Can I Get An Example?

In the world of technology, I find myself often times falling further and further behind the younger generation. I still have not joined the world of Iphones but have managed to gain hold of my first Smart Phone. What I don't understand is if it's supposed to be so smart, why all the hassles of trying to use the apps that phone comes with. When I got my new phone there isn't even an owner's manual to accompany it, just a link within the phone that takes me to the internet to look at all the options. I don't know about you, but this just doesn't work for me. How can you follow along with a link on the web from your phone and then toggle back and forth to do what you need the phone do to. For me, often times it's the most simple thing, like putting my phone on silent or vibrate without having to go through multiple steps. I need an example to follow.

That is why I am more than thrilled when I find someone with the same phone as me, who has become a master at anything that phone can do. I'd rather consult with them than look through the millions of options online to explain what my friends can do in a short and sweet manner. I even love it when they show me things I didn't even know my phone can do like hitting an app called City Lens which opens up what looks like a camera option on my phone. I simply look through my phone's window and turn around and depending on what I'm searching for will show me where the nearest restaurant, bank, gas station or movie theater is based on where I am standing. I then simply click on the link and it magically opens up the navigation portion for turn by turn directions to wherever I am looking to go. I could easily see using this when visiting places where you literally don't know where anything is, like out of the area travelers.

So I am sure, you've figured out this isn't just about me and getting someone to show me how to use my phone, right?

Nope, it's a God thing today.

Meaning God's got a message for you today.

Just what is it, well its based on what I see happening around me every day. And it impacts me more when I see people who claim to be Christians leading people away from Christ. What do I mean exactly?

Lately even Christians have thrown up their hands in frustrations when the things they often pray about don't happen. It might mean a job change, financial help or you name it. In light of the way the world's headed, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle with everyone else. However what I find it that when people know you're a Christian, they expect a certain standard from you. Often times they expect you to handle crisis better than most. Often times we don't live up to their expectations. I think that reflects poorly on us because it sets the stage often times for what being a Christian looks like.

We are instructed by Jesus to follow Him. He is the perfect example. We are therefore, to be like examples of Jesus in the world today, since Jesus is not physically here. We are. We are often times the only examples people will see of what following Jesus looks like. We are to be that example to the world or at least the people we encounter every day. We don't have to be perfect, but I would examine how you act around people who know you are a Christian.

What would they say Christ looks like after looking at you?

Ouch! That one stung didn't it.

I'm the first to say, I mess up a lot. I don't always live up to what I believe Jesus wants to see me do every single day, and often times I don't even bother to take the time to say a simple prayer and invite Him into my day. I just assume He'll jump on board and follow me. But that is my first mistake. I can do NOTHING without Him. Oh sure I can accomplish things, but how many times I have missed the mark of what I was suppose to accomplish today because I was simply too worried about my to do list getting done.

Lately I've watched my fellow Christians simply give up. They go to work at a job they hate for years hoping that someone will simply fire them rather than quit and move on if they're not happy. They set a horrible example of what being a Christian is to those working around them see. I don't think they are setting the type of example God will ask us to show the world. We are instructed to give our very best every single day. We are followers of Christ, let His light shine before all to see.

I think most of us have simply thrown in the towel with the world. Living a life for Christ is not an easy one, but one we never have to go at alone. We have Jesus Christ, all Powerful, All Knowing, All Capable of providing for us whatever we need to accomplish His goal for us today.

I would encourage you to look at the example you've been setting lately. Would God be pleased?

How many people know you're a Christian? What kind of example have you been teaching them lately about what it is to follow Christ?

The end is drawing closer and it's time to not conform to the world's standards but to be set apart from them. I hope this message encourages you in some way and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Matthew 5:16 " In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

What Does Your Life Your Look Like?

