Meting Needs

Over the weekend, I attended a women's retreat at my home church in Montgomery, AL with my mom and my sister. It was a great time of fun, food, chocolate, and teaching.  The weekend was "Loving Well" a retreat teaching series by Beth Moore. We watched 4 teaching sessions on love and the people in our life that we are called to love. 

People in our lives typically fall into four categories: joy, testy, foe, stranger. Joy is easy to love, Testy is difficult to love, Foe is impossible to love, and Stranger only comes in our life randomly.

I was challenged in each area, especially testy, however some things Beth said about loving "stranger" really impacted me.

Loving stranger..."is an opportunity to love with no strings attached and to love not for what we can get back for it"

"Loving a stranger relieves us of the burden of self-absorption"

So often our first thought is to witness to a "stranger" when by meeting their needs first its sets a better stage for them to receive the truth of the gospel. David also challenged the students with this idea at SHIFT this weekend. The Lord has really challenged me to be more aware of the needs in peoples lives and share the gospel with them through meeting those needs!

An Amazing Testament

Rick Burgess is the co-host of the Rick and Bubba Show, a popular morning talk-show primarily aired in AL. He and Bubba have always been very open about their faith in Christ and have been great witnesses for His Name.

Tragically Rick and his family lost their 2 year old son in a drowing accident over the weekend. I have just listened to the memorial service where Rick spoke, and could not be prouder to call him my brother in Christ. He has turned this event into an opportunity to bring glory to God's name and bring people to Christ! I encourage you to take the time to listen to him share his heart and the journey he has gone through the last several days. His speech is an amazing testament to God's grace, mercy, faithfulness, love, kindness, comfort, and promises to carry us through the trials that we will endure on this earth. May we surround him and his family with prayers!

Media File:
http://www.strengthtostand.com/audio/BronnerMemorial-RicksMsg.mp3

You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PUHUZWyFeg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7aNDixS2J0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUT8Bk6Ou90

Buddhism teaches them niceness

On the way home from work Bryan was sleeping so I listened to the Wednesday weekly edition of Dr. Blue on Star 94. I don't really like him, or his counseling philosophies, however, since I am pursuing a career in counseling(one day) I still like to listen. 

Dr. Blue just got back from a 3 week visit to Thailand. His comments on the country were that the people were so nice, and that he had never been treated with such "niceness". "Buddhism teaches them niceness".  Having been to two Buddhist/Hindu countries, I can agree with him that yes culturally they are very nice (for the most part-the rude ones are out there and you just don't understand their language) But what impacted me more than anything was the fact that he equated their religion with their actions-positive actions. 

I hope that when people meet Christians they think things like this as well. I pray that we will be a generation of believers marked by love, patience, kindness, compassion, forgiveness...

I told you...

Well, last night around 10 we got a wonderful New Year's surprise - snow flurries! It wasn't much and it stopped by midnight but it was a wonderful promise that 2008 is going to be a great year =) I love snow and I know that it might not have excited as many people as it did me and bryan. It also reminded me that Christ promised to wash us white as snow.

"says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18

Happy New Year

I am so excited about 2008...because I love even numbers. Not that odd numbered years are bad I just really love even numbered years. I will also turn an even number age this year which makes me happy as well. I know its a strange obsession, but it makes me smile.

So on a more serious note...

As the new year has approached I have thought about things that I want to change and work on. Some carry over from years past that I am still working towards and then there are new ones. My biggest goal is a shift in my mindset. Instead of basing my choices on what I want, how I feel I am realize my mindset needs to shift to what is best and making wise choices and my feelings will catch up. Most of this involves only certain areas of my life that need this mentality shift, however, I know that change starts in the renewing of the mind. Also that discipline will develop out of this as well.

I am looking forward to 2008 with much anticipation simply because I serve a God that is good and I know whatever this year holds will be to further His Kingdom and I am glad to be a part of it. I hope 2008 is a wonderful year for us all as we seek first His Kingdom!