Things I'm learning...

Found this old writing of mine on my computer today, and it made me smile.... so, I'm sharing it here (again).... 

Quite a few years ago, I wrote a list of "things I'm learning…" It contained advice, quotes, and sheer observations about the life I was living and the life that was carrying on all around me. Well, today, I thought about that list for the first time (in a very, very long time) and thought perhaps I should re-create it, in a sense, based on where I find myself in life right now. at this very moment. Nothing came from quote websites or the like… it's all fresh from my little Rosemary brain. Hope you enjoy it, and it brings some encouragement and comfort and COURAGE your way - no matter where you find yourself along life's journey today. :)

Things I'm learning...

1. Assume that everything has nothing to do with you, until directly told otherwise. Even then, know that you can't possibly know the full story. There's always something going on behind the scenes.

2. Don't try to please people. Please God. He'll deal with the people.

3. Sometimes kindness squelches out rudeness. Sometimes, it increases it exponentially. Be kind anyway.

4. The world needs more smiles, thank you cards, and heartfelt expressions of love in circulation today. Use the USPS to do so. Frequently.

5. Don't be afraid to chase your dreams. Once you've caught them, live them out with PASSION. 

6. Dispassionate and discontented people are everywhere. Passionate people are rare. All attitudes are contagious. Be careful who your friends are.

7. If you've already mastered all the dreams you once set out to do, your dreams were too small and attainable, or too much time has passed so that you've conquered them all. Be thankful for what you've accomplished, yes. But get back to the drawing board ASAP. Set bigger goals. Goals that force you to go outside of yourself to complete them. Set a timeline. Buy some new running shoes. Begin to chase after them at full speed.

8. Don't let people hold you back or push you forward. The people who are supposed to contribute vitally to your life always will. The ones that aren't are just distractions to the greater cause at hand.

9. Faith and fear are in constant battles with one another. If you follow hard after one, the other will get tail-kicked to the curb.

10. If you wear your heart on your sleeve, don't be surprised if you get snot on it. People don't always look before they sneeze.

11. Hurt is a part of life. It can help you, hinder you, or hospitalize you. Only you can decide that one.

12. God is faithful and trustworthy. He does not forget us. He longs for the best for us. Don't ever think or convince yourself otherwise. 

13. Encourage others along your life's path. We're all in this together.

14. Saying "no" can be difficult, but it also can be freeing. Try it out sometime this week. But don't be rude. We've got enough of that business floating around. :)

15. Find someone who asks tough questions and requires answers to them. Be friends with that person forever. They're bound to go places. They're destined for big things.

16. Surround yourself with people who challenge you and sharpen you to become a better man/woman.

17. If it's not broken, don't fix it. Even if it is broken, it may not be your job to fix it. Realize your boundaries.

18. If you're uncertain about something, confess it. Don't act like you readily agree with the majority. Challenge the system.

19. Advise less, pray more.

20. Honesty is respectable. Integrity, irreplaceable.

21. There are always more people watching your life than you could possibility realize. Live in such a way that would cause your unintended audiences to be inspired. (Your intended audiences already are.)

22. Be careful what you eat or watch right before bedtime. Strange dreams are contingent upon it.

23. Never lose your child-like vigor and excitement for life. Live everyday like you're waiting for Christmas morning.

24. Buy stuff when it's on sale. Your checkbook (and teacher salary) will thank you.

25. Sing in the shower more often.

26. Love people the way you want to be loved. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Forgive people the way you want to be forgiven.

Early Morning Thoughts

The verse that God brought to mind this morning on my way to work was this: "Love not the world neither the things that are in the world." He's actually brought this verse to my mind several times over the past couple of days.

As I was thinking about this verse this morning, I noticed that God never said, "Do not love the people of the world."

We are all people of the world. Some are redeemed, and some have yet to be redeemed.

God makes it very clear that if we love the world and we love the things of the world, then the love of the Father is not in us.

Yet, if we love the people of the world (not the things they do, or their worldview, or their selfishness and "me first" mentality), we are being Christ-like.

When we love the people of the world, we are, in essence, acting on Christ's behalf as His hands and feet in this present-day world.

Christ said we would know who his disciples were by the love they had.

Mohammed said, " I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are nothing like your Christ."

So, where have we failed?

In our love for others. In our love for the world around us. (Notice: not love "of" the world, but love "for" the world)

I must admit I am not a fan of the Message translation of the Bible. I tend to think it is more a commentary than a translation; however, I heard a song on the radio the other day that used the Message "translation" of I Corinthians 13 in the middle of the song. The words have really stuck with me, so I've recorded them here.

I Corinthians 13:1-10

 1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. 

   Love never gives up. 
   Love cares more for others than for self. 
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. 
   Love doesn't strut, 
   Doesn't have a swelled head, 
   Doesn't force itself on others, 
   Isn't always "me first," 
   Doesn't fly off the handle, 
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, 
   Doesn't revel when others grovel, 
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, 
   Puts up with anything, 
   Trusts God always, 
   Always looks for the best, 
   Never looks back, 
   But keeps going to the end.

 8-10Love never dies.

After thinking through all of that, my mind raced back over the whole recent Chik-fill-a incident. At first, I resolved that the whole thing started out innocent. People simply wanted to support a man for standing up for his Christian, Biblical beliefs. I get that. I respect that. I am actually one of the ones that waited in a long line and ate a chicken sandwich to that.

But the more I thought about it, I thought maybe the whole thing didn't start out innocent at all - especially for some people (and I'm still referring to Christians here).

I think one of the biggest problems with humanity is that our actions are not good. (correction: Our hearts are not good.)

Our actions are not good at keeping our heart's secrets.

Our words and actions will give us away every time.
Some people spoke and acted and reacted out of less than desirable intentions and means that day.

The Bible even speaks to this end: "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."

So, while the Chik-fill-a incident may have started out innocent for some, it very quickly became a "hate fest" for others. Others, from both sides of the "fence."

That did not show anyone the love of God. It showed the righteousness of God. It showed that God hates sin, which was misinterpreted as God hates sinners. (Aren't you glad Jesus is a friend of sinners like you and me?) 

It also showed the standard of God, but I'm afraid it was coupled with self-righteousness for some and outright hate from others.

Christ said love not the world, neither the things in the world - the worldview, the world's system, the world's me first mentality, the world's selfishness, the world's sin, fallen nature, etc.

He never said anything about "love not the people of the world." He actually commanded us to do quite the opposite.

After all, that's why I'm still here. living on this Earth. And that's why you're still here. living on this Earth. That's why God doesn't rapture us up into Heaven the moment we're saved.

When we become Christians, God knows that we love Him.

The point is to carry that out by loving others. And telling others about Him.


Who needs to benefit from your Christ-like love today?
I'm reminded of the quote, "You are most influential on everyone else when you are most unlike everyone else."
With Chik-fill-a in hand or not, go be Christ-like in a world who lacks the knowledge, love, and fear of Him.