Sermon Notes from New Life Church Service 10/30/10

Title: When God comes Down

Main Text: Genesis 11:1 Begins the story of the tower of Babel

Key Points:

-In the bible the illustration is given time and again when God's people separated from Him they traveled in the direction of East. For example when Adam and Eve were kicked out the garden of Eden they went east, when Lot separated he traveled east, when Cain wondered the earth after killing Able he traveled east. So its safe to say that for the sake of analogy when we as Christians separate ourselves from God we are figuratively traveling east or away from God.

-Sodom-Represents a sinful city a place where we as Christians run when we are trying to escape from the presence of God.

In biblical times walls and towers were constructed for one purpose which was defense. At the time of the building of the tower of Babel the inhabitants of the earth all spoke one language and were of one race human kind. So it was after the flood destroyed the earth that many of the people on earth were afraid of God. They felt that never again would they live in fear of God. 

Then the speaker asked us to think of what defense walls or towers are in our lives because we've built them to keep God out. 

Proverbs 18:10- We all are in need of security and and protection

We need to understand that in God we can find all the safety and protection that we need.

Ask yourself what are you willing to do for a name or for a title or identity? 

Isiah 66:22- Your name will last forever

When God comes down to inspect us what will God see in our hearts?

Love is hard for us to truly express because we are selfish.

When God comes down He will save those who accept His Gift of Salvation.

Don't let God have to confuse your life to bring about separation in order to save you.

I pray that you were blessed by the above words or inspiration. 

*** As always your feedback and comments are appreciated!

Status matters most to which sex...Women or Men...

Unfortunately I can only speak from the view point of a woman so I won't even attempt to write this from any other view than what I have experienced myself. I was listening to the radio this afternoon and the topic was: Who obsesses more over status and money Women or Men. So this post is in response to the commentary I listened to on the radio today. I also will give my own twist on the topic being that I have STRONG feelings on this topic being that I've experienced very harsh judgements from both men and women in regards to status. I think the above explanation is enough to give the foundation for what I'm about to share so here it is...

Well as a woman especially a woman of color who has practiced the craft of written and verbal expression via print, radio, web, and television Journalism I feel my insight might be slightly different than others who don't come from my background in journalism. That said, I must say in the dating arena which is what the focus of the radio show was today I think status matters just as much or more in a relationship when it comes to the woman. From my view, I'm often summed up as nothing more than a list of statistics that read: college graduate, skipped being a teen mother statistic, National Honor's Society of Communication Member, and Who's Who among Universities and Colleges award winner to name a few of my accomplishments. But I'm discovering that I'm so much more than just the above description. I am a WOMAN. I am a passionate, caring, motivated, opinionated woman of color who demands to be heard and understood!

I strive to make my communication as direct and colorful as possible. I want people to understand and relate to what I'm expressing so I take great care in the presentation of whatever I am attempting to communicate. I am often frustrated when people don't take time to listen to the complete thought that I'm trying to get across. I hate to be cut off in mid thought! So when I'm asked if I have children or not or what tax bracket I'm in when I'm out and about I quickly respond with well what difference does it make, You don't even know my name and you're asking about my personal matters and finances to decide if I'm worth pursuing! WHAT?! You would think that if he's willing to give me the third degree that he would have his affairs in order! Right... Well most of the time the answer is he doesn't have his life together but he EXPECTS me to be right on track in every area of life.

Its a total double standard in my opinion. For example its accepted in our society that men will go out and "sow their wild oaks" but then women are expected to live to a higher standard. It's the same with status I find. In my case men who see me at first sight usually immediately believe that I'm high maintenance. However I'd say that while I do require a certain level of living in regards to my lifestyle. The lifestyle that I live is largely made possible by my income and not that of my partner. Now that doesn't mean that he doesn't contribute to my lifestyle but that's just it he contributes not provides! I think there's a MAJOR difference. I would say that he enhances my finances by giving me the freedom to spend the money I earn towards monthly bills and whatever else I may feel is necessary for me to be happy.

For example I enjoy going to the spa twice a month when I get my manicure and pedicure. I also get my hair down weekly or bi-weekly depending on how it holds up during the week. Just because I enjoy some of the pleasures of life doesn't make me a woman who is high maintenance. In my view I'm a woman who recognizes and appreciates quality over quantity on any day of the week. For example I told him that if he plans on getting me any jewelry then it should be from Tiffany and Co only! I explained that while other jewelers may have less expensive pricing options however, I told him I don't want anything BUT Tiffany. So when he gave me my birthday gift and it was from Tiffany I was pleasantly rewarded for communicating directly my request rather than getting disappointed when he didn't meet my expectation that I had in my head. I think that the lack of communication is the reason why so many relationships are not successful.

Switching gears...

This is where my background in Journalism and Communication comes in. Now because of my chosen career path I have experienced a level of "status" that comes along with being a TV Personality. That means I've been invited and attended events where celebrities are as common as the oxygen that you're breathing right now. That said, it takes a lot to impress me from strictly a financial perspective and that's because I've been exposed to very affluent people and learned how they live and operate. For example I've noticed that people that have money don't think in terms of money when it comes to their lifestyle. They expect to be treated with the best customer service regardless of if they choose to actually purchase or not. They have an air of confidence that says they expect to be treated with respect!

