The last time I felt pain for someone was today. I feel sorrow for people every day but am I REALLY feeling pain for them? Yes I think to my self wow it is truly said that someone has to live this way but I never felt pain for them. I mean like I never felt what they were going through because I am so blessed.
When I usually cry, I cry about things that are going on in my life. But, I remember one time, my best friend was going through some hard times and we just sat on the phone for a long time and I cried for her. For the first time I was feeling someone else's pain. I love her so much so when I knew she was hurting so badly, it was killing me inside. Ever since then I have opened my heart to care for others and I feel like an emotional wreck all the time. I just cry so much. It seems like I no longer cry for myself anymore. It's not that I am not going through hard times-believe me I am- but I am just slowly becoming less selfish. I know that I can give my sorrows to Jesus and he will take care of them for me. I cry a lot for people who have no one that takes their sorrows. The sermon was really great and really felt at home, I even started crying. I never thought about how seeing someone else cry can make that big of an impact on someone. I know that it is hard for me to cry in front of other people. It makes me uncomfortable for people to know how broken I am, but really, we are all broken. I do this weird thing where I hate showing my emotions so I cover my real pain with other emotions because I don't want people feeling sorry for me and I don't want them to see the real me. I am really vulnerable about my emotions so when some of my close friends that see my cry see me break down, they cry too. We are humans and we have emotions and feelings and if they are shown every once in a while, it could save a life, like in the story that the preacher told.
So whether its crying for someone you don't know or crying with your best friend, try and take on someone else's pain.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Chapter 2!
Hey guys! So this post is about chapter 2 of the book we are studying...soo here we go. First, some reflective questions..
Which relationships do you turn to first when youʼre looking for guidance and support?
I'm not going to lie to you, but the first person I turn to is not God. I know I easily could say God but that gets me no where. I really wish I could say God but I am not there yet. The first person I go to is my friends (specifically Rachel & Allie). I am working really hard to get to that point where I will run to God so bear with me.
Does your relationship with God have the same sort of dynamic interaction as some of your other relationships? Should it?
No, sadly my relationship doesn't. It seems that I do not take it as I am talking to my best friend when I talk to God. I feel that sometimes I am like oh I haven't prayed today, let me get it over with. Its so horrible of me, but again I am working on that too. And yes i definitely think that my relationship with God needs to be the same as with anyone else.
Would you describe yourself as someone who seeks reconciliation, whether for yourself –reconciliation between you and God or between you and other people – or for others whom you help to reconcile with God? What are some situations you see in your world that could use reconciliation?
I do actually seek reconciliation from God often. I can't think if a direct time when I asked for reconciliation from God, but some common ones are like being mean to friends and parents, not trying your best, and distancing yourself from God. I do repent a lot for the last one. Sometimes I feel very distant from God which is my issue because I know that whether I want him to or not, he will ALWAYS be there for me even when I give up.
God is a relational God and he WANTS a relationship with you! I know it sounds weird that I am saying that because I may sound like a hypocrite, but I like to take my own advice too because I personally need to work on my relationship with God too. My relationship also gives me the excitement to go have more relationships with other people too! But, I could have a MILLION relationships with different people but none of it matters because they can't give me what God can :)
Hopefully I blogged about what I was supposed to...sorry if I didn't ):
Which relationships do you turn to first when youʼre looking for guidance and support?
I'm not going to lie to you, but the first person I turn to is not God. I know I easily could say God but that gets me no where. I really wish I could say God but I am not there yet. The first person I go to is my friends (specifically Rachel & Allie). I am working really hard to get to that point where I will run to God so bear with me.
Does your relationship with God have the same sort of dynamic interaction as some of your other relationships? Should it?
No, sadly my relationship doesn't. It seems that I do not take it as I am talking to my best friend when I talk to God. I feel that sometimes I am like oh I haven't prayed today, let me get it over with. Its so horrible of me, but again I am working on that too. And yes i definitely think that my relationship with God needs to be the same as with anyone else.
Would you describe yourself as someone who seeks reconciliation, whether for yourself –reconciliation between you and God or between you and other people – or for others whom you help to reconcile with God? What are some situations you see in your world that could use reconciliation?
I do actually seek reconciliation from God often. I can't think if a direct time when I asked for reconciliation from God, but some common ones are like being mean to friends and parents, not trying your best, and distancing yourself from God. I do repent a lot for the last one. Sometimes I feel very distant from God which is my issue because I know that whether I want him to or not, he will ALWAYS be there for me even when I give up.
God is a relational God and he WANTS a relationship with you! I know it sounds weird that I am saying that because I may sound like a hypocrite, but I like to take my own advice too because I personally need to work on my relationship with God too. My relationship also gives me the excitement to go have more relationships with other people too! But, I could have a MILLION relationships with different people but none of it matters because they can't give me what God can :)
Hopefully I blogged about what I was supposed to...sorry if I didn't ):
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Blog about Satan....ohh no...
So I was SO confused about what was do when and what not although I probably should have been a good student and checked the portal. I guess I got hung up on time...not sure, but thats besides the point. This blog is about Satan and God's plan/promise! In class we talked about Lucifer and God's promise and Adam and Eve!
Firstly, I had never really had known too much information about Satan prior to this discussion so a lot of this was new. What was weird to me that I had to piece together is that once Satan, or Lucifer, was an angel of God. Weird right? This terrible deceitful man was an ANGEL? I had never really thought about it too much like that. What is also weird is that he was THE most handsome angel of all of them. Today we perceive him as a red monster with horns and steam coming out of his ears, which is quite the opposite. I could pretty much go on and on, but I will answer a few questions too...
