the Journey.. 1 day and 40 years

"It took one day and a night to get the Israelites out of Egypt but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of the Israelites


Wow.. what a thought.. as a child growing up in the church we were taught that the 40 years was because of disobedience  and it was.. but the why was never discussed..  why did they disobey?
Maybe as this quote mentions it was because there was so much Egypt in them..

My Christian journey has never been the easy, clean, stay the path kind of journey.. I'm more like the Israelites than I would care to admit. slip a little here wander a bit over there and come back ask for forgiveness and keep striving.. But I'm moving forward in that journey..

What about you?   Where are you on this journey?  to the wayside for a bit? wandering after the bauble that is dangled over there on the edge of the path? Just out of your reach but it looks so good?

Or are you like the Israelites in that you keep saying it was better in Egypt.. Sometimes it seems that we remember the days of old with Crimson colored filters.  it was all better then.. But it wasn't..

 WE WERE SLAVES.

Do you really remember what it was like when you did not have a relationship with Christ?
The sorrow, the listlessness, the vague unsettling feeling that there has to be more? This cannot be all there is. Can it? and yet many times we romanticize the past to the point that it sounds good.. very good.. and tempts us to go back..

So if your in a hard spot.. grinding along wondering why you struggle with these things (whatever they are).. Maybe your dealing with your Egypt.  and sometimes the journey is long.. and sometimes you keep going to the same places... But you will succeed.. you will make it to the Promised land..

"It took one day and a night to get the Israelites out of Egypt but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of the Israelites

We are like a gemstone.. when one is found it is not pretty.. it is rough, dirty, and has all kinds of other stuff in it, around it and on it.. but when the Master jeweler takes it and spends hours of time polishing, grinding, cleaning ,removing  it eventually shines.. and becomes a thing of great beauty..

Its a Journey...  
 

Just because

I'm not a writer by trade, training, or for that matter inclination.. But I do like to talk and to discuss.. so I'm going to do that here.. talk a little.. discuss a little.  I hope you join me as I ramble on here..

Watching the Superbowl quite disinterested got me thinking.. what do I do, that I do just because... well just because.. how much of our life is simply us doing stuff because... no real reason for it..  just because..

There is a saying that if you do not know where you are going you will never get there..  We have to have a goal, a plan, a reason.. a destination if you will.

Where is your destination? what is your goal? Do you have a plan?  If you don't why?

One thing I'm learning is that goals must be quantifiable. They must be able to be verifiable, and they must be written down so that you can remind yourself  what they are..

Now you don't have to have them written where everyone can see them but they should be written down.

I'm going to throw out two goals on this page.. hopefully I will remember to update them as I continue this blog..

Goal 1.  Be debt free except for the house at the end of 2014 ($27,000 in consumer type debt)
Goal 2. Have my net worth be over $1,000,000 by the time I am 60 (net worth right now -$75,000)

talk to you soon.

Christianity in a negative light

A friend that I have that attends the same church as I posted about the large amount of negativity towards Christians and/or those with religious views that was showing up on her facebook feed.

She asked simply  why?  Why so negative about Christianity and religion in general..

Here is some of what I think..

Biblically its normal.. Christians are not going to be well liked.. We are different, we have a different mindset than the world.. As time, as we understand it, comes to a close,  biblically we are reminded that we will be disliked for our views/lifestyle and our core beliefs. They are not the same as the majority.. Never have been.

But the real reason.... at least in my opinion.. and this is my blog so my opinion definitely comes into play here..  is that what people think that religious people should be and what they find out they are is very disappointing and causes frustration, confusion and anger..

Many people will tell you they know what Christianity is about. and they will tell you what a Christian should and shouldn't do..  I'm going to tell you right now.. They are wrong...Yes that is a blanket statement. Everyone that says the know what Christianity is about and what it looks like is wrong..  

ok.. don't get too wound up.  I've been a professing and confessing Christian for almost all of my life.. And I've been  wrong about Christianity most of the time..   The problem is  today when we talk about Christianity we talk about a manmade religious structure.. Hence all the rules..

When I grew up.. we didn't go to movies/dances or the like..it was wrong indeed it was a SIN.. but we could bowl... imagine my astonishment when I heard my parents, who would not let us go to the movies, talk about their favorite movie actors from when they were children.. They went to the movies and I couldn't? Guarantee I wasn't happy about that.. made me a little cynical, Then I heard from relatives that when they were growing up they couldn't go to the bowling alley.. yet I could?  now I am confused..

in the thirties and forties a Christian family did not go to the bowling alley.  they could however go to the movies.. Who decided this.. as far as I can tell the religious leaders did.. pastors/deacons, board members.. later movies became forbidden and the bowling alley became a place of relaxation and sport.   What changed?  realistically probably not a whole lot. But it wasn't  allowed..  But some other Christian families could..

So if you think that a Christian should not be in (insert your place of entertainment)  and you see someone who professes Christ to be there.. YOU have the potential to be upset/angry or think that they are a hypocrite.. Why? because that person failed YOUR litmus test.. not there own..  but yours.

Thus the negativity builds,  and eventually spews out..

I don't blame those people for being upset/angry/confused.. It confused me for a long time.. Made me leave the Church for a period of time.. Still rears its head every so often...  See I find that I have a personal expectation of what a Christian should be  too. and I can get upset/confused at times too.

Here is what I remind myself when that ugly sense of they aren't a real Christian rears it's incredibly offensive head.

I AM NOT GOD!!!!!!!

Jesus came to bring Grace.. and Grace is unmerited/undeserved Favor.  So if you profess Christ as your Savior and I profess Christ as my Savior.. I'm going to give you Grace.. and if you don't profess Christ as your Savior.. I'm giving you  Grace too.  

Christianity in its truest form is simply those who try to be like Christ.. a Christ follower..

What do you think?