Something to think about...
Do you ever sit in church on Sunday and breath a sign of relief because you don't feel guilty about the specific issue that the Pastor is speaking about? My husband and I always joke about how nice those Sundays are because you leave Church not feeling like you have some major work to do. For instance, I love when the pastor speaks about tithing because Seth and I do it, so we aren't convicted.
This Sunday was not one of those Sundays. Pastor Mike talked about having a real, deep burning desire for the Lord and how we tend to focus on the small things in life when the Lord wants to give us so much more. He used the example of a little four year old boy who was given a large bowl of diamonds but was hungry and threw the diamonds away for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He didn't see the value in the diamonds and traded them for something far less valuable. We do that in our Christian lives by peppering the Lord with our requests and failing to ask for a burning desire for Him. He also talked about "fox hole conversions" where we only go to the Lord when we have a major need, following our prayer for rescue with empty promises to do something big for the Lord once He helps us out of the mess we are in.
Alot of what Pastor Mike talked about this Sunday is me. I wonder why I often lack joy in life, yet I continually fail to fully and whole heartily seek out the only one who gives joy. I feel sometimes that I am sad because my husband and I have not been able to get pregnant and find myself often on my knees begging the Lord to please please bless us with a baby. In some ways, I have fooled myself into thinking that life will be perfect if I just have a baby. I continually focus on the issue of having a baby and focus less on the God who controls all things and works all things together for my good.
Man, I hate convictions. Today was a real eye opener for me. Chances are, I will feel more fulfilled and satisfied if I pour all of my worries and concerns into growing into a deeper more intimate relationship with the Lord. I think I need to start that by committing that I am going to spend thirty minutes a day with the Lord, no excuses. I get so busy that time runs out and I am tired and yada yada yada......I just need to make the commitment and move forward to growing closer to the Lord. So, wish me luck. Here's to right priorities and joyful living!
Philippians 3:13-14 No dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing my energies on one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us up to heaven.
About Me
- Amanda
- I am fully and wholeheartedly committed to God and my husband! I have been a Christian since I was nine and have been married to my wonderful husband for nearly seven years. We just welcomed our son into the world- Matthew and feel so unbelievably blessed!
32 comments:
AMEN sister. I feel the same way. I get so wrapped up in getting done what I think needs done and running out of time for the Lord. If I put as much time into my marriage as I do into my relationship with God, I would be divorced and very unhappy. 30 minutes a day sounds like a great start. I'll pray for our relationships with the Lord. Love ya!!
uh, en english por favor....
i will pray for you sister because if you DID spend 30 minutes (how little for God you aim for!) in prayer a day, maybe you would be convicted of your tattoos and hair color and short hair! 30 minutes? doesn't it take longer than that to color your hair? how about the hours you've spent trashing your body on tattoos? 30 minutes a day for God? ha!
Well, I do appreciate your prayers anonymous. And, I wish I could say that I spent hours a day with the Lord, but sometimes life gets in the way. I am not too ashamed to say that I want to spend more time with the Lord and I am also not too proud to say that thirty minutes of alone time a day with no interruptions reading my bible is a good goal for me. The issue isn't quantity. It's quality. It's about really being quiet in you spirit before Him. It's not about how long. How long do you spend each day doing devotions and reading the scripture? How do you find time to fit it into your busy schedule? I would love some tips. Have a wonderful evening and God Bless!
and just to clear things up, it's not thirty minutes in PRAYER I was speaking about. It was thirty minutes of quiet time, reading my bible and doing devotions. I pray off and on all throughout the day.
Anonymous, Come on, you must be joking! I can't even believe that someone can seriously be so self-righteous and condemning to others as you are. I still find it incredibly odd that while you rail against blogs and the people that have them, you have no problem visiting blogs and using them to spread your vile comments. Please go do a Biblical study on GRACE or at least take a few minutes to read Romans 14. There are only 23 verses but I think you might learn something if you're teachable. My sense is, your are not.
how do i find time to spend with God? what an odd question! God is all we are dear child. the question should be how can i NOT find time to spend with God? how can you NOT find time for God? you have no children to keep you busy and as far as i can tell you don't teach in church or anything. so what DOES keep you busy miss amanda? oh, silly me. tattoos as extensive as yours take HOURS.
Anonymous, You're sick. You need serious help.
darin i am not joking. tattoos and coloring her hair and how short her hair is WRONG. women should NOT have short hair. there aren't any women in church that have short hair and are pretty and actually look like women. if you think so, NAME SOME! i challenge you because girls like amanda or margie who have very short hair are not feminine and God does not approve of their chosen hair styles. perhaps if amanda was more honorable to God with her body and hair, he would grant her petition for a child.
no, darin i am not sick. you are all misled by someone other than God. and that, dear friend, is sick.
by the way, the "God is all we are dear child" comment is not even close to being a Biblical idea. Please study.
darin, we are all God. we're a part of him. he made us and created us. we are breathed into life by him. we are made up of all him. YOU study young man.
one more thing amanda dear. a few posts down you posted something called "an insurmontable task". Your clevage is showing. very inappropriate for a young lady.