Then on the other hand, from my observation I've noticed people that have a "hood mentality" have the perception that they deserve nothing but what they get. So if they are treated well they take it and if they aren't treated well they accept that as well. Being that I've been exposed to various social economic living standards I prefer to live according to a certain standard. Now that doesn't mean that I can't be content with less but it means that I'm working hard to make up the difference so that I can live according to what I want. One of my mentors told me that rather than decreasing my lifestyle I should increase my income by limiting my debit by investing...

So that's been my mission to make more money by having multi-streams of residual income. Hence, my Mary Kay Business! I enjoy building and cultivating my clientele and I've reached the point in my business where I've started to see the fruits of my labor meaning I'm getting reorders and referrals so its been an fulfilling to see my hard work start to pay off! There have been times when I got up in the morning to check my email to discover that while I was sleeping customers have made online orders! So to think that its possible to make money without being clocked in on a time clock is truly a feeling of accomplishment.

In summation I think status is equally as important to women as it is to men. Gone are the days when Men were the sole bread winners. In today's society, its almost required to have two incomes to have any type of stable household. Unless you happen to belong to the small segment of our society that's born with a sliver spoon or have worked to achieve a career that affords all necessities and there's still money left over to afford luxuries then more power to you! That isn't meant to sound negatively but the fact is most people won't ever be in the segment of people I just described. So I say work for what you want regardless of your sex and I feel God will bless your efforts if you put Him first in your life!

The above posting comes directly from my heart to yours... hopefully you can relate and feel the connection.... Thanks for reading as always! All comments and feedback is appreciated!

-Love always

Michiana Youth Federation Sermon Notes

Sermon Title: "The Living Dead"

Theme: Reignited for Christ!

Speaker: Pastor John Coaxum

Main Text: Mark 5:1-20 but mostly highlighted Mark 5:1-5

Each of us as Christians experience what the pastor called spiritual coma which is an existence where there is no passion or burning in our hearts for Christ and our relationship with God.

During this season of spiritual coma Christians might also experience what is described as a spiritual drought which is a period of time when one doesn't feel like reading the bible or praying or cultivating a daily prayer life or relationship with God.

There is a dangerous trend going on in Church's across the country and can be seen in congregations regardless of denomination or church affiliation, according to the pastor. The trend is that many church leaders are unfortunately emphasizing RELIGION or Doctrine OVER a Personal Relationship with God. He said the church sadly specializes in behavior modification rather than relationship cultivation as the motivating factor. Church leaders often unintentionally attempt to bind the youth in the chains of behavior captivity. Simply put, if there are no outward signs of sin then there must not be too many issues. But actually this idea couldn't be farther from the truth because our entire personal relationship with God is an "inside job".

However, once God starts to take control there will be evidence of this in our lives and it will be able to be seen through the fruits of our lives. Doctrine will never be a tie that binds one to God or the church. LOVE is the only motivating factor that has the power to keep us dedicated over time. The reason why the ideology of doctrine without relationship is so detrimental to the church, is because from the perspective of the pastor this is one of the major reasons why the YOUTH leave the church or don't feel welcome. He went on to say that the church should be viewed ALWAYS as a hospital. The very fact that there are church members in any church congregation is an open admission of the fact that we all have issues and are in need of constant grace and mercy!

My side comments brought on my the Sermon....

I personally was really glad to hear that I am not the only Young Adult church member that has come to the above conclusion. For YEARS I have felt unwelcome in my OWN church communities! I have felt pressured to confirm to life style standards and dress guidelines that honestly aren't reflective of my current spirituality or relationship with God. Therefore, I have taken what some may feel is a defiant stance in my walk with God. I NO longer CARE about what church members think about my spirituality because I've finally realized that NO ONE has a HELL to put me in but God Himself! So I'm not concerned any longer with what anyone thinks about me or my lifestyle or my personal relationship with God. I know this may sound like I'm upset or bitter about something. But I'm not. I'm just tired of appearing to live a double life. For years I attempted so much to "conform" to what I felt everyone expected of me that I totally lost my individuality along with my desire to even be apart of any church affiliation.

Sure I always loved the music ministries of various churches but that's as far as it went. I didn't pray and I didn't even try to cultivate any type of relationship with God. At that point in my life I had been disappointed by too many church leaders and family members who all CLAIMED to have such a direct connection with GOD yet their lives where a total contradiction to what they were preaching and attempting to shove down my "throat". I couldn't stand church people and to be honest there are still many that I can still do without. But I am so happy to report that the above mindset is being chipped away bit by bit by my new zeal and desire to work towards a more healthy view of the church and my overall relationship with God. I'm excited to wake up each day and have my private time with God and I'm beginning to enjoy going to church every Sabbath!

But there are still times when the words of some start to dig up some of the things that kept me away from the church BUT when I feel myself starting to allow others to influence my walk with God I simply separate myself from them until I'm strong enough to with stand their "christian criticism" of my life. I finally understand the bible text that says, "He who has begun a good work in me is faithful and just to complete it". Amen! Isn't that a BLESSING! All I have to do is submit to God each day and moment by moment when necessary and God will do the inside work on my heart, mind, and character! The key is I have to submit and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when I'm convicted of issues in my life that God wants to address. So the process of Christianity isn't a DESTINATION its a LIFE Journey!

*Now back to the sermon!

The pastor said that many of us in our Christian walk are in need of the defibrillator of grace which represents the jolt that we each need at some point in our lives to bring us back to the passion that we once had for God and our relationship with Him.

