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Romans 12:3-5
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
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Think about the family tree and how the blood from your great, great, great ancestors runs through your veins. Think about the sister or brother that looks nothing like the parents or siblings but looks like an auntie or a grandparent. Think about how people and parents influence their children and how they become them or end up being nothing like them but more like someone else in the family. Think about an elementary school teacher of yours made a huge impact on you and how you are as a person and because of them you give a piece of that teacher unknowingly to someone else. We are all connected in some sort of way blood or not.

When I think about this I think about the church. The believers, the thirsty and the leaders in the church some how all the time someone is influencing others whether they know it or not. I sing on the praise team so I am on stage and I can see the people and how they look at me and others in the congregation. I see children with locked eyes on the teens and the adults in the church and they process what they see and they develop a belief of that person.

I have heard and talked with many people who are just stifled by the leaders in the church. They cannot take them seriously because they do not practice what they preach. When I was younger there was a minister that was sleeping around with so many women and they knew about it... well if I knew about it they had to have known. But anyways I look at it like what you do DOES affect me and others around you! Leader's of the church preaching and teaching on what they do not live in the home. Laying hands on the sick yet they are sick them selves. I understand that God uses people that are broken and cracked... My thing is when they are "CALLED" then that is when they are supposed to make thoughtful and wise decisions to live a blameless life.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God- 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

What is happening is that many of these leaders in the church are causing the sick to fall and it is because what they are doing is infecting the people. People's spirits are contagious. So many are wolves in sheep's clothing. This world is falling because they are "Bending" what they believe and are not standing firm and living their lives in the way of their beliefs.

Let's go back to the "called", how do a lot of these leaders become leaders? Is it based on time they have been involved, filling in the gaps, book smart, street smart? Just because someone has a testimony does not mean they are called to teach or preach or usher, or whatever. Just because someone read a chapter of the bible and can eloquently decipher and expound on what it means does not mean they are living it... So who is doing the calling?

Let me ask you this! Would you want someone who just WATCHES ER and whatever hospital show to perform surgery on you? Would you want someone who only knows how to DRIVE a car fix your car? NO I hope is what you answered... but we allow it in the churches.  PARENTS.... I know you hate getting advice on how to raise your kids from someone who has NONE... and Relationship advice... who wants that when you have been divorced 4 times? The only advice I will take from you is what NOT to do...

The leaders are corrupt and infecting believers and those that are thirsty....

My only advice which I think is the BEST Advice is to have that personal relationship with God not religion not traditions but with GOD... He will pull the veil off of people, He will filter what is being said to you. Then you can POSITIVELY affect others because know that they are WATCHING and HEARING YOU.. They will see you for who you are, what you are not, what you were and why you do what you do.

How are you infecting others and with what?

 
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You are unique and an individual. There is no one like you and nobody can do what you do best but you! You provide something that people need, you offer something to the bigger picture that will build it up or tear it down. Although only one you, you are a piece of the puzzle that makes it complete. With out you, you leave room for discomfort, discouragement, confusion, and it's unfinished.

Romans 12:3-5
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

We all have a specific and broad function in the many areas of our lives, in our families, work, church, school, etc... if one part is not functioning then two things are going to happen:

1) Others around you will be affected and they will have to carry your weight which will be difficult because they do not have those "assigned" roles that you specifically had

2) If we are not bearing fruit we will be cut off. Matthew 7:18-20 8"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20"So then, you will know them by their fruits.…

Take a look at your fruit is it bearing good or b


What we do truly affects others

I have heard many people say, "What I do should not affect you" which is totally wrong. You do may not stop me because of my determination but there are things you do and words you say have an impact on not only someone directly but others indirectly as well.

There is this philosophy that I truly am connected to, it is called Ubuntu "I am what I am because of who we all are." (From a definition offered by Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee.)


Archbishop Desmond Tutu offered a definition in a 1999 book:[8]

A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, based from a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed. Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008:[9]

One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity. (Wikipedia)

I seriously believe that we are all connected. What I do today will affect someone 10 years from now!

What are you doing that is effecting the people around you, especially the ones you love?

What are others around you doing that cause you to have to shift for good or for bad?

Stay tuned for part 2!
 
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So I love to read but what is funny is that I have a hard time reading from cover to cover... I was a professional student for a long time and have graduated but in my education, I taught and conditioned myself to skim and get the parts that I needed out. So I still struggle with that! BUT ANYWAYS... I am currently reading T.D. Jakes "He-Motions" I got it for my husband but began reading it myself. But it is good for men and women who love the men in their lives.

So in my skimming I came across a set of questions that sparked my interest. I think it is because I am working on myself these days. Finding out who I am in this stage of life. I feel like I kinda lost myself the past year and looking to gain perspective and "DO ME" lol.

Many women tend to lose their selves when they first get married, I can only speak for myself right now but I was so consumed on being that "WIFE" doing everything the Bible says a wife needs to be. Trying to make a happy home but in reality what was going on was I was in crisis mode and crisis can be defined as a point in your life where things just change drastically.

This does not have to be in a negative sense. I had a huge moment of crisis where things were changing all at once. I moved back to Minneapolis, starting and finishing graduate school, changing churches, getting married, moving out of my moms care, and more. It was a very emotional time for me. Especially the changing of churches and getting married.

I grew up in my church and my family grew up in their too. Marriage, well I have never been married before and did not have that model two parent household so I did not know what it was like to live with a man. So I went into SURVIVAL MODE I was lost and trying to make things perfect but it WAS NOT....

So my current situation is to thrive rather than survive and doing that means getting back to the basics finding who I am at this stage in life. Know that every 3-5 years you are changing because life happens and if you do not keep up you will stay in survival mode and there is no growth in that.



Thinking about our net worth reminds me of a few scriptures:
Romans 12:6 We have different gifts based on the grace that was given to us. So if your gift is prophecy, use your gift in proportion to your faith.

And then the Parable of the Talents Matt 25:13-30 13 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability.

And then again in Luke 19:11-27...

We are significant and worth so much but God is not going to give us more if we are not faithful over little Matt 25:21.

Think about your current situation, now think about 5 years ago. Can you see increase? Is your net worth increasing? Maybe you are stuck right now, like me trying to figure out who you are at this stage in life.

The list of questions in HE-Motions were:
  1. How do you behave when you are alone?
  2. Often, what you spend your money on is a direct reflection of where your values are placed. What do your spending habits say about your values?
  3. How much do you enjoy your own company? What do you enjoy most about being alone with yourself?
  4. Whats the hardest part of being alone with yourself? How have you handled being alone in the past?
  5. Can you write a letter or have a conversation and tell who you are without telling what you do?
  6. Do you have a fair and objective sense of the intimacies of your character?
He goes on to say that get to know yourself better requires a personal audit, comparison of your assets to liabilities to determine your net character worth.

I want to make sure that my life is increasing according to what God wants in my life and how HE wants to use me. I have to make sure my goals and aspirations align with the will of God and I know my life will be blessed more than I can measure.

I pray increase in your life, I pray that everything you touch prospers. I pray that you will be used for the building of the kingdom of God. I pray that God increases in your life and you decrease.

Peace and Blessings,
Cicely