Part 2...
4) A good friend of mine told me recently that I have "so much potential, and I don't even realize it..." not an hour went by that another friend told me "Andrei, you have such a great personality, you're such a magnet for people... but sometimes you become timid and unsure of yourself, for no good reason." I can't help but think that these 2 conversations are connected somehow...
I used to think that i had a hard time making decisions... (I can't decide if that's true or not... ;) but now I've come to realize more clearly, that once I've made a decision, I struggle moreso with "did I make the right choice? What's behind door #2" type thing, even though door #1 is a perfectly fine choice.
The lesson that should be taken away from this, and the one I'd like to be able to return to again and again is our instincts are usually right. It's the second guessing that causes problems, confusions, unclarity, and systematic weakening of our own decision making process. So trust yourself more... you actually do make wise choices... it's the 2nd guessing yourself that gets you in trouble. Be happy with your choice, don't worry about what "you're missing out on" follow The Lord where He has you, and be content in that moment. You're missing opportunities for service, right where you are, if you're questioning wether right where you are, is better or worse than the place you had the choice to go to but didn't...
which brings me to....
5) Living an Adventure- I've read this book "Wild At Heart" a few times... and I know not all people are down with that book, which is okay. I know it's NOT the WORD of GOD, but what it is, is, a seemingly Godly man, sharing his insights of what God has shown him, to others. And there's nothing wrong witht that. God relates to all of us differently, and some expirences when related connect with others deeper because God wired us differently. So John Eldridge says in "Wild At Heart" and in "The Sacred Romance" people are essentially looking for Beauty, Intamcy and Adventure. Yesterday I think I grasped a smidge more, of what "living an adventure" means. In my head and heart the definition has always been something BIG! Something like starting a Bible Study for prostitute orphans in Zimbabwe, or prayer walking the Sahara Dessert with a camel and a cactus as your water supply, as you eat locusts, to be like John the Baptist. Something like that... but yesterday I was at barnes and noble cafe working, and decided to let go and have fun with people, to encourage them, not based on "what I think they want to hear" but just on my pure instinct alone. You can tell the people that want to chit chat, and the people that want to be served in a hurry and go about their business... Of the people that you're working with, you can tell the ones that are having a hard time in life, and it's burdening them. It's just instinct and we need to not only trust our instincts, not only trust ourselves that we have something worthy to say... but Trust that God Wants to use us in that place... and this is the beginning of Living an Adventure. It's not going to Calcutta like Mother Theresa, it's being the type of Mother Theresa God designed you to be, wherever Calcutta is for you at that moment. It's bold, brave, and dare I say it... adventurous to live out your life in this manner. It's the tip of the iceberg... it's the first important step in living out an adventorous life for The Lord. My time at work at Barnes and Noble yesterday was fun, lite, confident and relaxed even when it became hectic. When we stop thinking about ourselves, and start thinking how can I encourage and serve that other person, it's just a better way to live. I pray that God will allow me to live that way again today, and not get discouraged when I falter but to help me press forward, and continue on in my relationship with Him as He wants me to. Maybe in doing so I'll be moved from Barnes and Noble Cafe to an actual Starbucks!
6) Working with your friends- Movies are inspirational. There are tons of movies that make you want to fight for freedom, or take down the baddies or whatever... and there's one particular movie that inspires me... in a way most movies don't... I wish I could say it was Braveheart or The Princess Bride, or Galaxy Quest or even Beethoven, but alas it's the Romantic Comedy “Return to Me”. David Duchovny and Minnie Driver star in this very cute movie... but it's the old men that run the restaurant that have been friends for like 30 years that are the most entertaining (that and a belly dance by Jim Belushi). And it's an inspiration to want to open up a restaurant, or a coffee shop, or used book store with friends, because working with friends is the best of both worlds... it's work and hanging out at the same time... So I'm plugging Trey's Amigos Coffee Cantina coming soon to Park Street in St. Louis. Be there or be square. I promise not to do a belly dance if you come...