***He said there are many members in the congregation that are in the middle of the church and the world but are no where close to Jesus! Wow... Deep right!

The central text of the sermon highlighted the encounter that Jesus had with the Demoniac which was a term used in biblical times to describe one that was demon possessed.

The pastor pointed out that there are a three things that make each of us venerable to demonic possession.

1. Being an Empty person

2. Being a Person who hasn't chosen to be on either God's or Satin's side

3. A lack of Passion for God

He went on to break down why each category above is at a high risk when it comes to demon possession. The reason why the speaker described the three categories is because he said he researched how one can become demon possessed or what could lead to a higher risk in this regard.

The reason why empty people are a good target is because obviously they are searching and looking for something. And the bible clearly says "The Devil is a roaring lion looking for whom he may devour" or "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places".

He went on to say that in the story of the demon possessed man the village people represents the church often times because rather than addressing the problem of sin we attack the person. He said the bible says that the village people bound him with chains but he broke out each time. He said the chins represent doctrine without love, or religion without relationship with God, or just sins in general. Rather than repeating the cycle of attempting to bind the man the pastor suggested a different approach which entailed allowing love to penetrate the life of the man.

In God there is true FREEDOM! God in His infinite wisdom allows us to have the freedom to choose Him actively day by day and moment by moment.

FACT: The Devil and his angels NEVER take a break or vacation or lunch break their 24 hour existence revolves around getting us to take our eyes off God for even a Moment. The Devil isn't a respecter of person just like God. Therefor the Devil offers EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to all humans. The Devil is REAL and he doesn't discriminate! The Devil doesn't mind sharing us with God because he knows if he has a part of our minds or hearts that God doesn't have ALL of Us!

FACT: "Our God is a Jealous God"! He isn't EVER satisfied with just a small part of our lives or our hearts. God wants us entirely! He desires to have all of our hearts!

FACT: Being a "good person" doesn't equal a good Christian. The bible says none is good but the father and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God so that means EVERYONE including the CHURCH leaders! The good works that we do is done only when the Holy Spirit does it though us! In and of ourselves we are incapable of doing any good act. Because the bible says we are born in sin and shaped in inequity and its only through the acceptance of Christ death for our sins which causes one to die to self that we can ever attempt to do any positive act.

FACT: Darkness and light can't co-exist. By not making a decision for Christ we are choosing to take a stand for Satin by default because there is no MIDDLE ground there are only two choices two sides. Either the side of Christ and His side or the side of Satin and his side.

The demon possessed man in this story lived among dead people. The pastor pointed out that our circle of influences has a lot to do with the state of our spirituality. Simply put, if we surround ourselves with people who are dead on the inside we too may as well have one foot in a grave and one on a banana peal.

Finally, when Jesus saw the demon possessed man He saw a man first because when you read the text it points out that fact! Wow! Isn't it amazing that God sees us for what we can become and not what we are today. He sees our potential and is passionate about captivating our entire attention! Jesus sees beyond the sin to the heart! Wow...

So in regards to being empty or full of the wrong stuff there is a simple enough suggestion to address this problem which is to replace sin with obedience to God's will!

FACT: Sin is like cancer its self replicating.

I pray that all who read this are blessed! Please leave your comments!

Pearls and Velvet

Sermon Notes from Praise Fellowship October 9, 2010

Speaker: Irwin Larrier

Main text: John 4:1-10 The story of the woman at the well and the interaction she had with Jesus

Key points:

The story of the Samaritan woman was told in a very different way than I'm used to hearing. It was told from the perspective of the woman at the well. Basically the speaker used very descriptive and colorful language to depict the life of the woman and how she ended up at the well. He explained her life journey and told how she had disappointment after disappointment. Pointing out that she didn't just one day arrive in her predicament she arrived in her situation over approximately a 20 year journey. During that time she had her first marriage then divorced and she repeated the cycle over and over until she found herself in the situation where she was living with a man who she wasn't married to. Life had beaten this woman up to the point that her self worth was totally diminished not only in her eyes but also in the eyes of everyone she knew. She had a reputation so to avoid being around other people at the well she picked to go at the time she did. Also the speaker brought out that probably along her journey from her residence to the well she thought about the fact that none of her marriages had brought forth the fruit of children. So being childless was probably a sore spot for her especially in that day and age. While she still had hopes of a better life she had gotten so used to her circumstances that she didn't expect anything good for her life because life had crushed her faith.

The question was asked: What is christian fatigue?

Answer: Christian fatigue happens when we become content to be discontent with the circumstances of our lives to the point that we don't even look or try to change our situations.

This is where Jesus found the woman at the well! She was a broken woman who had become content with her discontent.

The speaker also highlighted the fact that marriage doesn't suddenly cure a relationship of issues. In fact he said in many ways marriage complicates or intensifies the issues couples may have prior to marriage.

We as Christians need to realize that when God is in our lives the problems we face aren't problems...we ARE the problem. We are so often concerned with our issues that we aren't able to appreciate where God has brought us from and where He's trying to take us.

Jesus is NOT the answer, Jesus is the SOLUTION!

Each of us are losing the battle against sin in our private lives.

Building blocks represent our character and worldview. The goal of the enemy is to destroy the building blocks of our lives so that we aren't able to build a strong foundation in Christ.

