I really like Andy Stanley. He's a pastor and speaker and has this absolutely uncanny way of being witty with a message at the very same time he is stepping ALL OVER your toes.
The first part of a four-part series entitled "Your Move" is about examining WHY we make the decisions we make and forcing ourselves to be honest about it. WHY did we take THIS job we just took? Why did I choose to date THIS man? Why did I wear THIS to work today? Why do I spend more time ON FACEBOOK than I do reading the Bible?
This week I'm going to start filtering the decisions I make through the honesty filter. Not things like "why did I choose the Grilled Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers lunch instead of the Lasagna?" but things like "why did I make a negotiation move in a certain way?" or "why did I fill out my career development sheet in the manner that I did?".
Understanding our motivations behind our decisions is critical. Did we buy the new 47" Samsung TV because 'we really needed a new TV and this was truly the best deal'? Or did we buy the 47" Samsung TV because 'everybody else has an LCD big screen and a Vizio on the wall isn't as impressive as a Samsung'? Are we spending to impress when we could be using our resources in better ways? Do we take certain jobs because 'they'll help us better provide for our future' or because 'they'll allow me to move away from my in-laws'? (That's just an example honey....I didn't take the job in Memphis to get away from your parents.....REALLY).
So, I'm looking forward to seeing how this new filter stops me in my tracks and makes me think more deeply about what I do and say. Reports forthcoming......
Here's the outline for Part One if you're curious......
http://www.groupcurriculum.org/questions/questions.jsp?messageID=814
About Me
- Carolyn
- Olive Branch, MS, United States
- I'm a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a friend. I work, I play, I laugh, I smile and I cry. I love to read, to ponder and to write. These are the thoughts I feel inspired to share...by no means all of them, just some of them.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Friday morning routine
My Fridays are precious to me - the absolute BEST day of the work week!! Why? Because it's 'Friday', the last day of the week? Because the next day is 'Saturday'? Heck no!!! It's way better than that.
Let me walk you through a normal Friday:
4:26am - Alarm goes off. It usually takes me 13 seconds to shake the cobwebs out, realize that 'yes, it is indeed time to get up', and roll out of bed.
4:27-4:33am - Throw on a typically mismatched outfit of workout clothes, a serious layer of deoderant and my baseball cap.
4:34am - Contemplate NOT brushing my teeth since I'll likely chew gum at workout....then realize how gross that is and brush them.
4:35am - Lace up the Asics GT-2140's. I love these shoes....they are orange and white and I bought them on EBay for less than half the MSRP.
4:36am - Dig water bottle out of a drawer, fill it with ice and water and hopefully remember to close the lid.
4:37-4:50am - Drive to Jay-Lo's. Typically update my FB status at the first redlight announcing to the world (or at least 242 friends) that I'm crazy enough to be up that early to workout.
4:50-4:53am - Sit in parking lot waiting for our awesome instructor Cyrilla to show up and let us in. Catch up on last nights FB activity on my Blackberry.
4:53-5:00am - Get in, put down mat and weights and get myself mentally prepared to give it 100%!
5:00-6:00am - Workout with the usual 12-15 peeps. I love my Friday class - Cyrilla is a great motivator and the other people in the class are all so committed and push each other.
6:01-6:03am - Moan and groan, give a high five to Cyrilla and wish her a good weekend, and drag out to the car.
6:03 - 6:07am - Drive to Starbucks. I remember to put my glasses back on about half the time.
6:07-7:00am - Enjoy a grande skinny hazelnut latte in the brown leather chair with Kellie. We sit and chat about family, work, God and everything else. Always good conversation. Typically get 3-5 Olive Branch policemen to ooogle at while we're there.
7:00 - 5:00pm - Go home, get ready for work, drive kids to school (love doing that!), go to work, work all day, then call it a day.
WHY IS THIS SO AWESOME??
Because I'm feeding myself mentally, physically and spiritually to a point of sheer happiness. Having the discipline to get up, pushing myself at workout, then relaxing within the realm of a truly wonderful friendship satisfies me to the point where NOTHING can put a damper on my day. LOVE MY FRIDAYS!!!!!
