02/22/10
I came across this poem I wrote in 1996 and thought I'd like to share it. I hope you don't see yourself in it! Christians “Share” © As a good church-going Christian But should my “sister” need to know I always have the latest news If Mrs. Jones is having trouble And if Mrs. Smith baked a dish So when you see me in the corner I’m merely “sharing” what I’ve heard. 02/03/10
Every day we make decisions. What clothes should I wear? Coffee or tea? White or wheat bread? Regular or premium gas? However, some decisions are life-altering and require much more time and attention. As children of God, we have “an edge” when it comes to making important decisions. We can look back over our lives and see where God has been at work. We can see a pattern of His guidance and make decisions from there. In the past, as I have found myself looking for a new job in a new town, I have often felt alone and ill-equipped. However, as they say, “hindsight is 20/20”. Now, years later, I can clearly see the hand of God in my options and decisions. Each job, big or small; each volunteer gig, short-term or long-term, has played an important part in who I am today. Each has been a piece in the puzzle of God’s work in me and my work for God. Let me give an example. When we moved to a small town of 2,500 people in the hills of West Virginia, I found there were NO jobs to be had. Having been a secretary in previous years, I went to the big bank in town and asked if I could complete an application. I was told, “No.” I asked if I could leave my resume for their human resources department. I was laughed at and told, “We haven’t hired here in years. No one leaves their jobs.” They wouldn’t even take my resume. That was the trend and eventually I applied for a job cleaning hotel rooms. As the snotty lady at the bank had said, no one left their jobs so I couldn’t get a job anywhere. At that time I was irritated at the situation, the people, the town and ultimately the state. NOW I know that it was God. He wasn’t against me – He just had a better plan for me. You see, a few months later I was offered a job by the volunteer Development Director for the local Christian school. She let me choose my hours, my wage and paid me privately, because she needed help. That’s where I began to write newspaper articles, ads for billboards, radio spots, brochures, all their correspondence and manage their database. Without that opportunity I wouldn’t have been able to get several jobs that followed, as we moved to other states. Each job and volunteer appointment, as uncomfortable or insignificant as it may have seemed at the time, turned out to be a link in a chain that has led me to where I am today. Each helped me grow personally, professionally and even spiritually. Whether you find yourself employed or unemployed at this time, think about what you are learning. Rehearse your past jobs and decisions, and try to see a pattern. Did your first volunteer post help build your self confidence and people skills that equipped you for job #1? Was there one small added responsibility in job #1 that cinched job #2? Did job #2 provide experience necessary to get job #3? If you have God in your life, you can probably look back and see His guidance and direction. From today on, with each decision you face, pause, look back to see the work of God in your past and pray for HIS will to be done. If you forget about what you want, and concentrate on what God wants for you, you will begin to see His influence in your life and it will help you make positive decisions for your future. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34 01/08/10
On Jan. 8, 2009 I posted a blog entry about fasting and praying. I just re-read it and feel even more strongly about it this year. Therefore, I believe it bears repeating: January is the time when many churches declare a time of prayer and fasting for the congregation. Prayer and fasting go together like hand and glove. Spiritual strength is gained and prayers are answered. Many churches focus on not only their individual congregants, but also the city, nation and world during times of prayer and fasting. But beware. The Bible quotes Jesus in Matthew 6:16-17 as saying that “when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. . . .” I’ve been in churches where people stand up in the middle of the congregation and tip up their enormous bottles of water in front of everyone, signifying they are fasting and drinking only water. I imagine we are supposed to think, “Oh my! Look how spiritual he/she is! He/She must be fasting and is so hungry. Only water for him/her! How righteous!” The Bible talks about not being showy in our acts of obedience and/or righteousness. Jesus said in Matthew 6:1, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” I'll admit I’m guilty of wanting people to know when I’ve done something wonderful for someone else. But if I want my actions to be