Day #8: Born This Way

"God has given you one face, and you make yourself another." ~William Shakespeare  

Lady Gaga, in her song, Born This Way, says, "Whether life's disabilities left you outcast bullied or teased, rejoice and love yourself today, 'cause baby you were born this way." She continues on into some abominable stuff, but the point of the song is really not as bad as I thought. Sure, she throws a lot of junk into it, and just the fact that she's the one that sings it makes me despise it, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any truth at all in the song. Personally, I do not agree with the idea that just because we are a certain way doesn't mean that we cannot try to change, but that's for another time.

Today we will be discussing positive self-talk. Now, sometimes, with certain people, self-talk and bragging are almost indistinguishable, but all of us have insecurities, some worse then others, and they give us problems. We begin to beat ourselves up for the way we are. This is what we need to look out for, because it can eventually lead to hating ourselves, or certain aspects of the way we are. We become ungrateful for the life we have been given. God created each one of us unique. Even though we all have our weaknesses, we all also have our strengths. Our weaknesses are for overcoming, and our strengths are for mastering. If we were all perfect in every way, what would give us a need for a savior? If there were never trials, what would make us stronger? I have never been much of a self-talk advocate, but what I definitely don't encourage is beating yourself up over your weaknesses, and this brings me back to Born This Way.  In the chorus she sings, "I'm beautiful in my way 'cause God makes no mistakes I'm on the right track, baby I was born this way." I like how she makes "way" and "way" rhyme there, but I was surprised to see Lady Gaga mention God. She definitely has a point. God does not make mistakes, and he creates each one of us the way we are for a reason. 

Don't hate yourself. It's fine to recognize that you are a sinner, but your personal weaknesses are simply for your overcoming, and instead of beating yourself up, use that energy to find a way to overcome them.  As Dr. Seuss said, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."  

Rhett: "I'm allergic to nothing!"

Link: "I'm allergic to weakness!"

Rhett: "I embrace my weaknesses, and call them uniquenesses." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ov1DDjHt8c

-Andrew

Day #7: Thinking.. Up Up and Away!

Imagination is a fabulous tool. The unfortunate thing is that we, as humans, have a terrible habit of limiting our own creativity.  We need to instead, adopt the habit of thinking bigger, thinking better and thinking beyond what we perceive as our limit to accomplishment.  In reality, there are many things we count as hindrances.  We treat them as the end all and this in turn completely destroys our own creative processes.  We are supposed to think bigger than these hindrances.  We should count them as nothing if we have the imagination and the willingness to persevere.

"Oh, we don't have the finances.. therefore, we can't do it"  OR
 "Oh, we don't have enough support.. it won't work."

We only curse ourselves with this attitude.  What kind of world would this be if we constantly reined in our imagination and gave up at the first seemingly difficult obstacle that stood in our way.  With an attitude like that, how can we expect anything to work?

We seem to have stuffed our creativity into a small box.  We have limited it's capacity and keep it captive while it endlessly claws to get out. 

A couple of years ago my parents had a vision.  Their vision and their dream was to start company.  But it's not just a company, more importantly, it's a ministry.  It strives to teach young girls today that the God from the Bible is the same God today.  Now, 3 short difficult years later, my dad has authored his first book and the first doll is about to go into production.  Shall I remind you, this all started with simply, a dream.  And now this dream has become a reality all because we chose to think big.  We didn't limit our creativity to a box, if we had we would not be where we are today.  Starting a company takes a lot of resources.. money, being a huge one.  This was a great hindrance.  But with this ability to think big came our ability to persevere even when it didn't took like it would work. We chose to think big. 

 We have been given this mega resource.. the brain.  And we have been blessed with a very intellectual thought process.  Why are we limiting it?  Look at Steve Jobs.. he certainly didn't contain his creativity.  What about the founders of World Vision?  no contained creativity there either.  We have a world of possibilities yet we limit it to the things we can and cannot do.  This seems silly to me.  So I challenge you to think big and to think limitless.  I hope you have a dream or a vision, and if you do, I hope you aspire to act on it.

