I'm still getting used to having a blog, and have been keeping my thoughts mainly in my head (often a good place for them), but I've decided to let this one slip out onto the web.
I was talking with someone a couple weeks ago and they were telling me how they recently got involved in some program selling acai fruit juice. They were quite aware that this was one of those pyramid marketing things, and naturally I was a bit put off by their interest in it. That was, until, I discovered their motive behind getting involved. They were using it as a springboard into witnessing to the other marketers because a good way to witness is to befriend somebody first. It got me thinking about the Bible text where the apostle Paul wrote that he was all things to all people that he might save some.
Now, I'm not advocating that well all go out in search of the latest "business opportunity" and use that as a means of witnessing. However, I think that we should give more thought into being more creative in our witnessing. So often so many of us get stuck into narrow means of sharing our faith. Therefore, I'm asking that you keep your eyes open for new ways of getting in contact with people for the gospel's sake.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Change of Status
First off, it was a pleasant surprise that this event has gotten as much buzz. It's nice to know that I am liked or at least am a source of curiosity. There have been a few requests from friends for more details, and I was thinking about emailing all of you and giving you said details. Then this morning when Nadya asked me for the rest of the story, I thought that there must be a way to tell multiple people at the same time. Then I remembered that I have this blog, and decided to put it to use to accomplish this goal.
As always, the best place to begin is, well, the beginning. Not too long ago I got a friend request on Facebook from someone I didn't recognize. Not a totally unusual occurrence, and as my general policy about such things is, I accepted (I figure that if someone wants to be my friend, I'll let them because I like making new friends). I noticed that this woman went to the same school I went to for my undergraduate degree, Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU), so that meant that at least she had good decision-making skills when it came to choosing schools. However, I didn't give her too much thought after that.
Some time later, I noticed that she said that she was going to drive from Southwestern to Loma Linda, CA. I'm not a big fan of moving or driving long distances, so I wrote her that I wished that I could be of some assistance. I didn't do this as a means of gaining favor. I just wanted to be helpful. She then responded, stating her appreciation for the thought. We corresponded a little bit, then I did something that I don't usually do, I wrote back and said that once she gets settled in Loma Linda, if it would be OK to call her. She said it was OK, gave me her contact info., and I waited. I wasn't anxious as though I was expecting something great to happen. I simply felt good that I was making a new friend.
A few days passed, and I notice that she posted something regarding her being in Loma Linda, and shortly thereafter, I called her. Turns out that she thought I was somebody else when she put in the friend request. There was another Brent that went to Brazil (where she's from) on a recruiting trip for SWAU. She didn't remember exactly what he looked liked, and thought I was that guy. I guess that sometimes our "mistakes" are in fact, God's leading.
We had a good rapport on the phone, and bemoaned the fact that we lived so far apart because we thought it would be nice to hang out sometime. The phone calls continued, and the friendship deepened. Then we discovered that we both had Windows Messenger and webcams, so we thought that it would be fun to actually see each other while we talked on the phone. This was helpful because now there wasn't just a disembodied voice on the phone, there was an image on the screen that corresponded to said voice.
Things progressed nicely because we found out that we have a lot of things in common, not just interests, but also personalities. We understand each other, where we're coming from, where we want to go. I was more reluctant than her to publicly declare our relationship. I'm not exactly sure why, but most likely because I had been burned in the past (not something I want to get into). However, the other night I came to the conclusion that I was just fooling myself, and soon afterward I told her that I was totally committed to making the relationship work. Without skipping a beat, she asked if we should change our status. It was late, so I said that we should do it in the morning, and that was on the top of my list of things to do that day. I must say that I feel better now that it is changed. It's not an ecstatic feeling, just the feeling you get when you do the right thing.
So, I'm asking, and I'm sure she would ask the same, that you keep us in your prayers. We want to do things according to God's will and we want things to work out so that we can be together for an extended period of time, as in, forever.
