Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Golden Rule Pt. 2

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..." -Matthew 7:12

Well, my friends, I set out several days ago to specifically think of putting others before myself. I thought of what I would like others to do for me, and I hoped to turn around and do those things instead for others. Here is what I had thought of for myself:

Someone to help me clean my room! (it's a tad messy...)

To not worry about having others judge me

To have a peace of mind over finances

To be loved/ to keep being loved

A beautiful night out filled with fun (preferably a date, but a girls' night out would be good too ;)


Over the past few days, I've thought of how I might look to other's needs, and I must admit that I failed rather miserably. When my mom asked me to clean up my stuff around the house, I thought that'd be a great way to show her love... a day later most of it was still lying around. When I would want others to love me, I didn't want to show love to some family friends who were over (I had no patience in socializing). I did succeed in having a great girls' night out with some friends, but was it more about them than it was about me? I don't know.

Overall, these past few days weren't so golden in this respect. It's such a reminder of how easily it is to grow into tunnel vision! You can spend all the time you want with loved ones, but are you spending all that time loving them? You can see people, but do you care about people? 

This is definitely an area in which I have a huge amount of growth yet to do, and maybe you tried the Golden Challenge and found it difficult too. But let's keep giving it a go, okay? Even if it takes a lifetime, I think it will be worth it if each and every day I become even just a little bit better at loving others. 

Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Golden Rule Pt. 1

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..." -Matthew 7:12

I'm sure we've all heard this or a paraphrase of it. I'm also sure many of us haven't done this, at least not very often. A supposed "golden rule," it would hope to have society be the best it could be- can you imagine if we all looked to others and thought of them more than we do ourselves? Maybe following this rule would only amount to making someone's day, but maybe it could be so much more. Maybe more people would be heard, understood, seen. Maybe there wouldn't be so much hunger or so many broken people. I don't really know, but maybe.

One of my favorite websites (SheReadsTruth), gave the advice of asking yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. So here it goes, I'm going to think honestly of things I would like, and then over these next couple of days, I'm going to look to give/do them for others around me. We'll deem it the Golden Challenge :).

So, I would like...

Someone to help me clean my room! (it's a tad messy...)

To not worry about having others judge me

To have a peace of mind over finances

To be loved/ to keep being loved

A beautiful night out filled with fun (preferably a date, but a girls' night out would be good too ;)


Well, I'll get back to ya on how it goes!
And you can certainly join me in the Golden Challenge if you like! Who knows, but maybe something beautiful will come from it. Just maybe :)




Sunday, July 6, 2014

Freedom: God bless America (and the world)

I know I'm a few days late for being all patriotic and such, but I don't think it needs to be Independence Day for me to be thankful for where I live.

America. Yeah, we have a lot of downfalls, and we do a lot of stupid stuff here, but how lucky are we? We are free! Free to live our lives without the fear of a ruthless dictator. Free to pursue our hopes and dreams. Free to do what we want with our lives. Free to practice religion and faith, whatever that may be for us. I find that so amazing and am so grateful for it! Even more so when I hear of so many people around the world who don't have this freedom.

Today I went to church with my family, and it wasn't in the basement of a house or out in a cave. I am free to gather with other believers openly to worship and seek out God. So many other people don't have that. So many people are persecuted for their faith and are forced to hide it. And here I am, some Sundays not wanting to go just so I can get a few more winks of sleep.

I have freedom, but do I live freely?

We are a free people, and we have the freedom to elect who will lead us as a nation. Yet just the other day, a couple of my friends were thinking they might not even vote in the next election. They didn't want to have to research. And I don't blame them! It's not an easy process, but it is a freedom that we are blessed with.

We are free, but are we living freely?

Anyone of us would fight fiercely if our freedom was threatened, so why do we always seem to be taking it for granted? We are free indeed. As Americans, and as Christians. All the more so as Christians! Christ has set us free, but I know I for one don't always live like I am. But why? Freedom is so incredible, and whether as Americans or Christians, it has been hard won. Maybe because freedom can seem scary at times or the harder choice. But it wasn't meant to be that way. A caged bird will burst forth into its freedom. Why? Because freedom is oh so very sweet and oh so very precious! And it is oh so worth it.

So, do not pretend you're still in chains. Be free! For you are free indeed.