"If you don't like something, change it, if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." -Mary Engelbreit

{Conner Danielle}

Day #6: A Flame and a Sword

A sharp tongue is the only edge tool that grows keener with constant use. ~Washington 
"A sharp tongue is the only edge tool that grows keener with constant use." ~Washington Irving
Irving

 I live in a rather large family, with seven other brothers and sisters, and all of us know how to push each other's buttons. In fact, we've become very skilled at using our mouths to rile a sibling that needs riling, and usually, our efforts are rewarded with a pleasant yelling match.


The human race has been created with the ability of great good, and great evil. James 3:6 says, "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." Yes, a simple muscle as small as the tongue has the ability to give life, or bring death.  From the 11th, to 20th centuries, duels between two men were a common occurrence, and would often occur when one man would challenge another to a fight, in defense of his honor. Most of the time, it was started by one man simply insulting another. Personally, I would let someone call me anything they wanted before I would risk my life trying to defend my honor, but to each his own I guess. The point is, what we say has the power to change and affect a lot, and we, as Christians, are in this world to be a light to the darkness. To use our tongues to bring peace, instead of violence or destruction. It is given to us as a tool, and like most tools, our tongue is not to blame for what it says. What we say comes from our hearts, and our minds, and once we learn how to control our feelings and thoughts, then we will have control of our tongues. Matthew 15:11 tells us,  "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." 


It is very easy to give in to the desire to use our tongues for harm, but this is the nature of man. We must learn self-control, and remember the power of our tongues. One of the most harmful ways that we can use our tongues is to gossip. I have felt the pain and destruction that gossiping can bring and I would urge you to do your best, to not give your two cents behind someone else's back. I like quotes,  "Fire and swords are slow engines of destruction, compared to the tongue of a Gossip." ~Richard Steele


Nothing we say is insignificant, whether it be a simple, "How are you?", or a long-winded blog post, we will give account for it all.  


"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken." ~Matthew 12:36

-Andrew

Day #5: Promoting positivity (enthusiasm) one smile at a time

There is a huge difference between an 'enthusiastic employee' and one that would murder you if they could.  We can all account to that.

There is nothing that bothers me more than.. wait, yes there is.  Anyway, it is indeed very irksome when you are in a restaurant or a gas station and the employees strut around with their smile stuck upside down.  I think to myself, If you hate your job so much.. why are you here? I think it's a fair question.

Then there are those times when I have a friendly conversation with the all too hyper Starbucks employees, or the lovely Chick Fil A people who actually treat me like a priority and aren't having a miserable time doing it.  People notice your attitude.  Being enthusiastic even when you aren't "in the mood" to makes all the difference.

I guess I could understand why we have all these Johnny Raincloud's running around.  They've been working all day, they're tired.  Maybe they have a lot on their mind, or something's going on at home.  The truth is, it's difficult to be enthusiastic when you really have nothing to be enthusiastic about.  But we have a beautiful opportunity right in front of our eyes just waiting to be grabbed.

Christians have everything to be enthusiastic about.  And because we have so many things to be happy about, it is our duty to share that happiness.  We are not supposed to keep it to ourselves.  But we are supposed to let it shine through us.  Those people that
look like they're always having a bad day deserve some happiness to, right?? It takes real
skill to be enthusiastic when you don't have a reason to.  But it's a skill worth
learning, especially in this dark and gloomy world.  I read a quote once that said,
"Don't frown cause you never know who's falling in love with your smile."  Basically,
turn that frown upside down cause you never know the lives you are changing or the people you
are affecting with that radiant conviction and enthusiasm.  So show some teeth and be a
light to this downcast culture.  It's about time we had more enthusiastic people that
aren't just happy caused their hyped up on coffee, or because they get free chicken sandwiches
for lunch.  Let's be enthusiastic because we truly have a reason to.  So.. SMILE!
..You know you want to!