So I've been here for 2 hours (some chatting with Nguyen was being done too) and this is all I've got... and I'm out of quarters so there are no more continues... I have four minutes left... and I'm going to regroup my thoughts and come back later on (today or tomorrow) and play some more.
dre :)
I used to think that i had a hard time making decisions... (I can't decide if that's true or not... ;) but now I've come to realize more clearly, that once I've made a decision, I struggle moreso with "did I make the right choice? What's behind door #2" type thing, even though door #1 is a perfectly fine choice.
The lesson that should be taken away from this, and the one I'd like to be able to return to again and again is our instincts are usually right. It's the second guessing that causes problems, confusions, unclarity, and systematic weakening of our own decision making process. So trust yourself more... you actually do make wise choices... it's the 2nd guessing yourself that gets you in trouble. Be happy with your choice, don't worry about what "you're missing out on" follow The Lord where He has you, and be content in that moment. You're missing opportunities for service, right where you are, if you're questioning wether right where you are, is better or worse than the place you had the choice to go to but didn't...
which brings me to....
5) Living an Adventure- I've read this book "Wild At Heart" a few times... and I know not all people are down with that book, which is okay. I know it's NOT the WORD of GOD, but what it is, is, a seemingly Godly man, sharing his insights of what God has shown him, to others. And there's nothing wrong witht that. God relates to all of us differently, and some expirences when related connect with others deeper because God wired us differently. So John Eldridge says in "Wild At Heart" and in "The Sacred Romance" people are essentially looking for Beauty, Intamcy and Adventure. Yesterday I think I grasped a smidge more, of what "living an adventure" means. In my head and heart the definition has always been something BIG! Something like starting a Bible Study for prostitute orphans in Zimbabwe, or prayer walking the Sahara Dessert with a camel and a cactus as your water supply, as you eat locusts, to be like John the Baptist. Something like that... but yesterday I was at barnes and noble cafe working, and decided to let go and have fun with people, to encourage them, not based on "what I think they want to hear" but just on my pure instinct alone. You can tell the people that want to chit chat, and the people that want to be served in a hurry and go about their business... Of the people that you're working with, you can tell the ones that are having a hard time in life, and it's burdening them. It's just instinct and we need to not only trust our instincts, not only trust ourselves that we have something worthy to say... but Trust that God Wants to use us in that place... and this is the beginning of Living an Adventure. It's not going to Calcutta like Mother Theresa, it's being the type of Mother Theresa God designed you to be, wherever Calcutta is for you at that moment. It's bold, brave, and dare I say it... adventurous to live out your life in this manner. It's the tip of the iceberg... it's the first important step in living out an adventorous life for The Lord. My time at work at Barnes and Noble yesterday was fun, lite, confident and relaxed even when it became hectic. When we stop thinking about ourselves, and start thinking how can I encourage and serve that other person, it's just a better way to live. I pray that God will allow me to live that way again today, and not get discouraged when I falter but to help me press forward, and continue on in my relationship with Him as He wants me to. Maybe in doing so I'll be moved from Barnes and Noble Cafe to an actual Starbucks!
6) Working with your friends- Movies are inspirational. There are tons of movies that make you want to fight for freedom, or take down the baddies or whatever... and there's one particular movie that inspires me... in a way most movies don't... I wish I could say it was Braveheart or The Princess Bride, or Galaxy Quest or even Beethoven, but alas it's the Romantic Comedy “Return to Me”. David Duchovny and Minnie Driver star in this very cute movie... but it's the old men that run the restaurant that have been friends for like 30 years that are the most entertaining (that and a belly dance by Jim Belushi). And it's an inspiration to want to open up a restaurant, or a coffee shop, or used book store with friends, because working with friends is the best of both worlds... it's work and hanging out at the same time... So I'm plugging Trey's Amigos Coffee Cantina coming soon to Park Street in St. Louis. Be there or be square. I promise not to do a belly dance if you come...
So I've been here for 2 hours (some chatting with Nguyen was being done too) and this is all I've got... and I'm out of quarters so there are no more continues... I have four minutes left... and I'm going to regroup my thoughts and come back later on (today or tomorrow) and play some more.
dre :)
posted by The Dre | 11:32 AM
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