Christian By Trade

What is a Trade?

2012-01-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

The title "Christian By Trade" was chosen to illustrate what I believe the Christian walk should be about. "Trade" has so many meanings; these are the ones I have in mind in refernce to the life of a Christian:

- a path traversed; the way
- a track or trail left by a person
- a customary course of action; practice
- the business or work in which one engages regularly
- an occupation requiring skill

As a Christian, we should be traversing the path or trail left by Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We should make it our business to work at and take action regarding the example He set before us. Our lifestyles should follow and mirror His lifestyle. This requires us to fellowship with God regularly in prayer and the reading of His word. In this practice we gain the skill required to live godly lives.

What Rules Do You Live By?

2011-12-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

As a person who was formerly under bondage, it breaks my heart to see people living this way. Whether it's confining yourself to worshipping on the sabbath, abstaining from meats, or not celebrating holidays - it's all the same to me!

I don't condemn anyone who chooses to do these things, but I do question why. Do you believe God condemns those who don't keep the sabbath holy, eat all meats, or celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Easter?

There is no condemnation in these things! There are plenty of scriptures that illustrate this fact: 1 Corinthians 6, Colossians 2, Romans 14, and 1 Timothy - just to name a few.

With that, I leave you with these scriptures:

1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:23
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

But I can't leave without sharing a favorite of mine:
Titus 1:15
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

Now those are some words to live by!

Summer Got Saved

2011-12-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

This is a video I did about Summer getting saved!
As awesome as it was to see my prayers be answered right in front of my eyes, I realize that I must remain in prayer for her and her family and friends.

Been Busy, But Video to Come

2011-12-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Sooo much has been going on in this last week: with school coming to an end and time growing closer to the holidays. I think I will make a couple videos today to update everyone!

Why I Don't Censor Myself

2011-12-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am a Christian. But I can tell you beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am not one of those Christians that 'lives in a box.' There have been many times that I have said or talked about things that some may feel are not "befitting" of a Christian. I may not be the ideal Christian. I may not be your ideal Christian! But I am still a Christian saved by grace just like every other Christian. I don't only have Christian friends. I don't only have conservative conversations. I don't make myself unrelatable. I have been there, done that. Some are more comfortable living in the way that I just described - it works well for them, usually because of their own struggles and temptations - we've all been there too. This is why I practice self-restraint with my Christian friends - because I don't want to cause them to stumble. Yet, it is through spiritual growth and maturity that I am able to become all things to all people so that I may gain some (1 Cor. 9). I don't mind showing my weaknesses, because in my weakness, God's strength is made perfect (2 Cor. 12:9).

What Are You Celebrating?

2011-12-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

For those who don't already know, I am a student and therefore have been very busy with finals fastly approaching next week...

That being said, it is the Christmas season. For many people all over the world, Christian and non-Christians alike, this is their favorite time of year. But for most, it is more about gifts, parties, food, drinking, etc. Even amongst self-proclaimed Christians, hardly is there a person found who has the proper perspective about Christmas.

I pose this question to everyone: what are you celebrating when you celebrate Christmas?

Husbands and Wives

2011-11-30T11:09:00.000-08:00

Today, I asked my facebook friends to post their favorite husband/wife scriptures. I got some pretty good responses: scriptures about arguing, submitting, loving, sex and everything in between!

My absolute favorite scripture about the husband and wife relationship can be found in 1 Peter 3. Don't get me wrong, the whole chapter is good - actually all of the scriptures I received in response were good - but there is something in particular about verse 7 of 1 Peter 3 that I absolutely love:

"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."

It addresses husbands specifically (though it is wise instruction for wives as well). It instructs husbands to behave unselfishly towards their wives. A husband should know and understand his wife - including her wants and needs, goals and desires - and give her honor because she is deserving of honor. Scratch that, because God commands it!

"As unto the weaker vessel" is a reference to the wife being physically weaker - we know this because the "vessel" is the body. Therefore, the wife is not mentally, emotionally, or spiritually weaker than the husband.

Husbands and wives are to be heirs together. This phrase indicates to me (along with parallel scriptures like those found in Ephesians 5) that the wife is not inferior to the husband. They are in fact equal, but with separate roles. The wife's voluntary submission to her husband does not mean that she is beneath him, nor should she be treated as subservient or "less than."

