Day 11: "Becoming Best Friends With God"

Welcome Readers!! Today is Day 11 on our journey through the book: A Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? by Pastor Rick Warren.

This is such a beautiful chapter. It discusses how we can all DEVELOP a friendship with GOD, JESUS, & THE HOLY SPIRIT & gives us examples from the Bible to help us along the way.

So I have a DIffeRent type of friendship with EACH member of The Holy Trinity. The summer between my Freshman & Sophomore year of high school I had...what is probably my DEEPEST & LONGEST prayer session with God to date. It changed my life. I REALLY developed my FAITH that night. We are ALL HIS, but....GOD took hold of me that day & I KNEW...no matter how HARD things would get...HE HAD ME. From that point though...my relationship with The Holy Spirit began to develop. I was YOUNG, so I didn't know a whole lot about them, BUT I knew what I needed to. I understood in that prayer session that The Holy Spirit would ALWAYS be with me...to guide me, to help me form the RIGHT words and actions, to PROTECT me & I would CONSCIOUSLY acknowledge that throughout my day. I look back now & it may seem like I did it in a selfish way, BUT it was the way God knew I needed him.

Then...as I started to go to church with my boyfriend...husband now...I REALLY came to know Jesus. I credit this to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fayetteville, TX & my Mother-In-Law. I had a different experience than what it seems like most people have with the Catholic Church. I wasn't Catholic. I was Lutheran...& a Lutheran that hadn't been to church in years. Not that I didn't VALUE my relationship with God (really at that time my relationship with The Holy Spirit), but I would venture to say I'm analytical & I WANT to KNOW MORE...always. I remember the first time I went to church with him. I was EXCITED & NERVOUS, but I felt so OVERWHELMING drawn in to the church & accepted. It is hard to explain really. I went to church there for nearly 6 years before I decided to convert to Catholicism during Kyle & I's engagement. I didn't kneel, or do the sign of the cross, or say the Catholic dinner prayer at meals UNTIL I was confirmed in the church on Easter Saturday. I NEVER felt JUDGED. I really do know how that can sound a bit contradicting. I mean...I didn't kneel like the Catholics, didn't receive communion, didn't pray the same prayers, BUT I began to get this feeling like they wanted me to....like they WANTED me to be a part of it...like I was respected on a level I needed. I'm older than my husband & was in Jr. College when he was going to his CCD classes. It seemed like I ALWAYS had studying to do & I'd go along with him & sit in the truck & study. I was invited in to work inside a couple times, but I REALLY didn't want to for any other reason than I like to study all cramped up like that. Then Kyle's class was going to go see The Passion. His teacher told him to invite me. That I may have to pay for my ticket, but I was WELCOME to come. I was TOTALLY down for it. When we got to the church his teacher told me that the church was paying for it. I offered SEVERAL times to pay, but he said Father Jack approved it. We were in a van & I'm not kidding when I say that I don't think I stopped talking the ENTIRE way home. His teacher opened up discussion & I just went to discussin'. I KNOW this time in my life helped me to know Jesus....helped me to become CLOSE friends with Jesus...really BEST FRIENDS.

A few weeks ago I started meditating on how I know Jesus, but who I really need to spend some time getting to know is God. I'm being 100% HONEST here. I felt a mild sense of loss because I knew that would mean less time for Jesus. I mean...when I prayed it was to God, but by the end of it...I was talkin' to Jesus & giving it ALL to him. I also felt afraid...like I wasn't worthy...like I needed to do more work...like God would JUDGE me more harshly. Then...as I was shopping at Sam's with my Mother-In-Law I saw this book standing out on the shelf with NO other books beside it. I picked it up & read the first few pages. I looked to find another because it challenges you to read as a team. I found her....kind of told her I wanted her to read the book with me & here we are....& NOW I am building my friendship with God. Looking back...I can see WHY my friendships have developed the way they have. HE WILL NOT GIVE US MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE.

Here's what it's like for me: The Holy Spirit is like the friend that LOVES you unconditionally...TOTALLY. Like the friend that is holding your hair back & dragging you back to the hotel after too many drinks & then acts like NOTHING happened the next morning.

