Last night as we were leaving Ultimate, I received a text message on my phone from Anna-Mariah Kelly informing me that Toby Coate, longtime Juneau resident and all-around awesome guy died while fishing on a river on Prince of Whales Island.
Naturally it comes as a shock. Within the last 9 months alone (since September) there have been 4 deaths of people that I know. Jody Watson, Kenneth Natkong, Anne Shima, and now Toby Coate.
2006-06-13 – Journaling – How do I want to be liked?
Hey there me, how are you?
I’m at lunch. It’s nice because I decided to stay on campus and do a little journaling. So now I’m listening to John Maxwell’s Influencer 2 training, and drinking a lovely Cherry XS.
On my way over here, I thought that it’d be nice to do another Letter to Helen, like I did last night. It was a nice way to get my feelings out, and though I’m not sure that she’ll ever read them, it’s neat to see me being honest with myself and my own struggles.
Journaling
Monday, March 27, 2006
Where to start?
It’s been a while since I’ve stopped in to write an entry in my trusty journal. I was doing so good at the beginning of the year, though they were somewhat short, generally. It’s now late March, and I’m realizing that checking in from time to time would be valuable.
The initiator, more than checking in, of course, is women related. I’m 25, and on the whole, I enjoy life, but I still feel a lacking presence from time to time. Recently (within the past month or so) there has been a fondness developed with Heather Beaudette. She’s fun, smart, and good looking. We’ve talked about what a relationship might mean to one another, but there hasn’t been anything decided, and perhaps that’s where my confusion lies. We have indeed done some significant “making out”. Fun, yes. Fulfilling? No, not quite.
This last weekend (Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday) I happened to spend a fair amount of time with Heather. Thursday night after Yoga, we went out to dinner, and then I took her home. Friday, after work, we spent some time at Ultimate before I saw her in a knockout gown, headed for the UAS Spring Fling thing. (And boy did I wish at that point that I had gone with!) Saturday, we bonded first before work at 1, after 5 for a couple hours, and then again from dinner time until around 3:30 in the morning. Sunday morning we were together again doing homework. What a marathon weekend.
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People it talks about beginning with the end in mind. Perhaps that’s the step that I’m skipping here, and may be allowing whatever this is to develop faster than might be reasonable. So, smarty-pants, what does that “end” look like?
It’s a relationship of best friendshitp. It’s a relationship of value, and responsibility & commitment. It’s a relationships of love. I see social activities as a strong component of the relationship, and to a much lesser extent, it is less focused on physical fulfillment. It’s a relationship where sharing experiences is fostered and where we can learn from eachother. I see trading massages, and laughing lots. Cooking together and holding hands nearly every day. I envision growth. It will be a relationship that study, and encouragement to be better people abounds. It’s a haven from the intensities of the world: not a hiding place nor a dumping place, but a recharging place.
So that, of course, will solicit inquiry from Helen: “So why not me?” Why not? Hmm… Perhaps it’s because I haven’t been straightforward for much of our relationship, and the guilt that I feel for being distracted by other women is very real. I initially indicated that I was interested in breaking up so that I could learn some things about myself, and that I have. I don’t like the guilt associated with holding information back, whether I’m at fault, or just nervous of how it will be taken.
So what do I do about all this? Do I continue with Heather, kissing and spending time getting closer and closer? We both know that hormones are raging, and it seems relatively easy to take it to a place where we bring sex into the relationship. Do I want to go there?
Well, actually, no. I like the sensation of sex, and at times the connectedness that it offers, but I usually find in my reflection of past actions that it creates expectations. And with expectations (spoken or not), I may not be in a place to maintain them. The possibility of pregnancy is very real. And frankly, I’ve been a lucky man so far. Testing my luck seems downright ludicrous.
Why Heather & why now?
Do I want to date and be a committed boyfriend that is thoughtful and considerate? Do I think I can hold up that end of a bargain? Do I know what she’s looking for in a relationship? Can I provide those things?