The final phrase "that your prayers be not hindered" let's me know that the way a husband treats (or mistreats) his wife could hinder his spiritual relationship with God. Malachi 2:13-15 conveys a similar idea in saying that God would not regard a man's offering because he has dealt treacherously with the wife of his youth. Treachery does not just mean being unfaithful, but also being unreliable or showing indifference toward the marriage vows.

What did we vow when we got married?

For Christian husbands, the vow was to love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Do husbands truly understand this kind of self sacrificing love? Husbands ought to love their own wives as themselves (I am paraphrasing Ephesians 5). That is saying a lot. Christ gave His very life for the church. Are Christian husbands willing to give their lives for their wives? It's hard to say you would give your life if you are not willing to give the things that mean far less than a life.

How about simply 'doing unto others?' If we truly want to experience the joy of God's design for a godly marriage, a husband should treat his wife as well as he would treat himself.

Christmas Music

2011-11-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

I got my first taste of Christmas music last night on my way to school! I must say, that is some uplifting stuff lol! It's hard to be or stay in a bad mood when listening to Christmas music, isn't it? Lol!

Anyway, I heard this song and wanted to share it with everyone because it is so true and some serious food for thought.

What Do You Work For?

2011-11-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

Last night, my pastor said something to the extent of: whatever you want/value, you work for. Whatever you want, you work for, you prepare for. If you're looking forward to eternity and being with the Lord, that is what you prepare for. Our lives are but a vapor, but eternity is forever.

I want to prepare to be with God for all eternity. That's what is most important to me. I find it so motivating that Jesus could come at ANY time. I used to think that He could only come after certain prophecies were fulfilled. There are still prophecies leading up to the great tribulation that have yet to be fulfilled, but I realize now that all prophecies have been fulfilled in order for the rapture to happen. Jesus can come at any time!!! I think I'll be discussing that in my next video...

I'm not sure if I will still be alive when the rapture happens, but if I am, I want Him to find me doing something to further His kingdom and not my own selfish desires.

Rapture, Death, & The Last Days

2011-11-26T20:23:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the rapture for some reason. Reading about it and researching it and watching movies about it and talking about it. It's been on my mind quite a bit. I wonder if I will be around to see it or if I will die before then...

Dying used to be something that I was really scared of. I think it was more so the fear of the unknown that scared me: what happens after you die? That sort of thing. Once I discovered that absence from the body means to be present with the Lord, that really put my mind at ease.

There are days when I would really rather be there than here. I can't imagine a life of total peace. No hurt, no pain, no fear? Sounds like heaven! Ha-ha get it? Heaven...
But for the most part, I want to be here to raise my children into godly adults - I feel like I can't leave that responsibility to someone else. It was entrusted to me.

I really went off on a tangent there, didn't I? Lol! Anyway, here's a video I made about the 70 week prophecy found in Daniel. Hope it gives you a little more understanding regarding the end times/last days.

Romans 11

2011-11-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

This is a little explanation of Romans chapter 11:

Reading Romans 11 in its entirety, we see that most of Israel is blinded because of their unbelief (v. 1-10). This causes them to stumble and "through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles" (v. 11). God laid Israel aside because of their rejection and "the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world" (v. 15). While Israel, (the Jews) has been set aside, God has brought salvation to the church (the Gentiles). The branches of Israel are broken off and the branches of the Gentiles are grafted in (v. 17). V. 20 goes on to say they were broken off because of unbelief and that the Gentiles stand by (because of) faith. V. 22-23 says God is severe on them which fell, Israel, but shows goodness toward us, the Gentiles, if we continue in his goodness. And if they don't continue in their unbelief they will be grafted in again because God is able to do so. V. 25 says that blindness "in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." So God has laid Israel aside because of unbelief to deal with the salvation of the Gentiles. When that salvation is complete, then comes the salvation of Israel in v. 26 on. It talks about Israel being saved and turned away from ungodliness. V.27 God says "for this is my covenant unto them, whenI shall take away their sins." V 28-32 go on to say that they (Israel) are enemies of the gospel for our (the Gentiles) sakes so that we can obtain mercy through their unbelief (v. 30) then when we have mercy & they've still not believed, through our mercy, they'll obtain mercy because God won't confine them all to unbelief, "that he might have mercy upon all" (v. 31-32). So God set Israel aside for the sake of the Gentiles, and once he is done with their salvation plan, he will restore Israel. Once "the fullness of the Gentiles" comes, the church will be removed in the rapture and Daniel's 70 week begins.