"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your face produces perseverance." -James 1:2-3

{Conner Danielle}

Day #4: "A good listener is a silent flatterer."

"If A equals success, then the formula is, A equals X plus Y plus Z, with X being work, Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut." ~Albert Einstein

Guys are loud. They are usually very opinionated, and headstrong, with egos the size of Mars.

I'm no exception. I have times, like almost every other guy, where I want my way, my method, or my side of the story to be heard, and this all originates from a lack of self-control. Essentially, most of the time, we have no clue when the time has come to shut up. Too much do do, too many people to impress to give me any extra time for you!

Because we are in such a hurry to get things done our way, sometimes the results aren't pretty. Like the time I didn't stop long enough to think out my plan, or to heed the warning from my mom, (because she warns me about everything) of how I was going to pull myself 35 feet into the air with just a rope and a pully, and cause the death of my brother, or the millions of times I've ignored my dad's reminders to be thorough in my work, because I think that way is inefficient. Maybe it's time to listen to somebody else for a change, and maybe our quality of life would improve some. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "It is the province of knowledge to speak, but it is the province of wisdom to listen."

Another problem with being unable to hear over our own ruckus, is it keeps us from hearing God's voice. God's voice is one that is very hard to hear, and often it is very difficult to tell the difference between him speaking, and our own thoughts. To hear him clearly, we must make an effort to listen. To get away from our distractions, and listen to what he may have to tell us. There are so many things that distract us, our computers, TV's, Ipods, gadget's and games, not to mention our everyday grind that drags us away from simply listening.

Apart from God every activity is merely a passing whiff of insignificance.  ~Alfred North Whitehead


~Andy

I Believe This is Day #3: The Beautiful Art of Mentorship

I work at an awesome place.

Technically, it's not my primary job, just something I enjoy doing. It's a ministry built solely on selfless love and goals.  There are two main things this ministry directs it's attention to.  The first, is delivering boxes to those stricken by poverty in Boerne and 7 other surrounding counties.  The second, Is their mentoring programs.

I was sitting there staring at my screen, the next topic I would be writing about popped out at me.  Much to my dismay, this was the only one on the list I didn't really want to do.  Not that it was a bad topic.  I just didn't know what I was going to write about.  I racked my brain all day while I was at work. The screen quietly voiced,  Find a coach.  What does this mean?? I will not lie, I was utterly and miserably stumped. Then it hit me.. again. Kinda like when I came up with this whole idea in the first place.  Things hit me a lot I guess.  And this brings me back to what I was saying in the beginning.  Mentoring.  Daily Bread Ministries volunteers' sacrifice their time to mentor and minister to some of these kids that come in everyday from broken families.. thirsting for attention and sometimes even yearning for love.

It's not until you see a mentored child or hear stories that you really begin to realize what an impact mentoring can make.  Sometimes we become so immune and desensitized to what's going on around us that we fail to see the hurt and the pain that lingers beneath the surface. This doesn't mean you have to rush out and join the nearest mentoring program. While this is nice, this isn't mainly what I'm conveying.  Sometimes all you have to do is take the time to really look and really feel and really care.  Sometimes we become so absorbed in life that it just passes us by and we completely miss it!  I, myself, am guilty of this.  Going to work there completely changes my attitude.  Because just for a while I can see the growing need as God sees it,  and because he has equipped me with certain gifts I can do my share in helping with this need. We as humans have a unquenchable desire to be loved.  We as Christians have been clothed with the love of Christ, not so we can keep it to ourselves, but so we can give it to those ask. By mentoring, talking and simply caring for those with spiritual, physical or emotional needs our eyes can be opened to what's really going on in the shadows of this dark world.  Let us use mentor ship to bring a light of Christ to every corner.  When we choose to sacrifice our wants for their needs, the benefits are numerous.  Not only do we see the world through a new pair of eyes, but these little acts of kindness can mean the world to them.   They don't have to have a pain that's obvious, they can be hurting internally.  Whatever the need.  Let us rise to the challenge of meeting it.

