Top 10
Well, I was going to post about last weekend and the extent of fun that was had, the joy of meeting the constantinescu parents, and the goodness of the harvest grain and nut pancakes at Ihop...but, since it's thursday and a whole new weekend is aproaching with it's very own excitements, I feel I have lost my window of interesting...ness.
I went to a Passover Sadar last night at the Wesley which was interesting. I very seldom allow myself the right of ritual (which may or may not be good or bad), so this was a good time to sit and realize the grace of God in my life which I will never ever fully grasp. While there, I was talking to a friend (Chad Brooks) and he challenged me to make a list of 10 important things. Now, I'm not exactly sure the manner of importance these ten things are supposed to reflect...but sometimes I think it's good to just throw caution to the wind and fill in the gaps in instructions to make it be whatever you think it needs to be. So, having thought about it I will make a list of things that I feel would be important to remind myself over time, words of wisdom, if you will, to the future me (that I will most likely look back on and laugh at the ignorance of). Anyway...here goes...
1. Remember that life in no way is about you. It is, however, about anyone you come in contact with...their joy, hope, peace, etc. If you learn to live this way, in turn your joy, hope, peace, etc. will be filled to overflowing.
2. There is no scheme, ploy, or innovative idea that will "win people to Christ". It is not a game. Christ came and built relationships with people, we are called to be like Christ.
3. Never forget that in whatever you do, the glory of God is your end. Success in business, friendship, and family is not good enough in and of itself...there must be the purpose of glorifying God behind all of your endeavors.
4. Take time to think. You could have a million ideas floating around in your head, but if you never give time to those ideas, they will never be anything more than ideas.
5. Never, as much as possible, do things out of habit or ritual. Always examine the reason behind the action and if you don't understand why you are doing something, take time to research and pray about the meaning.
6. You will never fully find out what life is about...stop waiting until you do. Take every opportunity that God gives you and thank Him for His mercy and grace if you screw it up. Most likely He's not going to say, "Oh, too bad...no more opportunities for you."
7. Freedom is a privilege, but not something that was won or lost in a battle in America. It was given by God, through Christ when He died for you. Even if all of the American freedom is taken away, you will still be as free as you were the day before.
8. You are just one member of the body of Christ. You can't do it all by yourself and remember that anything you do is not only a reflection of you but of your fellow members.
9. Confidence makes things believable. Be careful. You don't want to pursuade people on confidence alone.
10. Remember that you can't gain a closer relationship with Christ by only reading the Bible, going to church, or just gaining knowlege about Him. When He wanted to build relationships with people he didn't read about them or go to a seminar about them, He spent time with them. He wants to spend time with you.
So, there you go...my list to myself. Now Andrei, Nguyen....your turn.
shonnie
I went to a Passover Sadar last night at the Wesley which was interesting. I very seldom allow myself the right of ritual (which may or may not be good or bad), so this was a good time to sit and realize the grace of God in my life which I will never ever fully grasp. While there, I was talking to a friend (Chad Brooks) and he challenged me to make a list of 10 important things. Now, I'm not exactly sure the manner of importance these ten things are supposed to reflect...but sometimes I think it's good to just throw caution to the wind and fill in the gaps in instructions to make it be whatever you think it needs to be. So, having thought about it I will make a list of things that I feel would be important to remind myself over time, words of wisdom, if you will, to the future me (that I will most likely look back on and laugh at the ignorance of). Anyway...here goes...
1. Remember that life in no way is about you. It is, however, about anyone you come in contact with...their joy, hope, peace, etc. If you learn to live this way, in turn your joy, hope, peace, etc. will be filled to overflowing.
2. There is no scheme, ploy, or innovative idea that will "win people to Christ". It is not a game. Christ came and built relationships with people, we are called to be like Christ.
3. Never forget that in whatever you do, the glory of God is your end. Success in business, friendship, and family is not good enough in and of itself...there must be the purpose of glorifying God behind all of your endeavors.
4. Take time to think. You could have a million ideas floating around in your head, but if you never give time to those ideas, they will never be anything more than ideas.
5. Never, as much as possible, do things out of habit or ritual. Always examine the reason behind the action and if you don't understand why you are doing something, take time to research and pray about the meaning.
6. You will never fully find out what life is about...stop waiting until you do. Take every opportunity that God gives you and thank Him for His mercy and grace if you screw it up. Most likely He's not going to say, "Oh, too bad...no more opportunities for you."
7. Freedom is a privilege, but not something that was won or lost in a battle in America. It was given by God, through Christ when He died for you. Even if all of the American freedom is taken away, you will still be as free as you were the day before.
8. You are just one member of the body of Christ. You can't do it all by yourself and remember that anything you do is not only a reflection of you but of your fellow members.
9. Confidence makes things believable. Be careful. You don't want to pursuade people on confidence alone.
10. Remember that you can't gain a closer relationship with Christ by only reading the Bible, going to church, or just gaining knowlege about Him. When He wanted to build relationships with people he didn't read about them or go to a seminar about them, He spent time with them. He wants to spend time with you.
So, there you go...my list to myself. Now Andrei, Nguyen....your turn.
shonnie
posted by Shonnie Lewis Streder | 12:07 PM
3 Comments:
i have to say, it's taken me so long to respond to this because it's so heavy a topic. You threw a major gauntlet down in your post, and sometimes it's easier to lay low and let things blow over than to face the truth, face yourself. See, I can respond with some modicom of bravado and "knowledge" to silly movie posts, or a dumb top 5 post but I have a really hard time with sharing my top 10 or commenting on yours, because yours was so comprehensive and I'd either be rehashing what you wrote, or feel inadaquate that "your list is better". Anyway, I loved your post and was challenged by it, and have been anytime I've reread it...
I think you put the Tre in Trey's Amigos...
dre :)
tru... tru dat, amigo. It is heavy. Good, but not so easy to respond to. I found myself putting in "joky" parts into my Top Part of Top Ten as i was responding to this one. That's why i cut it short for now.
If shonnie is the "Tre", it makes me wonder if i'm the "y". Trailing behind shonnie, working off of her post... why and i even here?
not really,
>nugy
If you're the Y, (and I'm not saying you are...) then you'd also be the apostrophy which is pretty stinkin' cool...
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