Footprints of faith...

You just don't always know others' feelings and impressions of you. Seems that even just who we are, what we don't say, and little chunks of what we do say work together in shaping these opinions. One of the things that make me tick are life interactions, and I'm just encouraged by one woman's words today...

Earlier on, when still at work, a co-worker basically expressed some disappointment at my leaving to work at another community college next quarter. My only work experience at my current workplace is in the Summer of 06 and this current work quarter. Later on, I gave her a ride to Seattle, dropping her off at a QFC. She said something like this to me, "It's nice that you don't talk about God being terrible. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one (at work) who's conservative..." I'm not sure if she's of any religous background or 100% conservative. I don't think people at work explicitly say God is terrible. I don't think I've ever brought up my political beliefs at work, but I may have talked about my involvement with a children's thing at church when she was in the room. I think another co-worker (one who goes to church) may have learned I went to church through this co-worker.

I'm not too chatty at work. I often keep quiet. Occasionally a 'faith footprint' might slip out, and it's quite possible she may have heard but one.

Should I be really happy, hopeful and satisfied when situations like this come up, or through them should I be inspired to strive to be more free and intentional with the release of faith footprints...?

Every move you make...

A co-worker of mine respectully conveyed the idea that a student walked some distance to open or push the button for a door for someone. He seemed to have gained respect, or a higher degree of respect, for that student.

You never know who might be watching...we do know GOD is always watching...

For where your treasure is . . .

Luke 12:34 -- "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

I was reorganizing a photo album today -- yeah, not the most productive thing I could've been doing :)

Anyway.

So I've had a ton of experiences!!! In Japan, and in other countries (I was dealing w/ Japan pictures, though...)

But...what is it that I remember? Yeah, I love rice fields, and I love the appearances of street scenes with cute buildings/shops all around, spectacular nature views, and random close-ups...In part, the scenery of particular places will remain in my heart -- the beauty of Shirokawa-go (in Japan), and Cameron Highlands (in Malaysia), etc.

However, is the beauty enough to make life ultimately meaningful...? Not 100%.

I guess what I remember when I look back on life (not only my Japan experience) would tend to be the people, experiences, struggles, & spiritual concepts.

A glimpse at my apartment decorations and belongings might on the surface place me in the "Miss International" category.

Yes, the international world is definitely a part of my core.

What's the heart of my core, though?

I guess what excites me is people coming to Christ, thinking/talking about deep matters, and when they're really knowledgeable about the Bible.

However, is that my core, or just what excites me when I see these things in others?

Maybe I should be more proactive in personally taking on characteristics that seem to be wedged into my heart core.

I did send out an e-mail asking if people would be interested in getting a group together to engage in deep conversation. Maybe I should just schedule something and hope people come and 'engage'...

:)

"This is Your Life" (Switchfoot)

[...] "This is your life, are you who you want to be?" [...]

How to avoid 'ineffectiveness'

"...make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins."

2 Peter 1:5-9

(boldness added)

Out of the heart...

My sister was talking about focusing on the heart rather than the actions, and she made mention of someone thinking about actions (like pumping gas on Sundays) , and (perhaps that that person had been) church-taught certain stuff - like how to dress at church.

And, if I remember right, in the past, she had told me that I was focusing on how I want to be - the actions - rather than the change of heart.

Yes, indeed, we should focus on the heart rather than on the actions. The change of heart will result in the change of actions...

Thanks, sis, for the reminder.

Character

"Character is who you are when no one but God is looking" (Andy Dukes)

Like a child...

Picture this - a young child playing the piano alongside a family member who can play alright. Even though the child is just playing for fun and isn't any good, because that child is playing alongside the more skilled family member, to the child's ears, perhaps s/he's a star - or at least, the music that meets the ears is something relatively sweet (if the child is playing on the high end of the piano), because the more beautiful melody drowns out the chaotic one.

So...when I play the guitar on Friday nights (for a Christian group on campus), for some/many songs, I'm kind-of like a kid who plays alongside a better person. Hopefully my noise isn't too chaotic, and I certainly am no star, but, anyway it's nice that there's someone good who can carry the weight. Hopefully I'll improve over time. Ideally it would be nice if I added some dynamic to the music, but regardless, perhaps it's at least good for me - it pushes me to play in front of people, and hopefully it'll make me a better player.

Could there be any life application drawn from these illustrations?

Should we be like children and try our best, even if we create ruckus at times, and push ahead with our focus on God (like the focus on the music coming from the better player), striving to be more like God, as perhaps the child aspires to be like the family member musician?

Is that too much of a stretch? ^_^

Edwards

Quotes from http://jonathanedwards.com/text/Diary/Oct1723.htm

"Thursday, Oct. 18. To follow the example of Mr. B. who, though he meets with great difficulties, yet undertakes them with a smiling countenance, as though he thought them but little; and speaks of them, as if they were very small. "

I should pay more attention to the exlempary behavior of others and look at them as role models...but of course I should be aware that they are human, no matter how 'put together' or 'holy' they may appear, and that they may disappoint me. Only God is perfect ~

"Tuesday forenoon, Nov. 26. It is a most evil and pernicious practice, in meditations on afflictions, to sit ruminating on the aggravations of the affliction, and reckoning up the evil, dark circumstances thereof, and dwelling long on the dark side: it doubles and trebles the affliction. And so, when speaking of them to others, to make them as bad as we can, and use our eloquence to set forth our own troubles, is to be all the while making new trouble, and feeding and pampering the old; whereas, the contrary practice, would starve our affliction. If we dwelt on the bright side of things in our thoughts, and extenuated them all that we possibly could, when speaking of them, we should think little of them ourselves, and the affliction would really, in a great measure, vanish away. "

"1724. Wednesday, Jan. 1. Not to spend too much time in thinking, even of important and necessary worldly business, and to allow every thing its proportion of thought, according to its urgency and importance"

"Friday, Jan. 10. (After having written to a considerable extent, in shorthand, which he used, when he wished what he wrote to be effectually concealed from every one but himself, he adds the following.) Remember to act according to Pro. 12:23, A prudent man concealeth knowledge. "

"Monday, Feb. 3. Let every thing have the value now which it will have on a sick bed: and frequently, in my pursuits of whatever kind, let this question come into my mind, “How much shall I value this on my deathbed?” "

"Saturday, May 23. How it comes about I know not, but I have remarked it hitherto, that at those times, when I have read the Scriptures most, I have evermore been most lively and in the best frame. "

Edwards' Resolutions

The following are some of Jonathan Edward's Resolutions, as recorded on
http://www.jonathanedwards.com/text/Personal/resolut.htm :

"Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life."

"Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God."

"Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die."

"Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. "

It's a good idea to imitate other good attributes found in others! Or better yet, if we recognized those characteristics, and tried to consciously implement them in our lives. However, hopefully we wouldn't imitate uniquely 'trademarked' characteristics of others' personalities, with bad motives/intentions. I think imititating those things doesn't have to be bad necessarily, as long as the motives are okay. (It could be fun if someone has a peculiar vocabulary item, or joke, if it rubbed off onto others.) Probably most ideas are basically 'plagarized' anyway... is anything new under the sun?? (Ecc. 1:9b: 'So there is nothing new under the sun.') Well, I guess I-pods and laptops and astronauts haven't been around since the beginning of time, but...

"Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them."

It's a good idea to try to see the good that may have resulted from afflictions...afterall, as Rom. 8:28 goes..."And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." We may not always see the good, though -

"Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it."