open they are to try new things. New food, new adventures (ie skydiving!) and I always think that a person should always look to improve themselves. We aren’t perfect right??

5. Honesty

a. Honesty is very very important. I have been lied to in past relationships and I do not care to be in a relationship that revolves around lies. Be honest with yourself first and have a honest heart for others

6. Places others before self

a. This is how I am. I try (of course I say try cause there are times when I just think about myself) to place others before my well being. I love to volunteer, and one of my passions is to give back to the community.

7. Should like children

a. I live with 2 kids (my nephews). I love them with all my heart and I would do anything for the as if they were my own. I would like to have a fairly large family in the future with kids of my own (distant DISTANT future) and plus I’m just one big kid myself!

8. Should have respect for self and others

a. Like the golden rule says, treat others as you would want them to treat you.

9. Should not have expectations.

a. I don’t expect anything in life, and more so from a significant other. I believe when I start having expectations in a relationship, the relationship is doomed. Rather I would revolve my life to fulfill my significant other’s needs and wants because it pleases me to see them happy.

10. Should be able to admit fault / someone without pride

a. I know I don’t have everything together. I know that I have made mistakes, so I don’t expect someone to be “perfect” either. Just admit when you do something wrong. (refer to #5)

I had a thought that having a list of what I would like to see in a person goes against my number 9. I felt like now that I have this list, I AM setting expectations. There really is only one expectation. You must have a relationship with GOD. I believe that if you have this pure and true relationship with HIM, all else will fall in line. My colleague proceeded to tell me that I look for these attributes in the person I want to date or marry because these are the attributes that I possess. He said that I truly want to have those same values I possess reciprocated back to me. This blew my mind. I knew that I might have some of the 10, but surely not all!

I don’t know. Maybe it’s me. I think in order to really find someone that will truly be a “match” you must find the ones that don’t. I believe that everything happens at the right time because God has planned it that way. Will I find Miss Right? Probably. Will I find her soon? It’s on God’s time. But for now, I’m content. I will wait on God because he has the perfect timing on everything, because he already has been there, and I trust HIM with my life.

“There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift.

I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.
Whatever was, is.
Whatever will be, is.
That's how it always is with God.” -Ecclesiastes 3

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Is the grass greener?

So hello all! I hope everyone has arrived home safe and sound. I just wanted to get back on track with my thoughts and my blog.

So lately, God has been teaching me about contentment. This afternoon I was in the break room waiting for my chicken and vegetables to be heated, (a "healthy" lunch mind you) when one of my colleagues walked up with a big container of Mac and Cheese. I of course stated that "Oooh that's so much better than my crappy lunch" (and by the way I soooooo enjoyed my lunch). It made me think though. Is the grass greener on the other side??

I have been guilty of wanting what I do not have. I have been guilty of not being happy with what I have. I need to remember I have all that I need. I occasionally focused on the mindset of; "Sure would be nice if I had Fill in the Blank". What about what I do have?? I loving family, an amazing home I get to live in, my health, my friends, and most importantly GOD. Have I strayed that far to think I am not blessed enough? To tell you the truth, I believe that GOD allows us to dream big dreams. Yeah, He is a sovereign GOD and we may not get all that we desire, but I believe they are not given to us to keep us in check.

"It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom." Galatians 5:19

I am making an effort to revolve my wants to be GOD-centric. Would GOD want me to get a PS3? Well probably, but I'm sure I would please HIM more in using that $400 towards others. Would GOD want me to be in a relationship??? Well technically I already am. I am in the best love relationship I can ever ask for. I am in a relationship with My First Love. Even if I don't always express my love, I always know that HIS love is unfailing. So I challenge everyone to ask themselves:

"Am I truly happy with where I am?"

"Am I content with my circumstances??? Do I trust God to provide??"

"Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." Philippians 4:10-11

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Purity

Pure Light Shines to disband Darkness...
Darkness in my heart
Darkness in my mind
Darkness in this world
A Pure Light Shines...

Pure Light Shines to provide Salvation...
Salvation for my soul
Salvation from Sin
Salvation from the evil one
A Pure Light Shines...

Pure Light Shines to show Love...
Love of GOD
Love of our brothers and sisters
The Love Everlasting
A Pure Light Shines...

The Pure Light Shines for Life ...
A Life that was once lost in Darkness
A Life that was once without Salvation
A Life that was once Loveless
A Pure Light Shines...

And that Pure Light....

....Is Jesus