Our engagement photos are up!  See them all on Kellen’s Blog

This verse has been sticking with me for a few weeks:

19 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time:  a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness;

20 trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits;

21 the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.
This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.

Gal 5

Read the whole chapter here (via YouVersion)

That was the Message translation and seems so much more personal than other translations I read. When it says “a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage” I can relate to that.  I know it doesn’t need to be part of my life.

“What is the worst thing you can do for your teeth?” I asked my dentist..

1. Meth
2. Not flossing
3. Mountain dew
4. Lemons

Wow the worse things you can do for your teeth… Surprising

Here is a tip to keeping them healthy

Because small actions make big impressions.
The visual act of taking notes says:
1.    I think you’re smart.
2.    You’re saying something worth writing down.
3.    I’m willing and anxious to learn.
4.    I’m contentious.

-Guy Kawasaki

Do you take notes?

The life I have always wanted…

Here it is:

“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,23 not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”

Gal 5:22

I haven’t been able to get away from that verse for three weeks.  Every time I pick up my little message bible I have to read it one more time.  It’s like something you have always wanted but didn’t think was possible.   I want everything it describes.

“You have to recognize what season of life you are in,” He said in response to my question

“Guy, it’s all about you!”  -MK

Everyone should have important people in their life.  Someone who can give you advice and tell you when you are about to blow it.  One of those people for me is Matt Keller.

Last week he was explaining ministry responsibility.

He began to tell me 3 phases of a Christian’s life.  (He learned them from a book.)

Divine Foundation (Phase 1)

Second Phase

Third Phase

What God is Doing

Some girls think its all about them. That’s another topic.  What I am talking about is realizing that God is working on us and training us so we can be used.  He cares enough about us to train us. Clearly, I am in the second phase. God does more in me than he does through me.  I’m finally okay with that.  A few years ago, I would be trying to force my way to the next phase. But I learning to enjoy the season of life that I am in.

Today I had lunch alone at Jason’s Deli.  Don’t feel sorry for me.  Time alone is enjoyable plus I really wanted to read some of Billy (my boss’s) old leadership notes.

As I began to eat, I couldn’t help but notice four little kids come in.  Three boys with blonde hair and one little girl.  Their moms got in line to order while the kids rushed off to get a table.

“Who is the meanest girl? Who is the nicest boy?”

Asked the little girl while she was looking at her kindergarten yearbook.  The boys would point to a picture after each question.

First, I thought, aren’t little kids cute. Then it hit me, bad habits start so young.  We learn to judge and rank people from an early age.  I wish I wasn’t guilty, but I am.

Solution:

As you know, much of my so called “wisdom” comes from movies.  So here goes…

“Calling somebody else fat won’t make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn’t make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George’s life definitely didn’t make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.” – Cady from Mean Girls

Will take that little girl as long as me to start figuring this out?