What is God’s will for my life? Well, I know that he wants me to be obedient. When I think of that question, I think of my business and how it can radically change my current and future life. It enables me to bless others and to create a legacy.
Today was a good day. Slept in a bit, then got up, did a little reading, listened to my tape, went to tutor Eileen, saw my brother, and then came out to my house for a nap. When I woke up, I remembered that Jim & Cathy were coming back tomorrow, so I thought it be worthwhile to head out to their cabin to check on things and make sure all was in order.
Earlier, while listening to Ron Puryear’s Crown Tips, I made the important realization that it would be much more valuable to get a different interaction with my tape listening. At this point, I’m not sure if it would be better to try to transcribe everything, or how I might be able to take more heed to the content of the CD, but it’s certainly something to put some thought towards.
In The Richest Man in Babylon, the chapter gave some basic suggestions for how to decrease debt. It’s broken down like this:
• 10% to savings
• 70% to living/rent/pleasantries of life
• 20% to debt
There were some things that I noticed from this:
• At no point was it suggested that you ever have 90% towards lifestyle – I’m not sure what’s to happen if you get that taken care of like I have. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to invest 30% towards savings. Sometime, I’ll do the math to find out what the implications of that would be on my current budget.
• The scale was percentage driven – it wasn’t about how much you made. AKA: if you have $100 or $1,000,000, you should be doing the same.
Traveling Light had a chapter about loneliness. It suggested that perhaps loneliness is not such a bad thing after all – in fact, it could be good that God is preparing you for something more. For example, you might never listen to classical if you always had your rock to distract and turn to. Perhaps the lonly time is intended to bring you into communication with Him! One thing to think about: if you’re hungry and go to the store, that’s an unwise decision – you’ll buy and take more (even those unhealthy things) than you’ll need. If you’re spiritually hungry, you may choose things that aren’t wholesome, just because you think it might fill the void. Here’s a passage from the book on the subject:
“When you know God loves you, you won’t be desperate for the love of others. You’ll no longer be a hungry shopper at the market. Have you ever gone to the grocery store on an empty stomach? You’re a sitting duck. You buy everything you don’t need. Doesn’t matter if it is good for you – you just want to fill your tummy. When you’re lonely, you do the same in life, pulling stuff off the shelf, not because you need it, but because you are hungry for love.”
What Makes God Smile was the chapter title in The Purpose Driven Life. The chapter uses the example of Noah, and his obedience to illustrate many points. It’s with good reason too; think of the implications of what God was asking:
• Noah is asked to build a HUGE ship – in the middle of a land locked area.
• It had NEVER rained upon the earth – he didn’t even know what rain was!
• Building the ship took 120 YEARS – how much patience do you have?
And he did all that was requested of him, exactly, and completely. Wow.
There are 5 acts of worship that makes God smile:
God smiles when we love him supremely. Noah loved God, even when it was unpopular – so much that no one else did. God longs for us to love him back, much like parents might of their rebellious child.
God smiles when we trust him completely. “By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land.” He acted immediately, and as a result, Noah became intimate with God. There were three problems (Never seen the rain, Lived hundreds of miles from the ocean, and difficulty of rounding up the animals) that Noah could have clinged to, but he didn’t; he obeyed.
God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly. “Delayed obedience is really disobedience.” “God doesn’t owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait, but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding.”
God smiles when we praise and thank him continually. We are to praise god for who He is, and we thank God for what he has done.
God smiles when we use our abilities. We were endowed with certain gifts; things that are only for us, and that only we can maximize. You only bring God enjoyment by being you. Every act of enjoyment can become an act of worship when you thank God for it.
I recognize that I am a long way from being a ‘Spiritual Giant’ or one of God’s Warriors, but some day I’ll get there. And for now, I can just remember that He loves and enjoys me at every stage of my spiritual development. What God looks at is the attitude of my heart.: Is pleasing Him my deepest Desire?
When you live in light of eternity, your focus changes from ” how much pleasure am I getting out of life?” to “How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?” Will you make pleasing God the goal of your life? There is nothing that God won’t do for the person totally absorbed with this goal.