The building blocks of our lives are damaged by the following:

dysfunctional family environment

hate

despair

disappointment

bitterness

sexual sin

drugs

alcoholism

intemperance

The above issues are just a few examples of how the blocks of our lives become broken.

In the story of the woman at the well its easy to understand how her self worth was diminished to the point that she believed she didn't deserve any better than her situation.

Her personal moral struggles had chipped away slowly over time and had left huge emotional wounds.

The beautiful thing is that even in the state she was in Jesus embraced her in love, affirmation, and support!

We need to remember that Jesus created us in HIS image! Meaning that Jesus has put his image into me. But because of hardships we have forgotten we were made in God's image!

WOW! I thought that was deep... Let that marinate in your mind....

God knows that there is nothing good to build on in me BUT He still loves me and wants to rebuild not just the blocks of my character but me as a woman. God wants to restore me to being a reflection of HIS image!

In this day and age many of us have fallen into a pit of sexual sin according to the speaker.

He said we have wrong sexual programming! Meaning God designed us as individuals to connect sexually with ONE person. He explained that there are more than just physical things happening during sexual intercourse. There are physiological, emotional and spiritual effects of sexual sin. He went on to describe how the mind releases a chemical during sexual intercourse that allows us to connect to one's partner in a deeper way. The release of the chemical is done involuntarily that's why it can be so detrimental to one's character when sexual sin is happening.

Then the analogy was given of a pearl and the process that the speck of sand has to go through in order to become a pearl. He likened us as women to pearls and in the analogy he said that men represent cloth. But not just any cloth velvet. Hence the title of the sermon. He said in our lives God's plan is to take me where I am and refine me into what He desires for my life. In this illustration he said that men if they allow God in their lives they will become refined as fell and be smooth. The reason for the illustration is to show that the pearl can't be velvet and velvet can't be a pearl. Pointing out that each of us has specific roles in life in regards to relationships. So the speaker said it is the role of velvet to polish and display the pearl that God has designed us as women to be. And we as women are to allow our husbands to support us and allow God to use that man to refine us even more through a healthy relationship.

He said that many of us as women don't have velvet men in our lives because God is still working on us and if we had the velvet we wouldn't appreciate it or worse we would wreck the blessing!

To be clear Women represent the Pearl and Velvet represents Men. And this is because both materials have distinctly different roles and harsh processes to endure before reaching maturity.

He challenged men to adjust their priorities and worldviews when it comes to their dealings with women.

Another important point is that no matter what hardships I or any of us as women experience we need to realize that in God's eyes we are each valuable and we are still PEARLS!

When God restores or allows us to experience hardships I need to understand its only to make me be a better vessel for Him!

Further more Jesus is the TRUE Velvet! He alone is the one who has the ability to polish away particles of sin that have accumulated in our lives.

Also it was brought out that there is an idea in Adventism that SDA's have a monopoly on heaven! But the speaker said this idea couldn't be farther from the truth. The story of the roman solider who had his daughter healed by Jesus was told to illustrate how someone "outside" the church is viewed in the eyes of God!

Jesus after healing the child said to his followers that he hadn't seen that much faith in all of Israel. So to bring the illustration to today the speaker wanted us as a church to remove the idea of superiority from our complacent mindset. He went on to say that Adventism is a flavor of Christianity and other religions are different flavors. That is why the bible states that Jesus has sheep in MANY flocks! However it is my belief that God has called me to be the flavor of Adventism because He has called me for a special work. We as SDA's need to understand that not everyone is called to be our flavor! However, we also need to understand that different flavors have different worldviews which affect the way in which we live and see the world.

Today each of us had the opportunity to choose to become the Pearls and Velvet pieces that God intended us His children to be. So there is no reason to remain disillusioned by hopelessness or ones past!

My prayer is that the notes from todays message touches your heart! Be blessed and thanks for reading!

Acceptance vs. Approval

*Exploring the dynamics that occur between parents and adult children and the shift from childhood, to teenager, to adult...

I am choosing to write on this topic because its one that near and dear to my heart. There is a vast difference between APPROVAL and ACCEPTANCE. I'm going to be addressing these words within the context of parental relationships. I want to emphasize that my feelings on this topic are in no way a reflection of my relationship with my parents. However, I felt driven to write on this topic so here it goes...

For some reason people I feel are confused by my pleasant, easy going nature. They feel that my character or personality disposition makes me some how an easy target for words of life direction. My frustration is that even though these older adults might feel that they are giving me sound advice they don't give it like advice. They mostly give what I would characterize as criticism but it wouldn't be in the positive characterization. So I'm often baffled at the nerve of people to tell me how they think I should live my life. Now I'm not one to subscribe to the ideology that I know it all. However I am of the opinion that unless I ask for advice then I don't feel its necessary to get advice.

Also, I find myself quite speechless when people want to give me advice on a particular area that I feel they have no expertise in. For example, people LOVE giving me relationship and financial advice. But these same people with all the "advice" to give their life doesn't reflect the "wisdom" that they are in fact trying to impart to me. So yea, I'm often like what do you look like... being over weight giving me advice on health and wellness!

Its especially frustrating when dealing with loved ones on this touchy topic because for some reason family members often feel like they have the right to say whatever to you because they are family. I often find myself biting my tongue to keep from being disrespectful to my elders. I am amazed at how often people with all types of personal life issues are the ones usually to willing to give their opinion on how you should live your life. I mean don't get me wrong I appreciate when I am warned of potential pitfalls but my issue occurs when the topic is still pursued even when I have clearly communicated that I personally don't foresee my "situation" to be a "pit fall". That's when I become frustrated because I'm thinking clearly we aren't going to agree on this particular topic so stop beating me over the head with ideologies that are contrary to what I believe and have found to be true in my life.

