Be Smart

Isn't it interesting how we allow other people who are trying to make our lives miserable succeed. For me at least there seems to be certain people who just frustrate me more than usual. Most of the time, it is because I allow this to happen.

I was sent a story this week that really has helped my thinking toward this. I wanted to share it with you.

There was a little boy named Johnny who used to hang out at the local corner market. The owner didn't know what Johnny's problem was, but the boys would constantly tease him. They would always comment that he was two bricks shy of a load or two pickles short of a barrel.

To prove it, sometimes they would offer Johnny his choice between a nickel and a dime and Johnny would always take the nickel (they said) because it was bigger.

One day after Johnny grabbed the nickel, the store owner took him aside and said "Johnny, those boys are making fun of you. They think you don't know the dime is worth more than the nickel. Are you grabbing the nickel because it's bigger, or what?" With a big grin on his face, Johnny slowly turned toward the store owner. "Well," he answered, "If I took the dime, they'd stop doing it, and so far I've saved $20!"

Now that's smart! One of our members at Creekside named B.J. says, "Don't let others, who have less brains than you, dictate how you feel." That's smart too.

Oops I Did It Again

No, I'm not talking about a pop song, I'm talking about sin. I can really relate to Paul's passage in Romans 7. I don't do what I want to do and I find my self doing that which I know I should not do. It's kind of a tough reading, but I sure understand it.

How do you handle "messing up?" It is a part of all of our lives. Whether it be dieting, exercise, language, pornography, alcohol, or drugs. Or maybe it's getting angry too easily or something else. No matter the sin, it is still sin. And is frustrating or what?!! Paul calls it a struggle between the spirit and flesh. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," he says.

The real truth is that in the long run, I cannot handle it by myself. I think the first thing we must all do is turn these things over to God. He says that I can cast all my burdens on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He tells me that in Christ there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). What a blessing! I must trust that.

Another way to handle it is to lean on one another as accountable brothers and sisters should be able to do. Paul tells us that we should "restore" one another and help each other "bear burdens." Read Galatians 6 to see those passages. I believe that to be one of the primary reasons God put us together in a family.

We must begin to confide, trust, and lean on each other. I need that and I know you do too.

Someone said that success is getting up one more time than you fall. I believe that real success is trusting in God for the strength to get up one more time.

What do you think?

Life!

Jesus said that He came to give life--life to the full (John 10:10). Yesterday at Creekside we felt that life. The Spirit was truly in that place. Thank you Father for the life you have given us at Creekside.

I think that a part of this "life" that Jesus gave is experienced in worship. I know that the abundant life that He gives goes beyond that, but it is awesome to not just "go to church," but to "experience worship."

Whether one chooses to sit still and feel God in their life or shout or lift hands or clap is not really the point of this feeling I have. It is the experience of a community of Christ followers coming together to celebrate the things that God has done in us through the power of Jesus name and the inner peace of the Holy Spirit that is so exciting. As we say at Creekside, "It's not about us it's about Jesus!" I feel like my car must feel (if a car could feel) with a full tank of gasoline--ready to run!

Have a great day in the Lord!