What Comes First?

I think most people are familiar with the Ten Commandments of the Bible. Ten basic rules. That doesn't sound too tough, does it? If you ask me, I would have to say, yes. Those ten rules are tough! And not only are they tough, I can't even say that I can get past the first one without stumbling! Do you know what the first command is? Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Ouch!

Before I get too far into this, I need to tell you that yes, I love God. He is my Lord and Savior. I have accepted His free gift of salvation that I really don't deserve. Having shared that, I return to my original point. As much as I love God, I have to wonder sometimes how genuine I really am. I go to church, attend and even lead Bible studies; I even have the Bible on my cell phone! Does that show that I am following the first command? I don't think so.

It seems easy to read the Bible and take it for face value - to see that God talked to Moses and gave him these commandments to share with the people. It's easy to read that these people weren't following the rules. Changes needed to be made. Wood and stone were carved. Gold was melted. Statues were made and worshipped. You get the picture.

What does that mean today? What are the gods of our time? I'm not referring to Buddah or other gods like that. I am talking to my Christian audience. As I see it, whatever it is that we put before God is a god. It could be our time, our money, material things, lust or sexual sin. Our god could be summed up as a god of self, i.e. putting self before God. Have you ever found yourself either purposefully or unknowingly stepping on others to further your own selfish desires? Many marriages have been ruined this way. In the work place, it tends to be a dog eat dog world out there. Have you ever found yourself "stepping on" another person just to get that edge?

The transparent side of me is willing to share that I struggle. Not just once in awhile, but every day. I don't know about you, but after awhile, I get tired of constantly being told what to do. I have been told how I should raise my children, the way I should treat my husband, what I should do with my time, and in general, the way I should live my life. As if hearing it from one source isn't enough, I have heard it from multiple people, in multiple opinions, and not only from people, the Bible tells me what to do too!

However, I have found blessing in all most of those situations! If I have a piece of encouragement for you, it is to truly seek God with all of your heart and mind. For it is there that you will find peace and happiness. The Bible is full of great words of encouragement. It isn't just a big book of senseless rules and useless stories. Regarding people telling me or you what to do, take time to realize that when they share their opinions with you it is because they genuinely care about you! They may not always know what is the right or best answer, but they love you enough to share a little bit of themselves with you.

As for the material things that I struggle with, I am choosing to remember those less fortunate than I. People in third world countries seem to be happy with much less than we have in America. They appreciate the little things in life. The dirty dishes in my kitchen are a great reminder that God has richly blessed me. Not only did we have food to eat, we had dishes to eat on and have hot water to wash them with and a kitchen to work in.

Our life stories can be filled with adventure, but until we allow God to completely break us, we will not find true joy. I challenge you today to put God first. Put aside a special time for God. Pray. Read your Bible. And pray some more! Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Are you ready to experience life more fully? to put God first? to find true joy? and discover God's perfect will? I pray that you will be richly blessed as you dive in and accept this challenge. It will truly be one of your life's defining adventures!

Jumpin' In!

Beginning a new adventure seems to have a way of dragging some baggage along with it. Thoughts race through our minds. Excitement builds but so does that little piece of nervous tension. All of your senses seem to perk up a bit at the mere thought of a new experience. Our hearts may pound, depending upon the level of anticipation or stimulation. We are often held back from "jumping in" with both feet. But aren't all of those feelings part of what makes life great?

Today, I am filled with excitement. I have the opportunity to join a Toastmasters group.  I have been waiting for a long time for this opportunity. Now that it is here, I find my mind racing. I wonder if I will know anyone. I'm assuming that they will (for the most part) be outgoing people that welcome me into the group. But don't we all have that underlying fear of, "What if…"? I'm curious to know if they are going to ask me to speak in front of the group on the first night. (For the record, I would be thrilled!)Jumping right in would be an immediate adrenalin rush - as long it is something other than answering the basic request of who I am. I've done enough research on the group to know that one of the first requirements is to give a five to seven minute speech on who you are. Piece of cake, right? I'd say yes! But the adrenalin rush would come from not expecting the opportunity, not knowing the people at all, and certainly standing up there wondering what is going through their heads! (No visualizing people in underwear for this girl!)

Toastmasters International has been around since 1924. They are known as a world leader in communication and leadership development. With each track, there are specific guidelines and goals you must meet to obtain various awards of recognition. Toastmasters embrace four core values - integrity, dedication to excellence, service to the member and respect for the individual. The individuals I have spoken with have definitely embraced these values and seem to be very encouraging.

