A "Real" Christian

I have pondered this a lot the last few months...Maybe it has been noticed by others. Anyway, I struggle with this one a lot because I have a very strong feeling about what a Christian should look like. It has always differed from what social standards have represented Christians to be in the Catholic, Protestant, and Secular divisions of social influence. My main thought is this.

Many feel that Christians should be held to a different standard. Some Christians themselves hold other Christians to a different standard or judge others level of faith based on their behavior. I have always struggled with that thought process both within myself and with the people around me.

My thought...God gave his only son to die for our sins... their is no disclaimer in that statement that says. "In Case" or "if needed" God knew even before he sent Jesus to walk this earth among his people that we would sin, that we were failing. He knew BEFORE... that we would not be able to be perfect that we would fail. So he sent his son because he loved us and he wanted us with him regardless of where we may fall short.

And as difficult as it is for us to understand. Especially because of what society deems unforgivable and not. We ALL will need Jesus to die for our sins... We all have fallen short and will continue to be unworthy over and OVER and OVER again. To pick apart others for there sins and to worry about what they have done it just doesn't make since to me. To not judge in a society the thrives to much on doing just that is very difficult.

To me... what sets a christian apart, isn't the image that they portray, or the donations that they make, or the checks that they sign... To me what I see as a Christian is a humble person, who knows they are no better than any other, that they will fall short just as much as the next guy. To me the "image" of a Christian is not someone who always makes the right choices or says the right things. I think a "real" Christian can look like anything! Sound like Anyone! Makes horrible choices like all of us do. They can be in the bar, or at the casino...they are not less of a Christian based on the choices they make.

What a real Christian looks like to me is the person that grabs the hand of a fellow christian that just made that bad choice, and without judgment helps them get back on there feet. A "real" Christian to me...is the person that understands that forgiveness is the most amazing gift that God gives us, and we don't deserve it anymore than the next guy. That to forgive another person for a sin that they have committed against you, is one of the biggest most amazing examples of Gods love that you can share with another person. That to me is showing Gods love to others.
I am so amazed by those people. I see them and I think WOW! That is amazing. What an amazing person of faith. I strive to be that person. The person that can try to be capable of forgiveness regardless of the pain. Also a person who can lay it down and give it to God when I fall short. A person that will not hold onto or focas on what sins are commited by others, around me or to me. I have not right! No one does. I strive to not try to represent myself as perfect or incapable of sin. I want to be the WOW person. I want to search for who I am and what I can do for others to show what Gods mercy looks like.

Dinner tonight

You know what my favorite thing about emealz is...
My kids want to help with dinner and it has become a family project every night. Instead of dreading trying to figure out what to have every day we grab the menu on Saturday and are so excited to see what we are going to have and then the kids help with the prep work and even today Ashton made the home fries. I am feeling better about letting them be around the stove and work with raw food.



Also Preston my picky eater if he helps make it then he will at least try it.



Tonight...Greek hamburgers and home fries.
And wow they were so good!
I love having something different every night!

Warning... Reflective thoughts

Another headliner alum has past to soon. I was heart broken to hear the news. It is so sad to think that another amazing young life was lost to saddess. That a person can feel like they have nothing left to offer. I only knew him for a minute of his life, but what I knew of him when I was in that group with him... Was that he was a cool laid back guy that knew who he was and didn't have to put on an act.

What I have learned from all of this is to assume that everything is fine because a friend try's to act tough and doesn't want anyone to see how bad they are hurting.

I know that I have moments of darkness. There have been times lately that not only have I felt sad but that my existance has been more hurtful to the people around me then helpful. That things that I have done or not done are unforgiveable and have made me unworthy of my life and the people who I know. It is a dark and lonely place. And the further you get into it... The more alone you feel.

My thoughts go to being aware of the words I speak to other people and my actions. Words are swords sometimes. I would never want to regret for the rest of my life saying or not saying something that would spark that kind of feeling of lonelieness and pain.

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