Let me walk you through a normal Friday:
4:26am - Alarm goes off. It usually takes me 13 seconds to shake the cobwebs out, realize that 'yes, it is indeed time to get up', and roll out of bed.
4:27-4:33am - Throw on a typically mismatched outfit of workout clothes, a serious layer of deoderant and my baseball cap.
4:34am - Contemplate NOT brushing my teeth since I'll likely chew gum at workout....then realize how gross that is and brush them.
4:35am - Lace up the Asics GT-2140's. I love these shoes....they are orange and white and I bought them on EBay for less than half the MSRP.
4:36am - Dig water bottle out of a drawer, fill it with ice and water and hopefully remember to close the lid.
4:37-4:50am - Drive to Jay-Lo's. Typically update my FB status at the first redlight announcing to the world (or at least 242 friends) that I'm crazy enough to be up that early to workout.
4:50-4:53am - Sit in parking lot waiting for our awesome instructor Cyrilla to show up and let us in. Catch up on last nights FB activity on my Blackberry.
4:53-5:00am - Get in, put down mat and weights and get myself mentally prepared to give it 100%!
5:00-6:00am - Workout with the usual 12-15 peeps. I love my Friday class - Cyrilla is a great motivator and the other people in the class are all so committed and push each other.
6:01-6:03am - Moan and groan, give a high five to Cyrilla and wish her a good weekend, and drag out to the car.
6:03 - 6:07am - Drive to Starbucks. I remember to put my glasses back on about half the time.
6:07-7:00am - Enjoy a grande skinny hazelnut latte in the brown leather chair with Kellie. We sit and chat about family, work, God and everything else. Always good conversation. Typically get 3-5 Olive Branch policemen to ooogle at while we're there.
7:00 - 5:00pm - Go home, get ready for work, drive kids to school (love doing that!), go to work, work all day, then call it a day.
WHY IS THIS SO AWESOME??
Because I'm feeding myself mentally, physically and spiritually to a point of sheer happiness. Having the discipline to get up, pushing myself at workout, then relaxing within the realm of a truly wonderful friendship satisfies me to the point where NOTHING can put a damper on my day. LOVE MY FRIDAYS!!!!!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
How Can Your Heart Get 'Stolen'?
The other day I heard Britt Nicole's song, "The Lost Get Found" on the radio. Twice. In the same day. I love to really LISTEN to lyrics and was smacked by the phrase:
"THEN YOUR HEART WAS STOLEN"
I started thinking about all sorts of things but ended up coming back to these questions:
"HOW DOES ANYTHING GET STOLEN?"
"WHAT GET'S STOLEN?"
"HOW DO YOU KEEP THINGS FROM GETTING STOLEN?"
So. Things of value are stolen when they are not guarded. Plain and simple. People don't steal junk, they don't steal things that have no value. They steal things that have meaning and worth....maybe just to them....but they do have meaning and worth. Things that aren't guarded, are left out in the open, are careless handed off to others...these are things that are stolen.
Back to the heart. Mine was stolen a long long time ago.....I say that because I certainly did not have control or possession of it. My heart was once ruled by power and by greed. I had carelessly let it roam, let it be held by people and things that were not looking out for it's well being. Was it worth anything at the time? Well, it was worth keeping from ME....keeping from the opportunity to love and to care about anything other than myself. For a good many years my heart was held captive, stolen by Satan for his own pleasure.
I have my heart back, but this time I'm protecting it. How? By allowing the Spirit to inhabit it, from the front door to the back porch and everywhere in between. It's guarded day and night by what I read, what I watch, who I spend my time with. I still put my heart out in the open, but now it's done with purpose, protected the whole way by genuine love.
My heart will not be stolen again.
"THEN YOUR HEART WAS STOLEN"
I started thinking about all sorts of things but ended up coming back to these questions:
"HOW DOES ANYTHING GET STOLEN?"
"WHAT GET'S STOLEN?"
"HOW DO YOU KEEP THINGS FROM GETTING STOLEN?"
So. Things of value are stolen when they are not guarded. Plain and simple. People don't steal junk, they don't steal things that have no value. They steal things that have meaning and worth....maybe just to them....but they do have meaning and worth. Things that aren't guarded, are left out in the open, are careless handed off to others...these are things that are stolen.