Jesus is the friend that is forgiving because he's been through ALL of it. He UNDERSTANDS why you do the things you do & KNOWS that you didn't know any better. Kind of like a mentor or a big brother.

God...now God. He is the friend that LOVES you unconditionally & will ALWAYS PUSH you to be MORE. It's not enough for Him to ease your troubles & have your back when no one else will. It's not enough to understand that life is tough and settle with that. HE WANTS US TO BE ALL HE MADE US TO BE! HE SEES POTENTIAL & knows, to be a good friend, he has to PUSH us. And my friends, you've gotta have some grit to ya. He is (what sometimes seems) BRUTALLY HONEST with you. He will show you things about yourself that you disliked SO much you forgot about'm. He will REVEAL things about you & your experiences that you didn't even know happened. His LIGHT is SO bright that NOTHING goes uncovered. Then....he'll MAKE you face them. Then...when you drag your feet...he will place a sense of urgency on you...that makes you VERY aware. One of my best friends just shared this video of a little girl telling the story of Jonah....& (I'm just sayin') I don't want it to get that far.

My best advice is: Don't force it. It will all come naturally to you. When I was in high school, I wasn't even THINKING about Jesus's journey. I was worried about my own. A few weeks ago I was draggin' my feet on REALLY gettin' to know God & He wasn't havin' that! God will GIVE you what YOU need & he knows EXACTLY what that is.

There is SO much more in this chapter that will help you develop your friendships with The Holy Trinity. One of the BEST & biggest take aways I got from this chapter is this: "If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses." This book urges you to write down these daily verses & keep them with you & work on memorizing them. This is EXACTLY the tool I needed. This is my second time reading the book & there is only one verse that I have memorized (from the book) to where I don't have to double-check the chapter & verse number: "Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

Here's the Daily Info:

"Point to Ponder: God wants to be my best friend."

Daily Verse: "Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him." Psalm 25:14A (LB)

Daily Question: "What can I do to remind myself to think about God and talk to him more often throughout the day."

From my journal the first day of reading: I feel like this is something I learned to develop the summer between my Freshman & Sophomore year of high school & I am blessed to still do it. The one thing I NEED and want to do is learn his word. I need to get my note cards & put Bible verses on there, so I can really start letting God speak to me more often.

Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus!! He'll take you to GOD & do some teachin' along the way! God Bless!

Day 6: "Life Is a Temporary Assignment"

Welcome!!! Today is Day 6 on OUR journey through Rick Warren's book: The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?"

This chapter has not left me since I read it. It truly AMAZES me at what strikes a cord with me...& what strikes a cord with others. Sure SHOWS me unIQue we are.

From the second paragraph in today's reading: "To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths: First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief. Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won't be here long, so don't get too attached."

I said in yesterday's blog how all of the choices and actions I make tend to have MORE purpose than what they did before. I think it is because THIS chapter has helped me tie up SOME loose ends. I had a moment where I realized that I wouldn't have forever to be a Mom, or a wife, or WASTE my time with worry.

MAN!! I used to be chalked FULL of worry. I worried about moving myself up the ladder. I worried about impressing new clients. I worried about if other people in the company were going to do their job. I worried about how others were treated in comparison to myself. I worried about impressing my bosses, my co-workers, my family. I worried about how much weight I gained. I worried about the decisions I made. Man I worried!! I'm not sayin' it NEVER creeps in anymore. It does....BUT it makes me stop to look around b/c the Holy Spirit is tryin' to tell me something.

I have been free from the corporate shackles for 6 months now. I had to work through the mindset of having to answer to someone else and having to look busy & over the past few months that anxious/edgy feeling has left me for the most part. I still get anxious sometimes before an auction or birthday party or whatever, but it's a different kind of anxious...a good kind. I'm not clouded by thoughts and opinions and frustrations that really DON'T matter in the grand scheme of things. NOW, when I get that icky anxious feeling I believe it is the Holy Spirit talking to me. He's causing me to PAY ATTENTION.