Atheists are Depressing

2011-11-14T12:58:00.000-08:00

I'm serious, they really are. I've read their articles and watched their youtube videos and my God! How depressing! I wonder what they have to live for if they truly believe the things they say they do. If this life that is filled with various trials and heartache, is ALL you believe you have, how do you go on living??

Our Hearts are Broken

2011-11-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

It's been especially difficult thinking of the miscarriage lately. From the medical bills to the devotionals to talks between the two of us - it's been hard to "put it behind us" with constant reminders everywhere. On top of that, a friend of ours is pregnant with a due date just two days before ours was - her baby shower is this weekend and though we desire to go, it may not be healthy for us emotionally after suffering this loss. We have not been to one since we lost our baby, though we've been invited to a few.

During a pillow talk conversation this past week, we wondered why God had not given us at least one son, knowing how greatly we both desired one. We came to the conclusion that He must have given us something amazing to offer to girls and that is why God blessed us with so many. But we can't help but wonder about 'the one that got away...'

Quoting my friend: "If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart."

My ONLY Child?

2011-11-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

This morning, I could not sleep from pondering the phrase "His only begotten Son." I thought, my, how significant it was for God to give his only begotten Son.

Just thinking of the significance of a son to society: The son is the heir to everything; the inheritance is his. He is the continuation of the legacy, the family name. How precious and highly valued are our sons to us! This thought went a step further in my mind to the distinctiveness of the first born son. In the Bible, the first born son in addition to being heir of the inheritance also received the blessing. With all the significance place on the first born son, I think it's incredible that God was willing to sacrifice his.

I love all four of my children dearly. If I had to choose one to be lost, I couldn't. Could you? I don't think anyone could. So for God to sacrifice his ONLY begotten Son is amazing. What a great and marvelous love he must have for us to be willing to show us this amount of mercy and grace, even in our sin.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

2011-11-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

So there is an aritcle in the L.A. Times today called "What's God got to do with it?" The article is addressing the removal vs. keeping of the motto "In God We Trust" on our money and public buildings.
Here's a little taste:

"If you think that God is watching over the U.S., please ask yourself why he glanced away during 9/11 or why he chose to abandon the good folks of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and why he continues to allow earthquakes and cancers to strike down even blameless children. The problem of evil — why bad things happen to good people if an all-powerful and all-good God is in control of things — has haunted the faithful since it was first articulated millenniums ago, with nigh a solution on the horizon."

Wow. How did this sneak past the editor is what I say! Have the publishers gone atheist? This is a prime example of why so many people, especially in our culture and society are doubtful of the existence of God. People are being led astray more and more these days, probably because we are trying to take God out of everything! "How does bad things happening = no God?" as my friend so perfectly put it. I think people find any excuse not to believe because they want to justify their sin. If there is a God, that would mean that some life changes are in order and people don't want to give up their sinful lifestyles.

Another friend of mine posted this as his status and I find it very true and very fitting for this occassion:

"Why do bad things happen to good people? They don't. That has only happened one time, and He volunteered."

- Charles Spurgeon

Do You Tell People?

2011-11-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, the pastor brought some interesting statistics to our attention. Here are just a couple:

85% of Americans claim to be Christians
AND
Only 1/2 of born again Christians say that they try to share the gospel with one unsaved person, one time, in one year!

How disappointing!!!
When I heard this, I won't lie, I was shocked! I probably shouldn't have been, considering the moral decay of our society.

I am relieved to know that I am nowhere in that statistic. I am not a part of either half: the half that tries to share their faith one time a year or the half that doesn't even try! I know it is my responsibility to touch lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And this is why I stay in the word and in prayer and in fellowship with God, so that I will be more in tune to the prompts of the Holy Spirit, letting me know when and what to share and who with.