"Love them like Jesus, carry them to him. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.  You don't need the answers to all of life's questions, just know that he loves them and stays by their side, so love them like Jesus."  -Casting Crowns//Love Them Like Jesus


{Conner Danielle}

Day #2: ProcrastiNation

"Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" ~Emma Lazarus 

The American heritage is one of hard work, sacrifice, family, and accomplishment. Our Nation was founded by men, who were convicted enough to believe that it was their duty and end to secure the future freedom of their families, and those of their friends and countrymen. Sadly, these men only made up five percent of the population, and today, not much has changed. 

Millions of people in this nation dream of doing something significant, and those  that actually "make it", we give the title of "celebrity", or "world leader", etc.. But how many of us ever truly succeed in becoming significant? The answer is, none of us. Whether you are a famous actor, fashion model or politician, you are only significant or famous, because you have been given the title. They may be significant in our little eyes, but to those of our Creator, they are just another little foolishness, crawling about on a speck of dust. 

But to the point. Back when ships were made of wood, and the men were made of iron,  a time when people didn't stand by and do nothing. It was a time, where men stood up to tyranny, and acted on their convictions. I do admit that there were nasty things like duels and guillotines back then, but hey, we've filtered those out now. We've also filtered out a lot of our passion and determination. 

Time to fess up. I'm just another procrastinator who says things like, what can one person do? The answer is, A LOT. Mahatma Gandhi, one man who who left his mark on history said, "A 'no' uttered in deepest conviction is better and greater than a 'yes' merely uttered to please, or, what is worse, to avoid trouble." 

We all have convictions, and maybe it's time that we do something about them. Our Nation was built on hard work, sacrifice, and action. The statue of Liberty is not just a tourist attraction, it is a symbol of the courage and freedom, that was bought at a high price. We are privileged to live in this country, and our freedom isn't given to us, so that other's can violate it. We have the freedom to make a difference. Use it. 

Mix in, or stand out. Your choice. 

"There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back." ~Tom DeMarco

~Andy

Day # 1: Confidence is attractive. Pride? Not so much

We all know (or should know) who was in the NBA  Finals this year..

*Drum Roll*

The Miami Heat vs. The Dallas Mavericks.

While I am purely Texan.. I did not waste my precious time rooting for the mavs (I now realize what a mistake that was.) I was all for Miami this year.  I can't say I was head over heels for either team, but seeing as I had to pick one I might as well go with Miami.  My dad on the other hand was going for the mavs.  Much to his dismay, he would much rather have liked to cheer for his all time favorite team, the San Antonio Spurs.  But as they didn't make it, we could only hope for next year. 

We were watching the game and my dad began to mock the Heat.  He was openly expressing his feelings for them.   I probably did my own share of making fun, but I also asked him why he didn't like the Heat very much.  His answer was simple and straightforward.

"Because they have too much pride"  Specifically, he was referring to the teams infamous leaders.. Dwayne Wade and Lebron James.  At the beginning of the year the duo had promised a 2011 championship as they flaunted their swag and unmistakable skill.  "They're confident.. what's wrong with that?"  "That's not confidence" My dad replied in a tone of disgust. "That's pride".

I realized he had a point. 

I think confidence is an attractive thing. It releases an air that just draws people to you.  But it's when confidence morphs into pride that a problem begins to develop.

Philippians 1:6 says,
"Being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

So the challenge for the day is this: Be confident!  And live with conviction.  Be confident in what you believe.  Be confident in your walk with Christ.  And like the verse so accurately states, be confident that the Lord will finish his good work in you.  Don't be weighed down with your own pride, but rather, be adorned with confidence.

"Confidence imparts a wondrous inspiration to it's possessor.  It bears him on in security, either to meet no danger, or to find matter of glorious trial."

        ~John Milton~


{Conner Danielle}

Are You Ready For This?!