In Genesis 21-22, Isaac (Abraham & Sarah’s son) was born, and as he was matured, and had a place in the family, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son on the altar. And Abraham carried out God’s wishes. Fortunately, he was stopped before Isaac was killed. I can’t imagine what this would be like; to be directed to kill one of your family members. To have that burden on your heart for hours before hand. He knew the night before, and all during the hike up the mountain to make the sacrafice. But the thing that stands out most (to me) is that Abraham was willing to do it. I feel that I would fight it, question it, and delay it – anything to keep it from happening. Abraham didn’t.
In Matthew 9, Jesus continues with sharing His message, by healing and teaching. It seems that his message is that he wants the person’s heart and will to be in the right place, and from there, he will bless them. It’s not enough to follow the Law. At this point, I haven’t seen an answer to the question of what the results of desiring to follow his will, yet not acting it or following the Law. My guess is that if you really desired to follow God, you would find a way to get over the vices.
This morning I chose not to awake early enough to listen to the tape of the morning. Last night I had watched Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle until 2 AM. It was a good movie, but for all its exciting content, I was less than pleased at the provocative content and attire of the three attractive main characters. I suppose that’s a lesson to be learned.
Instead of tape listening, I went downstairs and had breakfast quietly while I read from Traveling Light. I found this chapter to have great benefit, but lesser application. It was a chapter about the burden of Grief that comes with mourning a passing loved one. There were some points that I highlighted from the chapter, but as I don’t have the book in front of me, I’ll post them later.
Today, during work, I spent some time to create another space, specifically for work. It felt great to break away to spend important development time on content that I can specifically think about work for. I’ve set up the space at: http://spaces.msn.com/members/workincody/
At lunch, I read from The Richest Man in Babylon. It was an extremely short parable chapter explaining the scene of a strong attack against the walls of Babylon, and the city’s defense. We likewise cannot afford to be without adequate protection. This rings to me in different realms.
• Finances – the chapter’s intended context speaks to having insurance, savings, and dependable investments to be protected in the case of an unexpected tragedy.
• Emotionally – Seek out those who will assist in protecting you from non-productive thoughts. Don’t seek to spend time associating with those who are less developed in that realm, because it will wear off.
• Spiritually – Prayer makes a huge difference. Keeping your mind soaked in readings that will support your spiritual thinking helps to protect as well. Reading scripture. Rebuking attacts from the evil one is also sometimes imperitive.
• Physically – Having some sort of accountability can be useful. Go to the gym with a friend. Schedule your visits as to not miss them from lack of focused thought. Perhaps protection can mean keeping your gaurd up against ailments or physical harm – it may mean taking vitamins, or it could mean lifting weights to facilitate your defense, should the need arive.
Genesis 16-18 outlined more information about Abram. In verse 16, we are told the story of how Sarai, in her frustration gave her slave to Abram to have a son. That was a lame idea, because it only generated feelings of jealousy and malcontent. Eventually she beat her slave and drove her (Hagar) away. Fortunately for all, the Lord met Hagar in the desert, and bade her to return.
Next, in verse 17, the Lord committed to Abram that he would be the father of many nations, and with the new name Abraham, it was granted to him. As part of the process, he was circumsized along with all the men of his household. This was to signify the everlasting covenant that God had promised.
Verse 18 was about the precursors leading up to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The 3 men (the lord?) who were to destroy Sodom & Gomorrah came to spend time with Abraham before continuing their journey of destruction. Abraham was a good servant, and was consoled that the city wouldn’t be destroyed if there were but 10 men that were good.
Matthew 7 contains more lessons of Jesus. There are some great scriptures in this brief chapter:
• “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” – Be liberal in your praise and reluctant in your condemnation. Heck, be liberal in everything!
• “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
• “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
I listened to the Wolgamott Rally tonight. I picked up an item from each spouse: from Leslie, I recognize that it’s worthwhile to have the mission in mind even during the seemingly mundane task, and from Brad, I realize that the greatest fear in life, is not so much of dying, but of dying without living.