There was a time when I earnestly sought the approval of my parents. However, now that idea has totally shifted. I still respect them as my parents but I no longer seek their approval I simply want their acceptance. I can't tell you the last time I truly felt loved and accepted by my family. I often feel that if I live my life in accordance to what they may feel they want me to then I have their approval for a short time. But its short lived!

My problem is that until recently I was truly bothered by the fact that not everyone in my family approved of me and my life decisions. But now I've come to embrace the concept that I can't make everyone happy. Nor do I want to attempt to make everyone happy. I am 27 years old and just now discovering how to become totally comfortable in my own skin and confident in my decision making process. Sure I make mistakes from time to time. But who doesn't! My thing is this just because I choose to live my life in a way that one might not approve of that doesn't mean that my life is in contradiction to what God's plan is for my life. I get so tired of others telling what God has told them in regards to how I should live or operate a particular area of my life. I often think to myself well if that's the case why doesn't God come and tell me about such and such. Why would he send a person who has never been in a nurturing successful relationship to give advice to me on relationships?

I'm also tired of others portraying or projecting themselves to be "oh so holy" in their lifestyle. Like they've been there all their lives when in fact they were a wild youth then teenager then young adult. But then suddenly they have a turn around spiritually then they want to shove down my neck how I should live. I personally think that's CRAZY to put it mildly.

Also when I ask for advice that doesn't mean that I haven't already come up with a solution to the issue. In most cases, that means I want to compare my conclusion to your advice to see how much of a similarity there is.

I feel that I'm learning so much about myself at this time in my life and I'd appreciate the space from everyone to continue on my journey of self discovery!

2010 BSCF Alumni Sabbath Sermon Notes

Topic: Heaven

Sermon Title: "Living in Anticipation"

Before I delve into the notes I took on the sermon I want to take a moment to speak about the sermon presentation. It was refreshing to see a new approach to their sermon. The husband and wife team spoke together from the podium. I felt that this captivated my attention as well as the attention of those in attendance being that it was just different from the norm. I was engaged because I'm always fascinated about getting information from as many sources as possible. So to get the sermon topic from both the male and female point of view and also from their perspectives as husband and wife really spoke volumes about their collective passion for each other and the topic.

Speakers: Baldwin and Pollyanna Barns

Life is all about relationships and what roles they play in our lives; be it our relationship with God, parents, spouses, relatives, friends, co-workers, and associates.

When you know that something important is about to happen you live your life in a state of preparation of the big event be it a wedding, funeral, trip, or even project deadline.

Heaven is a literal place and we need to think of it as such because then the way we live our daily lives will begin to reflect our belief.

There are a series of questions we as Christians should be asking ourselves as we get closer to the second coming of Christ with each passing day.

The questions are as follows:

• Am I living in anticipation or expectation of Heaven?
• Am I living in anticipation of the second coming of Christ?
• Have I taken time to envision my life in Heaven?
• Who is it that I need to be in my daily life here on earth so that I can receive the gift of salvation?
• Can I start now to live in an existence of true love and acceptance of everyone with whom I come in contact?
• What is it that will make Heaven real to me in a tangible way that will effect the way I live my daily life?
• Now if we look at our lives are we living in a way that reflects our destination being Heaven which should be the ultimate destination for a Christian?
• Have I thought about what it would be like to live with everyone in Heaven forever in a continual state of Joy and happiness?

There is something about living in anticipation. The story was told of a mother in law who was planning her trip to the Islands. For months she shopped and prepared, and packed so that she would be ready when the time came for the trip. There was no detail that was overlooked. Finally, the day came for the departure and so much anticipation had been built up that she wasn't able to sleep the night before. So on the day it was time to go she got dressed and fixed breakfast and then took her seat in the living room with her luggage. Now the departure wasn't for several hours but she had lived in such a state of expectation that she was ready well in advance.

Have we stopped to actually envision what it will actually be like to live without limitation?

We as Christians should be living in the state of mind of the future in this present day in age.

The reason why its important for us to envision Heaven as a real place is because we need a motivating factor to help put "a fire" under our bottoms.

We as Christians need to find something about Heaven that thrills us to the point that our life will transition from earthly issues and concerns to Heavenly blessings and pleasantries.

It is interesting to realize that even our very best efforts here on earth are so narrow and limited in comparison to the endless abilities we each will have once we get to Heaven.

1 Corinthians 13:12 Brings out the point that now we see things through the mirror of our own individual limited understanding.

Its hard to even understand the concepts of what it will be like to never grow old, never sleep, never have to use the bathroom, never get tired, never run out of time, never experience sadness, pain, sorrow, or death.

Our lives should reflect that fact that:

*God is real

*Jesus died on the cross so that salvation from our sins was possible

*Heaven is a real physical place

An interesting fact: Did you know children are programmed to be negative being that the word they hear the most during their entire childhood is no.

We need to allow God's light to take away the shadows of sin in our lives.

We need to also understand that we here on earth can begin to dwell in heaven by living by the principles of the God we serve.

It should be our goal to practice living in a state of authenticity.

