Obedience is scary, and causes fear of getting all wet!

Oh, it has been a long journey, God has been working out a few kinks in me for ...(decades, years, months). And we got to the crossroad, and it was like , Lord I am not saying I won't but are you really sure this is the plan??? for me,???? I kind of feel think Moses, negoatiating with God. How about I do this, and help here and send annoynomous notes of suggestion. And just kept getting the NO, I said..., and then just to prove his point an opportunity and a request would come and it was like God whispering, (Here is the path). I prayed and hoped it would stay in my comfort zone. (HA HA!!!) Not likely... I found a quote that said Comfort means you are not moving, and the best trips cause alot of discomfort. I was like oh, that cannot be a good sign.

Well, I started school in August and thought, (again, too funny haha) that I would be able to blend in, learn, stay quite (you can always hope) and just watch things and do what was asked and no more, no less. Well, I did not even make through my first day, before I had to make a stand and speak up. It has been a very shaping experience. Some of my classmates and I were talking about the lack of resources and groups that handle a range of issues and provide a comprehensive service program. The need for information and access to resources that already exsist, the need for cooperation, partnerships, and for involving volunteers to help with projects. We all agreed this kind of group was not easily accessible and if it exsisted it could really do some awesome work and we could help market it better and get involved, because this is our passion.

Well I started doing my research, and web searches, interviewing people, and have found nothing a few groups but there conditions and all the things we think are important are not present nor was the opportunity offered to join them. So I prayed and approached some people I though might start the group if they had committed support and that was not successful. And one person cracked me up, they said " Why do you want someone else to start it, you are the one with the passion and vision, the willingness and skills to make it work, why don't you start it and let everyone join your group". Oh I see a pattern here and I am shaking in my boots. I was reading my favorite blogs and back in May one post stuck with me, it was concerning the Passage in Matt 14:25-32 where Peter was stepping out of the boat, again. And oh, that is one of my favorite stories. Until I saw this flash..... Me starting a group... The "what if fairy was right in my face, and oh.. but I have been doing this for a long time, just not organized and public. I am seeing more and more needs and more and more available talents and gifts on the shelf not sure were to go and how to help.

I now know how the women with the blood issue might have felt when God called her out, with a loud "who touched me", I can imagine she had a few comments like "you are omnipotent, you know who touched you, now hush and I will apologize later, do not make a scene". But, She did not go on her feelings and her fears she stepped out and spoke up and acknowledged Him healing her. And her obedience showed her faith, and belief more than anything she can ever say. So I am hoping this will be my stepping up and doing what My Savior has called me to do, and that others will come and join, and answer their calls to come forward and acknowledge their healing from touching the Lord.

In my studies we see how impacting a recovered....(depressed person, Lazy or underperforming person, financial mismanager, homesless person, clutter keeper/packrat, substance abuser, anything) is on the person who is trying to recover. The whole AA treatment model is based on the formers helping the currents change. Sometimes is the person trying to recover does not feel like the person counseling them has experienced what they are going through they will not continue treatment or it will be negatively impacted due the lack of "realness" and understanding. As christians we believe that change can only come from God, but we have to treat the whole person and by building the relationship and establishing a bond of trust. The Truth is what sets the person free from their situation. Just like chains come in different strengths from the little jewelry weight to the huge, hundred ton chains on the anchors of ships, so do situations is life from the annoying and frustrating to the overwhelming and dellusional ideas that take over a persons life. But, all things are possible through Christ.

My verse Romans 8:28 shows itself more and more these days. I can see God gathering all my pieces and putting them together, I just can't figure out what He is making from all the "yuck and weirdness". But He is the potter, I am just the clay. He can form the vessel into whatever he wants, I just want to be used finally and get off the shelf. I always thought I was going to be more like the balls of clay used to fix cracks and fill holes in other vessels, not really a complete vessel of my own. Oh well, it warms up the brain cells to try to figure God's Plan out, but He tells us that we will not be able to because we do not think like him, our timing is different than His, our ways are different than His.

Obedience is scarry but it builds our character and our faith in Christ so, splish splash, here we go.... Bright Minds, Helping Hands and Holy Hearts has started. It is a "Group" on facebook, ( it is free to join facebook and opportunities and resources are limitless on there, there is a link at the top of the page where you can join, and make me your friend) or you can comment here or email me privately and I can send you information. I just need your name, email and a little about you and what skills, talents and gifts you have to put to use. If you write, teach, do audio/visual stuff, web design, have food resources, clothing resources, whatever include that too.

Most Popular Religions of the World

Today in class we discussed the Top 10 most populated religions in the world.

This link has information from 1998, it also has information on the religions, some of which I was not aware of, and the numbers of those who claim to belong are kind of mind boggling.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups

In class our teacher gave us the following information, I tried to find the website he called out but cannot find it. I will comment with it later. But notice the increase from 1998 to 2006,

Worlds top 10 religions: from website majorreligions

1. Christianity- (Catholics is included) 2.1 Billion claim to be part
2. Islam-1.3 Billion

There is a controversy that the Islam count is under reported or over counting Christians.