The Purpose Driven Life emphasized God’s purpose for us – to glorify Him. “The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God.” All sin, at it’s root is failing to give God glory.. To bring Glory to god, you can do everything that He directs you to do in your life – fulfill your purpose! “When anything in creation fulfills its purpose, it brings glory to God.”
God’s 5 purposes for my life (to bring glory to god):
Through worship of him – God wants our worship to be motivated by love, thanksgiving, and delight, not duty. Worship is far more than praising, singing, and praying to God. Worship is a lifestyle of enjoying God, loving him, and giving ourselves to be used for his purposes.
By loving other believers
By becoming like Christ – Spiritual maturity is becoming like Jesus in the way we think, feel and act. (Remember that Jesus wasn’t a passive, weak man, he was a man of great strength and resolve when the situation called for it.
By serving others with our gifts
By telling others about him – God expects us to share his truth with others. That in itself is a great privledge, helping them to find their purpose, and preparing them for their own eternal destiny.
Living your life for the glory of God will REQUIRE a change in your priorities, your schedule, your relationships, and everything else. “Will you live for your own goals, comfort, and pleasure, or will you live the rest of your life for God’s glory, knowing that he has promised eternal rewards?
Sometimes, you’ll be influenced to doubt; to wonder if you have the strength to live for God. Don’t worry. God will give you what you need if you will just make the choice to live for him.
Verse to remember: “For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory.” Romans 11:36
Question to ponder: Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God’s glory?
Listened to a tape this morning to wake up to, but it wasn’t that effective since I didn’t get out of bed for it. I’m inclined to listen to it again this evening while doing other things. Note: I relistened to the Kosage & Nelson’s FED ’02 this evening. I like the simplicity and attitude that Dean brings to the table. Theron takes time to help explain the silliness of the separation of church and state and the exclusion of godly materials and principles.
Genesis 13-15 was more about Abram and his relations, including Lot, his nephew, and God. In verse 13, Lot and Abram were travelling together, and their groups/families/possessions got to be so large, that they decided to split up. Lot went to Jordan. In verse 14, Abram had to save Lot from the Kings that took over the area and folks possessions. verse 15 talks about the promises that God made to Abram concerning his lineage, even though, at that point, Sarai had been barren. It goes to show that God can make dreams come true, even despite all odds.
Matthew 6 was more teaching from Jesus. He taught how to give, pray, fast, worry and deal with money. I gather that the core message is to remain humble about it – don’t do it so that others can see you. Do it because you know that God sees you and you want to please him.
The Richest Man in Babylon had a neat chapter outlining the actual advice of someone who just received a windfall. The advice was sage, and isolated many things to be cautious of in the process of posessing new money.
It sounds like not many people ask for suggestions, and that’s likely the case, even today. Most people think they know what they’re doing, but they are in debt, operating off of credit or loans, and yet they still make projections about what good stewardship of money might be like.
The character giving the financial advice used a parable which made a lot of sense. He talked of an ox and an ass who were talking one day, the ox wanted a break, so the ass provided a way – just to lay down and act sick. The farmer came upon this, found the ox sick, and proceeded to yoke the ass for the days work. The moral of the story was simply, “If you desire to help thy friend, do it in a way that will not bring thy friend’s burdens upon thyself.”
If you are to loan to someone, the sage counselor pointed out that the goal of your loaning is to be certain of the return of your investment. Understand the weakness of men to be swayed by grand ideas of what they could make, if only they had gold – in reality, they had inexperience, and no mechanism whereby they could confirm the repayment of the loan.
The two goals from the chapter for the new money man: 1) keep his gold safe; and 2) that it earn more gold. The chapter closes with the wise phrase, “Better a little caution than a great regret.”
Traveling Light‘s chapter was about the burden of death, and that there is no need to fear as outlined in the 23’rd psalm:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 NKJV)
It’s a reminder of the frailty of life, and the promises that Jesus and God made to us about our end. Jesus made the promise to come back to take us home.