 There's this terrible, awful, miserable, wretched thing..

..It's called writers block. 

Yesterday I was slowly ambling around the house.  Cleaning perhaps, because that is what I succumb to in a state of boredom. Maybe day dreaming.. I have a season pass to La La Land.   Whatever I was busying myself with at that moment,  I was apparently completely lost in thought because without a moments notice I was hit full speed with an idea.  A couple of days ago I ran across a little book sitting on the table.  It instantly caught my attention.  "Today is the best day of my life!" screamed the cover in big multi colored letters.  Hmmmmm,  I thought, what do we have here? 

Basically, it's a little book.  (No duh!)  And every page has a certain challenge on it for that day.  Normally, It would be used by an individual as a self motivating tool, but remember what I said earlier about writers block?  This was my answer to that problem.   This is what you would call a 'lightbulb' moment.  I knew exactly what I was going to do.  For each day I would write about the designated challenge for that day.  Accompanied with stories, verses, etc.  The more I thought about it.. the more I liked it.  But then I thought.. (I do this a lot).  It would be boring if it was just me babbling on and on for the next 30 days.. I'll get someone to write with me!  And so I did.  I managed to lure Mr. Andrew Harris into my evil trap.  *Evil laugh*

So, my bloggy friends and any others who have found their way to this blog, for the next 30 days we will writing about the different topics.  It will be fun!  And who knows? It might just save me from some of this boredom.

"Failure" is just a word

I sometimes tell people, "Random is my middle name”, due to the plethora of random things that exit my mouth on a daily basis. But last week was different; random had been subconsciously substituted for stressed. But not just any kind of stressed the super duper kind. Last week I was set to take my very first CLEP test. Exciting? Yes. Overwhelming? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely not! Perhaps this lack of enjoyment came from the particular test I was taking. Analyzing and interpreting literature. I love reading! But analyzing?? Really? The whole week consisted of memorizing terms till I could say them in my sleep, analyzing poetry, prose and drama. Learning new words, taking those dreaded practice tests and learning meter and iambic pentameter. Now some of you may be wondering what those last words are . . . meter and iambic pentameter. Well, basically . . . uh . . . uh . . . um. . . I have no idea. Actually, out of all the material I studied that section was the only part I had a difficult time understanding. Thankfully, none of that was on the test. *phew* Now, I can honestly say I have a much deeper appreciation for literature.


It was Monday night, a whole 2 days before my test, and I was staring at the workload in front of me with exhausted reluctance and pure hatred. It wasn't that the test was going to be extremely difficult, I just had a mounting fear that I would walk in there and fail. And not just any kind of fail, the miserable kind. This was the wrong kind of attitude you have. Mom, with her never ending words of encouragement, walks back to my room and tells me that my own worst enemy for this test is the one and only Mr. Attitude! Hmmmm, I thought, I'll show him. And I think I can honestly tell you that I did indeed, show Mr. Attitude who's boss.

With never ceasing prayer and constant encouragement from my family and friends, I was able to adopt the right attitude and pass my CLEP. I walked out of the room slowly, thinking of how I was going to jokingly trick my mom into thinking I didn't pass. It was a failed attempt. I was so relieved, I couldn't help but smile.

I was so afraid of letting people down that I had completely forgotten who I still had on my side. Jesus Christ. What did I possibly have to fear? That day, he showed me that I had absolutely nothing to fear, I was just unnecessarily worrying and over thinking things, as I sometimes do.


So . . . failure? Eh, it's just a word.

Let the imagination run wild!

My 6 year old sister's imagination is about as big and as full as a rainforest. ( I couldn't think of anything else to put here and rainforest seemed to fit the part.)

She doesn't always realize her capacity for creativity.

For the past two weeks I have watched her strut around the house with an old scarf tied to her little, slightly red haired head.  But of course, it's not meant to simply be a dull and lifeless scarf, it's supposed to be hair.  And it doesn't end there (Literally..) Attached to this scarf lies several more multi-colored, differently shaped scarves.  I suppose it can be considered a helpful asset to her tiny figure.  I always know where she's at,  Just follow the "hair"..

