tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229045212024-03-07T13:17:54.947-05:00Christian ThoughtsOne Christian woman's perspective about Life, Relationships, Christian Living and God. A safe place to share and express your thoughts about spirituality and life.Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-48443759566124671692012-07-31T11:55:00.000-04:002012-07-31T11:55:15.428-04:00Positive Affirmations VideosFor the last few weeks, I've been creating a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/TheDailyMeditations" target="_blank">YouTube Channel</a> with positive affirmations videos. The main themes I'm dealing with currently are depression, stress, anxiety, self-acceptance, self-esteem and other hard issues that we all deal with. The YouTube Channel can be found <a href="http://www.youtube.com/TheDailyMeditations" target="_blank">here</a> if you'd like to see all of them. Below is an example of one of the most popular affirmations. It's entitled "Evening Meditation" and it's designed to help you stop thinking negative thoughts, accept yourself and all the decisions you've made that day and find peace as you go to bed. Check it out and let me know what you think:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/elfogdCxydA" width="560"></iframe></div>
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You can also check out my <a href="http://www.thedailymeditations.com/" target="_blank">Daily Meditations</a> website to get more positive affirmations and inspiration (as well as the podcasts and free MP3 (audio) downloads of these meditations or my home website - <a href="http://www.sonyawharton.com/" target="_blank">Sonya Triggs-Wharton</a>, where you can find the same links plus information about my Life Coaching Services.<br />
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Let me know also if you have any other ideas about what videos I should make. I'm currently in a self-esteem, encouragement, career-focused (destiny) mode, but I'm open to suggestions.Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-13513790496149715612011-05-12T14:12:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:37:15.141-04:00The Difference Between Religion and SpiritualityI hear a lot of people talking lately about how they are 'spiritual' or 'spiritually-minded.' Ask them about God, however, and they immediately backtrack to a distance they consider safe enough from being 'religious.'<br /><br />"Oh, I believe, in Intelligent Design" they'll tell you or "I don't think you can only find God in a church" is another good one. My personal favorite is those who declare they are still "open" on the question of God (or god as they refer to Him) and are actively seeking. (And I'm sure they'll get right back with me once they go from the seeking stage to "found.")<br /><br />As for me, I believe in God. The God, that is, that's mentioned in the Bible and in the Torah. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Moses. Yes, THAT God.<br /><br />I say this because there is a wide assumption that anyone who claims an allegiance to a particular religion, denomination or specific identity of God is "religious" rather than spiritual. And to take it further, being religious is considered akin to being a "holy-roller," zealot or other type of religious "fanatic."<br /><br />It is assumed that because I am "religious" that means I am not familiar with the Intelligent Design versus evolutionary debate, am not familiar with the fossil evidence which purports to support claims of evolution, have not studied any eastern religions or have just generally been brainwashed my family, friends or am a "victim" of the society in which I was raised.<br /><br />Religious folks, are - in a nutshell - uneducated, close-minded, parochial and incapable of independent thought.<br /><br />Let me say - for the record - that many Christians like myself choose God fully as educated, literate, well-read ADULTS. Yes, I was raised in a Christian church, but I spent many years away from this environment as I sought my own answers. And yes, I studied a bit about eastern religions, visited other worship services and contemplated evolution at one time or another in my life.<br /><br />And, funnily enough, I still chose God.<br /><br />Being "spiritual" (i.e., with aspirations to discover what lies beyond the natural realm) is all good as far as that goes.<br /><br />Knowing what you believe and Who you believe in is much, much more valuable.<br /><br />Think about it....<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Religion" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spiritual</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spiritual</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christian" rel="tag">Christian</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christianity" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Articles" rel="tag">Articles</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/God" rel="tag">God</a>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-35616266686692338102010-01-23T09:36:00.003-05:002010-01-23T09:39:52.481-05:00Why I Am a Christian (and You Should Be, Too), in 600 Words<div><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">by Roger Clegg</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">To begin with</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">, i</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">t is foolish not to grapple with the question whether there is a God.</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> On His existence hinges what sort of life you should lead. Not having an opinion about or having giving serious thought to quantum mechanics is one thing, but the answer to the God question makes a big difference to you personally.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">It is true that, absent revelation, it is hard to know for sure whether God exists. But that doesn’t make the answer any less important.</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> Saying you can’t know for sure who will make your best spouse is no reason not to take care in choosing.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">Next, w</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">e do</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> know two things about the God-existence question: (a) There are goo</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">d arguments that there is a God,</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> and (b</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">) it is better to be wrong in believing</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> than to be </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">wrong in</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> not believing</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">On the first point, I w</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">on’t in these 6</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">00 words </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">rehearse the </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">various cosmological (Kalam, Thom</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">ist, Leibnizian, etc.</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">), </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">scientific</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> evidentiary</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">, design, moral, and other arguments. Suffice it to say that none of these arguments is silly, and that even an honest atheist has to admit that he cannot know for sure that God does not exist.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">The second point is, of course, </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">famous as “Pascal’s Wager</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">.</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">”</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> It’s quite straightforward. If ther</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">e is a God, then there is a </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><i><span style="font-size:100%;">huge</span></i></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> advantage in</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> believing in Him and living one’s life accordingly, versus not doing so. If it turns out there is no God, then the</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> (</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">much </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">smaller)</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> consequences i</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">n this life are all that matter</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">, and</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> indeed</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> it is not at all clear that one has lost a</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">nything by believing. Therefore</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">, a rational person</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> should believe, </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">live one’s life accordingly</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">,</span></span> <span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><i><span style="font-size:100%;">and cultivate one’s faith</span></i></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">.<br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">But how do we know which</span></span> <span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">God to believe in, and how do we know what He wants us to do?</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">T</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">he arguments </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">so far hinge on God wanting people</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> to believe in H</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">im and behave in a certain way; if God doesn’t care, then there’s no point in believing</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> in</span></span> <span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><i><span style="font-size:100%;">that</span></i></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> God. The most plausible candidate for the kind of God I</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">’m talking about is not Zeus,</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> Ra, </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">or </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">Vishnu, but </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">the </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">monotheistic God that </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">Jew</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">s</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">, Christians, and Muslims believe in.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">In choosing among</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> these three</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> religions</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">, you must ask </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">whether you believe the evidence that J</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">esus of Naz</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">areth was the Son of God</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">. If you do, then you are not a Jew or a Muslim. If you don’t, then you have to ask whether you think Mohammed was a true prophet or not.</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> Myself, I believe the evidence that</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> Something Happened in </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">Palestine</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> around A.D. 33, along the lines described in Mat</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">t</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">hew, Mark, Luke, and John.</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> It is, conversely, ha</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">rder to believe that the Gospels are</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> all simply made up.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">Finally, </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">how do we know what God wants us to do? </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">One can certainly use tradition and logic and deduction. But ultimately </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">one would </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">be very interested in hearing what God </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">Himself has</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> to say on the matter. For that, the New Testament (and the Old, since Jesus endorsed it) is obviously the key text. Interpreting it is not always easy, and perhaps it is not the perfect</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">ly transparent text we would like. But </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">you </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">would not </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">throw away the fragment of a </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">treasur</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">e map because it wasn’t perfect.