“The wise remember the brevity of life.” “…The best way to face life is to be honest about death.” I found it interesting that I haven’t really given death that much direct thought previously. I could die anytime. Really. Tomorrow on the slippery roads, a car could come out of nowhere to collide with me to my death, or perhaps (and more desireably) I slip quietly to my death decades from now after fulfilling much of my purpose for this life; where I can be somewhere with the best friends and family of my life.
The Purpose Driven Life also had a chapter talking about the frailties of life; about how we’re better off recognizing that this life is a temporary existance. We are but brief visitors to another land, and that soon (in the eyes of God,) we’ll be going home. The chapter points out the natural, but sometimes unnoticed truth: You will never feel compelety satisfied on earth, because you were made for more! Further, realizing that life on earth is just a temporary assignment should radically alter your values. In considering the closing “thoughts to ponder” section, it asks the same thing. My answer? Investing time & energy towards eternal things more; such as a tighter relationship to my Heavenly Father and deeper scripture study.
I liked the closing sentence of the chapter: “At death you won’t leave home – you’ll go home.”
Verse to remember: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV)
The Danziks and the Duncans (B & J) FED ’01 woke me this morning, and I like that. It starts my day with thinking about the positive content of the speakers. I noticed that only after the tape was over, I craved going back to bed – until then I was up and attentive.
Genesis 11-12 outlined the tower of Babel (to in the future be refered to as Babylon) and begins the story of Abram (to in the future be refered to as Abraham.)
Babel was an interesting story because God confounded their speach to prevent progress and destroy their efforts to be great in the eyes of themselves. That tells me two things: 1) don’t be egocentric, be God-centric in our visions and purpose for life; and 2) that words have emmense power. They can build great things with proper communication with one another. To lack communication will destroy any relationship establishment (marriage, friendship, co-worker, etc.
Matthew 5 was about Jesus’ sermon on the mount. He explained several things, but the ones that stuck out for me were the following:
• We are blessed according to our desires, and it seems to have an inverse element. The mourners will receive comfort, meek will get earth, hunger (spiritual) receives fulfillment, etc.
• Teachings about lust: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” [note: that means yikes!] It continues, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” [note: ouch, and double yikes! How do I assure that I’ll be safe/capable to not be caught in such predicaments. Think of the long term investment of an entire body vs. the one eye!]
• “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you. Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you [even emotionally] on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go a mile, go wwith him two miles. Give to the one who asks you , and do not run away from those who wants to borrow from you.” [Note: the idea is to live life with love as though it were coming directly from god – care for the person, don’t take offense or look to have retribution; it’s better to have peace and joy, than to mar someone’s life because of a bad interaction.]
[ACK! I JUST LOST ALL OF THE ENTRIES FROM HERE ON! I GUESS I GET TO REBUILD THEM… WHEE!]
The Richest Man in Babylon had a chapter that seemed to reiterate elements from earlier in the story, but through a slightly different delivery. The chapter was about the Five Laws of Gold. They were as follows:
Gold cometh gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who will put by not less than one-tenth of his earnings to create an estate for his future and that of his family. [AKA: SAVE 10 PERCENT OF ALL EARNINGS!]
Gold laboreth diligently and contentedly for the wise owner who finds for it profitable employment, multiplying even as the flocks of the field. [AKA: CHANCE FAVORS THE PREPARED MIND. OPPORTUNITY MAY KNOCK, BUT ONLY THE PREPARED KNOW TO OPEN. WHEN YOU MAKE THE EFFORT TO HAVE MONEY AT YOUR DISPOSAL, OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT THEMSELVES MORE READILY.]