Like we learned yesterday: God has entrusted us with gifts, talents, and blessings. Family, friends, business relationships, our house, our car, our talents (which could be anything like: crunching numbers, caring for livestock, building relationships, caring for the sick, teaching young people, or protecting our country) are GIVEN to us....NOT to use for ONLY ourselves, but to bring glory to God. He gave MY BLESSINGS TO ME. Therefore, when I feel like they are being endangered...it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to PROTECT them. They are entrusted to me for a purpose I don't yet know, but they are mine & I have FAITH that God won't give me anything I can't handle & doing the best job I can with the blessings HE gives me...will get me closer to meeting my friend & brother Jesus.

So....Here are the specifics for today:

Day 6: "Life is a temporary assignment."

"Point to Ponder: This world is not my home."

Daily Bible Verse: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Daily Question: "How should the fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I am living right now?"

From my journal the first day of reading: I should be sure that all I am doing is bringing glory to God...in ALL situations: How I care for myself & my family, How I use the gifts God has given me, how I handle ALL situations: Good & Bad, Easy & Difficult, how I praise Him.

This will relieve the stress and busyness of my life and make my assignment more clear.

Well....let me just tell you. It has done just that. It hasn't fixed all my problems. We are supposed to have problems. Our problems prepare us for future problems. My focus has been sharpened. I've still got some sharpening to do, but you better believe there's been PROGRESS.

This is a cliff note of this chapter. You can apply it a totally different way at each reading. I really URGE you to get this book & really read this chapter, so you can begin to wrap your head around it.

BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS!!! Join in on the discussion!!

God Bless!!

Thank You

This has been SUCH a beautiful week. I felt like sharing some of ALL the wonderful things that have happened, but I couldn't quite figure out how, SO.......I decided to write a BIG ole' THANK YOU note to GOD.

Here's a list of some of the WONDERFUL things that happened for me this week:

-I got out of the MUDDY waters...only by God's GRACE. (I'm sure I'll discuss this in probably 10 blog posts :))

-I learned a way to settle my WoRRy & study God's word. (Study bible verses & recite memorized ones - when I feel the woRrY coming on.)

-I got confirmation on 2 UPCOMING fundraising auctions, that I really wanted to do. (These are a big deal for me, for LOTS of reasons.)

-I TRULY forgave a friend.

-I started exercising & taking care of myself AND along with it, was able to APPRECIATE God's beauty in LITERALLY everything.

-I was re-affirmed about a NEW venture & journey.

-My sweet niece Baby Ida Estelle was brought into this world & she is PERFECT. (Fun Fact: She was born 2 days after our Grandma's birthday ---which she was named after.)

Me, Kylee, & Sweet Baby Ida

-I am MOVING FORWARD with two CREATive projects I've been sitting on/intimidated by/afraid of....whatever you wanna call it.

-I am IMPROVING in the areas of time management, being present, trusting myself, loving myself, & forgiving....and KNOW that its OKAY to have to start that process over DAILY.

-My Uncle came home from his surgery & progress & healing are in his future.

-People are seeing the value in my God-given gifts.

-Kylee is warming up to this whole t-ball thing :).

-I am moving forward.

-I had a FRIEND pass away early this week. He worked at Suddenlink with me in College Station & I worked with him via phone & computer when I moved down south. He went on one of our INFAMOUS Frio River trips & I have to say that I was shocked & saddened when I heard of his passing, BUT....

Ryan, Myself, & Jenny at the river. 

Ryan was GOOD PEOPLE. I mean REALLY Good People. He was a GOOD friend. He was a HARD -WORKER: dedicated, dependable, skilled, loyal, friendly, respectful, patient.... He was entertaining. He looked at things objectively. He saw the GOOD in people & the GOOD in situations. He could DEFUSE stressful situations. (I saw it first hand.) AND....while I am sad about his passing & that I didn't talk to him MORE when I saw him a few weeks ago....I AM THANKFUL that I knew him. I am THANKFUL knowing that he is a GOOD SOUL. I am THANKFUL that I was caused to REFLECT on some of the VERY IMPORTANT relationships in my life.  I am THANKFUL that he is the kind of person that is WELCOMED into God's kingdom, and I am THANKFUL that everyone that knew him (& even those that didn't) have another ANGEL to guide us on our journeys & walk the halls of Heaven. Whew....

Thank YOU God for BLESSING us WAY beyond what we deserve. BUCK UP BABY & RIDE WITH JESUS! LOVE YOUR PEOPLE. God only leaves them here for a little while.