Changing Your Perspective

I've stepped up my hours at work through the summer as I have no course work and am currently living only minutes away from work. With my extended time within the store, I've come to notice a lot of things in regards to people, not clients or co-workers but people! 

When you interact with people, you come with tons of presuppositions. The way they look, their body language, the way you're feeling for the day, your patience level or even the place that you are all come into play. What we don't often realize is the subconscious presuppositions that enter into our interactions! 

Think of the opinions that you have had for a really long time. Perhaps they are so natural or strong that you often forget that they are opinions and not fact at all.  How about your personality and upbringing and how that changes the way that you view things. Other people have different life experience that may shape their view points much more differently then yours. 

 When you're going through life, and other people are offering their support how does it feel? If it's something that is close to you, are you prone to take it much more personally? What if a stranger said the same thing as your mother or father, would it carry the same weight? Probably not.

I have been learning to look at other people's perspective that is well outside of my own.Working with the Geek Squad has taught me a lot with perspective. I am good with technology, and I have always been. I say this as a matter of fact and in no bragging way. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is skilled or even comfortable with computers or technology in general. My perspective of a simple computer problem, could be the worst thing that has happened to Willa and Willard since the HyVee shut down! 

If I come at it from my perspective, it's a waste of well spent time and is a problem that is so basic a quick Google could have solved the problem.But what might their perspective look like? Dial-up internet through an outdated AOL means Google takes ten minutes to load, in which the thousands of results would be overwhelming, and anyone they could call is hours away. Well that changes things a little! Suddenly I have more patience for them and the issues that they're having. 

Let's step out of the computer / customer service roles. 

You're getting serious with a significant other and ask for a dear friends advice. He tells you that he always thought you would do better and have someone who was less athletic because of how interested in basket weaving you are. And he is really poor at creating conversation. 

What a jerk! Maybe not--

Let's shift perspective. You asked for their advice. They see that you value their opinion and are seeking it. What this friend thought he was conveying was something along the lines of I really like who you've chosen to become serious with, although I always pegged you for a basket person, this person is a lot more athletic then I realized you to be. And we have nothing in common, so they're really hard to have a conversation with but they get along great with my brother who also loves to play sports! 

With the same words, a totally different message can be conveyed. I'm sure it's happened to you at some point in time! 

When you are dealing with people, think about how your words might change meaning in the process of vibrating through the air. Your disapproval on premarital sex could be a punch in the gut to the person you know little about, or someone they are very close to. A slender friend  telling you how much they love to eat and how much they just had for dinner, when you struggle with body image, had very little to eat and still feel fat! 

When you start to get offended or hurt when you're talking with someone, take a minute and analyze where they are coming from. Perhaps they don't mean it in a rude or offensive way at all, but their view is just very different from yours. When you offend or hurt someone, remember that what you mean to say and how they understand what you are saying might not be the same thing if you are not careful in what you're saying. 

I don't ask you to throw your perspective out the window for every person that you interact with. Simply understand that perspectives change from person to person given everything they know and understand. Be willing to be sensitive (or realize they're not trying to be rude) and better understand the people that you interact with. 

Be patient, show love, and live with less conflict and pain!

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 

Ephesians 4:2-3 

What Is It That You're Really Saying

We interact with people on a daily basis, conversing with tons of people each day some more than others. As we do this, some people have intellectual conversation and other people have emotional conversations. Some people have surface level conversations, while others have deep personal or theological conversations.

Recently, I have been challenged to be careful on what I am saying to the people around me. The words coming out of my mouth are not the thing in question, but they are in fact the reason for the questioning and doubt.

Although most conversations are intellectual and emotional, I've been introduced to another type of conversation, an underlying conversation piece that has more influence than the actual words being used.

Let me explain it how I understand it to be:

We all have conversations with expectations behind them. "I'll be home at five o'clock for dinner," "'l'll do the dishes tonight" or "Let's meet at the dock on Friday at noon." These are normal conversations that we have with our family, friends, significant others and acquaintances. These are factual statements.

Behind these statements, especially with those closest to us are symbolic statements. These, although never spoken verbally, are all the more powerful. I may say "I'll be home at five o'clock for dinner" but not show up until seven or eight. Perhaps the time slipped by while reading a book or while in good conversation with a friend. Understandable; but problematic.

