"100 Years From Now" a poem by Walden Parker

"100 years from now" a poem by Walden Parker

It will not make much difference, friend, A hundred years from now If you live in a stately mansion or on a river scow; If the clothes you wear are tailor-made or pieced together somehow, If you eat big steaks or beans and cake ... A hundred years from now. It won’t matter your bank account or the make of car you drive, For the grave will claim all riches and fame and the things for which you strive. There’s a deadline that we all must meet and no one will be late. It won’t matter then all the places you’ve been, Each one will keep that date. We will only have in eternity - what we gave away on earth, When we go the grave, we can only save the things of eternal worth. What matters, friend, the earthly gain for which some men always bow? For your destiny will be sealed, you see ... a hundred years from now. Nothing more needs to be said here...  Make today count!  Be blessed!!!

Steps

I am doing a research project. If you are a "step" parent, grandparent or child and are willing to help me on my project, please send me a personal message. I have a 11 question survey that I need help with. Should take no more than 10 minutes. Thanks in advance.

Please copy and paste the following into an email and shoot it to me at jrpodgurski27@gmail.com

1. Gender: Male or Female                  

2. Age               

3. Which of the following best describes your position?

 (Select all that apply):

Step Parent

Step Child

Step Grandparent

4. How is your relationship with your "step"?

a. Great!

b. What relationship?

c. Could be better, could be worse.

5. How long has your relationship been at this level?

Always                Off and On                    Just recently

6.  Why is your relationship is at this level?  Please list up to 3 reasons.

7. Do you have some ideas on how to fix/manage the issues, if needed?

8. Please share with me some of the things that you have said to your "step" or things that has been said to you by your "step" that you just simply do not understand:

9. If you could say something to your "step" without them knowing it was from you, what would it be?

10. Do you love your "step" the way you do your own?

Yes             No              Sometimes                   Other: please explain

11.  I heard about this survey through:
Facebook         Google         Blogger          Twitter
Other:                                                                                                           

I'm sorry this isn't in an easier format, but the survey sites wanted money for their open response questions.

Please share this with as many people as you can so that I can get a variety of responses!

The Insanity of God ~ Nik Ripken

From P. 140 "To me, the most startling thing Jesus ever said was when He assigned His followers the task of going out in pairs to share His good news with lost people.  He said that He was sending them "as sheep among wolves".  Still he expected them to prevail.  In the history of the world, no sheep has ever won a fight with a wolf.  The very idea is insane."

This and many more things went into The Insanity of God.  I laughed, I cried, I gritted my teeth, I questioned God, and I come full face into the insanity that is God.  

God is not "logical", "rational", "reasonable", and at times not "understandable".  NO matter how much we'd like to put him in a box we can understand.  We can't, He just is...  It's not for us to question, it's for us to do... 

He points this out in my favorite section.  A pastor in Siberia was arrested and imprisoned.  His wife and children were hungry.  They prayed.  In the middle of the night a deacon was awakened by the Holy Spirit and told to go feed them.  Despite the fact that it was 30 kilometers away, in the middle of the night, tons of snow on the ground, and a major chance of either freezing to death or getting eaten by wolves, he was told to "GO"...   After fighting with the Holy Spirit for a while over this directive, the deacon came to the realization that "You don't have to come back. You just have to go."  

THIS is awesome, and utterly brilliant!!! I love it!

This says it all.  If we are true believers, true Christians, He will ask us to do things to help others, and we are obligated to do them.  We shouldn't argue, beg, plead, ignore, or in others ways try to get out of what he wants from us.    

AND...

When we do, it is AWESOME!!!

I absolutely loved this book.  It was, I admit a little hard to read at times, but well worth staying until the end.  It opened my eyes to things in this world that I was really blind to.  It helped me to be grateful for things that I have, freedoms that I have, and never to take anything for granted.  I will never again take for granted that I can believe openly, I can speak openly, and I can read what I want without fear.  

I learned about a great website called OpenDoors.com.  On this website they share the story of many other countries that do not have religious freedom, and tell about persecuted Christians throughout the world.  

Reading through Nik's (not his real name) journey, and seeing his progress, as well as seeing his eyes opening, gives great encouragement to others on the same journey (especially me).  To go from thinking you know so much, to realizing there is more than you could possibly ever know, is an enlightenment that I am so glad Nik shared with others. 

I wholeheartedly recommend this one.  I could fill a book with quotes from this book, but rather than get in trouble for that, YOU go get this one! it's well worth the money!

Becoming Emotionally Whole ~ Charles Stanley

I sincerely hope that when I get my first self-help book completed and produced, that someone actually benefits from it.  I know that many can and do suffer through the things that I have experienced in my life, and I know that I can help literally millions when I get my book done.  The whole point, in my opinion, is NOT to make money off of self help books, but to HELP people.  Am I right?  Well that is my reason for writing anyway. 

This book... Overcome negative emotions and become happier and healthier...  Ugh!