Imagine for a minute if everyone who is close in your life could read your thoughts. Would the things you thought about them be positive or negative?

In Heaven even our thoughts will transform from the negative state they were in prior to translation.

Ephesians 4: 29-32 Speaks about the importance of not speaking unwholesome words. Some bible translations of this text go so far as to challenge us to not allow corrupt communication to come out of our mouths.

The speakers used the analogy of our bodies being a golden bowl to represent the temple of God. Now the question was asked what type of fruit do you want to be in the bowl. Do you want to be a golden bowl that is full of rotten, dirty, bug infested fruit? Or do we want to be a golden bowl that is full of luscious, ripe, juicy, delicious fruit? Well the words we speak are either good or bad fruit in this analogy.

When we put all this into prospective we will begin to appreciate the fact that our lives will alter by default when you begin to remove the negative fruit from our lives.

There are some tips that we can do to start living here on earth in anticipation of living in Heaven.

• Have family worship
• Get connected with God everyday through some type of devotion or bible text
• Work on developing an active thriving prayer life
• Eliminate bad foods from our diet that are hindering our health so that we can have a clear mind to communicate with God
• Develop a functional relationship with God

When I am connected with God great things will happen in my life and in the life of others who come in contact with me.

God's power will flow though our lives in a tangible way if we are connected to Him. So there will be evidence of our spiritual connection to God in how we live.

How many of us have our suitcase ready for when Jesus comes again? Suitcase representing our character because that's the only thing that we will take with us to Heaven our character and personality.

Our salvation is sure we need to live in anticipation of the fulfillment of the greatest gift which is the gift of life and salvation made possible through the death of Jesus on the cross!

If that isn't good news then I don't know what is....God bless each of you who took the time to read this post!

Battle of the Sexes!!!!

There are sometimes when I feel that its perfectly natural to want to be able to enjoy your "cake and eat it too"! In terms of gender roles and responsibilities I feel that there's been a major shift from times past. In some ways I think the changes have been good but in others...not so much. For example, I feel that as a woman I should be paid equally to a man in the work place. Now in my career I obviously don't do any heavy lifting, or physical labor. But even if I did I feel that I would pull my weight! I feel this way because I am a hard worker, I am a leader and I'm always looking for ways to improve the moral of my environment while increasing productivity. 

I feel that the contribution of women in the work place is often not appreciated or belittled in comparison to the work that men do. I've never subscribed to this mentality because I can only speak for myself when I say I know that when I'm working I'm doing just that! And hard I might add. I've never been one to be happy to do just the minimum. That said, its frustrating when men are treated like the superior sex in the work place. Of course I might not be able to do everything a man can but I can organize and delegate whatever is needed to make sure that the best level of performance is achieved.

But I'm still a WOMAN and I want to be treated as such! I want to when the time comes take advantage of my ability to take maternity leave and all other benefits that I am eligible for as a woman. I get tired of hearing people complain about how hard men work as if to say that woman don't.

Now in terms of relationships I think that its just as important to pull my weight in all areas be it finances, communication, and the over all maintenance of the relationship. I feel that this is the only way that a relationship can be successful when both partners are willing to work and actually put the work and effort in to make the relationship work. Yes I said it, it takes actual work or at least effort at the bare minimum to have a relationship flow in a way where both parties feel appreciated, respected, and of course loved.

That said, I must confess I have a slight obsession with the "olden" days when men were MEN an women were WOMEN. Let me explain, I have no issue working hard everyday and then coming home to try to make sure that the things that need my attention are taken care of be it house chores or whatever. But when I read books or watch movies from the period of say the 1800's or so when women wore the long, flowing dresses with the up-doo's I must say I'm enchanted...I think to myself what would it be like to actually just be a "homemaker" or a woman in high society who even if single was "taken care of". Now I'm just as ambitious as the next woman if not more so given my driven nature to succeed. BUT that doesn't mean that at times the thought of doing nothing more than in the case I was married taking care of home as my major responsibility isn't appealing...

I dream of the day when I'll have children and a family of my own. I think about how my home will be run and the challenges I will face as a wife and mother. I think of all the time I will spend cultivating the interest of my children while maintaining order and cleanliness in the home. I often find myself thinking of what it would be like to simply cook dinner, take care of the children all day, and the home. Of course we don't live in a society that thinks much of the role of motherhood or being a wife for that matter in terms of the duties that come along with those titles. In my opinion the roles of wife and mother are seen as just that roles that women take on and are expected to thrive at while juggling a full time career.

To me I feel like women are expected to be these superwomen of sorts...Women are expected to work all day then continue to work by taking care of the family. In my opinion that means maintain both responsibilities flawlessly with or without the support of a partner or husband. I listen to both married and single women and while there are a couple women who tell me about how they are able to split home responsibilities with their husband or mate the overwhelming majority of women I have spoken to said they feel like they are doing it all alone regardless of their "marital status".

Now clearly anyone with any perception would tell you that its impossible to literally do it all without having to make some huge sacrifices and compromises in terms of career and family life. For example, women who have found a way to find some sort of a balance with their career and family life often say they still feel like failures when they are unable to give their family the attention they feel is necessary to sustain both aspects of their life. For example we as a society have grown accustom to all types of things that we feel are necessities in terms of both career and family. In order to maintain a certain quality of life the woman is expected to work just to make ends meet so that the family can have its basic needs met. But at the same time, the hours and careers that provide the salaries necessary to facilitate the desired lifestyle is often very rigorous and demanding leaving the women feeling drained after getting off work.