As always, the best place to begin is, well, the beginning. Not too long ago I got a friend request on Facebook from someone I didn't recognize. Not a totally unusual occurrence, and as my general policy about such things is, I accepted (I figure that if someone wants to be my friend, I'll let them because I like making new friends). I noticed that this woman went to the same school I went to for my undergraduate degree, Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU), so that meant that at least she had good decision-making skills when it came to choosing schools. However, I didn't give her too much thought after that.
Some time later, I noticed that she said that she was going to drive from Southwestern to Loma Linda, CA. I'm not a big fan of moving or driving long distances, so I wrote her that I wished that I could be of some assistance. I didn't do this as a means of gaining favor. I just wanted to be helpful. She then responded, stating her appreciation for the thought. We corresponded a little bit, then I did something that I don't usually do, I wrote back and said that once she gets settled in Loma Linda, if it would be OK to call her. She said it was OK, gave me her contact info., and I waited. I wasn't anxious as though I was expecting something great to happen. I simply felt good that I was making a new friend.
A few days passed, and I notice that she posted something regarding her being in Loma Linda, and shortly thereafter, I called her. Turns out that she thought I was somebody else when she put in the friend request. There was another Brent that went to Brazil (where she's from) on a recruiting trip for SWAU. She didn't remember exactly what he looked liked, and thought I was that guy. I guess that sometimes our "mistakes" are in fact, God's leading.
We had a good rapport on the phone, and bemoaned the fact that we lived so far apart because we thought it would be nice to hang out sometime. The phone calls continued, and the friendship deepened. Then we discovered that we both had Windows Messenger and webcams, so we thought that it would be fun to actually see each other while we talked on the phone. This was helpful because now there wasn't just a disembodied voice on the phone, there was an image on the screen that corresponded to said voice.
Things progressed nicely because we found out that we have a lot of things in common, not just interests, but also personalities. We understand each other, where we're coming from, where we want to go. I was more reluctant than her to publicly declare our relationship. I'm not exactly sure why, but most likely because I had been burned in the past (not something I want to get into). However, the other night I came to the conclusion that I was just fooling myself, and soon afterward I told her that I was totally committed to making the relationship work. Without skipping a beat, she asked if we should change our status. It was late, so I said that we should do it in the morning, and that was on the top of my list of things to do that day. I must say that I feel better now that it is changed. It's not an ecstatic feeling, just the feeling you get when you do the right thing.
So, I'm asking, and I'm sure she would ask the same, that you keep us in your prayers. We want to do things according to God's will and we want things to work out so that we can be together for an extended period of time, as in, forever.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
An Emotional Christian is Not an Oxymoron
During the Bible study at church this morning, one of the things we talked about is the role of emotions in people who are called by God. The subject of emotions is something that has been on my mind for quite a while.
I've done a sermon series of sorts on the subject, mainly focusing on negative ones (anxiety, fear, and anger). I focused on these not because I like being negative, but because the negative ones are the cause of a lot of confusion, esp. in Christian circles. I think that many of us have the convoluted idea that it is bad for a Christian to have strong emotions; that somehow we are to rise above them to the point where we are unaffected. Sadly, such concepts are not found in the Scriptures.
The Bible is full of emotional people, and often God does not chastise them for being that way. A prime example of this is Elijah. During the whole Mount Carmel experience, he was riding pretty high. Shortly afterward, he was pretty low, but did God tell him to get a hold of himself because he had things to do? No, He let him sleep, gave him some food, and let him sleep some more, so that his emotions could recover. Emotions, in and of themselves, are not a bad thing. They are not some sort of design flaw; a glitch in the system. God gave us emotions because He Himself is emotional.
There are many examples of God expressing emotions, even supposedly negative ones. In the Ten Commandments God depicts Himself as "a jealous God", and there are other accounts of Him being angry, sad, vengeful, etc. Many people think that such things are confined to the Old Testament portion of the Bible, that when you get to the New Testament it's all "Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild". However, a further reading shows that this is far from the truth.
In the New Testament you read about Jesus overturning tables, brandishing a whip, confronting hypocritical leaders, and casting out demons. (I have an active imagination, but even I have difficulty picturing Jesus doing such things with an even tone, and an expressionless face.) You even have Jesus expressing such things as loneliness in the Garden of Gethsemane. Someone once told me that I shouldn't be lonely because I have God with me, but then how does one explain why Jesus wished His disciples would have prayed with Him even for a little while. He had His Father, but He still wanted His friends there as well.