This preverbal dropping the ball may seem innocent on empirical scale, but let's look at it from the symbolic. I said that I would be at a specific place and messed up. Let's say three weeks later something else comes up and I miss another thing. What does this say about me? Sure, I've only been late twice in the past thirty days -- empirically this shouldn't be a situation.

However, what kind of message am I sending to those around me? I know that you were expecting me to be there, but something else came up and I pushed it off. Or perhaps Sorry I was late, I'm too over involved in things and am not dependable. Although this may not be what I am saying, nor may it even be the case in actuality but it is what is presented.

I personally struggle with this. Looking at the different aspects of my life, I've noticed that I simply have too many! Between spiritual development, school, residence life, church youth group, working, personal time, socializing with friends and now adding a new relationship into the mix how can I be fair to everything if I am stretched so thin.

As I feel God is calling me into ministry this is something that I feel needs to be figured out before it becomes detrimental to my ministry and my own life. What will a parent think if they're dropping off their kid for the first time at a lock in, and the youth leader was late to show up? Did I have important things to do? Sure. But with a single interaction, I've already set a symbolic message that I am not concerned with their time or perhaps even their teenager. Apply this to an area in your life. Understand how problematic it can become.

In my own life, I need to take a strong look at what I've committed to, and commune with the Lord. Am I over invested, and if I am what needs to change to keep my passions, values, and ultimately the glory of the Lord the most important thing?

I pray that I find the balance in my life to be dependable and reliable. That my symbolic messages are aligned with my factual conversations and that I am spending my time wisely; decreeing the Lord's plan on my involvement.

As you evaluate your temporal investments, what things are taking precedence over others? What messages are you sending to the people who are expecting something from you? How is that effecting your dependability and trust?

Do You Have Beacons of Aid or of Hindrance?

Have you ever expected the help of a friend, only to be let down? Or have you gotten sour advice or told something that you really didn't want to hear? I'm sure that you have, and I most definitely know that I have. How do you react to that situation? Are you willing to help them, when they need help even though they stiffed you?

In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring an outlying province of Rohan is attacked at the fortress of Helms Deep. The enemy has great strength in numbers and have a strong battle plan. Rohan was left to fight alone with no help from their capitol city of Minas Tirith, and was nearly defeated! Weeks later the enemy is attacking the White City of Minas Tirith, with even more numbers, their full force! Upon hearing this plan, Theoden, King of Rohan, is asked if he will help to which he responds rashly, "Tell me, why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?"

Is this not the natural reaction? They [Rohan] were burned when they needed help the most! They saw no reason to help, felt no remorse, no commitment to the suffering of the others.

Is this your attitude when people are rude to you, give you bad advice, or no advice at all? Bitterness is a strange emotion, better described by animosity, nothing good can come of it. That resentment grows within you and makes you cold and hard towards that person or even the idea of undeserved help.

Yet, a beacon of hope remained:

A series of beacons are stationed along the territories of Gondor to quickly signal for aid. Initially lit in Minas Tirith, they are lit all the way to Rohan and seen by Aragorn who exclaims that the beacons of Gondor are lit! The Theoden proudly answers "And Rohan will answer!"

Getting over the injustice that was done to them, Rohan helps to the death!

In God, we have no place for those harsh feelings! We are sinners at birth, deserving the wrath of God, we don't deserve anything from Him. And yet, in His grace and love he extends to us a beacon of hope and light. Jesus Christ and His death on the cross was a beacon to the entire world. Not a beacon of asking for aid, but of granting it. A light in the world amidst all the darkness. A savior in eternity from eternal separation from God, eternal damnation.

Next time someone wrongs you, or you feel that you deserve more in a situation remember how undeserving we are of the gift of God, and how a simple act of kindness toward another can change their entire perspective!

I pray that I can repay bitterness with kindness, anger with love and show others that the amazing love of Christ has more power then any Nazgul or ring of power!

Go forth, and slay Orcs for Christ!

Himp

God's Love Extending Forgiveness and Mercy

Recently, my mother asked me to get Les Miserables (1998) from Netflix. I had never seen it but heard great things about it, and she wanted to see it again as it had been some time. My mom and I operate on completely different time schedules, but I left work early so that we could watch it together. I didn't really know what to expect only knowing a fraction of what the 2hr movie had in story.

