So you are a Christian...?

Hello dear readers!

It is 9:13pm - a much better time to blog then 2am when all of your thoughts are a bit skewed.  I will need to make this quick because I have to get back to studying for an exam I have tomorrow.  Yuck.  Anyway, I've been thinking a lot lately about this question - what does it mean to even be a Christian?  It seems like a relatively simple answer...right?  I've also had people ask me - .."so, uh, you are a Christian so that must mean you have to follow a lot of rules and stuff, right?" ... and other things like ... "your a Christian...so you are a 'goody goody, yeah?"...

So essentially, in the "world's eyes," Christianity can mean a few things...

1) You don't party, have sex, or do drugs.  So basically, you don't have fun.
2) You are a good person, and you try to do good things.
3) You are mushy, soft-hearted, and sentimental.  You love children, animals, elderly, the poor, and the environment.
4) You are wrong.
5) You are just nuts.

And to Christians, Christianity can mean a few things...

1) Just believe in Jesus and then you can feel free to do as you please.
2) You should do good things and try and be a good person.
3) You dress up and go to church on Sunday's ...and smile.

...and on and on.

Anyway - so this brings me to my main point: What does it mean to be a Christian?  Because I don't think the answer is as easy as posting "Christian" as your religious views on Facebook.

But... what does it mean to be a Christian at the grocery store?  At the gym?  At the mall?  While waiting in a line? 

If, as a Christian you believe that Jesus is the key to salvation, shouldn't this idea, this love, penetrate everything we do and say?  Yes.  But does it?  Not often.  Why?

In James it explicitly says that faith without deeds [or actions] is worthless. 

Did you catch that?

Worthless.

worth·less 

1. having no value: having no financial or other value or usefulness
2. lacking good, attractive, or admirable qualities: having no good, attractive, or admirable qualities at all

Having no value.  Lacking good qualities. Having no good qualities at all.

I will be the first to say I know my actions don't always line how they should  I know that I do not always display Christ the way I should.  I know that I am human.

But.  I don't want that to be an easy way out...an excuse. 

I want more passion, more persistence, more of Jesus - simply put.

The ultimate goal is to serve Jesus and glorify God.  I want to serve Jesus through my career, my life, my relationships, my money, my possessions... but I don't want any of those things taking the place of Jesus - because ultimately - all of those things will fade - but He will remain forever.

So my prayer is this...
1) I want more passion to serve more boldly and to live out the truth I read about...and not just let God's word be a nice thought in my heart.
2) I want my actions = my words = my thoughts.  I don't want to say one thing, do another - or even think another for that matter.
3) I want to see Christianity for what it really is...not some label or a title.  But what it really means.

Be blessed!

In Him,

Samantha 

The Ultimate Treasure Hunt

So I've been reading this book lately entitled: "The Ultimate Treasure Hunt" by Kevin Dedmon.  Excellent book by the way, check it out if you have some free time.  Anyway, so the book describes a treasure hunt for the ultimate treasure -- people!  Its a treasure hunt like no other - thats for sure.  So tonight, along with a few close friends, we decided to go out into the city of Willmar and try it out for ourselves.


Simply put, each person prays and has his/her own list.  You write down six locations, six names, six appearances, six things people may need prayer for, and six unusual things that come to mind that God reveals to you.  After this, you start hunting.


So our first location came up to be Wal-Mart.  We did some neat things there, but nothing hit me personally there.  Then onto Cashwise.  This is where I really saw God start moving and revealing "treasure" to me.  Keep in mind, before this, I had hardly done any evangelizing and I was scared half to death.


One of my friends had "Abbie" on his list.  We knew our friend Abbie was working so we went to see if she  needed prayer.  Turns out, she was having knee pain - which of course - happened to be on his list.  Three of us prayed for her knee, right there smack dab in Cashwise.  As we were praying, her knee "popped."  Healing?  Perhaps.


After this, we traveled on some more.  I was getting excited now to find a treasure of my own.  I spotted a young boy wearing a sea blue sweatshirt.  That was on my list.  I trembled.  What do I do now! I thought to myself.  I selfishly ignored it - and walked on.  Minutes later, there he was again - right in my path.  I ignored it a second time.  I didn't see him again until we were about to leave.  We entered the video section and there he was once again, looking at video games this time.  I panicked.  Okay God - I thought - I'll do it, I'll do it!  So with the help of a friend, I approached him.  We began talking and it became easy.  By God's grace I knew he was in 7th grade and my friend Andy knew he liked math, this made the conversation more interesting.  Also, the three of us had all grown up going to St. Mary's church - another interesting connection.   Finally, I spat it out.  I told him that his sweatshirt color was on my list and asked if I could pray for him...he agreed!  Woofta.  So, I did just that.  Andy and I both felt like the young guy was going to be a leader so we just released God's blessings over him and said goodbye.


Now, I was really on fire.  I wanted more of God and I wanted to reach more people with the good news of the Kingdom!


Next, we went to Culvers.  Immediately I noticed a young gal (mid twenties maybe) wearing a bright pink shirt.  Sure enough, I had bright pink on my list.  I heard someone call her name - Sara - also on my list.  I asked her how she spelled it due to the fact there are a few ways to spell Sara.  She spelled it for me just as I had wrote it not an hour before.  I proceeded to tell her that I was on a treasure hunt, then handed her my list and asked her if she related to anything on it.  She held it for quite some time, really taking into consideration everything on it.


She then began to tell us a story of how her mom lost her job because of a false "money" stealing accusation.  And how her and her mom were low on "money" and how she was the only source of income currently.  And wouldn't you know it -- I had "money" under "things people need prayer for."  She allowed me the privilege to pray for her out loud.  After that, we began sharing Jesus with her....


God is so very good...and He is above the rules and the boxes we try and put Him in...