If it were a perfect world my existence would be as follows. I would work when I wanted to with various volunteer organizations I am partial to for one reason or another be it youth or education oriented. I would be a stay at home wife and eventually mother. I would be an active participant in the education of my children through homeschooling for a duration. Then the children would be put in either private school or equivalent in regards to the quality of education. I would be there to cook and take care of the home and also the children. I would consume myself with the lives of my family but I would still nourish other areas of  interest in regards to my career. I think that being a wife and mother are very serious roles and not simply titles that we as women usually do at different stages of our lives. I take both responsibilities seriously. I look forward to seeing how my views change in regards to my perception verses what actually ends up happening as far as how my home is operated. As it stands I'm sure I will remain in the work force full or part time with or without children. Simply because  I enjoy the interaction from  my co-workers and the intellectual challenges I face within the work force. However, as I stated its nice to sometimes envision other possibilities for my life.

Now this is obviously very much from a woman's perspective because I can only speak from my experience as a woman who has interacted with other women. That isn't to say that the work that men do is any less appreciated. I'm just saying that in a perfect scenario it would be nice if women were treated as TRUE equals in the work place and in the case of being attached to a man (no matter the form of the relationship) that she still be given the support needed around the home.

Now I must say in my current relationship, I don't have any issues with "equality". We each do our share to make sure that things are taken care of be it financially or whatever else needs our collective attention. But I felt the need to address this topic because so many of my peers seem to be in situations where they feel like they aren't appreciated at work or the home. And being that I am a woman I can defiantly sympathise with their concerns.

However, I can't conclude this post without saying that there are more than a few good men out there! I feel that many of the good men that we as women or at least I often overlooked didn't come in the "packaging" I was looking for. But blessings come when you least expect them and in "wrapping" that you might have never have guessed!

Growing Pains

In my experience I've learned that there are different phases that most relationships go through.

1. The Honeymoon Stage: First couple months or first few years depending on how well you do at maintaining the "fire" in the relationship. This is when there's lots of hand holding and staring into each other eyes...

2. The rhythm Stage: When a since of normalcy develops as far as routines. This is when you learn what makes one another tick. Or this is when you become aware of how you can push the other buttons and how far to push.

3. The growing pains Stage: This is when one or both partners in the relationship are in a life transition. Where the rhythm stage is challenged! This is when one of both partners preferences or views changes in a way that could affect how the relationship flows for lack of a better term.

Obviously there are other stages that one goes though in a relationship but I would like to focus on the last of the three that I just outlined above. So without going into too much detail in my estimation I currently am in the growing pains stage of my relationship. I would like to say that for the most part during the time of our relationship have learned to communicate in an effective way. However, recently we've both become more vocal about how we see our future and how we would like to see the relationship progress. That said, we've been experiencing what I would like to call growing pains. For example last night we dealt with what I thought was as make us or break us topic. I won't disclose the topic because it isn't relevant to the point that I'm making.

Simply put, we both got a lot of things off our chest that we hadn't had time to discuss due to our work schedules. So rather than dealing with one issue at a time as it arose we had several topics that we needed to talk about and come to some sort of a resolution. I admire him for his ability to listen and take my feedback into consideration during our verbal exchange. However, to be honest neither of us wanted to talk about many of the things that we ended up discussing. But it had to be done. The out come of the intense conversation was a clearer understanding of each other's expectations. I was eager for clarity so I know I push his patience to the point of emotional exhaustion... This isn't my intent but I often will repeat myself to make sure we are both clear. And I will often say things like, "so let me put what you just said in my own words just to make sure there isn't any confusion". I must admit that this often irritates him because he feels that since we both speak English there shouldn't be room for misunderstandings or miscommunication. However, I strongly disagree because I feel that different words have dramatically different meanings from person to person. For example the word love. Some perceive love to be simply an emotion fueled by passion or "fussy" feelings. But I personally am of the opinion that love is an action word that should be seen rather than simply spoken. So if you say you love me for example I need to see evidence of that love in our daily interactions. I know that may sound like I'm a demanding person in terms of my expectations but I think that while I have expectations I never ask for something that I too am not willing to do myself.

I think that where many people run into trouble is when they discover that their partner isn't who they perceived them to be when they first started the relationship. It is only natural for two people to change to some degree during the course of the relationship. For example one person may be extra spiritual at the beginning of the relationship but for one reason or another falls into a "rut" spiritually. Then that same person may have some sort of experience that jump starts a new thirst for a closer walk with God. Now the other person for example may be really into say sports at the beginning of the relationship but as the relationship progresses the person becomes more involved in say community service as an outlet.

What I have observed among my peers is that many couples are not prepared for the changes that inevitably happen. Basically there is an unspoken assumption that both partners will remain exactly the same in appearance and temperament for the total duration of the relationship. But I personally feel that assumption is the cause of the demise of many relationships. Because people shift in their views and preferences. I also think that people are sometimes unaware of their own changes and think that its only one person that is changing when in fact both people are both changing in different ways.