I was blown away by the film, and let me tell you why...
I am blessed to have a Godly, Biblical world view and this movie was terribly

Let me give you a quick run down, for those who haven't had the pleasure of seeing the movie.
*Spoiler*
Jean Valjean, the main character, is as thief. He is given harbor by a religious leader when no one else would take him in. Jean honors this man by stealing his silver, striking him down and leaving! The next day, the authorities bring him back on suspicion of this very act. However, the father does something that Jean did not expect. He grants him forgiveness by telling the police that he in fact gave the sliver to Jean, and he had forgotten to take additional pieces. Valjean is convicted by his mercy and forgiveness and vows to become a changed man.

As the movie progresses, Jean moves from a humble worker to an even more humble wealthy mayor. The things he does for the commoners amidst their hate for him is astounding. The film continues on and on following suit as he is pursed again and again. Check out the film to get the whole story.

As I mentioned, this movie struck me on my spiritual level. One simple act of the father changed this man's life forever. The people that Jean's generosity, mercy and forgiveness touched started an exponential growth! The father passed, never knowing the influence that he had.

How then, are we -- am I to look as a follower, as a ambassador, as a child of God? Am I simply to extend God's love and forgiveness when I see it fit? Or did God not have mercy on us, when we turned our backs on Him time and time again?

Could a single act of kindness and mercy really have such a large impact?
I think God's word speaks best.

Luke 23 (NASB)
⁴⁴ By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. ⁴⁵ The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. ⁴⁶ Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.

A single act is all it took to save us from eternal separation from God. When then do we help someone in hurting, or extend a bit of mercy to someone in need?

What does it look like to truly let the love of the Father guide what you are doing? How loving, merciful and forgiving could you be in rush-hour traffic, at work or even to your significant other? What does true love look like?

1 Corinthians 13 (NLT)
⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Love Never Fails by Brandon Heath is a lovely that talks about this kind of love. I love this song, because it reminds me of how blessed I am to have God's love and forgiveness.

I pray that I can show God's love through my actions, always choosing to extend God's mercy to others so that His glory shines through me.

Love is the way, the truth, the life.

Struggles and Loneliness

This post is a bit of a ramble, but I feel much better after reflecting on the Word and praying over it. I hope that you are blessed in the way that I have been tonight through conversation and meditation.

Recently, I have been overwhelmed.

With the pace that the summer has been flying by, and the sheer amount of things that I have (or haven't) done! I am currently working two jobs, or at least trying to balance the hours between the two. One of these has become increasingly stressful, and frantic.

Today, America's birthday, I had the opportunity to work. I'm not the most emotional person, but I was feeling the pressure and almost broke down in the middle of the store.

I have always been an independent person. I don't like to rely on others, I like to know that I can accomplish what I need to on my own. However, deep down I know that the idea of being completely self-reliant isn't true.

I need Christ, and it's okay to not only acknowledge that, but ask for help when the pressure is on. I know that I've felt like a burden when people ask to pray for me, or don't want to seem weak asking for help or prayer. Tonight, I was on Skype with a great friend from school. When meaning to open my Bible to the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians, I looked in Romans.

I came across the following verse (15:30)

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me

Paul. THE Apostle Paul asks for prayer from those whom he is discipling. Why do I struggle so much to ask for prayer from others, or even pray to God for strength? Is my selfishness in the way, or my pride throwing up a hurdle? Why don't I fall on my face and share my struggles with the Lord. I get frustrated at the way things happen!

Read Psalms 73

¹ Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
³ For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.^[a]
5 They are free from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity^[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;
with arrogance they threaten oppression.
⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.^[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

¹³ Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴ All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.

¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.

²¹ When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

We have every right to be frustrated! But we need to take heart. Jesus has over come the world, and He will 'hold you by [your] right hand' and He is the 'strength of my heart and my portion forever.' When things get tough instead of trying to control everything for yourself, give it up to God. He will make your path straight.

] Paul was retelling the story of his conversion to Christianity in Acts 22. After God tells him who He is, Paul asks one simple question: “What shall I do, Lord?"

I pray that this is the question on my heart as I continue through the summer. What shall I do Lord? What would you have me do?