3. Agnostic- (Religion of non-religion) 1.1 Billion
4. Hinduism 900 million. Mostly geographically located in India. There are a few in other places.
5. Chinese Traditional (worship of ancestors, heritage) 394 million
6. Buddhism 376 million
7. Primal (indigenous religion) tribal worshipping-300 million
8. African Traditional-100 million
9. Sikhism (some in India) -23 million
10. Juche- 19 million

Other Top populated religions:
11. Spiritism- believe in mediums-15 million
12. Judaism-14 million (9 million were exterminated in the Hitler wars)

21. Rostefarium (regae music, marijuana was a gift from God) 600 thousand
22. Scientology 500 thousand

All these different religions, beliefs, prophets, and gods; it is amazing. Through out history there have been different religious beliefs and different Gods. And then on top of that there are hundreds of denominations or branches of Christianity.

So many answers but only one real question, Do you believe in Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross for your sins, died, burried and then rose again on the 3 rd day and returned to Heaven and is seated at the right side of God the Father?

Words can be more : Opposites can attract!

Opposites can attract !

Love & Hate (not anger)

To truly understand a concept or an idea, we need to know the terminology and understand it, and use it in proper context. Understanding comes from knowledge being used, but if we misuse knowledge, or if the knowledge is flawed then the understanding is going to be affected too. Much of our knowledge comes from others, usually from verbal and non-verbal communication. It scares me terribly to see how much is taken on someone's word only, without any reference where they got it from, just the "because I say it, therefore it is" mentality. What if they misunderstood, or picked up non-verbal communications that were not intended and that influenced what they retained from the conversation? What if that information was just meant for a specific situations or specific person and is not a global truth? Where did this information come from originally? What does the Bible say about this?

What if they got their information from someone that got it from someone else who really did not understand what they were talking about, or even more dangerous did not really know, but just thought about it and said the first thing that came to mind. Today so much is whatever anyone wants to make it. We do not really think about what we are saying as much as we use to. In the old days, your reputation was very important, if you became known as someone who regularly gave bad or misleading information, you were determined a fool and were rarely consulted. If you gave misleading information a lot, it was considered on purpose and you were also considered dangerous and conspiring to mislead people. On the opposite side, a wise man ( or women) was one who regularly provided good and helpful information that not only answered questions but also provided sources and resources for deeper investigation. Wise people were highly desired and very much consulted on complicated or important issues to help people to think in deeper and more responsible ways to come to the best and most productive decisions.

Love and Hate are opposites but when it is God's love it is very much able to attract.

Many people consider anger the opposite to love, but it is not. Anger is not a sin, but 99.9% of the time anger leads to sin. Just because it is popular thinking and many think so, that is not the TRUTH!, according to the Random House dictionary, the opposite of Love is not anger, it is hate, which is something different and much deeper and more passionate. The world says that if we do not agree with someone 100% of the time, on everything then we do not love them. WRONG!!! If we are true and honest, very few people agree 100% of the time on anything. We basically agree or we can follow the person's logic and will agree to go along with them, even though if we were doing it, we would do it differently but we can support them in their way of handling it. You can love someone enough to tell them they are wrong. The opposite of Love, is Hate, which is an intense and very strong, deep disgust (to cause nausea or loathing, to offend the good taste, moral sense, or strong distaste; unwillingness to tolerate). God hates sin! And separates himself from SIN, but loves us enough to seek us out, to call us out of our sin and offers to change us and make us His and therefore eligible to LIVE with Him in Eternity.

God gets angry! At us, he warns us about sin and about the destruction that these behaviors, decisions and activities will bring to our life as we know it and to the lives of others. Our "Salvation" comes from BELIEVING in His son Jesus Christ, who walked this earth as flesh and blood, but never committed a sin. He walked, and talked, He preached, and taught, He served, He feed people, He prayed to the father, He had friends who betrayed him, yet He NEVER SINNED!!!. He loved us, He begged the father to forgive us for we knew not what we were doing, He was WILLING to die on the cross to make the way for us, to come to the Father, by His Blood we have a way to access the Father, through the son.

We sing a song in church, By the Blood: from (http://www.higherpraise.com/Lyrics4/7_IComeByTheBlood.htm )

I Come By The Blood

You are the perfect and righteous God whose presence bears no sin You bid me come to Your Holy place, how can I enter in When Your presence bears no sin Through Him who poured out His life for me, the atoning Lamb of God Through Him and His work alone, I boldly come I come by the blood, I come by the cross Where Your mercy flows from hands pierced for me For I dare not stand on my righteousness My every hope rests on what Christ has done, and I come By the blood

These words are so much more than words, they are ANSWERS, WISE, HELPFUL, LIFE GIVING SOLUTIONS TO ANY PROBLEM!

How do you access the father, through the cross, the son's blood, by believing He died on that cross for YOU!! That whatever good you do, is not good enough, YOU cannot keep yourself holy, because you never were holy. You cannot live good enough, because you were born sinful, our very nature is selfish, self motivated, self serving, we cannot love ourselves enough to make us better. Love has to come from someone else, It comes from GOD. All you have to do is believe, say whatever you want, the prayers people demand of you, are not what God says, All he says you have to do, is BELIEVE! Bam that is it! Who are you going to Believe, God, the creator, the father who gave his son, they will give you life or all those who say, you have to do this, say this, do not do that….

Prayer, studying and working with other Christians is not required, they are more gifts and for your benefit. Socializing with Christians and serving others helps you gain understanding and depth in your relationship with Christ. It gets the words off the page and into your life, your brain receives things better when you can see, smell, taste, hear, feel the words through actions (working out your salvation). If this is the first time you are hearing this information. Read it for yourself, go online look up Ephesians 2:1-8. Read it in a printed Bible, visit a local church, ask to speak to a pastor. Email me or comment here.

Life is only a word, but it is so much more when you are in it, and you feel it, when you Believe you are LIVING!!.