I had some time the last few days to toss over some thoughts in my head, so I am bringing a continuing topic to you from my post 'a glimpse'. The last thing I did in the post was ask if you were doing what you were called to do in life, well are you?? Ok anyway, a couple of days ago I had an opportunity to skim part of the book '48 days to the work you love' by Dan Miller, this is a book I have skimmed several times and I some point I will probably buy it. :) There are a couple things in the book that the author talks about that made me start tossing ideas around yesterday. The first one was differentiating between someone's calling and their career. This makes me wonder what it would look like if everyone was walking in their calling. My wife told me a statistic the other day that 50% of people think about their purpose every day and the other 50% never think about it, I am part of the group that think about it every day. Here are my thoughts...
My calling should consume my life, it should be a part of everything I do. When I go to work it should be because work fits into some part of my calling, lately I have been making my calling fit around my work. Actually to be truthful my calling seems like it has been put on the shelf. When God places a call on one's life it seems that we should be actively effecting multiple facets of life. I don't see a calling as go to college, get a job, buy a house, join a church, be a good person and get into heaven. I see a calling as being a part of a continually changing, evolving, multi-faceted life style where I don't just have one job, I earn income from various area's at various times depending on where God has me. I don't just have one church, I move into different churches depending on what season God has placed me and what He wants to teach me. I don't have a home but rather keep heaven in my heart and know that I am secure. It's in these ways that we can effectively change the world. Too many times we get stuck in jobs that we detest and as a result become complacent in every area of our lives. It's the constantly changing and fresh many that keep our lives full of life and vibrant. It's when we are walking in our calling that we experience the peace from our daily troubles, the love for our fellow Christian brothers and sisters, and the joy of our salvation. Anyway I want to take my calling off the shelf, dust it off and get living again. I think the hard part comes in finding out what our calling is and then having the strength and courage to actually walk. This is goal. Are you walking in your calling? Do you know what your calling is? More later on this topic I am sure.....

It's crazy, since I started writing I have been completely unable to produce the thoughts and idea's I have in my head, into my blog. I have 3 topics for other days when I can finally get my thoughts in order, even now as I type I find myself stopping and reading, then stopping and re-reading, and then...re-reading. I am eager to discuss topics such as jobs vs. callings (one in the same???) What the purpose of church is (do we go their to learn, get fed, feed others?), and other topics, but everything I sit down to type, my thoughts become long, dried-out, and borrrrring. No one is going to reply to posts like that, so I save as draft and try to come up with something else so that you at least keep checking back. Very crazy that this post even makes sense.

So what can we do about a situation like this? Glad you asked. We are going to ask for discussion topic idea's and what are your thoughts about the topics I listed above? Maybe if someone speaks out then I will be able to gather my thoughts on your thoughts and then we might have something.....Or maybe not. But we will have started something. If nothing else then tell me if you like some of the changes to my template and add your own suggestions about things I should do. You may have to explain how to implement any idea's you have because I am still learning, or if you have a blog I may just cheat and look at yours to copy and paste (Thanks Rhonda!) Anyway, those are my thoughts of the day.

I am actually going on an empty head week. I have been completely brain dead, at least when referring to deep thoughts. I have a couple idea's I am trying to put together, but I have been busy. Please stay with me...And please, please comment.

I have a couple of idea's in my head about things I would like to write but they are still being tossed around in my head right now. Things like....Well I will write them when the time comes. I encourage feedback and would like to see specific thoughts about how people perceive the topics.

Ok, ...I changed my mind I will give you a glimpse into one thought I have been tossing around. As Christians if you don't know what to do...Is it better to do something and be wrong, or is it important to know God's will first. And I have a question for all those normal Christians out there who are not quite sure if God will audibly speak to you, how do you know? Is it the warm fuzzy feeling you get? If God can do the warm fuzzies then why can't he talk audibly to you? Moving on, if He can talk audibly to you then it seems to follow that He would speak to you His will in a situation, and if He is going to do that, then shouldn't we know what He wants before we act? But, if we don't know what He wants, then what? Example, moving across country, buying a house, or car. It's easy when discussing what to have for supper but what about the big things?

And, are you doing what you are called to do RIGHT NOW???

One thought I have been mulling over for a while now is this idea of being called vs. being chosen. In the Bible (somewhere) it talks about many being called but few are chosen. Since college I have tossed this idea over and over in my mind, and that's what I am going to do with this post, toss the idea over some more. In every Christian's life there is a point were they become born again. This does not mean that we are now chosen instead of called, as a matter of fact this is proof that we have been at least, bare minimum, called. Now many people, as they continue on their spiritual journey, grow in their relationship with God. At some point some people experience the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Does this mean you are chosen? Probably not, so what does.