I also have come to realize that not everyone that says they are happy for your happiness is telling the truth. For example, have you ever been around a negative person who seems to find fault in everyone's situation. They push their unhappiness on you by talking about the negative state of their relationship. I have been guilty of coming from such conversations thinking...."Man maybe I need to re-evaluate my relationship...maybe its not as good as I think". This I think can be dangerous to the fundamental foundation of ones relationship when you allow outside people and opinions to shape your opinion of your situation. Simply put, if she isn't happy in her relationship she makes you think that its not possible for you to be happy in your relationship. Or that you somehow are living in a reality where you are permanently wearing rose colored glasses where you don't see the issues that may exist due to being so "in love".

I also have witnessed grown men and women who are so unhappy in their lives that they can't stand the fact that you are happy. These people are almost impossible to be around because they make even the sunniest day seem dark and dreary just with their negativity! It is these people that personally really get under my skin because for some reason they feel that are relationship EXPERTS yet they aren't in a relationship, haven't been in a relationship, and aren't likely to attract a mate due to the repulsive state of mind they dwell in.

I think its sad when people get in such an emotional rut that they can't see the forest for the trees. I wanted to write about this because I felt like others might relate to what I wrote. I also wrote it as a form of therapy because for me writing is a release for me to vent or just express what may be going on in my mind.

I think its important to maintain communication between one another and not to take for granted the feelings of each other. I have learned quite a lot about myself in this relationship and how I deal with allot of things. I know I have lots more to learn but I hope you enjoyed my thoughts about some of the things I'm leaning though my relationship.

I would love to hear your experiences or comments! Thanks for reading!

Sermon Notes from 9/19/10

The sermon this past sabbath was so powerful to me because it explored the characteristics of the Holy Spirit. The sermon presentation was also very engaging being that Elder Aaron didn't speak from the pulpit like most pastors or speakers. He came down and spoke with the congregation in a manner that was almost like sabbath school. He encouraged feedback and even allowed questions and answers from the audience, which I thought was a nice touch! So I will share highlights from the sermon that were meaningful to me. I hope you are blessed. Again, all comments and are appreciated!

Church: Praise Fellowship Seventh-Day Adventist

Sermon topic: The Holy Spirit
Speaker: Elder Aaron Sikhosana

The Holy Spirit isn't bound by a body like we are. Yet the bible refers to the Holy Spirit as a he denoting person hood. There is a misconception among some in the christian community the Holy Spirit is some how not equal with the other members in the God head which include God the father and Christ. Being that we as humans are limited by our finite minds we can't truly comprehend who God is or how powerful He is. So Elder Aaron brought out that God used the terms father and son when speaking of the God head in terms we as humans could understand. That said, there is much for us to explore and learn about who the Holy Spirit is.

Genesis 1:26 Speaks about our creation and how we were made in the image of God

Matthew 26:19 Highlights how Jesus wants to make Disciples of all nations

2 Corinthians 13:14 Emphasizes that the Holy Spirit will be with us

John 16:12 Speaks about how the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth

Genesis 6:3 This text points out that the Holy Spirit is the means by which God speaks to our hearts

Psalms 139:7-10 Asks the question where can I go that God isn't there

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to draw us closer to God. The Holy Spirit being the vehicle by which God motivates and moves us.

*The Holy Spirit specializes in the work of the heart!

There will come a time when God will withhold or withdraw His Spirit from earth. But that time is not now.

Ephesians 4:30 Warns us not to grieve the Holy Spirit

Elder Aaron brought out that the Holy Spirit has feelings too and that He is hurt by our constant rejection which can lead to the Spirit being grieved.

When we recognize the magnitude of God's love and what intensity God puts into trying to draw us closer to Him we will begin to see what affect our sin has on Him.

The next part of the sermon focused on the different roles and attributes of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit comforts us- if you can imagine Him wrapping arms around us in time of grief or trouble.

The Holy Spirit is the the Still small voice which is not to be confused with your conscience. Your conscience as defined by Elder Aaron is the moral capacity to understand or conceptualize right from wrong which is essentially your world view.

One of the main functions of the Holy Spirit since the time of Christ is to be a teacher.

The Holy Spirit also intercedes on our behalf through prayer. Elder Aaron gave the analogy of his son wanting a game station and how the particular game station was at the lower end when compared to other game stations. Simply put the Holy Spirit is able to discern our needs better than we can verbalize them. So when we pray the Holy Spirit becomes the vehicle by which our concerns are submitted to God. The closer we get to God in our relationship the more in line our request will be with God's will for our lives.

We often get in the way of the work the Holy Spirit is trying to do on our hearts.

The Holy Spirit also convicts us of sin. As a result of our sinful nature we don't have the capacity to even repent of our sins. So it is ONLY by the work of the Holy Spirit that we are moved through His conviction of our minds that we are in need of repentance. Further more, repentance isn't automatic! Repentance is a gift! I thought that this was quite POWERFUL because I had never heard it explained so plainly. Basically our sinful nature prevents us from even being aware of our sin so it is only through the Holy Spirit that we are moved to remorse or regret of our sin.

The Holy Spirit works in capacities as we allow God to come into our lives.

It is the absence of the Holy Spirit that makes our lives as Christians powerless. Conversely the Holy Spirit unfortunately in many of our lives is an untapped resource. We were urged to pray in earnest for an out pouring of the Holy Spirit into our lives. We were encouraged to pray first for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives before we ask for anything else in our prayer lives.

I was truly blessed by this message! I hope that you too are blessed and encouraged!

The Unbearable Whiteness of TV News

This is an interesting article I came across and it further illustrates some of the points I mentioned in the article I wrote about my experiences in the world of Journalism.