"This One Thing"...

Wassup to whomever takes the time to read my blog(s)....it's been a good little minute since I've written a blog, but, tonight I was sitting here listening to (well actually re-listening) to a sermon from earlier this year from the the Buckhead Church (www.buckheadchurch.org/message)...I've referred to their messages before, but this particular message is called "This One Thing" (http://buckheadchurch.org/messages/this-one-thing)...check it out if you see fit...anyway...I've listened to this message a few times, and this time while listening I decided to read, think about, and answer the discussion questions that were posted and I decided to share them with you, maybe for accountability purposes or maybe just because what I say might help someone else who is in a similar situation or feeling a certain kind of way about something...


Discussion Questions

1. What New Year's resolutions have you made in the past? Did you follow through on them?

*I think most years I make the same resolutions as most other people, eat better, lose weight, exercise more...etc...etc...etc... I generally start off really well but somewhere along the way I tend to fall off and/or just forget about my resolutions all together.

2. Did you make a New Year's resolution this year? What is it?

*My resolutions that I made this year were somewhat the same as previous years...eat better, lose weight, exercise more, write more, and focus more on me and less on others.

3. Talk about a time at work or in your family life when you couldn't focus on something important because your time was consumed by something urgent. How did the important thing suffer as a result?

*

4. In light of Andy's message about focusing this year on the one thing that is most important, would you change your New Year's resolution? What would your revised resolution be?

*In light of this message, I would have to say that my revised resolution would still be something that is sorta listed in my NYR. My revised resolution would basically be about focusing more on me, realizing those in my "circle" that are for me and those who are against me and deciding who I need to keep in my circle and who I need to keep at a distance, and who needs to go all together.

5. What urgent thing robs you of time to focus on your most important thing? What can you do to shift your priorities?

*

6. Who do you know that can hold you accountable for following through on the goal you set? What is the greatest barrier to asking that person to do so?

*I can't think of a person right now that could hold me accountable for following through with my goals. I guess this reason is why I am evaluating my "circle" as it is. My greatest barrier in asking anyone to hold me accountable for following through is that the person I chose might not follow through themselves in trying to keep me on track.

Moving Forward

This year you can do a lot of things. You will do a lot of things. But what's the one thing you need to do? What's the one thing that will make an extraordinary difference in your life? Begin to do it today.
Changing Your Mind

"I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"
Nehemiah 6:3b

Time For A Change

Well, I have officially been single for 2 years and although I was committing to staying single until my 30^th Birthday, I think I’m in a good place now. I know me a lot better and I’ve definitely learn a GREAT deal about me in the last 2 years. I’m not planning on going out a getting a guy like tomorrow or anything like that, but, I think I am more open to the possibility of dating now and of getting to know someone and letting someone really get to know me. I can say that there is a great deal of fear in actually going through with the idea of this and with the idea of actually getting back in the dating game. My relationship life has revolved around some very specific people for a very long time and I can admit that I still love him/them but it’s a love of what we had and how we’ve grown as individuals. A love of what doing the wrong thing has taught me and a love of appreciation of what the “relationship” did for me. Now with all that being said, it’s time to start (continue) praying that God directs my path and allows me to continue to shape and mold myself so that when I do meet/have my potential mate that I am all he needs me to be and so much moe.

Well, that’s all for now….

Forgiveness is a tough pill to swallow (PT. II)