1. When considering God's purpose for creation how does this encourage you as you join Him in His work?
Well, I know that because Adam and Eve, and because we are sinful people, that makes me want to mission to others. I want to help people repent for their sins and draw them closer to God. I don't really know how to verbalize my answer because this is a tricky question..
2. When considering Satan's counterfeit kingdom and his rebellion against God, how do you see/experience this playing out in the world you live in?
Well, I see Satans whole kingdom as trying to get revenge for God kicking him out of his kingdom. Satan wants to ruin people's lives so that they never come to love and learn about Christ. That pretty much sums of Satan's mission. In our world I see it quite often. For example, if my friend did something terrible to me and I told them, hey I really don't want to hang out with you anymore, they would get angry. Then that person could go and get a group together and start rumors about me and make my other friends leave me or make other people not want to be my friend. That example reminds me a lot like what Satan does.
3. Finally, when you consider the promise of Scripture - that Christ will accomplish this purpose - how does this make you feel? How does understanding this Truth open your eyes to your own individual purpose and how will this understanding impact the rest of your life on earth?
Eh, this question is really confusing and I'm not quite sure what it is exactly asking...but I'm just going to go with if I keep reading the bible and letting God guide me wherever that may be, then I'm good and my life on Earth will be ALL up to him.
-Alexa-
Firstly, I had never really had known too much information about Satan prior to this discussion so a lot of this was new. What was weird to me that I had to piece together is that once Satan, or Lucifer, was an angel of God. Weird right? This terrible deceitful man was an ANGEL? I had never really thought about it too much like that. What is also weird is that he was THE most handsome angel of all of them. Today we perceive him as a red monster with horns and steam coming out of his ears, which is quite the opposite. I could pretty much go on and on, but I will answer a few questions too...
1. When considering God's purpose for creation how does this encourage you as you join Him in His work?
Well, I know that because Adam and Eve, and because we are sinful people, that makes me want to mission to others. I want to help people repent for their sins and draw them closer to God. I don't really know how to verbalize my answer because this is a tricky question..
2. When considering Satan's counterfeit kingdom and his rebellion against God, how do you see/experience this playing out in the world you live in?
Well, I see Satans whole kingdom as trying to get revenge for God kicking him out of his kingdom. Satan wants to ruin people's lives so that they never come to love and learn about Christ. That pretty much sums of Satan's mission. In our world I see it quite often. For example, if my friend did something terrible to me and I told them, hey I really don't want to hang out with you anymore, they would get angry. Then that person could go and get a group together and start rumors about me and make my other friends leave me or make other people not want to be my friend. That example reminds me a lot like what Satan does.
3. Finally, when you consider the promise of Scripture - that Christ will accomplish this purpose - how does this make you feel? How does understanding this Truth open your eyes to your own individual purpose and how will this understanding impact the rest of your life on earth?
Eh, this question is really confusing and I'm not quite sure what it is exactly asking...but I'm just going to go with if I keep reading the bible and letting God guide me wherever that may be, then I'm good and my life on Earth will be ALL up to him.
-Alexa-
Monday, September 6, 2010
The bible is one HUGE story!
It's late and I am very tired and I have been sitting in front of my computer for 30 minutes going back and forth about what to write. I am having complete writers block! Maybe I am distracted because I am so tired and I have a terrible sunburn, but I am still stuck. So, I will try and do the best I can.
The bible as a story is so important to us. God uses his story to convey and reveal himself to us through his word. Remember when we were younger and we would have older people tell us all of these cool stories to prove a point for example why its fun to have a dog, or why you never want to eat spinach or something like that. Well, God's story is not a silly as that, but its serious and its important. Story is a way of communicating truth and God's story, The Bible, is ALL truth. The story of the bible shares that we are all to join God in his mission. We are invited to participate with God as bearers of His purpose. The Bible is a big meta narrative, which means that there are little stories that belong in the BIG story. The story exist so that we can carry it down for generations to come. I remember when I was little I had the bible picture book. Every night I would have someone read a new story to me which was filled with pictures. Whoever that person was, was sharing the word of Christ with me. They were sharing his story and joining him in his mission. The best stories are stories that are real. Looking at the future and what God has in store, personally I am nervous. I know that God is in complete control, therefore I never know what will happen tomorrow. If I was in control, I would be able to plan for tomorrow because I would know what was going to happen. I have no idea what will happen in the next 10 minutes either (I'm hoping God has sleep in my future though). Therefore, there is this wonderful huge story that showed me Christ and showed me to lay it all before him and I hope the same happens to you.
-Sorry it was so short :( -
Until next time,
Alexa :)
The bible as a story is so important to us. God uses his story to convey and reveal himself to us through his word. Remember when we were younger and we would have older people tell us all of these cool stories to prove a point for example why its fun to have a dog, or why you never want to eat spinach or something like that. Well, God's story is not a silly as that, but its serious and its important. Story is a way of communicating truth and God's story, The Bible, is ALL truth. The story of the bible shares that we are all to join God in his mission. We are invited to participate with God as bearers of His purpose. The Bible is a big meta narrative, which means that there are little stories that belong in the BIG story. The story exist so that we can carry it down for generations to come. I remember when I was little I had the bible picture book. Every night I would have someone read a new story to me which was filled with pictures. Whoever that person was, was sharing the word of Christ with me. They were sharing his story and joining him in his mission. The best stories are stories that are real. Looking at the future and what God has in store, personally I am nervous. I know that God is in complete control, therefore I never know what will happen tomorrow. If I was in control, I would be able to plan for tomorrow because I would know what was going to happen. I have no idea what will happen in the next 10 minutes either (I'm hoping God has sleep in my future though). Therefore, there is this wonderful huge story that showed me Christ and showed me to lay it all before him and I hope the same happens to you.
-Sorry it was so short :( -
Until next time,
Alexa :)
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