Back to the heart. Mine was stolen a long long time ago.....I say that because I certainly did not have control or possession of it. My heart was once ruled by power and by greed. I had carelessly let it roam, let it be held by people and things that were not looking out for it's well being. Was it worth anything at the time? Well, it was worth keeping from ME....keeping from the opportunity to love and to care about anything other than myself. For a good many years my heart was held captive, stolen by Satan for his own pleasure.
I have my heart back, but this time I'm protecting it. How? By allowing the Spirit to inhabit it, from the front door to the back porch and everywhere in between. It's guarded day and night by what I read, what I watch, who I spend my time with. I still put my heart out in the open, but now it's done with purpose, protected the whole way by genuine love.
My heart will not be stolen again.
Monday, March 1, 2010
The "bad" part of having a closer walk with God
Ok, not really 'bad', but it may seem that way at first. Let me explain....
Often we Christians lament about 1) not knowing God's will, 2) not feeling the Holy Spirit's nudging, 3) not getting anything out of reading the Bible or hearing a sermon. As we discuss it we always end up with "the closer we get to God the more we'll hear him, feel Him, experience Him".
Well, that's all true! Without a doubt, the more I've committed my time, my thoughts and my actions to serving God, the more He's revealed to me in one way or another. I'll testify to that all day.
So where's the 'bad'? Well, along with all these good consequences I can tell you that God will ALSO make you more aware of where you're falling short of His expectations......where your SIN lies. Seems as though if I'm coasting along, making my own decisions and doing my own thing, I'm mostly content in knowing that I'm making what I think are the best moves. But as my focus is more squarely on God I've been struck by actions, feelings and emotions that are seriously ungodly. Another term for that would be SINFUL.
I'll offer up an example. I've stewed over something for months. I felt as though a friend should've done something that she didn't do. I took her actions (or inaction) as an affront to me. Just a few weeks ago, as I was listening to a sermon, letting the words sink in, it struck me that I was being selfish and judgemental. I struggled with that for a while but quickly realized that I WAS wrong and that I owed this friend an apology.
This whole realization and subsequent admission to my friend was not initially pleasant. BUT - there are two results from this experience that are simply awesome. First, the phone call to my friend and our conversation opened up our friendship in a special way. Second, I'm encouraged that I'm honing my listening and understand skills where God is concerned.
So, as you pursue God, remember that not only will He reveal what you should be doing, saying, thinking but also what you need to STOP doing. Where you're sin lies. Where you're seriously falling short. But that's what we want, right????
Often we Christians lament about 1) not knowing God's will, 2) not feeling the Holy Spirit's nudging, 3) not getting anything out of reading the Bible or hearing a sermon. As we discuss it we always end up with "the closer we get to God the more we'll hear him, feel Him, experience Him".
Well, that's all true! Without a doubt, the more I've committed my time, my thoughts and my actions to serving God, the more He's revealed to me in one way or another. I'll testify to that all day.
So where's the 'bad'? Well, along with all these good consequences I can tell you that God will ALSO make you more aware of where you're falling short of His expectations......where your SIN lies. Seems as though if I'm coasting along, making my own decisions and doing my own thing, I'm mostly content in knowing that I'm making what I think are the best moves. But as my focus is more squarely on God I've been struck by actions, feelings and emotions that are seriously ungodly. Another term for that would be SINFUL.
I'll offer up an example. I've stewed over something for months. I felt as though a friend should've done something that she didn't do. I took her actions (or inaction) as an affront to me. Just a few weeks ago, as I was listening to a sermon, letting the words sink in, it struck me that I was being selfish and judgemental. I struggled with that for a while but quickly realized that I WAS wrong and that I owed this friend an apology.
This whole realization and subsequent admission to my friend was not initially pleasant. BUT - there are two results from this experience that are simply awesome. First, the phone call to my friend and our conversation opened up our friendship in a special way. Second, I'm encouraged that I'm honing my listening and understand skills where God is concerned.
So, as you pursue God, remember that not only will He reveal what you should be doing, saying, thinking but also what you need to STOP doing. Where you're sin lies. Where you're seriously falling short. But that's what we want, right????
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