So in my personal time, my daily readings, my daily scriptures, etc...the theme of forgiveness has repeatedly come up...this is nothing new for me...however, the "issue" that I have is the fact that I think in the past 7-10 days every time I've come across a message or scripture about forgiveness a different person's face pops into my heart/mind.  What's crazy is these are people that I have no idea why I need to forgive them, like there is no foreseeable issues that we have.  What I do know and can say is that I am a huge grudge holder and that could very well be the reason for these "pop ups" I can't say for sure that I know what each "grudge" is that I am holding but I know a few and so I've gotta go back to the drawing board with this whole "forgiveness" bit.  I think that forgiveness is such a hard issue for me simply because I feel like my decisions, actions and reactions are directly linked to my emotions.  I'm pretty good at getting past things in the initial moments that follow a situation but I also realize that my "getting past" things is to keep forward movement happening, but, the forward movement seems to happen for everyone but me because in reality I'm not truly forgiving people, more or less, I am just putting a band-aid on a issue that requires much more. So I guess what I'm learning needs to be done for myself, and maybe even for others, is to address my issues with people and deal with them so that I can truly move forward.

Until Next Time...

A Challenging Year....or shall I say a Year Challenge

Let me preface this post by saying I may be a little bit all over the place but it will all make sense in the end :) Now with that being said, a couple of months ago I moved away from the metro area and in doing so I had to kinda leave my church home.  While I haven't found a new church in my new city, I do get a chance to go to my home church every now and then, however, as of lately thanks to a friend, when I can't get to church I normally check out messages on Buckhead Church's website ( http://www.buckheadchurch.org/messages ).  Now I have listened to SEVERAL different messages and series on the website and there is one idea or theme that keeps coming back up. Now before I get to that idea/them let me go back and say this, I have been single (by choice) since April 2010, I've gone on a few dates during this period of singleness but none with the thoughts or intentions of pursuing a relationship.

Another stop before I get to the idea/theme that is reoccurring for me...I was initially not going to blog about this because it is a very personal and very intentional decision and I feel like putting it out there opens me up to challenges and difficulties but then I thought, I never know who might be helped or encouraged by me putting it out there so that's why I'm sharing...I also shared this because one thing I know about myself is I am a great "starter" and not so great of a "finisher" so by my sharing this with YOU (whoever you might be) I am making myself accountable to you.

Now to the "main idea" of this post...the idea/theme that kept coming up for me in several of the message that I viewed/listened to on the website was this challenge that Pastor Andy Stanley issued which was to look at "today's" date on a calender and go to a year from "today" and from this day to that DO NOT date. Basically, you are COMMITTING to a year of INTENTIONAL singleness. Like I said, I have been single since April of 2010, so we are talking about 1 year and 9 months for me, but, as of my birthday  this year, I decided because this keeps coming up and because I know there is so much more for me, maybe committing to this year isn't such a bad idea at all.

Some of the messages that I listened to on the website were:

http://buckheadchurch.org/messages/the-new-rules-for-love-sex-and-dating ALL PARTS
http://www.buckheadchurch.org/messages/twisted Part 4 Category of One
http://buckheadchurch.org/messages/guardrails Part 3 Flee baby flee

...Forgiveness...or lack there of

So I haven't posted anything on forgiveness in a good little minute. I can say that I have still been reading, however, I haven't posted because I haven't really had much to say reflection wise.  Although we are only a few days into the new year, I've been tested in a major way as it pertains to forgiveness...so...I'm not doing as much as I can in order to forgive those who have wronged me per say...I'm trying hard to forgive (and forget) but I have a major issue with holding grudges...

I can say that I no longer feel like anyone owes me anything (not that I truly believe I'd get anything anyway if I felt that way)...however, I can say that I hate that in some situations I'm tired of being made out to be or made to feel like the bad guy when clearly I'm not. There are some things are just a given...

Well I guess...that is my random ramblings for now...

Forgiveness Day 14: Psalms 32: 1-3

Psalms 32: 1-3

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.

Forgiveness Day 13: Matthew 6: 14-15

Matthew 6: 14-15

14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Forgiveness Day 12: Isaiah 53: 10-11

Isaiah 53: 10-11

 

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Forgiveness Day 11: Psalms 103: 8, 10, 12

Psalms 103:8

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

 

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

 

12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Forgiveness Day 10: Colossians 3: 12-14

Colossians 3: 12-14

Character of the New Man

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.