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">Is all this too cold-blooded and calculating </span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">for a Christian? Well, my aim</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> is to persuade non</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">believers, and the f</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">act is that you can’t persuade most</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> non</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">believer</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">s</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> except</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> by appealing to their</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> self-interest.</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> Once they believe, then they can begin shedding the cold-bloodedness, as Someo</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;">ne who shed His own blood for mankind</span></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size:100%;"> taught us to do.</span></span></p></div>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com67tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-5195454950041138762009-11-14T19:43:00.002-05:002009-11-14T20:36:45.223-05:00Why Do Christians Experience So Much Pain?Why do Christians experience so much pain? Isn't being a believer in God supposed to afford you some sort of protection from all the bad experiences of life? God loves us, right? So shouldn't that mean we experience more of His blessings than His trials and tribulations?<br /><br />Many Christians puzzle over why they experience so much pain in their lives. I know when I was a 'baby' Christian, I thought being saved meant an end to pain and misery and a life of understanding, transcendent joy, wisdom and knowledge. Boy, was I wrong! It's probably true to say I went through more pain in adjusting to the Christian life and learning some hard-won lessons than when I had been 'out in the world' and supposedly enjoying myself.<br /><br />So why do Christians experience so much pain? Well, we know the conventional wisdom that our trials come to make us stronger. And this is true. We are promised in 1 Peter 5:10 that after we have suffered a little while, God would strengthen, establish and settle us. We can also learn from the way God treated the Israelites. In Isaiah 48:10, God talks about how He refined the Israelites like silver, using affliction as His 'furnace'. And why did He feel the need to refine the Israelites with affliction? Because they had constantly disobeyed Him and tried to refute His laws and live the way they chose to instead. They were headstrong and stubborn. Disobedient and arrogant.<br /><br />Much like we are. We come to God fully expecting to receive His love - which He freely gives us - but never expecting to have to give up our arrogance, stubbornness, disobedience and sin. We have been taught so often that God is love, we forget that He is also a God of accountability, sanctification and responsibility. Truly, we expect a free pass on everything, knowing that if we turn to God, He will forgive us everything.<br /><br />But we must be 'afflicted' with trials and tribulations in order to learn some very important lessons with God. We have to learn to be 'refined' until our pride and sin are burned away. Until there is less and less of 'us' and much, much more of God.<br /><br />It is a very hard lesson to learn.<br /><br />And why do our trials seem to last for so long? Because some lessons you don't learn in the first hour, the first day or the first year of your tribulation. Some lessons you only learn when you've gone beyond your ability to bear your burdens and you finally - finally! - turn to God and give Him complete control of your life. Sometimes you don't get to a place of complete submission and yielding until you've done absolutely all you can and finally - finally! - realize that your efforts are futile and that, without God, you are nothing. And that's when the trial is over.<br /><br />And then you can begin to fully experience His peace, His Love and His open-handed, free giving of Himself and His Blessings to you.<br /><br />(I am in no way suggesting that every time you go through a trial, it is because you have a lesson to learn, but many times when you go through, it is for that very reason.)<br /><br />And here is the biggest insight to the scripture from Isaiah 48:10. God tells the Israelites that He used affliction as His furnace so as to separate the bad from the good in their spiritual lives (much as the dross (or impurities) are separated when silver is refined). BUT - Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible gives us even greater insight. This commentary tells us that:<br /><br /><blockquote>It was to refine them, but not as silver, or with silver, not so thoroughly as men refine their silver, which they continue in the furnace till all the dross is separated from it; if God should take that course with them, they would be always in the furnace, for they are all dross, and, as such, might justly be put away (Psa_119:119) as reprobate silver, Jer_6:30. He therefore takes them as they are, refined in part only, and not thoroughly. “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction, that is, I have made thee a choice one by the good which the affliction has done thee, and then designed thee for great things.”</blockquote> <br />In other words, if God allowed us to go through the amount of affliction necessary to TRULY refine us, we'd never be free from our trials and tribulations! In His great mercy, He CHOOSES to accept us as we are - only partially refined - and continues to love and work with us ANYWAY.<br /><br />So the next time you are feeling morally superior, remember - though you've been through a lot and feel like you have accomplished a lot spiritually - you are still only partially refined in God's eyes. It is out of His great love that He blesses us at all, so be more grateful for what you have rather than focusing on the very necessary trials and tribulations that we all have to face as Christians.<br /><br />So why do Christians experience so much pain? Because it is both necessary and essential to becoming the type of Christians we need to be. Because, really, isn't the purpose to serve Him? And, instead of feeling bad about the length and number of trials that we experience, we should instead choose to feel gratitude that God accepts us as we are - partially refined, but wholly His. Which means unending Love, prosperity, blessings and all the good stuff. But know and accept that you WILL go through trials and tribulations. Your job now is simply to have the best attitude about them of which you are capable.<br /><br />Be Blessed :)Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-1146338217370764072009-10-09T11:48:00.001-04:002009-10-09T11:52:24.478-04:00The Benefits of Loving GodThis is an oldie but goodie, and I thought now is a great time to re-post it. Enjoy!<br />___________________________________________________________<br /><br />I've been having a lot of spiritual conversations lately. Who God is, what He is about, and why being a 'Christian' shouldn't mean having to following a certain doctrine or religion. And I've been having these conversations for years - why bad things happen to good people, the believability and credibility of God, the hypocrisy of Christians, why one religion is better than the other and, my favorite, how black people in America are only 'Christians' because of being brainwashed by the white majority society.<br /><br />I'm noticing something strange - it's like we all still believe in God, but we are no longer certain of exactly who He is. Traditional beliefs are falling by the wayside, being replaced by humanistic, general divine-consciousnessness, and dubious 'spiritual' beliefs. Who is God, really, we ask ourselves? Could He also be Buddha? Can He be found in nature? Can we reach Him through internal dialogue? Or are we ourselves gods? We can't agree on what to call Him. Or how we should worship Him. If we need to go to a church, synaogue or mosque at all. If He is a man or a woman. Or if He is one of many gods.<br /><br />Let me be clear about my beliefs: the God I believe in is the God of the Judeo-Christian Torah/Bible. The One who parted the Red Sea, brought plagues down on Pharoah, sent His son Jesus Christ and made a way for all to find their way to salvation. I am clear on who He is and who He is to me.<br /><br />In light of these conversations, I very simply wanted to lay out the reasons why loving God (being in fellowship with Him, attending worship services, talking to other believers) is a good thing:<br /><br />1. <strong>He Will Never Let You Down</strong><br /><br />God is a God of Truth. If He (or His Word) tells you something, it is true. If He promises to do something for you, He will. If He says something will not happen, it won't. If He says something will happen, it will. He will not forsake His children. He takes care of those who claim Him as their own. He doesn't lie, pretend or bluff. He will never let you down.<br /><br />2. <strong>He Will Be There For You During Hard Times</strong><br /><br />Note - I didn't say He would prevent those hard times;I can almost <em>guarantee</em> you those will come. But, if you are a Believer, God will be there for you during those hard times. It might be through the intervention of a friend. Or getting eight hours of sleep when you didn't think you'd be able to sleep a wink. Or the day you wake up and realize you are healed of that old relationship, or the passing on of your beloved mother. The day you got a new job - or held on to one you desparately needed. God will be there for you during your hard times.<br /><br />3. <strong>He Will Never Give Up On You</strong> (Unless you choose to completely walk away)<br /><br />He has promised to love each of His children and He does - always. No matter how we behave. No matter how much we keep turning away. No matter how inconsistent or fickle you are. Yes - if you choose to live your life apart from Him, He will allow that. And the Bible does tell us that if we choose not to acknowledge Him in anwy way, He will give us over to this way of thinking. But He will never stop loving you. And hoping that you will return. God will never give up on you - only you can choose to completely walk away.<br /><br />4. <strong>He Will Forgive You Your Sins</strong><br /><br />He knows what you've done. He knows where you've been. And He is <em>still</em> willing to engage in a dialogue with you - to work it out. To take you back into His arms. To help you get through whatever drove you to Him in the first place. He loves you. He won't give up on you. And He will accept you when and if you are willing to return to Him. God will forgive you of your sins - if you allow Him to.<br /><br />5. <strong>He Has Prepared a Fabulous Place For You</strong><br /><br />Yes, I know the Karl Marx quote that says, in part, that 'Religion....is the opium of the people.' And how Christians are often maligned for thinking they are all going to go to a 'better place' after this mortal life ends. Where there will be no more tears and no more pain and no more sickness. But, just think for a moment - what if there really is a heaven? What if there really is a place better than this one? Where there will be no more tears and no more crying, no more wars and no more pain? Wouldn't you want to be there? Or are you more comfortable with the idea of lying in a cold, empty grave and going on to eternal oblivion? It's your choice - but I promise you this - God has a fabulous place prepared for all those who choose Him.<br /><br />For simplicity's sake, I did not put in scripture quotes for each of the above points, but if you'd like them, let me know and I will get them to you.<br /><br />What have your experiences been with loving God? What do you love most about Him?<br /><br />On another note, have you ever wanted a career with more meaning? <a href="http://www.online-university-degrees.info/liberty.html">Christian Counseling Degrees</a> available online, so you can pursue your new career in the comfort of your own home!<br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Religion" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spirituality</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christian" rel="tag">Christian</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christianity" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Love" rel="tag">Love</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/God" rel="tag">God</a>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-53434582604634134482009-07-05T22:39:00.004-04:002009-07-05T22:44:14.984-04:00When the Wheels Come OffBy Donna VanLiere<br /><br /><p align=center>Author of Finding Grace: A True Story About Losing Your Way in Life . . . And Finding It Again</p><br /><br />I grew up in the 70's and 80's when parents still told their kids to go outside and play. My friends and I would spend all day in the yard and when we got hot and sweaty enough we'd run to the back patio, open the water spigot on the side of the house and get down on our hands and knees so we could get low enough to turn our mouths up for a drink of water that splashed all over our faces and down our necks. In the evenings I remember seeing my parents shaking their heads as they watched the oil crises in the 1970's unfold on the nightly news. Gas prices skyrocketed to 73 cents a gallon! "Turn it off," my mother would say to my dad. "Good grief! The wheel's are coming off but they make it sound like the world's ending."<br /><br />Like me, as a child you probably hoped for a life that would exceed your dreams but as those dreams collapsed along the way you've simply wished for a soft wing of hope but instead have gotten life in a culture of ungrace. That's not a word but it should be. If you don't know what ungrace is just listen to most people who didn't vote for any sitting president, watch how fast Hollywood turns on a star who no longer sells at the box office or turn on the news anytime during the day. Ungrace pulsates in our workplaces, communities, and in the media and tells us that regardless of what has happened we must do better, look better, and make ourselves better. But to love and accept someone regardless of their flaws and failures is a breath of hope in a world that turns more upside down than right side up. That is the gift of grace. It's being dirty and smelly and turning your face up under the spigot. Sometimes the wheels need to come off and you need to get pretty low before you appreciate grace.