Gold clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling. [THE COMMENTS FROM THE BOOK READ, “GOLD, INDEED, CLINGETH TO THE CAUTIOUS OWNER, EVEN AS IT FLEES THE CARELESS OWNER. THE MAN WHO SEEKS THE ADVICE OF MEN WISE IN HANDLING GOLD SOON LEARNING NOT TO JEOPARDIZE HIS TREASURE, BUT TO PRESERVE IN SAFETY AND TO ENJOY IN CONTENTMENT ITS CONSISTENT INCREASE.”
Gold slippeth away from the man who invests it in businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep. [TO SOMEONE WHO HAS GOLD, BUT ISN’T DISCIPLINED WITH IT, MANY THINGS SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA. ONLY SOLICITING INSIGHT FROM OTHERS WHO KNOW MORE THAN YOU CAN PREVENT YOU FROM LOSING YOUR FORTUNE.]
Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings or who followeth the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment. [NEW MONEY MAY ENTICE A MAN TO INVEST HASTILY IN UNWISE RISKS CAUSING LOSS OF PROFIT. BE SURE TO ASSESS THE RISK AND NOT MAKE AN IRRATIONAL, EMOTIONAL DECISION.]
Traveling Light was about the burden of arrogance that many people suffer. God would have it so that we remain humble, and as such, avoid the arrogance and pride that can be traps. God hates arrogance. God seeks to take the credit (not us), not because he needs it, but because we need the protection from the danger of it. “All of those who make themselves greate will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great” (Luke 18:14)
In order to cultivate humilty, work with these steps:
Assess yourself honestly Being humble means you know exactly what you have to offer, and no more.
Don’t take success too seriously Relax! You worry too much! Conuteract pride with reminders of the brevity of life and the frailty of wealth. Keep in mind your roots and where you’re from.
Celebrate the significance of others Every touchdown is a team effort – think of others first – it’s all about the name on the front of the Jersey, not the name on the back!
Don’t demand your own parking space Jesus said, “Go sit in a seat that is not important. When the host comes to you, he may say, ‘Friend, move up here to a more important place.’ Then all the other guests will respect you.” (Luke 14:10)
Never announce your success before it occurs “On one occasion a studetn stepped up to preach with great confidence but failed miserably. He came down, humbled and meek. Spurgeon told him, ‘If you had gone up as you came down, you would have come down as you went up.’ If humility precedes the event, then confidence may follow.”
Speak humbly Ben Franklin used empowering phrases such as, ‘I conceive,’ or, ‘I believe,’ or, ‘I apprehend’ that allowed for lightening his opinion in comparison with the damaging, defensive proud words such as, ‘always’, or ‘certainly’, or ‘undoubtedly’. NOTE: How can I better control my language to remain humble?
Live at the foot of the cross “The maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. So, if you need to brag, brag about that.”
The Purpose Driven Life chapter 5 gave me a perspective of life in God’s eyes. He views our existance for testing, trusting, and is temporary. The metaphor that we all have for life (party, merry go round, marathon, game, etc) colors our view of life more than we realize. To fulfill the purposes that God has made us for, we have to adjust our views and replace them with biblical metaphors of life.
In testing, we are tested in everything, all of the time. “Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested.” (p. 43) God can test in many ways (faith through problems, love with people, etc). “When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance on your character development.” Some tests are huge, other are tiny, but they all have eternal implications. The Bible says, “God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” I can do it! Keep going!
In trusting, God asks us to take stewardship over our lives, and to allow him the position of kingship. It’s his life, and he can take it anytime. It’s our duty to do our best to take good care of it while we’re here. As it so aptly states in the bible, “What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if ll you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?”
Money is both a test and a trusting scenario. God can use money to teach us to trust him, or he can use it to test us. How I manage my money determines how much God can trust me with spiritual blessings.
Verse to remember: Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones.” (Luke 16:10a NLT)
Ross & Leslie Hall Emerald Rally woke me up early this morning on my new Clock CD Alarm that I got over the break – it was nice to have the humor to start the day.
