Hey all, cannot believe that it has been 3 weeks since i last tickled the keyboard to COMPLETE a blog post. I have started a couple posts and just wanted them to be real good, deep and challenging to myself and others. I.E. I started them and then 'ran out of time' or lost the focus on what I was thinking i wanted to say and just trashed them, or saved them to drafts (who finishes or remember if you have drafts written anyway ;p).
So In a bit of a light-hearted mindset and a time to think on and evaluate the whole process we tend to do things, or not do things. Promise I will finish this post :)
There have been quite a bit of good things going on here at Murlough and in Dundrum and Newcastle since I last posted. I have gotten to know the guys and girls a lot better at Crosspoint and enjoy my interactions and the conversations and reality of circumstances that we often share. We have been hanging out with the crew after school on Tuesdays, started a younger group of jr-highers on Monday afternoon in addition to Wednesdays Discussion night. Creation/evolution and football with the Guys and bible study/girls night hangout for the girls that hang out.
Football (soccer) has gone really well the past month. I have gotten back into game shape, started the last 4 games with the first team and have 3 goals and 3 or so assists. Praising God for the ability to continue to play and have more and more opportunities for people to know me, what I am about and why even while running up the mountain or doing sprints i can be smiling and encouraging. God is good.
We have also taken time as a group here at Murlough to focus on God and teaching, uplifting and learning from eachother as we grow in faith, a group unity and trust in God's Truth. The ultimate Truth. We have meetings every Tuesday where we get a Bible teaching alongside updates from all the aspects, and Thursdays are teaching times where we are going through Francis Schaeffer's "How then shall we live?" videos about thought, history and philosophy and that held up next to the Word. It has been great.
There has been many instances where it does not work out perfectly, and conflict or conversations are necessary or planning needs to be enacted or done better. It is in these times I start reflecting and thinking. Always a dangerous combination ;)
Mindset. Attitude. The lens you see a situation. Look at different quotes about attitude or mindset and it is interesting. It can come to a point where will of attitude seems to shift things. Here are two random examples from an attitude quote site.
The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be.
- William James
The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrifice others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves.
- Eric Hoffer
But there are often times that I sit back and think about the circumstances and how your attitude and mindset can shape the reaction and subsequent actions in a major way. If we do get into ourselves and think selfishly as the Hoffer quote says the whole of the instance is negative and can spiral negatively.
Case in point, I had a situation where one of the guys had been increasingly annoying and vocal in his dissent to anything I tried to do and help with. Trying to act within grace and the fruits of Galatians 5 into practice without slipping into the fruits of human, sinful nature, can get hard. But on any given day, how your attitude is at the moment of confrontation your reaction ends up doing a lot. I tried to allow grace and let boys be boys, but as the annoyance and buildup of frustration with him explode I tried to control the situation. It was not done especially well, I felt I acted close to within my bounds to start, but as the egging on continued and I felt i had asserted the upper hand my mindset shifted and I spoke out of place and made the situation much worse. I left that day in thought and trying to figure why I felt the mix of emotion of kinda right but very out of place as far as the end result and actions. My attitude was well out of place and my selfishness allowed me to act out in fruit contrary to what I want to strive for each and everyday.
I have always been a positive person. Uber-optimist. The glass should always be half-ful right? It is a gift from God and one that I am shocked at in myself sometimes, but I am also FULLY HUMAN and am far often "turned inward upon myself" as C.S. Lewis states. Even if i want to quantify it as only looking inward upon myself looking in the mirror, its still selfishness that leads to sin. So when people ask HOW can you be so positive, or not everyone can be positive so often as you, or thanks I needed that optimism etc. Its humbling cause I know its not from me, and it is exciting to know that the TRUST, HOPE, FAITH comes from Christ. It makes me want to hold onto that in my attitude and mindset.
But I know it comes with a choice. I love that I had to/tried to/semi succeeded in memorizing Colossians 3. Because Paul tells of an ACTIVE choice, a mindset, an attitude that you THEREFORE must do. Therefore means, we should because Christ has, or God is. So I try to keep in mind and pray that you do the same- Put to death the earthly nature that corrupts and makes us spiral downward and Put on, clothe, take out of your closet and wear for others to see the fruit of the Spirit that comes from continually choosing to trust God and look to share his truths and let the Sovereign God handle the big picture.
Are there circumstances in your life that are over your head, people pushing buttons beyond your breaking point? Busyness and time that keep you from doing/dwelling on the good stuff? Try to control your attitude, enact change and go for it. I believe that William James quote up there IS true, but it NEEDS Christ to help us come through on the positive side of that. So if needed- Stop, take a deep breath, breathe a prayer to God to help out, and FIGHT against the feelings and attitude at the moment, put it to death, and clothe yourself (even if it is only socks and shorts, cause that's a start), with the selfless attitude of Christ and see how it turns out!
Meanwhile I am gonna try to keep on smiling laughing and trusting in the One who has given me much, see how far it takes me and how hard I have to fight to keep that at the forefront. But I am also going to be thankful that it has helped me and that others wonder if it is possible too.
God bless, SMILE, Laugh and Love.
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