<br /><br />The wheels are coming off for my friend Lisa. She's the owner of a beautiful clothing store for women. She's put her heart and soul into the store but then the economy tanked and people ran scared (even those who still had jobs and owned their homes). Trouble is, she did everything right: paid her mortgage, creditors and bills on time so she doesn't qualify for help. The wheels are coming off for my friend Jacob. When he took his vows he never envisioned this animosity, anger or separation. The wheels are coming off for my friend Gerri. She finished chemotherapy and is beginning nine weeks of radiation for breast cancer. It wasn't her dream but she's added it to her daily schedule: go to work, get groceries, go to hospital for radiation, do laundry, make dinner.<br /><br />When we plan our lives no one ever says, "When I grow up I want to get a divorce, maybe two!" Or, "When I grow up I want to lose my house, my business and my life savings!" Broken dreams are never part of anyone's plan. We tie our plans up with ribbons and bows and aim for the mountain top but end up in the valley. In Finding Grace (St. Martin's Press, March 2009) I relate a story of walking with my second grade class to the library when a sixth grader spit on me. He didn't intend to spit on me but I was fortunate enough to be the one to pass at that exact moment. My teacher Mrs. Brewer cleaned me up but when I looked down at my maroon polyester blend turtleneck I could see the white tissue particles clinging to where the snot had been. "He blindsided you," Mrs. Brewer said. "That's how it goes sometimes."<br /><br />At some point, life blindsides us with something far greater than a giant loogie. The diagnosis, abuse, foreclosure, broken marriage, death, or financial collapse brings us to our knees and though we try to clean ourselves up the best we know how we're still left with the stain of it all. "That's how it goes sometimes." True. But isn't there more? The beauty of grace says yes. There's more love after the infidelity, more joy after the diagnosis and more life after the financial ruin. Chris Gardner, the bestselling author of The Pursuit of Happyness was once asked how he and his son were able to overcome the shame of homelessness. Gardner said, "We were homeless, not hopeless!" Chris knew he was living on the streets but he was still living. That's grace. Grace is always present and always near but it's easy to miss -- things aren't always as they appear. I just returned from Winnipeg where The Christmas Hope is being filmed in a house. In previous months the homeowner fell off a ladder and broke several ribs. During x-rays it was discovered that he had cancer. That break-up, closed door to a job, or fall from a ladder may not be as devastating as you think but an act of grace that will save your life and help you discover higher dreams.<br /><br />In a country of excess we suffer from a deficit of grace. In the last few months I've watched two stories on the news of men losing their jobs then killing their entire families and themselves. In another story a man lost his job after twenty years. "It's heart wrenching," he said. "But I still have my family and we're all together." That's the hope of grace speaking and it beats the alternative any day. Last week my friend Lisa liquidated merchandise and said, "It kills me to close this store but I know God still has a plan for me." That's grace at the end of a shattered dream. My friend Miriam's husband was devastated over their loss of money in the stock market. "How much do we have left?" she asked. Embracing and recognizing what is left is grace at the end of an economically depressed rope. There is life-altering power in that.<br /><br />I once attended several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for research. A man said, "I was a drunk for fifteen years. I lost my wife and son because she couldn't take it anymore. One day I woke up and said, ‘What the hell am I doing? I need to live.'" For fifteen years the noise of his life drown out the voice that said he was worthy, needed and loved but then came the day that he finally heard it. That wake-up call to life is a gift from God. With what strength that man had left he turned his face up toward that spigot of grace and let it splash all over him.<br /><br />Finding grace in a culture of ungrace seems an impossible task but it is present, it is real and it is an indomitable gift that has the power to change your life. It does come with one condition, though -- like any gift you have to reach out and take it.<br /><br /><br />©2009 Donna VanLiere, author of Finding Grace: A True Story About Losing Your Way in Life . . . And Finding It Again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Author Bio</span><br /><br />Donna Vanliere, author of Finding Grace, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Christmas Hope series and Angels of Morgan Hill. She lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband and three children. For more information please visit <a href="http://www.donnavanliere.com/">http://www.donnavanliere.com</a>.Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-2151343546876386062009-04-19T09:34:00.002-04:002009-04-19T09:58:04.557-04:00Seeing Through the Eyes of Faith<blockquote>But we live by faith, not by what we see (2 Colossians 5:7 CEV). </blockquote><blockquote>If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires.<br /><br />The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other.<br /><br />They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should.<br /><br />But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.<br /><br />God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. (Galatian 5:16-18, 25 CEV)</blockquote><br />It's easy to get caught up in the every-day circumstances of life. We get up, we have to go work, get the kids ready, go grocery shopping, make dinner, do work at home, get gas for the car and a whole host of other things that consume our time and make up what we call 'life.'<br /><br />But how do you view your life? Do you see it as an amalgamation of duties, obligations, and responsibilities? Or is there an underlying meaning to your life?<br /><br />What I'm asking is - is there a purpose for your life or are you just living? Are you spending your time running errands, attending school recitals, watching your kids' soccer games and doing laundry? Or is there something more that drives your life?<br /><br />Because it's okay (and necessary) to do all the ordinary things - after all, dinner doesn't cook itself, homework doesn't magically get accomplished and somebody's gotta make sure the kids get to school. But life is not ONLY about those things.<br /><br />We (Christians) don't walk through life merely to exist. There is a greater purpose and meaning to our lives. Ultimately, to serve God. Which means, on a day-to-day basis, we see through the eyes of faith.<br /><br />We see the content of a person's spirit and not simply what he or she presents to the world. We believe with blind faith things that others say can't happen in a million years. We use God's insight and wisdom to walk by faith and not by sight.<br /><br />And what does walking by that faith mean? That we recognize the truth of what's going on here in the natural world (i.e., our company is downsizing and we may be in danger of losing our jobs), but that we don't allow that truth to override the overarching TRUTH (namely, that God has promised that He will never forsake the righteous and that our children will never go hungry (Psalm 37:25)). It means that we believe God MORE than we believe the news reports, what our friends think or 'conventional wisdom' (because we know that the world's wisdom is foolishness to God (1 Cor 3:19)).<br /><br />God has also given us His Holy Spirit to help us in our walk of faith. By following the Spirit, we won't follow the flesh. That simply means that we will be so caught up in doing the right thing, thinking the right thoughts and behaving in a righteous manner, that we won't have the time to pursue our own selfish, acrimonious or divisive desires. God's Holy Spirit helps us to make peace with others, be the bigger person in an argument and keep eyes firmly fixed on the actions of Jesus as our ultimate role model.<br /><br />God has given us life. God has given us His Spirit. See your life through the eyes of faith and be steadfast in your walk of faith. Be guided by God's spirit and He will never lead you astray!Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-11822166183457708382009-03-29T07:00:00.002-04:002009-03-29T07:00:00.330-04:00Pray Without Ceasing<blockquote>1Th 5:17 - Pray without ceasing. </blockquote> <blockquote>Gal 5:25 - If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. </blockquote> <blockquote>Acts 17:28a - For in him we live, and move, and have our being; </blockquote><br /><br />How is your relationship with God? How much time do you spend praying, communing with Him or studying His Word?<br /><br />Many of us make the mistake of thinking our relationship with God primarily happens on Sunday morning. On Sunday morning, we do our best praying, we hear a great Word (if we attend church), we shout for joy, sing good songs and work ourselves up to an enthusiasm about God rarely seen during the week .<br /><br />Not all of us are like that of course. Some of us already pray regularly - either at night or in the morning when we arise. And some of us go even beyond that - we regularly study devotionals, read the Word and play gospel or Christian music on a regular basis.<br /><br />But it still comes back to the question - how is your relationship with God?<br /><br />I've said in many other postings that our relationship with God is built like any other relationship. We spend time with Him, we talk to Him, we listen to Him and we simply enjoy His company. As you get to know Him better, you understand Him better and accept and love Him for the God you know Him to be. No one can tell you anything about God without a thorough reading of the Bible to confirm what they are saying and you trust that He'll lead and guide you into all knowledge.<br /><br />But there is still a further level into which we can travel in our relationship with God. It's the <span style="font-style:italic;">all the time</span>, unceasing, kind of relationship. The kind of relationship where prayer is automatic, your thoughts are constantly on what He would have you do in a given situation and you almost subconsciouly converse with Him all that time, discussing your day, reviewing His Word (the Bible) and communing with Him in your downtime and the lulls in your day. <br /><br />Do you know what I mean?<br /><br />Where before you've even consciously considered praying, you find yourself finishing a request to God to help your friend, give you strength or that His will be done (since that is always the best option) in any given situation. Where you no longer have to remind yourself to study His Word on a regular basis, because you automatically check the Bible any time you hear something with which you don't agree and you've bookmarked Bible websites at work, home and school so that you can check them quickly and in a hurry. Where, finally, you no longer pray before you do something, but you realize moment to moment what He would have you do and act accordingly. It's that level where it's no longer <span style="font-style:italic;">what you know</span> but <span style="font-style:italic;">who you are</span>. You don't have to work on <span style="font-style:italic;">being</span> a Christian - you just have to express the Christianity that is inside of you.<br /><br />Are you at that level? Would you like to be?<br /><br />Give that some serious thought as you continue your journey with God. Use the above scriptures as references and begin to integrate more of God in every aspect of your life. Walk in the peace and life He has so graciously offered you. Enjoy your life, live it to the fullest and let your life be the fullest expression of the blessings of God.<br /><br />Try it out today and let me know how it goes :)Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-65902044014422320392009-03-15T08:00:00.001-04:002009-09-26T12:12:02.447-04:00Devotional - Finding Contentment<blockquote>Heb 13:5 Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee.</blockquote><blockquote>2Co 12:9 And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. </blockquote><blockquote>1Ti 6:8 but having food and covering we shall be therewith content.</blockquote><br />How many of you have ever felt like you just didn’t have enough? Not enough paycheck to pay all your bills. Not enough love to make living worthwhile. Not enough career to love your current job. Not enough God. Not enough time. And, most resoundingly, not enough money.<br /><br />We all know that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Titus 6:10). But many times we’ll feel wracked with longing for a better job, more money, a bigger house or a better car. We feel like we don’t have <span style="font-weight:bold;">enough</span>. <br /><br />Jesus said he came to give us life and it more abundantly (John 10:10). So we automatically assume that abundant life comes with more material things as well. Sure, we all want peace and contentment, but we’re willing to settle for being the person in our family who makes the most money, has the nicest clothes or can afford to travel the world. What’s abundant life without being able to impress your friends with your importance? What’s the point of having money, we often hear, without having the power that comes along with it? <br /> <br />What’s life really about? Is it about what you have or is it about what you need? Because I bet as you’re reading this, all your needs are met. You have enough to eat. You have some place to sleep. You can get around either with a private car or public transportation.