Something I have not mastered quite yet is a wee bit of anger.  Not sure where it came from, but I have it.  I am filled with the Spirit of Joy and Contentment 99.9% of the time, and am Patient beyond my wildest imaginings.  I HAVE come a LONG way.  However, there is that moment... that instant... that I have had enough... I can handle the bickering of my kids only so long... or I can explain something to my child, in 400 different ways, with love, and with patience...  but 401, NAH explosion.  There is no pattern, there is no reason, there is no seeing it coming... I reach a wall... the straw, the last stand... and EXPLOSION... I yell, and curse, and rant, and wave my arms around, and yell, and yell......  then I'm done, I apologize, and it's gone.   BUT... I feel HORRIBLE... so I'm looking for something that will help me to address whatever this anger, frustration, lack of patience is... and saw this book and here we are.  

Out of 10 chapters there is 1 on anger.  I patiently read all the other chapters, knowing that I don't need help with Fear, Guilt, Worry, Anxiety, Rejection (PFFFTTT.... reject me all you want, I Don't Care)  I'm ok with all these.  I turned them over to God a long time ago, and have successfully not taken them back.  Anger...  I'm genuinely not an angry person, so where does this anger come from, how do I stop it, how do I address it?  So, I'm reading the Anger chapter.  "People tend to become angry because: 1.  they aren't allowed to have their own way, 2.  they are in pain, either physical or emotional, or 3. they are jealous."  NO, NO, NO.  Okay, let's look into this, let's pray.  Maybe... just maybe, I am overlooking something.  NOPE...  this is not why I snap.  

"Anger is usually expressed in one of two ways:  1.  As a physical or verbal outburst, or 2. As a brooding silence"  Ooooooh...  I can do both.  I do do both.  Ok.

"Nothing good comes from anger"  OF COURSE I KNOW THIS ALREADY OR I WOULDN'T BE READING THIS BOOK TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW NOT TO BE ANGRY. 

"When we are angry, we cannot respond to the needs of others, we lose our compassion, we become estranged...etc. etc. etc.  Yea Yea I know I know. 

Then it talks about the difference between Righteous Indignation or Ungodly anger.  I already know what I'm doing is Ungodly!  AGAIN that is why I'm reading the book.  

Then, FINALLY, Neutralizing the Acid of Anger...  "unchecked anger acts as acid on the soul" (dropping head... I know this already)  It says, repressing it is bad, yes I agree.  Suppressing it is bad, YES I agree.  Expressing it is bad.  DUH!!!  Why am I reading this book?

Confess it, that is the alternative confess it.   Ask him to heal it.  Trust God.  

Confess it, ask him to heal it, Trust God.  

Confess it, ask him to heal it, Trust God.  

I'm not angry right now, how do I confess it?  Do I ask God to forgive me for the next time that I lash out in anger?  I don't think it works that way.  Asking God to forgive you for what you are about to do, means you have forethought and therefore you DON'T do it in the first place.  My anger is instantaneously present, and I don't know it's coming I can't ask forgiveness ahead of time.  AND even if I could, my reason for trying to control my outbursts is so that I don't hurt those that my outbursts land on.  

I suppose that at this point, I will CONFESS that I have no control over my outbursts of anger, Ask God to HEAL me of these outbursts, and TRUST that God will do so!!!

So IF (and that is a HUGE if) I took something from this book, there it is.  Confess, ask for healing, and trust in God.  I think you can get that from a million other better books than this one.  

Shalom

Armor Prayer

  

Dear Lord, as I get out of bed today, I know I'm stepping onto a battlefield. I also know You've given me everything I need to stand firm.

So in the power of Your Holy Spirit, I put on the armor of God.

I place the helmet of salvation on my head. Please protect my mind and imagination. Guard my eyes, allowing no sin to creep in. Focus my thoughts on the things of God.

Let the breastplate of righteousness keep my heart and emotions safe. I pray that I won't be governed by my feelings, but by Your truth.

Wrap Your Word around me like a belt. And safeguard me from error. Your Truth holds me up. May Your Word protect me and keep my legs from being taken out. May I stand firm on Your Truth!

I put on the sandals of peace to guide my steps.  May my steps be Your steps. May I leave Your footprints wherever I go.  May I be quick to share my story through Your Story.

Next, I take up the shield of faith. Protect me from Satan's fiery arrows. Place me shoulder to shoulder with Your army to oppose the Devil's schemes. 

Finally, I take up the sword of the Spirit, Your Word. Help me to read the Bible in a fresh, exciting way so I will always be ready to deflect attacks of the enemy.  May You, through me, pierce hearts with Your truth. I know I'll face assaults today, Lord, but You've empowered me to stand firm.

Give me strength for the battle today.

Amen

I have no idea who wrote this.  Heritage United Methodist Church put together a Lent devotional for the current Here & Now campaign.  All of the entries have been great, but today hit on a topic that I just absolutely love.  I am sharing the prayer at the end here, with some minor spacing changes.