Read ~15 minutes (one chapter) of Richest Man in Babylon. It continued with the parable (though it started out otherwise) talking about luck, and that chance favors the prepared mind – AKA, the non-procrastinator. Luck finds the man who takes the opportunity. But still this is tempered with the reality that not all opportunities are stacked in your direction (such as gambling events – they’re in business to take your money…)
Genesis 8-10 was about Noah after the flood – coming out of the arc, and then having his family repopulate the earth (lineage fun.)
Matthew 4 first talks of Satan tempting Jesus in the desert, and how Jesus was able to respond with poise and grace (not judging even) by quoting scripture. After that tempting, Jesus went about ministering to people, healing many, many people. [thought: if Jesus was able to heal wrongs of that day through his touch and presence, I wonder how many people are healed miraculously today!?] As he was ministering, he called four fisherman to follow Him – and they just came, no debate, no discussion. Would I have the strength and confidence to do that?
Travelling Light used the parable of attending a cookie potluck (you bring a plate, you can leave with the same number of cookies you brought) to illustrate how even if you don’t know how to cook, you’ll be allowed into the party by the grace of another. God does this for us in the great party of eternity. We just have to be willing to accept it.
Now the chapter was named, A Heavenly Exchange: The Burden of Guilt, so I can only assume that the intended purpose is to reveal that our guilt of life need not be carried with us through life and on to eternity. Perhaps it was just to share the importance of trusting in God as “he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
The Purpose Driven Life shared that we people are only here in this life for but a moment in comparison with the reality of eternity (where we’ll all go next). I liked the chapter to be able to take the time to help put things in perspective, even if only for the moment of reading.
Some of the phrases from the chapter were quite poingnant:
* “When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you will begin to live differently. You will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task, and circumstance.”
* “The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears.”
* “Every act of our lives strikes some chord that will vibrate in eternity.” (<-- this one can be both scary and exciting... I best get choosing the exciting things!) Verse to remember: “This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.” (1 John 2:17 NLT)
Monday the 3rd – that’s 3 days in a row. I think I’m starting this out pretty good. I hope to take a bit of time today to plan out what I expect my week to look like, and to get a bit of scheduling done so that I can be assured that I’ll get my reading done, and still have time for the other things that I have planned (like Ultimate tonight.)
Last night Helen and I had another “talk”. It went as usual, spending long enough talking about what we don’t really think is a good idea, until we’le weak enough that we just go ahead and do it. I recognize that I am pretty weak – the control that I have of my hormones is relatively slim. I wonder what I can do to reinforce my strengths? I know that it’s all about changing the thoughts that I have, but even that at times can seem daunting.
I sold the Linksys PC card today, listed the USB-Ethernet adapters on Amazon, and set up the WUSB11 for sale on ebay. I’m getting pretty close that I can purchase the camera soon. Good times. 🙂
This morning I listened to the Hawkins and Heads leadership tape. Yesterday was the Rod & Rowena Jao Rally.
Reading Notes:
The Purpose Driven Life Day 3: What drives your life? This chapter did a good thin in asking the question of what the driving force in your life is – whether it’s failure forming negatives (fear, guilt, anger, materialism, or the need for approval) or Purpose driven (knowing your purpose provides: meaning in life, simplification in life, focus in life, motivates your life, and prepares you for eternity. (p. 29, “…one key to failure is to try to please everyone.”; p. 30, “…No man can serve two masters.”)
Scriptures to look up:
* Jeremiah 29:11
* Ephesians 3:20
Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
Ephesians 3:20 (paraphrased from “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”) to “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think!” Sweet!
The Richest Man in Babylon outlined seven steps to cure a empty purse. They are:
1) Start thy purse to fattening; Save 10% of your income. You won’t miss it because if it was empty before, it meant that you didn’t have enough, and if you save 10%, you still won’t have enough, but you’ll begin your legacy.
2) Control thy expenditures; Budget your money so that you can pay for the needed expenditures, and to know how much you have available for the desired expenditures. Don’t you dare spend more than you earn!
3) Make thy gold multiply; Use compounding interest scenarios. Offer the money to lenders who pay you a rent for holding your money (like the money market account that I have). Have continuing contribution too for more effectivity!