<br /><br />You have a job that allows you to pay most or all of your bills. You have some type of roof over your head. You are whole and well and able to take care of yourself. Your most basic needs have been met.<br /><br />Yet it still often feels like it’s not <span style="font-weight:bold;">enough</span>.<br /><br />God calls us to contentment. A popular definition of contentment is being happy with the things you’ve got (and not thinking about the things you don’t). Are you content with the things you've "got?" Or do you find yourself wishing for more?<br /><br />God’s definition of contentment can be found in the above three scriptures. In Hebrews 13:5, He tells us to be content with such things as we have, for He is always with us and will never forsake or leave us. In 2Cor 12:9, He tells us His Grace is sufficient for us, the sufficient in this scripture being the same in meaning as the contentment in Hebrews 13:5. Finally, in 1Titus 6:8, we are told to be content, having food and clothing to cover our bodies. The "content," "sufficient" and "content" listed in preceding three scriptures share the same meaning, namely: to “be content, be enough, suffice, be sufficient.(Strong's Concordance)” In other words, God is telling us that because He is with us (and will never leave us), because His Grace is sufficient for us and because we have food and clothing, we should be content.<br /><br />How does that make you feel? Does knowing that you <span style="font-style:italic;">should</span> lessen your desire to have material things or do you think you are entitled to the material things as well? I pose this question because it’s an important distinction to make.<br /><br />If you find yourself still not very content, what steps can you take to become more? How can you truly settle down, focus on the now and find contentment with the things that God has given you - right now, today?<br /><br />A hint can be found in the second scripture, where God tells us that His Grace is sufficient for us and that His power is made perfect in our weakness.<br /><br />Our true contentment can only come when we lift the responsibility for being strong from our shoulders and allow His strength to overtake us. In other words, the more we pretend we can do it all ourselves – and draw on our own resources – the less likely it is that His power will lead, guide and empower us. The more we do in our own strength and power, the less room His Grace has to work its magic in our lives - guiding us towards the contentment that He has promised us.<br /><br />The take-away from this is that contentment comes with the head knowledge that we are to be that way because of our relationship with God, but is more firmly established the more we lean on God in the face of our weakness. We are simply not designed to be strong, all the time, on our own. By allowing His Grace to take root, expand and fill our inner spirits, we are also accessing that ever-so-elusive contentment that comes with carrying our problems to God and allowing His peace to settle on our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:6-7).<br /><br />Contentment, then, does not come from self-sufficiency, the love of money (or the things it can buy) or by operating solely on our own strength. Contentment comes from recognizing that God is our strength, relying on Him and turning aside from our love of material things to develop a soul-satisfying relationship with Him. We were designed to be this way – in sync, in love and in step with our Creator. Develop your relationship with God and increase your level of contentment today.Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-67631244571152797992009-03-08T05:30:00.000-04:002009-03-08T05:30:00.741-04:00Devotional - Be All Things<blockquote>1Co 9:19 For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. <br /><br />1Co 9:20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; <br /><br />1Co 9:21 to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. <br /><br />1Co 9:22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. (ASV)</blockquote><br /><br />We need to become all things to all people. In our modern-day, Westernized society, the emphasis is on being unique and individual. Unlike collectivistic cultures, we Americans value and honor those whose primary concern is themselves, their interests and their lives. We give them labels like ‘mavericks,’ ‘lone wolves,’ and the like. And that’s all fine and good.<br /><br />But we’re in the business of winning people to Christ. We’re in the business of demonstrating the God that has made such a difference in our lives. We are in the business of modeling Christ-like behavior to those whose view of religion may be tainted and scarred by the world around us.<br /><br />We need to be all things to all people. As Paul states so rightly above, he was free, but chose to be in bondage to everyone (figuratively), so that he might win those to Christ. He became a Jew to the Jews, a law-abider to those who honored the law and a lawless person to those who scorned the law. He also became weak to those that were weak! All in an effort to become someone with whom everyone could relate so that those individuals might be won to Christ.<br /><br />I know how important we consider our own individuality to be. But, as Paul points out above, it is equally important to be able to become chameleon-like in our efforts to reach out to those who may not be exactly like us. Have you ever noticed how quickly a mother will reach out to another mother? Or a teenager trusts his or her peers more than an ‘old’ person?<br /><br />You’ve got to get it into your mind to use whatever you need to in order to gain the trust of those who are around you. This is not a popularity contest. This is a real life and death effort to pass on the good news of the Bible to those who so desperately need it.<br /><br />You may not even need to mention the words “Jesus,” “God,” or the “Bible.” Once people are around you long enough, believe me, they will be very curious about what makes you tick, why you seem so happy in the face of adversity and how they can get in on the good life that you appear to be living.<br /><br />We need to be all things to all people to win those people for Christ. Explore your options, put yourself out there and build trust and rapport with those around you who are so in need of the knowledge of the Word of God.Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-10666258345999431132009-03-01T08:24:00.003-05:002009-03-01T08:28:55.911-05:00Devotional - Strength, Courage & Wisdom<blockquote>2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. </blockquote><br /><br />It’s okay that you’re not perfect. It’s okay that some days you have are bad. And it’s okay that you’re not going to get everything right, all the time.<br /><br />Some days you’re going to hit it out of the park. Some days you’re going to get nothing but fouls. And some days you’ll just barely manage to get to first base.<br />God’s Strength is made to be shown through your weakness. It’s meant to show you that you need Him. You hit a wall, you make a mistake, you show your weakness and, bam!, you find yourself getting down on yourself, thinking negative thoughts and contemplating how stupid you are. And you finally release your thoughts to God and you begin to pray and His Spirit surrounds you and that’s when you realize: <span style="font-style:italic;">This</span> is why I’m weak. <span style="font-style:italic;">This</span> is why I need His strength. Know why? Because if you didn’t have weak moments, you probably wouldn’t call on Him as much as you do. So you need your weakness to demonstrate to you just how much you need Him. To remain close to Him. To draw on His strength, which was tailor-made for what you’re going through. And, number two, you need these weak moments to realize you are not capable of doing this alone. If you could accomplish all that you needed without Him, there would be no need to have God. There is a God, however, you do need Him and you NEED Him to do what you have to do.<br /><br />God’s Strength is made to be shown through your weakness. It’s meant to show others where you strength REALLY lies. Your weakness – and His rescue – make others realize that they quite possibly need Him, too. If all people saw were all your triumphs – and not the growing experiences that got you there – they would mistakenly think that YOU have all the answers and you know that is patently untrue. You know that you only are what you are because God has given you strength. And your weakness to others demonstrates the same to them.<br /><br />So REJOICE in your weakness. Know that you’re not perfect, you’re never going to be perfect and it’s perfectly okay – no, WONDERFUL – that you’re not perfect because it all demonstrates the MAJESTY and GLORY of God. It reminds you of how much you need God, how futile it is to think you can do anything without Him and even helps others to realize just how much they need God, too. You WILL BE WEAK. So let God handle it. And all will be well…Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-60001455973418412922008-08-06T20:46:00.007-04:002008-08-09T21:00:00.801-04:00Christian Thoughts Book Now Available<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=2864778"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieV2dmlflK7uRtUt5lq3lKzoCAIzOHStiyMojGSh3mxS8SmnuazOtyZCjS7c0iScpTNIAg-Z2jRXriFLgXgnw5DDxFG0pyaUCd9IsJLrbl2InFzpdydCj9WfJV3uJ39Y-_1JSsg/s320/Christian_Thoughts_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231563699918818162" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=2864778">$5.99 E-book Download<br />$12.70 Print Book</a><br /></div><br />Would you like to become closer to God? How about a common-sense view of what the Bible says? Whether you're a long-term Christian or are new to the faith, this book will give you insight into increasing your spirituality, improving your relationships, understanding the Bible and help you get closer to God. This book is a compilation of the best posts from the 'Christian Thoughts' Blog, found at http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/.<br /><br />After two+ years of blogging, the (Best of) Christian Thoughts book is now available at Lulu.com. No more rifling through archives or trying to find that post from a couple of years ago. The best articles are all available now in one place. Buy yours today!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=2864778">Buy Now!</a><br /></div><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Religion" rel="tag"></a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/God" rel="tag"><br /></a>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-20547974252143938292008-07-08T07:01:00.002-04:002009-09-26T12:12:02.447-04:00Talking to God<a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/06261662540264633710">Aaron Halvorson</a> said (of my article <a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/04/getting-closer-to-god.html">Getting Closer to God</a>):<br /><br />That's good stuff. After reading it I thought that most of it should have been incredibly obvious to someone who has been a Christian nearly their entire life. It is unfortunate how much common sense is lost sitting in a church pew every Sunday. I always thought that a formula such as praying to God 5 times a day wasn't the answer to getting closer to God, but I have never thought of it in these incredibly simple terms.<br /><br />I know that sounds stupid. But I have read the entire Bible and never came to the conclusion "God Likes to Talk." I've never heard that in a sermon either. It's both incredibly simple and incredibly profound.<br /><br />I've spent a lot of time wondering why God doesn't seem to talk to me and not enough time realizing He probably actually wants to.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Aaron:</span><br /><br />I think it's an 'incredibly simple' concept (as you mentioned) that most people tend to overlook. God does want to talk to us. As a matter of fact, God <span style="font-style:italic;">likes</span> to talk to us. And He definitely listens. Some scriptures:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount</span>...(Exo 24:12(a))</blockquote> <blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me</span>...(Isa 31:4(a))</blockquote> <blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.</span> (Deu 5:28)</blockquote><br /><br />You know, there was a time in the Christian's life when openly and regularly 'talking' to God was the norm, rather than the exception. Early church fathers emphasized the need to pray unceasingly (1 Thessalonians 5:17), regularly come to God with confessions, requests and devotion. When did we lose that?<br /><br />God says that many times He does not answer our prayers because we pray for selfish reasons, so that we can satisfy our own selfish desires. Jam 4:3 says, "<span style="font-style:italic;">Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.</span>" That's a pretty harsh assessment of us, but I think it is pretty accurate (who among us wouldn't want a brand new car or big, beautiful home?).<br /><br />However, despite all this, I believe that God welcomes our conversation. The best way to think of His relationship with us is to imagine if you are a father who has a son (easy if this actually applies to you).