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.
2005 in review
Financial:
Mental:
Emotional:
Professional:
Business:
Spiritual:
Physical:
Thoughts:
Being 25 years old and involved in all the things I am, I can’t help but think I can always do more. I think of myself as someone who lets things slide often. I’m a creature of habit, with not all the good habits. I know that I am capable, but I don’t choose to follow through. Saying all that, I recognize that those feelings must resonate with many folks. It’s just that I’m not many folks.
What holds me back? Belief. How do I combat that? Get around people who build me up; read books to facilitate proper thoughts.
What do I need to be cautious of? Being a big-shot at UAS. I’m good at what I do, and it’s a good fit, but it doesn’t capitalize on the skills and passions that I have for the futures of other people.
I want to be the active owner of a facility that allows for kids to reveal things about themselves that were previously unknown. Their fears of the temporal can be brought to the surface and overcome. I’ll be the guy that stops by once a week to invest in the group that needs it most: the roughest kids, the staunchly unresponsive, & the downright rude. Helping them to see the things that I can see inside of them.
2006 goals
I don’t really know when this was articulated; I found it in a steno notebook and had cut it out, for documenting, but there was no nearby date mentioned. Just pages after this, there is a note indicating “2005”, but that’s pretty vague and doesn’t give context for this posting. At any rate, here it is:
Dreams
What could be? Without resource limitations; without mental barriers. With a team of World Wide Special Forces, what will we accomplish?
Another batch of notes from my “Dream” notebook…
===
From The Dream Giver:
p. 18 “One thing Ordinary did know for sure: He didn’t want to repeat his Father’s mistake. He wouldn’t waste another day waiting for his Dream to see possible. He would find a way to pursue it.” (-And neither should I.)
Further…
p. .19 “my Big Dream is too important and too wonderful to miss.”
God has given me a Big Dream. He gave it to me even before I was Born. It is my role in this life to identify and actualize my innate Dream. My Dream is what I do best and what I most love to do. It makes me sad to think that so many nobodies are missing something so Big!
I am different from most people. I will pursue my dream no matter what.
Overarching Purpose.
Sometimes you can’t even tell who you’ll have in your life build this business for them (Grandkids, Kids, Friends, etc.)
When the dream is in the box, it’s nice, but it’s not the same.
There will be things that come out of nowhere. They may arrive from emotional experiences.
Impress = from afar… Impact = in person.
If you don’t think you need this, then you need it desperately.
Be embarrased to tell your dream to anyone beyond God and Spouse because it’s so big. Tell your problems how big your God is.
Write down a plan!
Your subconscious knows. Subconscious doesn’t understand then word “don’t”.
Deadline & date determines the pace.
Reasons for building business: friendship & family.
1) Enlarge your vision. Dream bigger!
2) Develop Healthy Self-Image. Who are you? Who is Cody Bennett?
3) Discover power in thoughts and words
4) Let go of the past. 2004 is over.
5) Find strength through adversity.
6) Living to give. Think of the need – Tsunami victims
7) Choose to be Happy.
==
B Wolgamott
Poor Me, or Pour Me?
Open you up to the possibilities of your life.
What does your “tired” look like?
I can take a beating, but I’ll never be beaten
When you become paralyzed from pain, who wins?
What’s the thing that gets you going?
If you know WHY you do what you do, you’ll be a lot happier and passionate about it.
When something hurts, write it down.
Who’s right? Them, the laughers, or Me? It will take everything you have. Are you afraid of _____ or of not living to my potential.
What is the action of your life teaching to others watching you.
Family scholarships.
Write things down where it will remind you.
You’ll never recover by quitting.
One way or another, you have to go through life, you might as well rock it.
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.
Listened to Dan Yuen Attitude (part 2) today. I liked the part where he talked about what you would choose to do, if you could not fail, if you did not have fear.
Last yesterday morning, I think I listened to the first half, but I missed most of it – so in the evening (as I had noted) I listened to the Wolgamotts.
The Richest Man in Babylon had a chapter to talk about the transition from broke and in debt, to the turn around point. “Ill fortune pursues every man who thinks more of borrowing than of repaying.” Insight about the danger of debt (in hindsight): “Being young and without experience, I did not know that he who spends more than he earns is sowing the winds of needlyess self-indulgence from which he is sure to reap the whirlwinds of trouble and humiliation.” One question that you have to ask yourself if you’re on the wrong path is a life defining question: “Have I the soul of a slave, or the soul of a free man?” You’ll be able to continue on, “because the soul of a free man looks at life as a series of problems to be solved and solves them, whil the soul of a slave whines.” The point? Where determination is, the way can be found.
Genesis 19 was about the destruction of the evil places of Soddom and Gomorrah – and how Lot, his wife (almost) and his daughters were able to be saved because of Lot’s goodness. How’s that for generational impact?
Genesis 20 talked about Abraham’s esxperience with King Abimelech. Abimelech took Sarah to be his wife, but the Lord saved him from making a bad mistake. When he realized his wrong, he immediately made things right, and then some to rectify the situation and be at peace.
Matthew 8 explains more miracles that Jesus preformed. (Healings, storm calmings, etc).
The Purpose Driven Life explains that you were created for God’s pleasure. Something to think about would be that if god created you, and he has a purpose for you, than you are anything but insignificant. God doesn’t make mistakes.
• Bringing pleasure to God is called Worship Worship is a universal urge, hard-wired by God. If we fail to worship God, we always find a substitute (think of Wild at Heart).
• Worship is more than just music As long as it’s offered to God in spirit and truth, it is an act of worship. Don’t misconstrue the vocabulary for the truth.
• Worship is not for your benefit Don’t be so selfish – the true purpose is to bring pleasure to God. To let him know that he is important. Not to bring big-headedness to ourselves.
• Worship is not a PART of your life it IS your life Every actcan be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory and pleasure of God. “How is it possible to do everyhting to the glory of God? By doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying on a continual conversation with him while you do it.” “Take your everyday, ordinary life, and place it before God as an offering.”
Verse to remember: “The lord takes pleasure in his people” Psalm 149a TEV
Question to consider: What common task could I start (or stop) doing if I were doing it directly for Jesus?
Traveling Light reveals some good insight for the burden of fear. Fear is the next level of worry: “if worry is a burlap bag, fear is a trunk of concrete.” Keep in mind that Jesus has felt fear. He didn’t hide from it though, he announced it, and his obvious need for help. He wears no false mask of “I’m okay”. Also, take note that though he asked for help for his fear, he didn’t announce it to his deciples and friends, but instead to his Father in Heaven. He made a request for strength that only One could answer.
If you can be reminded to look to the good and the right, you can avoid the appearance of evil. Rather than focus on the fear, focus on the solution focus on the opening in the clostrophobic area. Look for the opening in the endzone, not the myirad of people in the vicinity.
When presented with fear or pain, you have 3 options:
Go Home (explicit failure)
Meditate on the pains and fear (debilitating, leads to failure – like attracts like)
Look to the future, and keep going. (victorious, and powerful!)
When you experience pain and scary points in your life, don’t abandon them, enter into them Just be sure to not enter them alone! While you’re there, be honest. Be afraid, do what Jesus did, open your heart. And be specific about your pains and fears (include durations, situations, flight numbers, etc.)
Don’t measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it.
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)