Every year I get a letter from an organization now that my kids are still in school offering a chance for them to be Ambassadors and have the opportunity to travel. It's always fun to read about the trip but we are often stuck on the price to send our kids for a week to 10 days on a trip quite literally at times around the world. Sometimes it's exotic locations like Egypt or a European journey through Paris, Italy and Germany, an opportunity to visit things we've only read about in the History books. Sometimes I wonder if my own parents received letters and never shared them with me because the cost is always an issue.

It reminded me about a study I did this morning in my devotions about developing our own character as representatives in Christ. As believers we are Ambassadors for Christ in everything we do or say. What we need to stop doing is living for people. What people will think about us when we fall at times, like all Christians do. We are representatives for the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to show people what Jesus Christ looks like because they may not have heard about Him, read about Him and they certainly can't see Him any longer since He left the Earth so many years ago.

If you think about your day to day dealings with every single person you interact with such as family, friends and even strangers. We need to understand that its never about us, but about Him. Jesus is trying to reach someone through us. We either honor Him or dishonor Him in everything we do or say. WOW! Did you catch that?

We can't act like everyone else we see. We need to develop new habits and realize with time growing shorter and the persecution of Christians everywhere growing more intense, now is the time to shine for God. When people are suffering and dealing with the struggles of this world instead of praying for their problems to cease, perhaps we could offer prayers for endurance, comfort and strength. There is a huge learning that happens when we endure the storms of life. Paul never prayed for the problems of the church to go away, but for them to have the strength to endure and learn from them.

We need to make sure we are putting forth our very best in doing what we can for God. I don't mean perfection but excellence. The very best to our ability, giving God your very best you can offer today.

You don't want to leave this earth simply being takers but to leave a legacy behind that shows what an impact you offered to give God opportunity to work through you. Are you open? Are you ready to show the excellence in what you offer people today? Are you ready to be an Ambassador for Christ? God needs you to reach others today. Remember it's not about you, it's all about Him!

"We are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:20

Go Against The Flow

As most of you know I've had the opportunity to review some amazing books this year and I have to share a story that came out of one of them and how it took me back to a particular time in my past that had a great outcome. Hang in there, it's well worth it.

One of the best jobs I've ever held was a Senior Training Specialist, (a.k.a. as a Supervisor/Trainer) for AT&T Wireless back in the day and loved seeing people's responses whenever we had a test coming up to measure how much new employees for Customer Service were retaining. Testing is necessary so we can see if we, as trainers, are moving too fast or too slow in what we were teaching them and we had the creativity to design our own tests.

A colleague of mine, Tim and I, decided since the Technical Troubleshooting with our representatives was the most difficult portion of the training they had to master, we would try a simple but well thought out test for a multiple choice test. No matter what the questions were the answer would always be the letter C. For all 30 questions. Not only did this make the grading easier for us, we wanted to see if anyone would catch on to what we were doing. I have to tell you in all the groups of representatives we tested, no one, not one, scored a perfect 100%. Even though after grading them and handing them back, we explained the answer key. We told the representatives that every single answer on the test was the letter C.

Do you know that almost every single person admitted to catching on to it, but doubt their own answers simply because it went against everything they considered? I mean how could every single answer be C, so they opted to chose other answers instead. How simple it would have been to trust their instincts and simply answer the questions based on their knowledge and let the results speak for themselves? Why does that happen? Why do people not trust their answer to be right despite what the trend shows?

I never really thought about it all until I read the book, Situations Matter by Sam Sommers. In it, Sam explains from a psychology perspective why people react the way they do, and why in crowded situations do they respond differently then when alone? He documented many instances of people acting against their nature and doing something completely different and in some of those cases the outcome was tragic.

Consider one such example, now labeled the Liverpool 38, in which two boys in Merseyside, England both ten years old, kidnapped a two year old, James Patrick Bulger from a busy shopping mall and later murdered him. Even though the two boys were caught and tried, the evidence later showed, 38 other people that had contact with the three boys that day and no one intervened at all. Some said, they thought the two older boys were simply brothers taking a younger one home, others thought something odd was happening but since no one else was taking action, neither did they.