<br /><br />You love your son. You've seen him come from his mother's womb and watched him grow. You love him so much, you provided for him, changed his dirty diapers, patiently consoled him when he cried and held his hand on the first day of school. As a child, he repays your efforts mostly with demands for more, taxes your patience, takes all of your free time, and takes a good portion of your money and strength. But you still love him. You know that he is a child and, as he grows, he will come to appreciate what you've done for him. You don't expect him to know the level of sacrifice and commitment you've given to him - which you gave willingly - and you are pleased to see him continually grow and mature. As a teenager, he becomes somewhat rebellious, doing things you don't want him to do, associating with people you don't like and getting further away from the values you placed in him. You worry about him, try to talk to him as he scowls at you, ignores you and goes stubbornly on his way. <br /><br />As your child becomes a man, he starts his own family, has his own career and moves far away from you. After a few years, maybe, just maybe, as a maturing adult, he finally values all you have done for him and decides you really did love him after all (though you didn't get him that sports car he wanted for his 18th birthday). He decides to cultivate a relationship with you (or at least isn't so resistant to your efforts), calls sometimes, brings his family by and your relationship finally develops to the point where you speak regularly, he asks your advice and freely shares his heart's concerns.<br /><br />That son represents our attitude towards God. As 'baby' Christians, we make incessant demands and tax God with our desires, our need for attention and our very unreasonableness. As we grow older, we 'need' Him less (we think), become more independent and headstrong and test the boundaries of our faith. We question who God is, what He is about and why He has to have sovereignty over our lives. We 'move away' to distant spiritual shores as we pursue our own passions and our own, selfish, desires. At some point along our spiritual journey, we finally, finally, finally 'get' what God has done for us. We recall how He supported us in all our endeavors, helped us to meet our husbands or wives (or got us out of a really, really bad marriage), remember the jobs He got us, how we never overly suffered or got down too low. We especially remember the hard times and how He sustained us until we could find our security and peace.<br /><br />And then we begin to cultivate our relationship with Him. We talk to Him voluntarily, instead of by demand, begin to share our thoughts with Him and even seek His advice.<br /><br />And this is what He really wants! He doesn't mind your requests, helping you deal with your problems or assisting you in getting that next job, but what He really wants is <span style="font-style:italic;">you</span>. An honest, open-hearted, genuine relationship with <span style="font-style:italic;">you</span>. A voluntary relationship with you. Not an on command appearance on Easter Sunday or Christmas, but a full-time, loving, worshiping, healthy, whole relationship with you. Just like that father wants with his son. The Bible abounds with scriptures about our Father - how if our natural fathers give good gifts, our Heavenly father gives even better, about how He loves us, about how He will provide for us, give us peace, protect our sanity - yet we look on our relationship with Him as an obligation, as a burden and, finally, as something that is more trouble than it's worth.<br /><br />We are so wrong! If only we realized the depth of love our Father has for us, we would be running to Him instead of running away. Just think again of the example of the father and son above. That father probably had years of great advice he could have given the son, financial help he could have offered, resources and blessings that the son couldn't even imagine - if his son had only asked. Or even been around for casual conversations - because don't most 'big' revelations come between two people when they are talking about the weather or school or, whatever? That's how God is - the more we talk to Him, the more we understand Him. The closer we are to Him, the more He tells us. And the more time we spend with Him, the more we are open to receive His love, His blessings, His advice and be a recipient of His many gifts. God can't tell you too much about anything if your conversation is limited to five minutes a day (if it's even that much). He needs more of your time, more of your attention and more of your love. Having conversations with God is as much for you as it is for Him.<br /><br />God loves you. And He wants to talk.<br /><br />So what are you gonna do about it?Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-62463371306317954502008-03-22T15:00:00.005-04:002009-09-26T12:22:50.280-04:00Questions about Cheating, Marriage and the Other WomanHello all:<br /><br />I've been on a bit of a hiatus due to my full-time school and work schedule, but there are some reader questions that have been particularly haunting me. Here they are with my responses. (Please feel free to add your own advice, commentary, etc.)<br /><br />From: <a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/06/other-woman.html">The Other Woman</a><br /><br />Anonymous said... <br /><br />I have been married for 24 years now with two children ages 23 and 14...my husband left me but i know in my heart he was cheating all the signs were there, he no longer desired me and he was always abusive to me which really escalated before he left, he denies there is another woman, but he became very upset the day i found the number in the cellphone and called it and deleted the number he asked for his number back and left the following day, he has not taken all of his things yet he does not want the neighbors to know he has moved out, but yet he is not there anymore..(strange) i am going along with it for now, but there is no relationship between he and I anymore and he wants to be able to come in and stay from time to time when he feels like it..so basically he is holding me back while he waits to see if this thing between he and the new woman will work out because i think she is married as well..never the less, i feel i have been reborn..God has given me peace after days of crying and depression i was devastated and i can not say i did not do some things that he did not appreciate, after years of abuse i turned to prescription drugs and i became addicted..i begged and pleaded him to help me but he would not he saw that as his way out. but let me add this is not the first affair we have dealt with he has cheated on me two times prior to this that i know for sure..so God is so Good, because after finding this blog, i feel totally free, i do not wish any bad luck on him i wish the best but i know the relationship is not going to work because this is one of the oldest tricks of the enemy, grass always seem greener, so Ladies plz respond and provide me encouragement this is still young for me and i am praying my way thru<br /><br />12:21 PM <br /><br />Anonymous:<br /><br />I feel your pain. I know what it's like to love someone and try to honor that relationship with what you've learned about God and how best to be a Christian. However, your husband has made the decision easier for you - he left you. Your role is to pray, seek the comfort of God and ask how you are to handle the situation. The goal is for you to have peace. The optimal marriage state is for two people to be working together, trying to make things work, communicating, spending time, raising any children and incorporating Godly principles into their marriage. If your marriage does not have those qualities, it is not where it should be. I cannot say for sure whether or not you two should be together, but I know for absolute sure that God is going to work this out in your best interests. I can promise you that. I also promise you this: if you seek Him and obediently do His will, He will honor and bless you in ways beyond compare. I will be praying for you. Please let me know how this turns out.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />From: <a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/03/how-not-to-cheat.html">How Not to Cheat</a><br /><br />Anonymous said... <br /><br />i need some help... PLEASE ANYONE!!! I just found out that my girlfriend of 4 years is cheating. She did it before and I forgave her and then she did it again and i forgave her again..and again. This time its more serious cause i found out that she was close to sexual with him and its the same guy that she cheated with the first time. I am a Christian and so is she and we are active in our Church.. can someone please give me some Christian advice please.. its like im dying here...<br /><br />10:43 PM <br /><br />Anonymous:<br /><br />As a prior single woman for a number of years, I became intimately familiar with all the games, ups and downs and challenges facing Christian singles. Here is what I see: your girlfriend still has feelings for the gentleman which whom she had sex. You are right to forgive her, but you are not obligated to stay with her. True repentance (on her part) would have been to walk away from him and leave him alone. She is telling you - with her actions - that she is not capable of doing that. You are meant for better. Behavior does not magically change when you are married. Behavior changes through a close relationship with God, fasting and prayer, repentance and a true desire for change. I don't believe your girlfriend has a true heart for repentance.<br /><br />My advice is for you to leave her and spend some close, one-on-one time with God. Allow Him to minister to you, allow your friends to comfort you, pray daily and fast and, if at the end of that you feel like God is leading you back to her, then so be it. If not, then it is time for you to move on. I will be praying for you. God bless and please let me know how this turns out.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />From: <a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/03/how-not-to-cheat.html">How Not to Cheat</a><br /><br />i have been cheating on my boyfriend for a few months now im a christian hes a chritstian and i dont know how to tell him and weather i should i love him and want to stay with him. What do i do?<br /><br />7:58 AM <br /><br />Anonymous:<br /><br />Why are you with your boyffriend? You say you don't know if you love him. What, then, is the point? I don't mean to sound harsh, but I simply don't understand why you'd stay with someone of whom you are not even sure how you feel. You sound like an intelligent, likeable person. I would not want you to be in a situation that is not going anywhere or causing your boyfriend harm through your behavior. <br /><br />My suggestion for you would be for you to spend some time alone. My best guess is that you have needs that are not being met by your boyfriend nor your lover. Honestly, there are some things only God can heal and it seems that you need Him more than any human man.<br /><br />Think about what I have said. I will be praying for you. God bless you in your time of need.<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />From: <a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/03/how-do-you-know-hes-one.html">How Do You Know He's the One?</a><br /><br />Jlynn said... <br /><br />I'm in a relationship that I'm not happy with but my partner seems to be head over heels in love with me.<br /><br />I feel like if I end it I'm doing something terribly wrong because it will hurt him, but I'm miserable staying in it. The last thing I want to do is hurt him. I also feel like I'm doing wrong in Gods eyes as well if I end the relationship. Any advice.<br /><br />12:35 PM <br /> <br />qtee1113 said... <br /><br />yeah any advice for jlynn??? I am in the same boat and would looooove the imput!<br /><br />5:13 PM <br /><br /><br />JLynn and qteel113:<br /><br />Well, ladies, first of all, feel blessed that you have someone in your life who values you! I hear so much about women who want to make things work with guys who are disinterested that it's a nice change to hear that some of our sisters have found good men. Even if those men are not for you...<br /><br />My advice to you two is simple: if you are not happy, then leave. Why do I say this? Because, if you desire sexual intimacy and children in a God-given relationship, then you need to be free to marry the man who will fulfill those dreams for you. Visualize the man you want to be there for you when you are sick, whose features you want to see in your children's faces, who you want to see in family pictures and want to grow old with. Is that man the one you're with now? No? Then you need to go.<br /><br />If it helps any, remind yourself that you are doing him a great disservice by remaining with someone with whom you are not compatible. You are depriving him of meeting someone who will love and value him for who he is, as well as depriving yourself of meeting the man who is meant for you. Shoot for the stars, ladies - married or committed life with the partner of your dreams. You deserve no less!Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-40737859158062750912007-12-03T11:38:00.000-05:002009-09-26T12:12:02.447-04:00Did You Remember to Say Thank You?<blockquote><font color="#6600cc">Luk 17:11-19 (CEV)<br /></font><br />On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee.<br /><br />As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a distance<br /><br />and shouted, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"<br /><br />Jesus looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." On their way they were healed.<br /><br />When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God.<br /><br />He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.<br /><br />Jesus asked, "Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine?<br /><br />Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?"<br /><br />Then Jesus told the man, "You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well." </blockquote><br /><p><br />Do you remember to say thank you to God when He blesses you? How about when He heals you of a sickness? What about when you get a new job or a raise or a promotion? </p><br /><p>People are interesting. We'll want something for a long time- we've thought about it since the time we were a child, have vivid dreams about what we'll do once we get it and are impatient for it to show up in our lives. For example, you might want to get married. And you may have prayed diligently to God to send that perfect mate your way. You fasted, you prayed, you had other people pray for you and you waited. Finally, that man or woman arrives in your life! You date, get married, have a couple of kids and then you get bored. Or you get tired of the married life. Or you get tired of all the fights. Or you decide you didn't spend enough time dating. You go from thanking God for bringing your husband or wife into your life to asking for deliverance from your marital problems.