Why share the excitement when I haven't even been to a meeting? Like anything we do in life, we need to be driven. I think that I am driven to achieve my goals with Toastmasters, but just in case I'm not driven enough on my own, I know that I can trust you to keep me accountable. I foresee friends asking me about the meetings and how I am doing with meeting my goals. I'm also sharing because I believe that this can be another of my life's defining adventures. I want to share it with you and I hope that you will see continued personal growth as I do.

I leave you with the first verse and refrain of a song that has been speaking to my heart this week. It is called "The Greatness of Our God", by Hillsong.

Verse 1:
Give me eyes to see
More of who You are
May what I behold,
still my anxious heart.
Take what I have known
And break it all apart
For You my God, are greater still.

CHORUS
No sky contains,
No doubt restrains,
All You are,
The greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know,
And I'm far from close
To all You are,
The greatness of our God.

I pray that God will use all of our life's adventures - mine and yours - to show us more of who He is. I pray we discover His grace new each day, humble ourselves and begin to realize deeper still the greatness of our God. As you make these discoveries in your own life, please feel free to share them with all of us. It's always encouraging to hear one another's stories!

The Adventure Begins!

Setting out on a new adventure is always exciting. This week I have decided to embrace life again and dive in to a new and exciting journey, beginning with this blog. Although shy growing up, you would never know it now. I have become a person who loves to spend time with people, often times sharing and finding compassion in my heart towards them. Communication is something that I have always had a passion for. Whether writing, speaking, singing, acting, or simply enjoying time with family and friends, I love to share life. It is through these moments that we find life's defining adventures.

As a new blogger, I'm sure the question of who I am will come up. I've read that establishing credibility is important. Just the mere question of who I am sends my mind off in a thousand directions. How do we truly define who anyone is? Is it because of their accomplishments? education? employment? family? I'm sure you understand exactly what I am saying! You are reading a blog on the internet. I could be anyone, anywhere. As someone on the internet, I am simply a personality that you will come to know. There is a picture of me here on my blog. But it is essentially just that - a picture. Only those who have or will meet me will know that I am who I say I am. But just in case you wonder, I am genuine. I do not wish to hide from you. And I legitimately care if you decide to post on my comment section. I have invited you to join me in this adventure and meant it with sincerity.

All things considered, I will share some of my personal life with you. I have been a part of the mid-west my entire life. And although I would absolutely love to move to a climate that doesn't get as cold as it does here in Wisconsin, I don't see that happening anytime in the near future. I am happily married with two daughters, age 17 and 19. I find that difficult to believe because it seems like it really wasn't that long ago that I was 19!

As any mother could tell you, it seems that it is our children that define us while they are home. I don't believe that to be completely true, but it does seem as though others think that. How many of you moms walk out the door with a friend or on a date and don't talk about your children? I think I have a permanent engraving on my forehead that I cannot see, but tells others to ask about my daughters. I really think that it is simply considered a "safe" subject, but agree that it provides for some interesting conversation!

As a family, we are all very social and enjoy the arts. My husband is a fantastic watercolor artist. He enjoys playing the guitar and mandolin. Occasionally, he also enjoys working on his Triumph TR6. Rebecca is known for her fun spirit. She loves to sing and once in a blue moon, she will dabble on the piano. When people ask about Rebecca now, they tend to ask how she continues to recover following a near fatal car accident she was involved in back in 2009. You might read more about that in future posts. Hannah is my gifted pianist. She plays beautifully and I will certainly miss that when she leaves for college! She is also known as being funny, possibly even class clown! (That was a surprise to me…I always thought that Becca was the class clown when I had group piano lessons and recitals in our home.) I have taught piano and coached vocal lessons  for almost 21 years. My favorite past times include being involved with a local group that brings Christian speakers into our schools and playing the role of Sister Amnesia in the musical "Nunsense".

What am I doing here? I am here to explore - to learn what the world of blogging is all about - to challenge myself to rise to new heights - and to continue to grow in my writing skills. I would love to use this as a place to encourage others, to tell stories, and to explore my ability to write in different styles. I am here to learn more about life's defining adventures. Please continue with me as I explore. Share your thoughts and experiences. Offer challenges to me. And while I have the opportunity, allow me to personally welcome you aboard this epic journey to only God knows where!