Turning point

I've been miserable. Depressed.

It's because it's been busy at work. And I've been lonely at home. 

Work is mundane. I have a whole three bedroom house to myself.

Mundane makes me irritable. Having no company makes me think no one cares.

Irritability just makes me have a bad attitude about work. And being home alone.

I bring it home and sulk alone in my house, all night, til I'm tired enough to sleep.

I then sleep all day. I've missed a lot of the summer and I'm missing the wonderful weather now. I've also wasted a lot of hours that could have been spent productively (and there's plenty to do!!) or visiting family.

Time to change things up. And get accountability.

Instead of sulking at home, I've decided to USE that time, rather than waste it watching Netflix or eating junk. I've already been going to the gym, but it isn't everyday that I go. So other things have to fill in that time. I've decided to start reading the Bible or related devotional material. I've decided to just talk to God. I've decided to rebuild my relationship with Him.

I read something in an issue of Our Daily Bread.

If being "religious" means following a set of rules so we can look good---instead of enjoying a relationship with the Savior---Jesus isn't interested.

Granted, He isn't. Nope.

He said, taken from Our Daily Bread as well, "outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside [they] are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" of the Pharisees in Matt. 23:28. They didn't have the love of God in their hearts (John 5:42). Jesus wanted a relationship with them, but they were "not willing to come to [Him]" (v. 40)

True religion is to know

The love that Christ imparts;

True religion is to show

This love to burdened hearts. 

-D. DeHaan

These things being said, and I'm saying all these things to myself, that I forget to take the time to have a relationship with Jesus. I may do many good things and I may refrain from doing bad things, but all that effort does nothing. I remind myself of the grace imparted to me from God and it is only that, that keeps us in our salvation. So I'm getting back on track. Funny that we keep falling off, but granted, we have SO MANY things that distract us. Do you text and drive? I do. I know, I know, it's dangerous. But yeah, I cross the line, I drift into the shoulder and hit the "BbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBb" of the rumble strip. Yeah, but my "safety net" is that I usually text when traffic is clear. So, that's going off the track because of my distraction with the phone. I think that most of you know what I mean. Modern day is so full of them. The devil loves to use them against me and I give in. A lot. And waste a lot of time.

So, in changing it up or reaching a turning point, I'm starting new and doing what I mentioned above. Also I'm starting to...blog! Yes. I like it. It's ok. Maybe I'll be a grain of salt to someone. A beacon of light. Encouragement. I dunno. We'll see.

Also, I'm learning something new too. Something productive. It doesn't hurt to at least learn about it, if not be a part of it. Forex trading. More on this later. But it's interesting! I like numbers anyway. And jargon.

Right now, I'm at work and this blogging IS the distraction from my job. Oops. Oh, well. We've been SO busy, we lab techs deserve a little bit of slow times before it gets busy again.

I want this t-shirt.

I want this too. The adrenaline rush of speed gets beat by nothing. At least for me.

Good night, ya all. 

Stanley Jr.

Passion. Are you and I passionate?

A few weeks ago we celebrated Passion Week, or the passion of Christ when He gave His life for us. We celebrate the pain and blood of Jesus and we thank Him for saving us from sin. We thank God for the relationship we now can have with Him through His Son. United.

Passion of the Christ

Now, what about your passion? My passion? Our passion? Do we have passion to live for Jesus? Do we have passion to give love to others? Do we have passion to serve others? Do we have passion to care for others? Do we have passion to pray for ourselves? For our sanctification? For others? For the saving of precious souls? Do we have the passion for commitment to the life Jesus asks us to live? To fulfill our purpose? To spread God's love to others? How can we revive or get the passion we need? 

There are people GOING TO HELL. DAMNATION is going to happen. There is no gray area about this. We need revival of souls and we have a harvest of souls to reap. We are we doing about it? 

Are we still sitting in apathy? Are we getting up from our butts? Are we going out about our daily errands and routines and showing or telling others of God's love for them? Still don't understand what passion is or what a passionate person would do?

pas·sion [pash-uhn], noun

1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.

2. strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor.

This kid is sure to show the world what he is passionate about. In his
imagination, he saves the world!

This is passion for pleasure-seeking thrills of homosexuality

This is passion for convenient murder of fetuses

This is passion for PETA (save the animals but kill babies??)

This is passion for our freedoms. Sadly, many may not recognize
 the main character in this picture.

So, you've seen examples of passion for causes and there are many more. The world has a passion for indulgences in sin. We must have a passion for the opposite. We must have a passion to be HOT, to be ON FIRE for God. Remember, in a previous post, I mentioned that Jesus will spit out the LUKEWARM. He wants nothing to do with you if you are lukewarm.

I don't want to be spat out. I want to be on fire for God. I want to show people God's love. I'm struggling with this. One reason is that I'm a little shy about approaching strangers in public. I talk to people behind counters and at cash registers only about the customer service. I have trouble sometimes having people understand me because of my slight or not so slight speech impediment, thus I keep silent unless I absolutely have to speak. Sometimes I just get enough courage to just speak to someone and it fails and I feel stupid and just quietly leave. It would be nice to have some tracts I can personally give to people. I want to set up a Prayer Station. My church, Bluffton Wesleyan Chapel, has a kit and we have used it a few times, but I have not done it with them yet.

I want passion. To be passionate. I need to ask the Lord to spark the desire for passion of reaping a ripe harvest of sinners. To reach out to others with the Gospel. To get my hands dirty helping others in need. To be exhausted because I cared for someone. I want to not be lukewarm. I want more humility.

Lukewarm doesn't do anything. Lukewarmness doesn't enhance, detract, or change. Lukewarm water doesn't refresh and lukewarm food isn't appetizing. Lukewarm lovers don't last in a relationship.

We would still be stuck in sin and tiring practices of sacrifices if God wasn't passionate in His love for us. He repeatedly answered Israel's cry and saved them from His enemies although Israel also repeatedly disobeyed God's admonition to obey His commandments. This admonition is mentioned at least 69 times in the Old and New Testaments. Obey His commandments! God sacrificially gave His Son to die on a tree for our sin. Imagine sacrificing your child. Would you do it? Would you have a passion enough for a cause to sacrifice your own child?

You see, we must be passionate as God is passionate. Think about it while I work on another post. What is it to be a passionate Christian? Only if you want to be a passionate Christian, you may look forward to and  return to read the next post.

Sorry if this post is a little jumbled. This is me jotting my thoughts down...I don't write in a book before posting. I don't like to write. I like to type, so, basically, you're reading my journal. Just not the very personal stuff. You want to know? No? I didn't think so. Til next post, very soon...

Faith

It is faith. Faith is what makes you right with God. I know I am right with God. Why? Because I simply believe in God, in who He says He is, and in what He says He will do.

It's hard to understand sometimes, especially when you don't know the facts or details. We can't see the whole picture, but I'm glad I don't have too. It would be to difficult!

My church attendance, tithing, and adhering to standards of holiness aren't what makes me right with God, it is my relationship with Him, my faith in Him.

It is proved here: And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. (Genesis 15:6 NLT)

Father in Heaven, I pray that you will be with me as I begin a new week. I ask you to walk with me in my journey of healing and to help me increase my faith in you by showing me your miraculous works. Amen!

Something to ponder...

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can." ~John Wesley

I wonder if I have the capability to do this. If not, then, surely, I know God can give me the capability. I want to do this. The best way to be able to do this is to give myself freely to God first, then all good things will flow from Him through me.

Can you or are you doing this?