</p><br /><p>So you pray and fast about it. And you ask others to pray for you. And you wait. Until your spouse becomes incrementally better - where he wouldn't talk to you before, you two finally have a conversation. Where she wouldn't cook before, she finally tries her hand at a pot roast. Whatever the case is, things gradually get better. So gradually, that you fail to recognize - five or ten years down the line - that God answered your prayers. You were delivered from the difficulty you encountered earlier in your marriage. You two get along better than ever and you have become more mature and spiritually aware along the way. Did you remember to say thank you? Probably not. </p><br /><p>People are interesting. We will wait for something for a long time. So long, in fact, that when it finally comes, we forget to say thank you. Half of gratitude is realizing what we have to be grateful for. If you have selective amnesia and can only recall bad things, you can't fully appreciate how far God has brought you. We forget the long days and nights we spent praying or fasting about something. We forget all the late night calls to our friends to pray for us. We forget being the first one in line at the church altar for weekly, daily or even hourly prayer.</p><br /><p>Why do we forget? It's usually because of this: When things finally work out for us (and they usually do), the answer either comes <strong>in a form we don't expect</strong> or <strong>it takes more time than we expect it to</strong>. When one or both of those things happen, we fail to recognize the significance of what we are seeing. We don't see that we have been healed. We don't see that we received the answer to our prayers. If you asked for financial prosperity and it took you 10 years to land the job you really wanted, all you can see are the bills, the pain in the neck your co-workers are and how much your boss gets on your nerves. You've failed to see the blessings that God has brought into your life. You've failed to see that you received exactly what you asked God for. Then, you forget to thank Him.</p><br /><p>I'm not saying your life is perfect. I'm not saying there isn't room for improvement. I'm not suggesting you have the perfect husband or wife, the job you want or the car you feel entitled to have. But I am saying that if you are a child of God, He has brought many blessings to your life. He has given you much of what you asked for, even if it didn't happen the way you thought it should have or when you thought it should have. You should spend more time thanking God for what He has already given you than focused on what you still want. After all, if He's given you so much already, why wouldn't He be willing to give you more?</p><br /><p>What have you forgotten to say thank you to God for today?</p>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-25471008608314579022007-11-25T19:33:00.000-05:002007-11-26T11:38:03.706-05:00What's It Really All About?I ponder this question a lot to myself, during my Bible study and my prayer sessions with God: What is this Christian walk really all about?<br /><br />Why do we do it? Why is it so important for us to be close to God? What, really is the point?<br /><br />Well, here it is in a nutshell: We become Christians to save ourselves from a life of sin and hell. After we commit our lives to God, we experience many things (both negative and positive) that go into shaping us into the strong men and women of God He would have us to be. Once we've become those people, He uses us to minister to other people.<br /><br />That's pretty much it. Along that journey you are confronted with the two most important commandments: to love God with all your heart and to love others as you love yourself. You usually get to learn that in the formative stages of your Christian development. And you go through a lot of trials, tribulations and problematic situations designed specifically to teach you virtues like love, patience, longsuffering, humility, etc. Whatever your issue is, God has a remedy in the form of a situation especially tailored to effect maximum change in you.<br /><br />But it is all for a purpose. We are meant to be in fellowship with God. We feel incomplete without His presence in our lives. As we develop our relationship with Him, He teaches us about love and expects us to share that love with other people. Once we have developed to a certain level in our spiritual walk (and that level is different for everybody), we should be helping another person in some form, shape or fashion. We are to use the gifts He has given us for the benefit of other people.<br /><br />And that's what it's all about.<br /><br />Don't believe me? Here are some scriptures for reference:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#6600cc;">John 3:16-17</span> <em>For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved</em>.(KJV)</blockquote><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#6600cc;">Jam 1:2-4</span> <em>My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing</em>.(KJV)</blockquote><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#6600cc;">1Peter 5:10</span> <em>But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you</em>.(KJV)</blockquote><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#6600cc;">1 Corinthians 12:5-10</span> <em>There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do. The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. To others the Spirit has given great faith or the power to heal the sick or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets, and some of us recognize when God's Spirit is present. Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still others can tell what these languages mean. </em>(CEV)</blockquote><br />And, here is a good one:<br /><blockquote><span style="color:#6600cc;">2 Corinthians 1:4</span> <em>Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God</em>. (KJV)</blockquote><br />So what do you think it's really all about?Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-78317843647363338782007-11-12T18:36:00.000-05:002009-09-26T12:27:20.125-04:00God's Thoughts of You<blockquote>Jer 29:11 <span style="color:#6600cc;">For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. </span></blockquote><br />I think a lot about the above scripture. In this scripture, God is talking through the prophet Jeremiah to His people who have been captured in Babylon. They were not to be released for another 70 years and were losing hope, hurting and feeling lost and bereft without their God. In Jeremiah 29, Jeremiah offers advice and comfort to the Israelites and reminds them of these most important words of the Most High God - "<em>I know the thoughts that I think toward you...thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end.</em>" What does that mean - an 'expected end'? The Contemporary English Version of the Bible translates this phrase to "a future of success." Isn't that amazing - God was promising the Israelites that they were in His thoughts and telling them He <em>knew</em> what the future held for them - success and, by association, spiritual and financial prosperity.<br /><br />And that's what you can take away from this scripture today - that you too are in God's thoughts and He has an 'expected end' for you. He means good things and not evil towards you. He wants future prosperity and success for you. That you are not forgotten, overlooked or alone.<br /><br />Just remember - God is thinking of you - right now - and His thoughts towards you are good.<br /><br />God BlessSonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-69135225124841856542007-10-30T14:21:00.000-04:002007-10-30T14:40:59.841-04:00Help - Time Crunch Overload!One of my readers, Ms. Regina, asked me the following question: <blockquote> why have you not posted since the end of August?<br />Blessings</blockquote><br /><br />Well, Ms. Regina, I apologize for not having posted anything to my blog since August. The truth of the matter is that I attend school full-time (as well as work full-time) and that has taken a big chunk out of my previously free time (school has). Also, I've (finally!) started writing my first book, which will be completed some time next year. Oh - and did I mention I decided in a very brave moment to start training for a full marathon next year? I even ask myself - what were you thinking?<br /><br />All of this, however, does not excuse the fact that I should have devoted more time to getting my blog posts together. I've finally integrated blog writing posts into my new schedule (am I the only Palm Pilot fanatic?), so I should be on track to post at least twice a month beginning this weekend. To help me with that, I've decided to let one of my other blogs go and focus on what's really important - this blog and my home christian ministry page. Last but not least, God seems to be sending my ministry in another direction, so I'm trying to stay on point with that. However, I really, really miss you guys and your comments, so I can't wait to get back on track so I can hear more of your thoughts and visit your blogs!<br /><br />And, in that vein, here's something you all can help me with - does anyone have any good time management/organizational tips? I have this tendency to think that I can do it all and overschedule myself regularly. Do you suffer from this 'illness' as well? If so, how you handle it? Though I do not yet have children, I find my days filled with work, homework, working out, laundry, housecleaning (ugh!), social commitments, business travel, meetings, etc. Not to mention my internet surfing time, my gloriously obsessive reading habit, the time I spend catching up on all my favorite shows (especially anything on the History Channel), commute time, etc., etc. <br /><br />All this is probably way more than you want to know about my life, but somehow I feel better sharing, so thanks for listening :)<br /><br />So if any of you have any suggestions for me, I would love to hear them!<br /><br />Thanks in advance :)Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-59696312472425212672007-08-22T19:19:00.000-04:002009-09-26T12:17:49.463-04:00The Art of Holiness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8l8GNkrA4m7fWq-VxfTpWxm72wFAtquxq69OcAYQnFxHWkp4Gvhi63IdH52ce-2UBEDR1mLWGDTDlGzCcyTcwNEI9aqCqDLQjvGqhct3L6J1WvHZS8R9j5nswpS89HXcFc1W/s1600-h/Holy-Cross_1024x768.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8l8GNkrA4m7fWq-VxfTpWxm72wFAtquxq69OcAYQnFxHWkp4Gvhi63IdH52ce-2UBEDR1mLWGDTDlGzCcyTcwNEI9aqCqDLQjvGqhct3L6J1WvHZS8R9j5nswpS89HXcFc1W/s320/Holy-Cross_1024x768.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101670032393993842" /></a><br /><br /><blockquote>"<em>For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy</em>..." Lev 11:44</blockquote><br />What does God mean when He asks us to be Holy? I only ask because, of late, it is a question that has occurred to me. Most Christians I know fall into one of two categories: they are either 'too holy' or 'not holy enough'. <br /><br />The 'too holy' Christians quote scriptures any time you ask them for advice, wish everyone a 'blessed' day and talk about how 'blessed' they are, call on the name of the Lord loudly and regularly, send you 'Christian' emails, post Christian sayings on their desks and instruct Satan to 'get thee behind' whenever anything isn't going their way. The 'too holy' Christian often comes with a bad case of a holier-than-thou attitude, is very judgmental, strait-laced and morally uptight. <br /><br />On the other hand, you'd be very hard to identify the 'not holy enough' Christian as a Christian at all - he or she curses regularly, drinks with the best of them, has one or two significant others, loudly and publicly discusses his or her love affairs and dresses and conducts himself or herself exactly like everybody else. If you are lucky enough to be driving down the right street at the right time on a Sunday morning, you might see this person sneaking guiltily into church service - which is probably the only indication he or she is a Christian (or, at the very least, a spiritual seeker).<br /><br />Luckily, however, there is a third category of Christian believers. This type of Christan seems to actually have figured out what God meant when He asked us to be 'holy'. According to Strong's Concordance, the 'sanctify yourselves' in the above scripture means "...<em>to be clean (ceremonially or morally): appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow....proclaim, purify</em>..." And 'holy' means "<em>sacred (ceremonially or morally)...(noun) an angel, a saint, a sanctuary</em>..." When we think of 'holiness', we mostly think of the airs we put on to convince others we are truly living the Christian life. The third type of Christian actually <strong>is</strong> 'holy.' They consecrate (set themselves apart) in the service of God. They seek to please Him with their actions. They 'clean' themselves through regular prayer and repentance, seeking to absolve themselves of the sins that are committed by each of us every day. <br /><br />This third category of Christian is 'sacred' to God - they live at a higher standard than the rest of us. They take God's commandments seriously and search their hearts regularly to see if their actions are in accordance with His Word. They are led and guided by the Holy Spirit and take heed to His admonishments to watch their language, guard their hearts, pray for others and take on the burdens of others. They don't necessarily visibly display their 'sainthood' by the wearing of specific garments or religious icons, but their actions, demeanor and speech reflect their deep moral convictions. They embody the very qualities of God. As Jesus said in John 13:35, "<em>By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another</em>." They are known by their love for God and by their love for other people. This is what it means to be holy. <br /><br />Holiness is a state of being. Being holy means a lifelong commitment to purification, renewal and communion with God. <br /><br />God asks that we be holy. It is only reasonable that we be obedient to His command.