I like to think I am chosen as do a lot of people I guess. The way I determine weather I am called or chosen is simple, I think I am chosen, I want to be chose, so I guess I am. But....How does this effect my life, what does it mean to me and my calling? What does it say about me and more importantly, if I declare that I am chosen that seems like it puts a judgment on my life....For instance if I am in fact chosen now I have to measure up to what being chosen means and those people who are also chosen. If I am only called there is this expectation that if you fail oh well, there was a good chance you were going to fail anyway and there is no shame (also no shame in Jesus Christ but I was just trying to show an example). We are going to move back to the chosen topic however since that's what we are focusing on.

...............Sorry, I'm at work, so this isn't as thought out as it should be..............

Acknowledging, claiming, or even thinking your chosen...Seems pridefull to say the least. But lets discuss how that effects us, being chosen. If we are chosen, and few are, then there is a great responsibility to carry our weight and to carry out the calling of the entire human race. That's a pretty big responsibility! In my life I desire to be chosen and in doing so struggle everyday with, 'am I doing what I am suppose to do?' If I fail God in some way, like giving up on Christianity, or neglecting to perform what is expected of a chosen person then....Don't get me wrong I am not going to give up on Christianity, this is what drives me, and is also what makes me believe I am, in fact, chosen. Part of my thought process is that those that are chosen can't 'fall away' as we Christians put it, and those who are called can 'fall away'. Part of the reason why I believe I am chosen is because I believe that I am always saved, I don't believe the doctrine and didn't drink the kool-aid of once saved always saved, but I believe I personally am always saved, and this is why I think I am chosen. There is much more to this thought process that I will continually be tossing over, and writing about, over and over again. So the question is ...... What about you???

Today the thing on my mind is church attending. The reason I am writing about this is because I did not attend church this morning nor have I attended church for about three months worth of Sunday mornings. Once I went with my in-laws and once I went on Saturday night....

In college I was constantly surrounded my Christian friends and neglected church then also, but it seemed like I did ok. But now I wonder...Is it possible to maintain a serious walk with God without attending church on a regular basis?

Another thing I seem to do without is time in the word, good or bad I have a hard time reading the word with any frequency. I have always loved the idea of using the Bible as a text book, I did in church growing up and during my college years. I have always viewed it as a book to study and know. But how do you change your way of thinking and instead view the Bible as a letter written directly to you? How do you look at the Bible as your source of information for every situation? When I need help I sometimes look to the Bible for help and everything I do, I wonder how it applies to me, personally.

Missing these two intrigue things makes one's spiritual walk very difficult. Especially to keep your relationship with God the most important thing in your life. On the other hand attending a church that goes through the motions or sometimes worse yet, a church that has some understanding of a spiritual relationship with God but is not capable of teaching others how to walk with God makes church completely un-appealing. On the other hand if you don't go you are very likely to struggle in your spiritual walk. Why? Because you really need a support system and a church, family, and friends are usually your support staff to keep your focus on God. Like the support system I had in college, church just wasn't apart of it.

Does anyone else have problems finding a church that actually has the ability to give you that support system? See, the way I view church is very complex. I don't view it as being a place were you should go in order to grow, that should happen day-by-day by walking with the Lord. But...It seems like I am fed spiritually by seeing others walk with God and hearing their stories and conversations with God. If it doesn't happen at church where while it happen? And it is hard to grow in your walk when you are not fed, so what to do, what to do?

Thoughts? Comments?

I would especially like to hear from those who feel like they are in a church that provides what you need. My brother says it's not what the church can do for you, rather what can your do for the church? Do you agree? I don't, as a matter of fact I don't think I do offer anything.....Before people go crazy on me, realize I have a healthy self-esteem I just am not wired in a way to offer anything......At least that I know of.

More later......

I am new to blogging and this is my first post so hopefully you find what I have say interesting. Most posting will be about things I have been mulling over in my head that I haven't quite figured out yet. My posts are just a way to organize my thoughts, things I don't want to lose, but want to remember. I have been stalling for a while now to create my first post, I have had this account for months and I am just now posting. I will try to post frequently but...We will see how it goes. I do look forward to talking to other like minded individuals. It seems difficult to find others who think similarly on the topics that I will post on most frequently.......Life and Religion. My next post will be following shortly, anyway that's all for the introduction...See you next time.