rewarded by God, I will deny my fleshly desire for accolades and won’t be showy about it. So back to fasting. No matter which fast you choose, if you have any medical issues, you NEED to consult your doctor before you begin. Obviously your meds and physical condition play a huge part in such an endeavor. Fasting - Does that mean we cannot eat or drink anything for a lengthy period of time? Nope. Check it out. There is what is called a “Daniel Fast” named after Daniel of the Bible. He ate only vegetables and drank only water. (Daniel 1) I guess for me that would mean veggies AND fruits and water. You could do just a juice fast wherein you drink only juices and water. You could do a total fast where you don’t drink anything. You can’t do that for long though because the human body needs water to live. Like I said, talk it over with your doctor before you begin. However, whatever you choose to do, please do so in private. Don’t let your act of righteousness go unrewarded because you were showy about it and talked it up in public. Besides, that will draw absolutely NO ONE to the cross, completely defeating your purpose. Is your church proposing a fast this year? For how long? 3 days? A week? 21 days? Let us know what is going on locally – but without the personal details lest you lose your reward! 12/31/09
Soooooo, it's the end of 2009. 2010 starts tomorrow. Hmmmmm. I guess resolutions are expected. Hmmmmm. What's next? When I make resolutions on my own they don't last long. Sometimes I run ahead, look back over my shoulder and wave "Come on God! Bless what I'm doing for You!" That doesn't work either. I've been enjoying the "Experiencing God" study. That whole running ahead thing will never work. What I've learned is that we must look around and see where God is currently working and join Him. The very fact that He is showing us is His invitation to join Him. We must respond immediately, however that doesn't mean we are ready for the outcome immediately. Sometimes God has to take us through times of growth to be ready to do what He wants us to do. I HATE waiting but often that is His plan. So back to New Year's resolutions. If I see God is calling me to join Him in a specific work; if I surrender totally to Him and allow Him to change me and mold me into the person He wants me to be, then and only then will I find contentment, fulfillment and success. Also, it's a very important thing to recognize that what WE see as success isn't always what God sees as success. There have been many famous soul-winners who didn't have advanced degrees or lots of money. Remember even the disciples were "Joe-Averages" when Jesus first called them to join Him. So this week when we all decide what our goals for 2010 are, let's pray and ask God to show us what it is HE wants us to achieve. If we stay close to Him by reading the Bible every day and praying to Him, He will show us what He wants us to do this year. Be ready! When He shows us, it's time to act THEN! This is going to be exciting!!! Happy New Year and hang on! Life is like a white water rafting ride - we don't know what's up ahead but we hang on tightly and enjoy the ride! 12/21/09
Brittany Murphy's untimely death is proving to be a real pr opportunity for celebs everywhere. In reading their comments, it is blaringly clear that many of them have out-of-line priorities. It's all about "me, me, me". Reminds me of the phone interview with Cher (my personal life-long favorite) when Michael Jackson died. OH.MY.GOSH!! It was ALL about HER and HER feelings and HER dealings with Jackson and HER thoughts on the subject of HER, HER, and HER! Then she paused and went on to give her thoughts on the death of Farrah Fawcett. Again, it was all about HER and HER feelings and HER dealings with Fawcett and HER thoughts on the subject of HER, HER, and HER! (She sorta fell off the pedestal that day.) I wonder if when celebs say, "praying for ya" if they mean they are praying to God for peace for the family and friends of the deceased or if they are just repeating what they know sounds good and is accepted in a predominantly Christian country. A cliche' of sorts. You know, like "see ya" or "take it easy" or "have a good one". "Praying for ya" sounds so trite. I wonder what they really mean. It's so easy to slip into the "me, me, me" rut. But like Rick Warren said in the very first sentence of "The Purpose Driven Life" - "It's not about you." A good lesson to remember at this time of year when we tend to make ours either a child-centered Christmas or a me-centered Christmas. Just MY personal observations on the subject. I'M taking a minute to share MY opinion on this blog which is MY responsibility, at this point in time. Hmmmm. Easy to fall into, isn't it? www.kellystigliano.com (MY website) |
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02:55:57 pm, by kstigliano 
Woo-hoo!!!
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