<br /><br />God Bless.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Religion" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spiritual</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spiritual</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christian" rel="tag">Christian</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christianity" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Articles" rel="tag">Articles</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/God" rel="tag">God</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Holy" rel="tag">Holy</a>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-60059666737012936502007-07-05T21:00:00.000-04:002009-09-26T12:27:20.125-04:00Hedge of ProtectionJob 1:10 <em>Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. </em><br /><br />You know how you are always expecting your mom to understand you best? How you expect your husband or wife to be faithful and loyal to you to the end? How you think your friends will always be in your corner and have your best interests at heart? Or how you expect your dad to be the first one out to help you change your tire when it goes flat?<br /><br />Aren't we all just looking for that hedge of protection around us? For women, we usually dream we'll finally be 'safe' when we meet the man of our dreams, get married and have children. We picture the house on the hill, the pretty garden we will have and a loyal and faithful man who comes home at 6:00 pm on the dot, plays with the children and makes love to us in the privacy of our bedrooms.<br /><br />For men, they usually find their safe haven in the things that they own or how many women they can pull. As long as they are making a good income, driving a fancy car and can talk some woman into going home with them, life is good.<br /><br />But what if you don't have those things? What happens when your spouse is unfaithful, your car gets re-possessed or you no longer have a job? Where is your security then?<br /><br />We all believe that somewhere, or with someone, we will find protection. We will find a place or assume an identity that conceals our childish fears of being alone or being unhappy. For those of us that are blessed with warm and loving relationships with our parents, we suffer untold agonies at their passing wondering, how will I go on?<br /><br />Here is the sad and painful truth of it all: there is no safety, no security and no hedge of protection with anybody but God.<br /><br />Let me say that again: There is no man, no woman, no mother or father who can shield you from the pains and fears of life. No one is going to come and rescue you to get you out of that rut, out of that chair, help you to lose 10 pounds or find the life of your dreams. It's all up to you.<br /><br />We often pray and ask God to place a 'hedge of protection' around this person or that as they struggle or experience the problems that come with living this life. But I don't think we understand what that really means.<br /><br />See, in the book of Job, Satan was unable to get close to Job because God had placed a 'hedge' around him. Strong's Concordance says that 'hedge' means<br /><br /><blockquote>A primitive root; to entwine, that is, shut in (for formation, protection or restraint): - fence. (make an) hedge (up).</blockquote><br />Do you get that? That hedge was to 'shut' Job in for his 'protection.' In no other place in the Bible does God use the hedge analogy to describe a relationship other than the one He has with his people. In other words, God has not promised you that your mother will be your hedge of protection. He has not promised you that your father will be your hedge of protection. He has not promised you that your husband, wife, son, daughter, pastor, friend or neighbor will be your hedge of protection. For that matter, He did not promise you that your job, your figure or your good looks would be your hedge of protection either.<br /><br />The only true place of safety; the only true place of refuge is in God.<br /><br />Reflect on this as you ponder the rest of your day:<br /><br /><blockquote><em>Psa 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?<br /><br />Psa 27:2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.<br /><br />Psa 27:3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.<br /><br />Psa 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.<br /><br />Psa 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.<br /><br />Psa 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.</em> </blockquote><br />God is your only Source of protection. In Him you will find refuge, peace and safety.<br /><br />Today - I wish you protection in Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Amen....Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-43880588135670156612007-06-22T20:23:00.000-04:002009-09-26T12:12:02.448-04:00Good EnoughAs I was logging in my calories for the day, recording how much exercise I'd gotten this week and tracking my other various goals, I had to stop and wonder - how do you know when what you are doing (or who you are) is Good Enough?<br /><br />Is it Good Enough to attend church once a week or does it only count if you go to Bible Study, too? Is it Good Enough to get the recommended 30 minutes per day of exercise, or are your efforts worth only if you are training for a 5K? Is it Good Enough if you are happily single or do you only get points if you are Happily Married?<br /><br />What does being Good Enough mean to you?<br /><br />For me, being Good Enough involves a plethora of goals, benchmarks and daily habits. I won't bore you with all the things that prop up my weary self-esteem, but suffice it to say they are many and varied. Nights are spent conducting post-mortems on my day - what did I accomplish today? How close am I to my goals? What can I do to improve for tomorrow? Days are spent playing catch-up - sure I'm spiritual, but Sister Girl down the street goes to church way more often than I do. I make good money at work, but the guy down the hall makes at least $5000 more than I do. Do more, I think. Work harder, I repeat. What you are doing is not.....Good....Enough!!!<br /><br />Do you ever feel this way?<br /><br />So, as often happens during my neural overloads, I calm down, clear my mind and go to God in prayer. And, as always, He directs my thoughts, helps me to see further and makes me realize (yet again) the utter futility of judging myself by the world's standards.<br /><br />He reminded me that He sees value in me. He shows me that the things that are important to Him are not the same as what the world considers important. Sure, He plans for me to have blessings and financial prosperity, but that is not the focus. The point is to DO HIS WILL. And in that will I find my worth.<br /><br />And, for the first time, I saw the hidden meaning in Psalms 139:14. "<em>I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.</em>" I always thought that David meant that he was <em>physically</em> well made, but I finally saw that it wasn't all physical at all: God had made David "fearfully and wonderfully" SPIRITUALLY. While we are busy trying to achieve things here in the corporeal world, God is judging us by the quality of our <em>spirits</em>. He made us in His unique, wonderful, majestic image - <em>spiritually</em>. Our physical beings were mostly an afterthought. When God created us in His own image, He did so spiritually first.<br /><br />And God's idea of Good Enough? It starts with that beautiful, wonderful spirit He created in each of us. He wants us to be spiritually developed, which should overflow into the physical realm. God's idea of Good Enough is us utilizing what He has given us to do the things He has called us to do. And that's Good....Enough.Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-45634714277046453282007-02-26T17:25:00.000-05:002007-02-26T18:24:01.290-05:00Self-Destructive BehaviorWhat is self-destructive behavior? According to <a href="http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/">WrongDiagnoses.com</a>, self-destructive behavior can be defined as: <blockquote>...behavior in which one has a tendency to do harm to oneself, either as a direct or indirect result of their actions; frequently marked by impulse, but also includes chronic, injurious behaviors. (<a href="http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/medical/self_destructive_behavior.htm">Click here for reference</a>) </blockquote><br />It seems counter-intuitive that we would want to hurt ourselves, but our addictions to drinking, taking drugs, cutting, overeating and sexual promiscuity make it clear this is not the case. I'm sure you have either engaged in self-destructive behavior or know someone who has.<br /><br />Why do we do it? From a spiritual perspective, it is clear that we have been targeted by an enemy that is out to do us harm. And, sometimes, the best way he can harm us is through ourselves. The Bible says, "<em>The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy...</em>(John 10:10)." We don't like to think of the demonic influences in this world, but they are real. If you belive in angels, you have to believe in their counter-force: demons. <br /><br />The reason I mention this is because we tend to think that everything we think originates within ourselves. We think we are the captains of our own fates, shepherders of our own destinies and holders of the keys to the kingdoms. What's surprising to note, however, is the amount of influence Satan has over our thoughts and words. Jesus recognized Satan's influence when Peter berated him for talking about his upcoming crucifixion. The Bible says, "<em>Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he [Jesus] turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.</em> (Matthew 16:22-23)" Isn't it interesting that Peter thought he was saying a good thing, but it turned out to be a sign of demonic influence?<br /><br />So are many of our actions and thoughts. Satan uses our thoughts to influence us in what we think and how we behave. As noted above, the 'thief' wants to kill, steal (your destiny, your joy, etc.) and destroy you by whatever means possible. It's much easier when we already have negative thoughts and inclinations (due to childhood traumas, low self-esteem, depression, etc.), but he will also send his minions to throw a little more gloom on an already gloomy day. You know how you seem to get thoughts from nowhere, but seem to make so much sense when you're down? Like, you'll be feeling low, contemplating a donut or two or three (or at least I do!) when you'll hear a voice that says, "Go ahead, eat it. It doesn't matter what you put in your body. You're never going to lose weight anyway." Or you decide that you don't want to get out of bed and that voice comes again to agree with you, saying, "Going to work is pointless. You hate it there. Nobody likes you and you don't like them! Stay home, relax. Don't even bother to call in." Or, in the worst cases, when someone you loves does something you feel is injurious and you heed to that voice that says, "She doesn't really love you. If she loved you, she wouldn't treat you that way. Women can't be trusted. You should just leave her. But first tell her what you can't stand about her. Hurt her the way she is hurting you." And you find yourself telling your best friend/partner off without even realizing why you're doing it.<br /><br />Sure, many of those voices probably developed as a result of your bad experiences, but Satan will definitely use those things to speed up your demise. If he can leave you hopeless, alone, isolate you or help you fall into depression, he is more than happy. And if you start to drink, start taking drugs, find someone else's life to ruin, cut yourself or start to contemplate suicide, he's even happier.<br /><br />How do you combat the enemy's influence? The Bible is very clear about the protection God affords His people. It says (in Ephesians 6:10-18 (CEV)):<br /><blockquote>Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. <br /> Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. <br /><br /> We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. <br /><br /> So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. <br /><br /> Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. <br /><br /> Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. <br /><br /> Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. <br /><br /> Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit. <br /><br /> Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people. </blockquote><br />You have to stay close to God. Read His Word. Pray always. And allow His thoughts influence you and your behavior. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you and focus in on the positive affirmations and promises that God has for you. Don't allow Satan to influence you more than God. The Bible says, "<em>Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.</em> (James 4:7)" Satan does not have unlimited power - he is only as powerful as you allow him to be in your life. Finally, I leave you with the words of Jesus:<br /><blockquote>Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Religion" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spirituality</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christian" rel="tag">Christian</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christianity" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Articles" rel="tag">Articles</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Advice" rel="tag">Advice</a><strong></strong>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-75888240833936033772007-02-14T17:56:00.000-05:002007-02-14T18:01:09.497-05:00Men: Make Your Valentine's Day Special!Okay - I am admittedly not a big Valentine's Day fan. Mainly because I feel it has become too commercialized and more about what you get than celebrating your significant other.