OK now I know who I'm dealing with, a pantheist. Thank you for revealing yourself. The Scriptures simply do not teach what you are saying. I'm through with you. Take a course in Biblical hermeneutics.
thank you, young man, for confirming what i already said a few comments ago. there are not women in church with short hair that are attractive. have a good day darin.
pantheism means God is All, so i guess you could describe me as such, however i do not believe that nature is as equal to God, so i guess not then. you decide. you're the one who is confused.
anonymous, are you serious? You have to look at what you are saying! You have very crooked selfish theology. YOu have basically called me ugly, trashy and a whore and you say you speak in the name of the Lord! You are lucky that the Lord is patient because I am surprised he hasn't struck you down! YOu are not speaking in the name of the Lord because it says in the Bible that you will know a Christian by the fruits they bear and that what a man says is what is on his heart. I don't like how you patronize me either. Don't call me "child, or dear". I am an adult. You don't have to like me. You can think I am ugly. I don't care. If I am so detestable to you, then stop looking at my blog.
Hi Amanda, You know what I think? I think anonymous has some sick obsession with you, which is why he/she keeps looking at your blog. I mean think about it, all the comments about what you wear, your tattoos, calling you "child" and "dear", checking out your cleavage for goodness sake. This person is secretly obsessed with you. Furthermore, probably jealous because you are an attractive young lady whether your hair is short or long. Unlike others who think that their long hair makes them attractive when all along it's the face that's the issue. Maybe a reason some people remain anonymous. Just a thought.
Hi Amanda, I loved the sermon Sunday too! For me, the biggest thing is getting up BEFORE my kids. If I can accomplish that, I can start my day with my devotions and things like that. If I'm lazy and let them wake me up at 7:30 or 8, I feel like I'm running out of time for everything..and unfortunately the Lord gets put on the back burner for the day! So I have to make it a priority to get up BEFORE my kiddos. I'm like you, I pray all day, throughout the day, but actually sitting and being quiet and reading is something I need to improve!!
Anonymous, your "theology" just confuses me! One minute you're saying me and Amanda are wrong for having short hair. The next minute you're saying if she'd grow her hair and get rid of her tattoos maybe the Lord would bless her with kids. Helllooo??! I have 4 kids and short hair!! Apparently hair length has nothing to do with having kids! What verse is that in the Bible again about hair length being relational to kids?
I wonder sometimes at all these comments we get on our blogs from "anonymous" if they even believe what they THEMSELVES type because it is gibberish!
Hi Margie, Don't try using reason or logic with anonymous. He/She has clearly demonstrated that he/she doesn't care about reason or logic. This person only cares about his/her own prejudices and mixed up views. It's a lost cause.
Margie, thanks for your comments! And Darin, thanks for sticking up for me. To anonymous I say look up Ephesians 4:29 and maybe you will rethink you attitude.
Anonymous, for one I think I know who you are because you sound a lot like a lady at my church I got to know a while back. You are always so busy pointing out what you think is wrong with others so you don't have to look at who you are. You get on the internet and seek out my wife and Amanda, whom are 2 good christian women, and find any way you can to put them down. I think you should get off the internet and open your bible. Let God work on who you are. Forget about blogs and your kids. Stop looking for faults in others and look at yourself. And as for my wife being feminine, well I don't expect you to see it. But I know my wife is feminine, she is a beautiful woman, and she is a godly woman. For the most part, the people who read these blogs know who these women are. Do you think this crap you let spill out is going to make them look bad? It just makes you look bad. That is why you are so afraid to say who you are. If you really believe all this crap you spout out then start your own blog and let us comment on it. Maybe Darin can help you with your theology. I tried and I couldn't. But he has more experience teaching than I do. So you should give him a chance
Wow, anonymous, way to spread the love. I guess I'm ugly too because I used to have shorter hair and my hair probably is still considered short. All I know that in the eyes of our Lord and Savior, He thinks we are beautiful - short hair and all! Can you really believe that such a loving God would really care what our hair style is...ha ha...that makes me laugh. I will pray for you again. Stop putting down Amanda and Margie. They don't deserve it! Have you even heard Pastor Mike's sermons on loving each other??? God Bless!!!
Emily Crossley
Scott maybe you do know who i am but you'll never know. i am sure you know me, most people do. that is not a bad idea to start my own blog. i don't want to listen to darin either. he has tattoos as well. isn't it interesting that darin and amanda both have tattoos and neither of them have an easy time having children. darin was only able to produce one and amanda has yet to produce any. interesting don't you think? scott i am sure if your wife grew her hair longer that god would bless you with a 5th child. as the leader of your home you should demand it as should seth.