I must confess, there have been times when I have tried to deliberately halt her moving forward by stepping on her 'hair.'  She has not been pleased with this.  "Ow.. OW! You're hurting my hair!" Of course it is not my intention to bring her dreams crashing down and so I reply, "Oh! My goodness..  I'm so sorry!".  She is young, therefore, she can get away with such cuteness.  However, as she get's older there will come a time when tying 4 scarves to your head will no longer be socially acceptable and the world will begin to judge her 'sanity'.  But until that rather depressing day comes, I will watch in humorous delight as she exercises her little mind and let's her never ending imagination take flight!

Being able to imagine is an important tool.  It opens up new doors and allows for blissful reverie.  I remember when my imagination was as unharnessed and free as hers is now.  I remember ever so clearly watching Pinnochio and then immediately trying to mimic Jiminy Cricket's boat (umbrella) sailing experience.  I went to my parents bathroom, filled the tub up with water and attempted to sit in my own umbrella.  Unfortunately, this excursion only left my little 5 year old self in sheer disenchantment.  Well, until about 5 minutes later when I would subconsciously stumble onto something else to attempt.  My imagination made the world seem like a brighter place than I could have ever dreamed at that age.  Along with creating some fantastic memories that I still occasionally smile about today. With that said, don't hinder that imagination of yours.. let it run free!! Well, maybe with a retractable leash. 

Imagination disposes of everything; it creates beauty, justice, and happiness, which are everything in this world. 

-Blaise Pascal

To move forward, we mustn't look back

Let me be honest here, I have a hard time letting the past go.  I hold on to it like my 12 year old sister so adamantly cherishes her iTouch.  Sure, I can forgive, but I struggle with the concept of letting go.  I don't enjoy talking about the past either.  I feel as if I discuss it with others they will see me as I was, broken and confused, not as I am now.  I'm not proud of who I was, but I'm excited of who I have become and where I'm going. 

 The other day some past bitterness leaked into a chat and before I knew it I was telling my story.  Normally when I convey this rather depressing story I leave lots of parts out.  I fear if I tell too much I will find myself in the same position I was before, alone.  There have only been a select few people that I have chosen to tell this to.  Frankly, I don't see the benefit of telling everyone I meet.  It's not relevant to today.  Today is today and yesterday is the past. But this time was different.  I felt safe.  I felt as if I could just talk, without the fear of being judged.  I told my story with confidence and complete honesty. 

While I have had a great life, there have been a few times when life had not been good.  There was a time in my life when I felt lost, lonely and hurt.  My family has always been supportive, but I was not always very good at talking with them.  I developed a knack for keeping all my feelings inside.  As far as other people were concerned, I was okay, but inside I was miserable.  I realize that it's hard to anticipate the future when you still have a death grip on the past.  I've let most of it go and I have forgiven those who hurt me, but I find myself occasionally reminded of these past experiences.  And all at once they all come flooding back.  But then I look at myself today.  The differences are numerous.  I've learned to step out of my comfort zone and walk forward.  But not without an occasional backwards glance.  I look at myself and see someone who has been saved, redeemed and renewed.  And now, there is only one thing left to do.. stop looking back.  I'm sure most of you have seen a horse, clad with blinders on his face.  The horse has no choice but to look forward and keep walking, regardless of what is behind him.  I need to make the choice to move forward at a quick pace, and to never even think of looking back.  The past is the past for a reason.  God has blessed me with my own testimony that I can use to further his kingdom.  I have come to the realization that these experiences were only to make me stronger in my faith, and they did.  I hope that I can let go of the past and happily walk forward in anticipation of what is yet to come.  I am happy with where I'm at, but the credit can go to no one but my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Jesus Christ took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
      -Philippians 3:13-14


Thanks for listening :)