<br /><br />But I'm always interested in opportunities to express love.<br /><br />So, gentlemen, here is how to make your Valentine feel special all year long:<br /><br />Call when you say you're going to.<br /><br />Call just to say hello.<br /><br />Tell her she's beautiful - for no reason.<br /><br />Compliment her on what she's wearing.<br /><br />Say what you mean - or don't say it.<br /><br />Be honest, but not cruel.<br /><br />Tell her what's on your mind (really).<br /><br />Listen to her tell you what's on her mind.<br /><br />And, finally - let her know that she is the only one. The one you love. The one you cherish. Make her feel special.<br /><br />Simply put: love her all year round.<br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Religion" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spirituality</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christian" rel="tag">Christian</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christianity" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Dating" rel="tag">Dating</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Single" rel="tag">Single</a>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-59769541918161613072007-01-08T20:07:00.000-05:002007-01-08T20:53:01.705-05:00How Does a Person Find God?<strong>An anonymous reader posted this question the other day on this blog:</strong><br /><br />“I only have one question. How does a person find God? I admit I don'T attend Church like I should and I am ashamed to say that when I do I feel empty. I need some serious help.”<br /><br /><strong>Here is my response:</strong><br /><br />Thank you for your question. I’m so glad you want to be closer to God!<br /><br />Here’s what you should do:<br /><br /><strong>Become a Christian</strong><br /><br />Are you a Christian? By that, I mean, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? In order to become a Christian, you must accept who Jesus is, what he has done for you and allow him to be the Lord of your life. The Bible says, in Romans 10:9, “So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death.” That means you accept that Jesus died on the cross for you so that all your sins might be forgiven. And you must believe that he was resurrected by God. (You can read more about this <a href="http://www.realanswers.net/bornfree.html">here</a>). If you are ready to accept Jesus as your Savior and become a Christian, then please do so now. Or if you already are a Christian, trust that you are ready to begin a deeper relationship with God.<br /><br /><strong>Pray</strong><br /><br />If you are a Christian (or have just become one), the next thing you need to do is spend time with God through prayer. You will never get to know God if you don’t spend time with Him. Just like you invest your time in your family, your friends or your significant other, a good relationship with God means spending time. Dont' make it too hard on yourself - just talk and be prepared to listen. Talk to Him about what’s going on in your life. Let God know what your concerns are - openly and honestly. And be prepared to hear Him 'speak.' And how does God speak? Read this posting - <a href="http://www.urbanchristianz.com/Hear_God.html">How to Hear From God</a> - to get some insight. Make sure you make time in your life to hear from God. <br /><br /><strong>Study the Bible</strong><br /><br />The Bible is a way for God to let us know what’s on His mind. It covers the early days when He interacted with His people (the Old Testament), lots of rules, laws and regulations and then goes on talk about Jesus Christ (the Gospels) and the work of Jesus's apostles (the rest of the New Testament). It’s interesting reading, to say the least. By reading the Bible, you will get a much better idea of who God is, what He expects from you and how He operates. As an added bonus, you will be able to hear from God much more easily - you now speak His 'language' so to speak. By reading the Bible, you have discovered what He wanted you to know about Him, His promises to you, His ways and how He communicates to human beings. It's also important to know the Bible, because it will form the foundation of your understanding. Everything that you hear, read or experience will now be compared to what the Bible says. In this way, you will be able to determine the truth for yourself. I can't emphasize enought how important it is that you obtain knowledge about the Bible for yourself. People can tell you anything, but once you know, then you’ll always know – for yourself! Read the Bible to understand God better, to be able to communicate with Him better and to be able to discover the truth in your own life.<br /><br /><strong>Consider going to church.</strong><br /><br />You can learn a whole lot about God from prayer and study, but going to church should help you accelerate this process. The pastor should be able to help you understand the Bible in new ways. It’s always a good idea to learn from people who know more about God than you – and there will always be someone who knows more than all of us about the Bible. You would benefit from having a teacher or a spiritual guide and be under the leadership of a good, solid church where they teach you the Word (the Bible). Bypass all the fanfare and hoopla and look for a place where you feel at home and where you feel you know more when you left than when you arrived. That place is out there for you.<br /><br />If you are absolutely opposed to attending church, there are a lot of good ministries and support groups online as well. I would still say, however, that going to a brick and mortar church would be a good idea because, in addition to learning more about God and the Bible, you would get to know other Believers better. You will (hopefully) get to know other Godly people and be able to share your thoughts, doubts and struggles with them. Other Believers can offer support, affirmation and love and these are all very, very important things to have as you learn what it means to lead a Godly life and try to live your life a better way.<br /><br /><strong>Trust the Holy Spirit</strong><br /><br />I would advise you to trust the voice of the Holy Spirit throughout this process. The Holy Spirit's specific role is to lead and guide you in daily living. (Read more about the Holy Spirit <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=14&verse=25&end_verse=27&version=31&context=context">here</a> and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%202:12-14;&version=31;">here </a>.) The Holy Spirit is not a 'presence', a 'feeling' or a 'thing' - He is a person! He is, as my pastor says, God with us. Which means He is the little voice we hear in our ear when we are steadfastly trying to do the wrong thing, telling us not to do it. Or the twinge in our conscience reminding us to be kind to others, to call our mothers or to spend more time with our kids. He is the one fillng you up with positive messages, trying to keep you on the right path and helping you in your studies as you grow in the Lord. And the good thing about the Holy Spirit is that the more you listen to Him, the more He speaks! He will help lead and guide you through many tough situations in life and comfort you when you are down. You will come to depend on Him as you never have been able to depend on a person before. A relationship with God (and His Holy Spirit) is truly a beautiful thing!<br /><br />The best news of all is that as you seek God, He will be <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=30&chapter=29&verse=12&end_verse=14&version=31&context=context">making Himself available to you</a>! He loves it when we try to become closer to Him! Seek Him and you will find Him.....<br /><br />I promise.<br /><br />Please let me know how your journey goes (or if you have any other questions) and I will be praying for you every step of the way.<br /><br />God Be With You<br /><br />Related Posts:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.urbanchristianz.com/Hear_God.html">How to Hear From God</a><br /><a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/04/getting-closer-to-god.html">Getting Closer to God</a><br /><br />Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Religion" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spirituality</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christian" rel="tag">Christian</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christianity" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Salvation" rel="tag">Salvation</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/God" rel="tag">God</a>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22904521.post-8660143415543989092007-01-08T09:30:00.000-05:002009-09-26T12:12:02.448-04:00Why It's Important to Believe...In my last posting, I asked you what you believed. Now I want to talk about why it's important to believe. This won't be a warm and fuzzy version of why being a Christian is a good thing (I covered that in <a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/04/benefits-of-loving-god.html">The Benefits of Loving God</a>). This is not to say that there aren't a lot of positive benefits about being a Christian, however, there are also a lot of other very compelling reasons it's important to be a believer. Not to scare you or make you apprehensive, but:<br /><br />The world is not becoming a better place. Every day, we see new evidence of 'man's inhumanity against man' - wars in all parts of the world, murder, genocide, drug use, and abusive behavior of all kinds. War is tearing up parts of Africa, sectarian violence is causing lives to be lost in Iraq. Our soldiers are losing their lives defending U.S. interests in other countries. North Korea and Iran are threatening the world with their nuclear weapons postures. <br /><br />Not to mention other situations of growingconcern like the AIDS epidemic, famines and droughts and effects of greenhouse gases on our environment. In America, we have our own set of problems. Sure, we live in one of the most advanced countries in the world, but what has it brought us? A life of gluttony, overindulgence, soaring crime rates and a growing gap between the haves and have nots. The <a href="http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/prelim06/index.html">preliminary results</a> of the FBI's Uniform Crime Report for January - June 2006 indicate that<br /><blockquote>...as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation reported an increase of 3.7 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention in the first half of 2006 when compared to figures reported for the first six months of 2005. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. </blockquote><br />Natural disasters about. <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-01/05/content_775128.htm">China Daily</a> says, "Natural disasters last year took the heaviest toll on lives since 1998...Ministry of Civil Affairs figures show natural disasters, such as typhoons, floods, landslides, mud-flows, hailstorms and earthquakes, claimed 3,155 lives in 2006, a quarter more than the previous year." <a href="http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=37566">The International News reports</a>, "Major cities of Pakistan including Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Islamabad were in great danger of receiving earthquakes in the future..." And we can never forget the devastation caused by Hurricana Katrina.<br /><br />Things are not getting better. And, with the confluence of all these events, I realize that many of the signs indicating we are nearing the end of our time here on earth are now present. The Bible is quite specific about what we are to expect during the end times. Matthew 24:6-14 says:<br /><br /><blockquote><em>And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. <br /><br /> For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places. <br /><br /> But all these things are the beginning of travail. <br /><br /> Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake. <br /><br /> And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another. <br /><br /> And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. <br /><br /> And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold. <br /><br /> But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. <br /><br /> And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.</em> </blockquote><br /><br />You can't help but to see the similarities between those predictions and worldwide conditions today. And - contrary to popular belief - Christians are not blind or naive. We simply know the Truth - that being in the arms of a Loving God is the safest place to be. Bush can't guarantee our safety. Nor can our guns, our house alarms, our local police departments or the air bags in our car. David says it best in Psalms 23:4: <blockquote><em>Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me</em>.</blockquote><br />Safety can only be found with God.<br /> <br />And that is why it is important to believe.<br /><br />Related Posts:<br /><br /><a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/04/benefits-of-loving-god.html">The Benefits of Loving God</a><br /><a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/05/aids-virus-is-killing-african-american.html">The AIDS Virus is Killing the African-American Community</a><br /><a href="http://urbanchristianz.blogspot.com/2006/05/about-sexual-revolution.html">About the Sexual Revolution</a><br /><br /><br />Technorati tags:<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Religion" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Spirituality" rel="tag">Spirituality</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christian" rel="tag">Christian</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christianity" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Articles" rel="tag">Articles</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Advice" rel="tag">Advice</a>Sonya Triggs-Whartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09159013806978860645noreply@blogger.com6