When a study was conducted later using the details of this case in a psychology class, students responded that the majority of them would have taken some kind of action and never let this progress as far as it did. So why did every single one of the 38, in a crowded mall and street fail to react. Would those same students if placed in the situation that day really act like they said they would?

I see this same thing occurring when as Christians almost day, we make decisions that go against what we believe for the sake of not rocking the boat or causing waves or simply because we don't think one person can make a difference. However consider your response to the Liverpool 38, what would you have done, honestly? Would you have stepped up or would you leave it up to someone else to say something, to do something, to intervene? In the case of the Liverpool 38, one person could have save the life of another.

In the case of our testing methods, one person could have achieved success by simply going against what he thought was happening and trusted what was right on the inside. Too often I pass many Facebook posts and offers of help and no one does anything leaving the responsibility up to someone else to step up. If someone else took the initiative first, its funny to see how many others would jump on board. I challenge you today, to go against human nature, and go against the flow.

Do the right thing, say something, inquire as a concerned person, consider others feelings for a change and simply refuse to do nothing! Your actions could very well change everything for the better, just look at what Jesus' actions did for the world. It's still something we all talk about and model our behaviors after, because it's right!

Romans 12:2 ~ "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Leading By Example!

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20: 26-28

Remember the childhood game of following the leader? I am sure you all do but I was doing a study this week on how as moms we can run ourselves completely dry to the point of looking at our loving family and wondering just where did all that love go?

As moms, it is so easy from the moment that our precious babies are laid in our arms to sacrifice anything for that child. It even follows suit with our husbands; we would love and care for them unconditionally even trading places with them if one of us had to die. We would do it without hesitation and without question.

So where do moms find the time to refill, to recharge our batteries or to get back some of our deposits we have been making into everyone else’s love banks when we are receiving overdrawn notices on our banks?

Moms naturally possess the servant’s heart that Jesus did while he was here as a man on Earth. But Jesus also understood the needs for a perfect balance to all those people pressing Him for healing or just being in His presence.

You guessed it, He removed Himself from those needy people that were always all around Him and went to a hilltop, a home of a family, or even a boat at sea. He recharged during those times, by prayer and immersing Himself in His Father’s words. Often spending all night in prayer and conversation with His Father.

This is how Jesus remained balanced and able to fully give of Himself the very next day. Full of love and compassion, we as moms find ourselves depleted of by the very next morning with that first request of our time.

We need to spend time in prayer, study, and immersing ourselves in God’s word, His diary! This is how we can wake with a completely different attitude than the one we went to bed with.

In the work place, a good manager will not just ask his employees to do something new; he will model that behavior or show them how. They don’t just expect you to know it.

So we are moms need to be wary of the types of behaviors are children are watching us model both the good and bad. Children will follow parents by what they see them do more than what they are told to do.

Do you ever find yourselves repeating the things you mom said, or even doing things your mom did? See how the pattern develops both good and bad?

Moms are constant givers and we will often put our needs last above all the needs of people in our family. We need to maintain a balance otherwise we can feel taken advantage of, and lose our perspective.

Here's another great tip, when people ask to help, LET THEM! I know if you are like me, we tell others that it's OK, we've got it, go ahead and relax or perhaps we just feel guilty and feel it's our job. Well let that go and when your kids, husband, or even guests offer to do anything, smile and take them up on their offer to help. This is another reason we run too short on our energy.

As most of us are beginning or have already started the school year, this is where moms will experience the most burn out. Between the start of our days and the end, we will be tasked to do more than ever before. At the end of the night, we will be lucky if we can lay our heads on our pillows without one more request being made.

I encourage you to make this a priority each morning to rise just a little bit early and spend 30 minutes with God. After all, it will be just the boost we need to get our days going on a positive note.