I pray that you would remain positive through frustration, and rely on God for strength asking him, what shall I do, Lord?

In Colossians we see Paul praying for the church, for believers like you and me.
This too, is my prayer for friends and family alike.

Colossians 1:9-12

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^{[a] 10} so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

How Long Have You Been Ignoring Your Check Engine Light?

Since I could drive, I have always wanted a manual transmission vehicle. Thanks to my father and brother-in-law, I am now driving a 5 speed Honda Civic! I had no idea of what needed to be done, or how to do it! They were patient with me as they explained what was wrong and what needed to be done, and how I could help.


Working on this car was tedious and the labor was spread out over two, maybe three, months of weekends finding more and more issues and things that needed to be fixed or replaced. The biggest repair was replacing the broken engine with a newer one from the junk yard. The hood was a tight fit in the first place, but moving an engine around makes it a bit smaller. We had to remove pieces in order, get things out, replaced and put it all back in again without forgetting any bolts! Fortunately the venture was completed with minimal pieces left over after an entire day of work, much Mountain Dew and 12 McDoubles.


This process reminded me of the refining process that God does on our lives. We're so incredibly complex in the way we are put together, beyond the physical construction. Many times my spiritual "check engine" light comes on and I have no idea what to do. God is so patient with me, as He, in His perfect timing, reveals to me the areas that I haven't been maintaining on a healthy basis. I can be pretty stubborn, but His patience is bigger!

Once I am willing to listen, the Holy Spirit works and helps repair the areas of my life that are rusty, in need of repair, or even completely broken!

Recently, I attended an event in the U of M Marriuci Arena called Unite. It was a night of worship and prayer held on the National Day of Prayer in partner with Pulse Campus and PraiseFM. This four hour gathering was lead almost completely by volunteers, and was a great experience. Many different campuses came together to worship our Creator through different means. Additional pictures can be seen on PraiseFM's flickr page.


As much as I enjoyed it, I had a major struggle. I was raised in a non-denom church, but it was baptist based. That being the case, the congregation remains very stationary, and a few hands might go up occasionally. The Unite gathering was quite charismatic from what I am used to. Immediately I began to grow bitter towards the things I was seeing. That's when God flipped the check engine light on! I realized that there is no one way to worship God! Even if there was, who am I to decide what that looks like? King David wasn't exactly the most reserved when worshiping the Lord!

In 2 Samuel 6, David "dances and leaps before the Lord" and is called out on his actions:

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” v20

David is not embarrassed, but explains his actions with reason:

²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. ²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

Am I like Michal? Do I become bitter and spiteful when others are worshiping the Lord in a different way? I pray that God would melt my heart if I ever am.

Where in your life does the "check engine" light come on? How can you let God perform maintenance in that area?

You can ignore the indicators that are there for your benefit, but how much better could things be if you didn't?

God Doesn't Take A Spring Break

The past quarter of classes was strenuous, and I am so very glad for the past week I've had for spring break, to get away and relax. This is the first year that I have traveled anywhere for spring break. In the past I've sat around at home and relaxed / worked. This year, a friend randomly asked me if I'd like to come to South Carolina with her and some other friends. Immediately (and much to her surprise) I accepted and made my plans to accompany the group.

My most anticipated part of the trip was seeing the ocean for the first time, and being able stand on the coast and look out into the vast expanse. This is the coast line that I was at:


An absolute amazing experience for me and was incredibly humbling. Looking out, unable to see an end of the ocean. God is so amazing with His creation, and I am so small when compared to everything else He has created. He has created the HUGE ocean, but He also has the creativity for the vast colors on the smallest of birds and gave them an amazing intelligence:



God has created something so huge and powerful, and something so intricate and beautiful -- what does that say for us? How awesome is it to know that WE are created in God's image and that He loves us so much and gave us dominion over all this amazing creation. Gah! It simply blows my mind.

Being in a different place with people I'm not normally around is difficult, and circumstances have only made it increasingly difficult. I see his Ocean like power taking control of circumstances that seem to be adrift; His amazing creativity knowing the plans for me, where my imagination falls so short; and providing the capacity and intellect to scratch the surface of understanding who He is and how we can tap into this power and creativity through the Holy Spirit. How amazing is our God!

"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."
Jeremiah 32:17