Some random thoughts on things.
Having grown up in what some people would consider a 'Christian home', I've had alot of expierences, early on, that most people don't get. (I say some, because I don't really consider it a christian home..my mom goes to church, and my dad goes when he isn't busy with somehting else, but it was never a big thing. My parents never cared about where I was going, what I did in my free time, or if I was living a Christian life. They never taught me a Bible lesson. They just took me to church.) Anyways, because of this atmosphrere, I was never held back fomr doing anythign with a church group. It didn't matter what, if it was a church activity, I could go, even if I was grounded, and it was just going shopping with the girls of the youth group. Anyways, my point in saying all that...
I have been to many different types of churches, and many different types of activites. I have sat under the teachings of many different people. I have heard at least 50 different preachers. ( I may go count later:-p) Anyways. There was one retreat I went on the winter of my 7th grade year. If i remember correctly, it was in Wisconsin, but waaaay up north, by Lake Michigan (I remember this, because we went to Lake Michigan) There were alot of different churches there, and I met some new people. (Actually, that was the first time I had seen a real 'punk' kid. Mowhawk and all:-P) Anywho. There was a guy who was 'preaching' to us that weekend. I can't remember his name, but I can remember what he said. All week the friend I went with, her youth pastor, and I were sort of making fun of the way he taught. See, he repeated himself ALOT. And not just in one message, but in all three of them (or were there four?...) Anyways, all 3-4 messages seemed to be about the exact same thing. It was predictable. But...I can rmeber more about those messages than I can last weeks preaching service (don't get me wrong, if I were to glance at the notes, i could probably tell you alot baout it..but, right off hand..not so much.), and this was 4 years ago.
Last night, I was thinking, and this retreat came to mind. I was thinking about my walk with God, and the preacher from that weekend came to mind. Want to knwo one of the things he repeated over and over again? Don't put God in a box. At first it is like "You can't do that! God is everywhere!" But, he meant this in a symbolic way. Alot of christians will walk around and think they can do everythign on their own. They don't pray, and they don't read their Bibles. Then, they go through a hardship, and they imediately call on God. Thats what he meant. It is liek they are putting Him in a box until they need him, then opening the box and expecting everythign to get better, then putting Him back in. Sort of like Genie on Aladin.:-P (Okay, so that might be a really bad example, you'll get over it) Anyways, I was thinking about this..and I really havn't depended on God alot lately. Its just sort of been this "I've done this this and this" instead of a "God helped me do this this and this" If that makes sense.
Another thing he stressed throughtout the messages was we all come from different backgrounds. This really wasn't too evident to me, until i started attending the church I do now. Up until then i had been in youth groups where everyone has grown up together in church. So, most of their lives have been about the same. They all knew their way around the church, exactly where eveything was, and who everyone was. They all knew exactl;y what the church thought on everythign, and for the most part, followed without question, because that is how they were raised, most of it is just habit by now. But, now I get to see people from all different backgrounds, coming together and learnign about God together. And, its awesome. But, he talked about that to stress that not everyone knows what they are doing is wrong. Like, that punk kid. He was probably raised thinking that was a perfectly okay thing to do for a christian. We need to be tolerant and help these people out, instead of thinking they are horrible people. (Actually, I rmeber by the end of the week, one of the adult ladys I was there with had gotten him to keep his pants pulled up where they should be. And she didn't do this by yelling at him and telling him what he was doing was a horrible thing, she just kindly asked him to pull them up. From what i remember her saying, he was a really nice kid.)
The other two things he repeated alot was a childhood story, and the fact that God is omniscient and omnipresent.
Oh oh oh. I finally put things together to come up with one of those "doing this, is liek saying this" type things. Mainly concerning getting a job, because..well, I should be getting one soon. Doing something against your Biblical beliefs for your employer, is like worshipping money over God. (I added 'Biblical' in there, because I was thinking, and just because I don't belive pigs are blue..if my emplyer asks me to hang up a picture of a blue pig for some reason, it doens't mean I'm worshipping money. Unless there is a verse against hanging up pictures of blue pigs...:-P) I came up with that while coming up with reasons why I won't wear pants to work, and such.
