Less is Sometimes More - Day 12

Sometimes all that needs to be said is "I love you."

Waste - Day 11

Okay, little rant because I can't think of something more helpful/creative at the moment.

PICK UP YOUR TRASH!!!

Okay I'm done. *angel*

I go out once every month or so and pull trash out of the side of the roads near our house. And there is so much trash that people throw in there every month. Sure, I understand a banana peel because you're feeding the ants. But soda cans, fast food wrappers, beer bottles/cans, and cigarette packages seem to be the most common with the occasional tennis shoe thrown in. *Who throws out one tennis shoe?* Must be some one legged man... A bunch of them...

Part of taking dominion of the earth is about caring for it. It's not about traipsing through a jungle and cutting down everything in sight. Sure, of course part of taking dominion is taking care of the land and making it produce for us. Not letting the forest rule us like a lot of nutty enviros.

But there's something to preserving the land that God has given us and not littering it with a bunch of garbage.

Signed,
Daniel - an angry trash picker upper.

Who am I? Who Are You? - Day 10

I oftentimes wonder if people are being real with me. Okay I'm a skeptic. But how can I trust that this salesman is telling me the truth about this product? How do I know it'll last 3 years and not 1 year and a day (just to be sure it's not covered by the warranty.) How do I know that this person who says they care about me isn't lying and just trying to score brownie points with me.

But then I look at myself and see that I don't want to be real either. Do I want to open myself up to most likely get hurt in the end? Do I want to show people who I really am? The sinner who doesn't do things perfectly and fowls up more then anyone would ever want to admit? How about if I say something and then everyone despises me? I look at the world around me and see cruelty and unkindness. I see people constantly talking behind their "friend's" back. Why would I want to open myself up?

But can you really ever be close to someone if you don't every truly know them? Will someone ever be able to help you, pray for you, cry with you, and love you if they don't know the real you? Do you want a friend who doesn't even know and love the real you?

I want to meet the person I'm talking to. But then I wonder if I'd like people if they were being totally real. Maybe they would shoot me if I met the real them.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

On the other hand we shouldn't be sharing things that are evil. There are two sides to being real. If you utter gross and unhelpful things all the time and excuse it by saying, "well it's the real me, so people should suck it up and just know this is me." Well number one, there should be repentance there. We should be one to speak the truth and say what we're thinking but do it in the way that Philippians 4:8 directs. Of course a true friend will hopefully see that what you are sharing is evil and will lovingly reprove you. But we should never excuse the evil we think and utter by saying it's who we are.

To make this brief, let's go out and be real and not be offended easily when others do and say stupid or hurtful things. Our friendships will grow so much more and if Christ is the center of the friendship it will blossom.

A Time to Sing - Day 9

It seems that whenever someone bursts out in song they're happy. You generally don't see someone angry singing. So when you feel down, sing!

A Word Fitly Spoken - Day 8

Proverbs 25:11 - A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Do we really consider what we say? I think much of what we say will be forgotten. On Facebook and Twitter I oftentimes see many quotes from great men of the past. These are those words that were fitly spoken. They're those words that are worth framing up and putting around our house.

Our conversations will most likely prosper if we spend the time to formulate our words rightly and speak those words that will encourage and lift up.

Getting Saved - Day 7

An interesting thought hit me today. I was reading several blog pieces by people who were probably in their 20s to 40s about how they got saved again. They thought they were saved before, but then figured out they weren't really saved. If I was paid a dollar for every time I heard that I'd be worth about thirty bucks.

As a young Christian you need to be fed milk. You aren't able to handle the meat of the Word. 1 Corinthians 3:2 - I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

So, are these people who keep on getting saved over and over again really growing in faith? I question some of the messages that ask you to question your faith (maybe not directly, but hints of it). Should I be doubting the grace of Christ in His salvation of me? Am I really going to grow this way? Or is my Christian walk going to be reduced to wondering if I'm saved over and over again? Asking myself am I on the right road, am I on the right road? And I'll end up not ever starting down the road.

Sure, I can see a point to looking at the Word of God and then looking at your life and if they don't match up changing things and repenting of your sins.

But, when we're laying on our death bed are we going to be biting our nails not knowing if we're saved or not? Not knowing if our last salvation took? I hope not.

Bye - Day 6

Sometimes the best thing you can say is goodbye. Just as Christ left us, so must we do to our friends.

Wait, what?

:-D