If you say you are a Christian and you want to be eternally with God in heaven AND you believe that hell is a real place, why wouldn't you share your faith??? The gospel will be preached to the whole world. So why not be obedient to God by helping further the cause? Anything less would be uncivilized...

2011-11-02T12:27:00.001-07:00

I want to be obedient to God.

That is all. Lol!

My Baby is Seven Today!

2011-11-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today is my daughter's birthday! She is seven years old today. My how quickly that time passed me by...

Whenever her birthday comes around, I can't help but remember what it was like finding out that I was pregnant with my first child. I was very happy, but I was also very nervous because I knew I had to tell my husband who was not my husband at the time and I didn't know how he was going to react. On top of that, I would have to tell my parents and I just knew my father would not approve because he had told me so many times not to have sex before I got married - and here I was, pregnant!

I won't lie to you all, if I could go back and do it over agian, I would have waited. I would not have had sex before getting married because it's a complication that you just don't need. And when you're taking part in something as wonderful as bringing a child into the world, you don't need the stigma that comes with being an unwed mother!

Nevertheless, here we are seven years later. My baby is not a baby anymore. She is growing up on me and there's nothing I can do to about it! I thank God for her, that she is so sweet and kind. She is beautiful, intelligent, and very loving. She makes me proud to be a mother and especially proud to be her mother. Though she is bigger now, she will always be my first baby!!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

So here's my take on it!
I'm not really into the whole ghosts, ghouls, goblins thing. I'm no fan of death or creepy/scary things (though I used to be). Between you and me, I actually haven't dressed any of my kids up for Halloween since my oldest daughter (age 6) was one. I have nothing against people who do, but you most likely won't see my kids dressed up like devils, witches, or vampires. If I could dress them up as ballerinas and princesses and other cute things like that, I wouldn't see anything wrong with my kids dressing up. But honestly, on my family's strict budget I just can't justify spending that kind of money on a 'holiday' that I'm not even sure if I should be celebrating or not! Lol! (hey, I was honest) We'll see what happens next year...

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"

Colossians 3:23

"What is it like to be a Christian?"
"It is a lot like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

2011-10-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have an extremely low tolerance for lying. Whether it's not telling the whole truth or just being deceptive in general: I have little respect for people who lie. That goes for anyone. And truth be told, once you've lied to me, trust is nonexistent. I expect a liar to lie about anything and everything, not just some things in some areas. If you lie about something that can be considered small and trivial, I fully expect you to lie about the more serious and meaningful. Dealing with a liar is frustrating. So I choose not to. Who has time to waste trying to figure out whether someone is being truthful with them or not? I certainly don't.

Hyp·o·crite

2011-10-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Pronounced: \ˈHi-pə-ˌkrit\ a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

"Hypocrisy involves deception of others and is thus a kind of lie."

One of my biggest pet peeves is the hypocrite. I can't stand when people are prideful and get all self righteous on you, knowing full well that they are not perfect themselves! And as a Christian, I realize that many people refer to us as hypocrites because we struggle, we stumble, we fall, we make constant mistakes.

But please understand that that is not what being a hypocrite means. The hypocrites are the people who are in church flailing their arms claiming to have the holy spirit, but later that same day are sleeping with the pastor. The hypocrites are the preachers telling you that you must do this and do that to obtain salvation, but do not do the things they tell you to do. The hypocrites are the people who point the finger, put you down, accuse you, and condemn you knowing full well that they are guilty themselves!!!

Yes, there are many Christians that are hypocrites - I have known many personally! But I thank God that I am not one. I am that Christian that is striving to do right, trying to do better. My struggles, my failures, and my shortcomings don't make me a hypocrite. They make me human. I'm a person just like everyone else.

Nothing New Under the Sun...

2011-10-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

I started this blog because I want to talk about what it's like to be a Christian in today's society. Many people wonder how a book as old as the Bible could possibly apply to our lives today. Through spiritual growth and maturity, I now see that there truly is nothing new under the sun; there is no situation that God does not know or understand; and there are absolutely no circumstances that the Bible does not address. Here in this blog, you will learn about my personal struggles as a Christian and those of others around me. I am not politically correct and I will be brutally honest, so leave your sensitivity at the door.