4) Guard thy treasures from loss; Invest only in safe places. Don’t make risky investments, even with friends. Counsel with people who know more about finances than yourself by proof of their results, not credentials. Let their wisdom protect your treasure from unwise investments.
5) Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment; AKA: buy your own home. It talks about allowing for your wife to be able to make a home of her residence, rather than just inhabiting the place. As of yet, I don’t have a wife, and I think that it may be alright to not take this step yet. Perhaps it would be good to counsel on the matter.
6) Insure a future income; Build your business! Have an income stream! It talked about having investments that generate income, and then taking that newly generated income to be able to reinvest it for the future – not to pull it out and waste it. Remember: this is a long term process for the future, not for the pleasures of now.
7) Increase thy ability to earn; Cultivate your skills and knowledge “…to so act as to respect thyself. Thereby shalt thou acquire confidence in thyself to achieve thy carefully considered desires.”
Travelling Light talked about the sensation of a jungle, and explained how many people feel afraid, anxious and hesitant in the world today, because they are without skills or tools of navigating the jungle. It then proceeded to assail those fears by Jesus’s presence to lead you out. You say, “Where’s the trail? Where are we going?” He says, “Follow me, I am the way.”
Genesis 6-7 recalled Noah’s process of being called to build the Arc, through the earth’s flooding. I found it interesting that his family was able to go along as well – I suppose it’s an example of when the leadership is right, the family is right.
Matthew 3 was about Jesus’ baptism. John felt unworthy, yet still went ahead as requested, because he was requested. It was a humbling experience where he likly realized more clearly the need for baptism if even Jesus needed it “to fulfill all righteousness.”
Day 2 of the year down, or at least mostly. Last night I watched the final movie of LOTR trilogy – all 250 MINUTES OF IT! John and Mariah stayed up to kiss and flirt and talk even after my 3:40 bed time. And then of course, this morning, John and I had a talk about the whole relationship world – it’s tough when you have hormones AND common sense – sometimes they really conflict.
Lets see, Helen called me silly, mostly because she caught me with my pants down while she was dropping off laundry for me. I must admit that I feel silly about being so prone to such carnal desires.
I met with Eileen today and made another $65 tutoring. It started out with about 40 minutes of chatting about her recent preformance review. It’s nice to be able to reach a deeper level with her. I had intended to ask her if she was interested in attending Dreamnight, but chickened out so I feel a bit weak there.
Next went to see my brother at the Mental Health Unit (MHU). Every time I see him, it’s strange because I just don’t match him any longer, and he’s still drawn onto the blood connection. I don’t know how much of him is him, and how much is the drugs, and how much might be whatever medical condition he’s working with. This evening he revealed that he stole a jacket from the Nugget Outfitter, so I let him know of my perspective, and then left – mostly because I didn’t have a lot to say to him, other than that I disagreed with his choice to steal, and that it was illegal, and I hoped that he would make amends at some point.
Next, came home to get a bite to eat, and then run to the post office to mail off the Return of the King that someone had bought from me over ebay – my paypal account is getting nicely round. I’ll be getting a Digital Camera in no time flat.
Last night before going to bed, I picked up The Richest Man in Babylon as it was a suggested reading a while back – it’s about finances and the laws surrounding them. I read another chapter this morning.
This evening I read another chapter from Travelling Light about reducing worry in our lives. The core point that I picked up on was that God will support us when the time comes because he leads us (example of the father handling the details and distributing tickets at the appointed time, not too late, not too early).
I also read Genesis 3-5 and Matthew 2. Gen 3-5 talk about Eve being deceived and then God talking with them about that. It left off by leading the lineage into Noah’s time. Matt 2 was about Jesus’s birth and the 3 wise men coming to greet him, and then Herod (the king of the area) wanting to have Jesus killed.
Lastly I read the 2nd chapter/day of the Purpose Driven Life. It’s core subject was that I am not an accident, and that God has created me for His purpose.
Verse to remember: “I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.”