Emily you are a fine example of chrisitian stupidity. sweetheart the bible tells us that god knows how many hairs are on our head. of course he cares what our hair style is! you are so young sweetie. your mom seems like a good woman, although her hair is shorter as well. honey you may be able to lose some of that baby fat if you stopped eating so much. you are done being pregnant dear.
Amanda i congratulate you on 5 years of seth enduring your short hair and tattoos.
Anonymous, that is enough. You are hurtful and cruel. How dare you criticize my friend Emily! She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. You on the other hand are a coward. Stay off my blog. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you think. I don't want to hear your comments. yOU ARE CLOSE MINDED AND one of the most ignorant individuals I have ever met. You own Darin and Emily and apology. Personal struggles are not something that you criticize. Then again, I am sure you have no personal struggles, right? Oh that's right....you are too afraid to reveal anything about yourself. You are sure prompt to jump on anyone else for being vulnerable, aren't you? Stay away from my blog. IT'S OINE THING TO CRITICIZE ME, BUT DON'T YOU DARE CRITICIZE MY FRIENDS.
fine but you all will probably rot in hell. we are supposed to help one another and call upon each other. i am not young like you but i am very knowledgeable how one must live. it is a pure life without tattoos and short hair. god does not bless that kind of life. amanda,darin,emily,margie,scott you will all end up in hell one day and you will think of the time you had to straighten yourselvest out. GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!!!!!!!!
i'm sorry i was wrong i do need to say one more thing in honesty.
i am not trying to harass any of you. i am merely trying to do what the bible tells us to do by helping each other out and if you are living with sin or something i was just trying to show you how it could be better. i don't think god wants any of us in hell. i know that you amanda and darin are having problems having kids and i think it is out of disobedience to god and the bible. have you ever been in sin and not realized it? i was just trying to show you. my intentions weren't of harm or anything but to help you live a life that is honoring to god. one that pleases him and he will bless you because of. i will go and you will not hear from me again. i apologize if i hurt any of you as it was not my intentions. if you read what i wrote it is not out of anger or hurt it is just to try and tell you biblical truths. unfortunately we do not agree what biblical truths are. good luck with your life amanda. darin i was not obsessed with her, just trying to help. i can see the help is unwanted and i will not cause you strife anymore. good luck amanda with your 30 minutes a day. you may all say nasty things about me now.
Amanda, What I find interesting is that all of us (You, Scott, Margie, Emily, and myself) would probably actually like anonymous as a person and treat him/her with love and respect because that's the kind of people that the Lord has made us to be by his GRACE. However, anonymous has alienated him/herself from the grace, love, and freedom of Christ by being so self-righteous and condemning. As a result he/she has made it virtually impossible for us to reach out in love and grace because of 1)Hiding behind the anonymous curtain, 2)Being so quick to curse and condemn others and 3)Refusing to accurately handle the Scriptures in humble manner. It still amazes me that this person attends Harvest when they believe things that are totally contrary to our core values and beliefs and everything that pastor Mike preaches. I wonder why someone like that wouldn't go find a church where everyone believes, acts, and looks just like them. I just hope that anonymous doesn't tell people that he/she attends Harvest and then proceed to judge, condemn, and damn others to hell that don't agree with him/her. I'm just glad that anonymous is a tiny, tiny minority among the people of Harvest and that most of our people understand the Gospel of Grace. Let us move forward in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. SOLI DEO GLORIA!!!!
WOW! What a post Amanda! You sure know how do get comments!! LOL! You know, I was just thinking the same thing Darin. It's sad that people who don't attend Harvest might look at what anonymous wrote and think of all of us "Harvesters" in that light. VERY SAD. I think after I type this I am going to put a post on my blog about our church. Feel free to comment!
When I get those "extra nasty" comments on my blog, I just delete them and pray for them. I've tried debating, arguing and whatever else and it just doesn't work. It's too easy to hide behind anonymous. And I know we can disable the anonymous commenting, but it's a hassle to have to moderate comments.
Have a good day everyone! Rejoice in JESUS!
anaonymous, I would never say bad things about you because I am not like that. You take care and may God richly bless you. I hope someday I get to meet you so that you can get to know me for who I am inside. Maybe then you won't view me as you do.
Dear anonymous,
where in the Bible does it say that we can be judgmental towards others. Jesus taught us to be loving not to say rude and hurtful things to anyone. When did you get to judge others? I take it personally and would appreciate it if you would apologize to my beautiful wife. If you have anything to say come to me at church anynonmous.
Shawn Crossley
anonymous, please come and see me in church this Sunday. I say this with love. You need a hug and I want to give it you. Yours, Amanda
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