I can now play two songs on the piano, all the way through. However, only with my right hand, I havn't figured out how to read the bass clef part yet. I can play I have Decided to Follow Jesus, and Jesus Loves Me. I love it. Now I need to learn how to play in different keys...so I can learn more songs.
Well..theres your little look into my Christian walk as it stands.
I have been to many different types of churches, and many different types of activites. I have sat under the teachings of many different people. I have heard at least 50 different preachers. ( I may go count later:-p) Anyways. There was one retreat I went on the winter of my 7th grade year. If i remember correctly, it was in Wisconsin, but waaaay up north, by Lake Michigan (I remember this, because we went to Lake Michigan) There were alot of different churches there, and I met some new people. (Actually, that was the first time I had seen a real 'punk' kid. Mowhawk and all:-P) Anywho. There was a guy who was 'preaching' to us that weekend. I can't remember his name, but I can remember what he said. All week the friend I went with, her youth pastor, and I were sort of making fun of the way he taught. See, he repeated himself ALOT. And not just in one message, but in all three of them (or were there four?...) Anyways, all 3-4 messages seemed to be about the exact same thing. It was predictable. But...I can rmeber more about those messages than I can last weeks preaching service (don't get me wrong, if I were to glance at the notes, i could probably tell you alot baout it..but, right off hand..not so much.), and this was 4 years ago.
Last night, I was thinking, and this retreat came to mind. I was thinking about my walk with God, and the preacher from that weekend came to mind. Want to knwo one of the things he repeated over and over again? Don't put God in a box. At first it is like "You can't do that! God is everywhere!" But, he meant this in a symbolic way. Alot of christians will walk around and think they can do everythign on their own. They don't pray, and they don't read their Bibles. Then, they go through a hardship, and they imediately call on God. Thats what he meant. It is liek they are putting Him in a box until they need him, then opening the box and expecting everythign to get better, then putting Him back in. Sort of like Genie on Aladin.:-P (Okay, so that might be a really bad example, you'll get over it) Anyways, I was thinking about this..and I really havn't depended on God alot lately. Its just sort of been this "I've done this this and this" instead of a "God helped me do this this and this" If that makes sense.
Another thing he stressed throughtout the messages was we all come from different backgrounds. This really wasn't too evident to me, until i started attending the church I do now. Up until then i had been in youth groups where everyone has grown up together in church. So, most of their lives have been about the same. They all knew their way around the church, exactly where eveything was, and who everyone was. They all knew exactl;y what the church thought on everythign, and for the most part, followed without question, because that is how they were raised, most of it is just habit by now. But, now I get to see people from all different backgrounds, coming together and learnign about God together. And, its awesome. But, he talked about that to stress that not everyone knows what they are doing is wrong. Like, that punk kid. He was probably raised thinking that was a perfectly okay thing to do for a christian. We need to be tolerant and help these people out, instead of thinking they are horrible people. (Actually, I rmeber by the end of the week, one of the adult ladys I was there with had gotten him to keep his pants pulled up where they should be. And she didn't do this by yelling at him and telling him what he was doing was a horrible thing, she just kindly asked him to pull them up. From what i remember her saying, he was a really nice kid.)
The other two things he repeated alot was a childhood story, and the fact that God is omniscient and omnipresent.
Oh oh oh. I finally put things together to come up with one of those "doing this, is liek saying this" type things. Mainly concerning getting a job, because..well, I should be getting one soon. Doing something against your Biblical beliefs for your employer, is like worshipping money over God. (I added 'Biblical' in there, because I was thinking, and just because I don't belive pigs are blue..if my emplyer asks me to hang up a picture of a blue pig for some reason, it doens't mean I'm worshipping money. Unless there is a verse against hanging up pictures of blue pigs...:-P) I came up with that while coming up with reasons why I won't wear pants to work, and such.
I can now play two songs on the piano, all the way through. However, only with my right hand, I havn't figured out how to read the bass clef part yet. I can play I have Decided to Follow Jesus, and Jesus Loves Me. I love it. Now I need to learn how to play in different keys...so I can learn more songs.
Well..theres your little look into my Christian walk as it stands.