So now you may be thinking, "O.K. I get it. Emotions are not bad, but how do I deal with all these conflicting feelings that I have?"
1. Acknowledge your feelings: Don't think as though you can just dismiss them as though they do not exist. You are just fooling yourself if you think that'll work. It just causes more problems.
2. Try and think as to why you feel this way: This is not always easy because there is often a lot of overlap (your emotions from one thing go into another unrelated thing), but with some practice you can do it. For example, yesterday I was frustrated with myself because I forgot to do something. Then someone asked me to do something small, and I felt angry at them. I wasn't angry with them, I was still feeling the emotions from the previous incident.
3. Be in control: This overlaps a bit with the previous two. Remember that you don't have to do what your emotions tell you to do. Their advice is not always correct.
4. Be under His control: The most important rule. Many times we get emotional when our selfish desires are thwarted. The only way to overcome this is through the power of God. God will help you if you simply let Him.
All this may be an oversimplification of the matter, but it helps me get a handle on this topic. Don't think this is the final word on the matter. Feel free to share where you agree and/or disagree, and what can be changed. Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings.
I've done a sermon series of sorts on the subject, mainly focusing on negative ones (anxiety, fear, and anger). I focused on these not because I like being negative, but because the negative ones are the cause of a lot of confusion, esp. in Christian circles. I think that many of us have the convoluted idea that it is bad for a Christian to have strong emotions; that somehow we are to rise above them to the point where we are unaffected. Sadly, such concepts are not found in the Scriptures.
The Bible is full of emotional people, and often God does not chastise them for being that way. A prime example of this is Elijah. During the whole Mount Carmel experience, he was riding pretty high. Shortly afterward, he was pretty low, but did God tell him to get a hold of himself because he had things to do? No, He let him sleep, gave him some food, and let him sleep some more, so that his emotions could recover. Emotions, in and of themselves, are not a bad thing. They are not some sort of design flaw; a glitch in the system. God gave us emotions because He Himself is emotional.
There are many examples of God expressing emotions, even supposedly negative ones. In the Ten Commandments God depicts Himself as "a jealous God", and there are other accounts of Him being angry, sad, vengeful, etc. Many people think that such things are confined to the Old Testament portion of the Bible, that when you get to the New Testament it's all "Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild". However, a further reading shows that this is far from the truth.
In the New Testament you read about Jesus overturning tables, brandishing a whip, confronting hypocritical leaders, and casting out demons. (I have an active imagination, but even I have difficulty picturing Jesus doing such things with an even tone, and an expressionless face.) You even have Jesus expressing such things as loneliness in the Garden of Gethsemane. Someone once told me that I shouldn't be lonely because I have God with me, but then how does one explain why Jesus wished His disciples would have prayed with Him even for a little while. He had His Father, but He still wanted His friends there as well.
So now you may be thinking, "O.K. I get it. Emotions are not bad, but how do I deal with all these conflicting feelings that I have?"
1. Acknowledge your feelings: Don't think as though you can just dismiss them as though they do not exist. You are just fooling yourself if you think that'll work. It just causes more problems.
2. Try and think as to why you feel this way: This is not always easy because there is often a lot of overlap (your emotions from one thing go into another unrelated thing), but with some practice you can do it. For example, yesterday I was frustrated with myself because I forgot to do something. Then someone asked me to do something small, and I felt angry at them. I wasn't angry with them, I was still feeling the emotions from the previous incident.
3. Be in control: This overlaps a bit with the previous two. Remember that you don't have to do what your emotions tell you to do. Their advice is not always correct.
4. Be under His control: The most important rule. Many times we get emotional when our selfish desires are thwarted. The only way to overcome this is through the power of God. God will help you if you simply let Him.
All this may be an oversimplification of the matter, but it helps me get a handle on this topic. Don't think this is the final word on the matter. Feel free to share where you agree and/or disagree, and what can be changed. Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings.
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