First off I want to tell everyone that I am SOOO excited about Harry Potter this Saturday! They are strangly only showing HP in only 3 theaters on the entire island so we are having to drive to the other side of the island to watch it opening weekend. I would love to say that I would be able to see the 12 o'clock showing but lets face it, Jake and I weren't even able to stay up for the 8:30 PM fireworks show last weekend in Waikiki, so we are going Saturday morning.
On a completely different note..
I was able to share a bit of my faith to someone Monday evening and it was a bit interesting. The girl down the street who I made brownies for came over Monday and wanted to take me out for some coffee. I thought that was so nice but it was around 5 and I hadn't even began to work on some dinner for Jake and I was in my 'comfy' clothes and she of course looked great. SO, I asked if we could go around 6:30 that way I could get everything going along. Well, she ended up staying for about an 45 min and we had a casual chat and then we were going to go take some of dinner to our husbands and leave. After we got some coffee, we headed back to my house and just sat at the dining room table and talked. The first conversation we had last Friday, she ended up asking her husband if we were MORMONS! Ha, I guess that was the closest thing she could come up with to how I was acting and to be honest, I didn't really intentionally talk about my faith, so I was suprised it even got her attention. We were just sitting there and I was telling her about myself when she asks what religion I am. I was kinda suprised and was like, I am a Christian. I wanted to tell her about my faith walk but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. She asked me why I didn't really hang out with a lot of other people here and I was completley honest with her. I said I wasn't accustomed to men blaring out the F word in front of me, I didn't enjoy listening to the pervasion coming out of their mouth, and I wasn't accustomed to sitting with people who had the full intention of getting drunk. I told her I didn't want to surrond myself in that lifestyle. I don't want to follow the patterns of this world. She kind of just stared at me and said," Wow, you know...that's how it's supposed to be but, honestly...that isn't how life is." After that, we talked for another couple of hours and then walked the dogs and she went home.
And then I learn about Amos.
Amos was a prophet. He wasn't an educated scholar or priest but was a humble shepherd. And God spoke to him. God used him. He went to Bethel and proclaimed all the prophesies that were to come about the Isrealites surronding enemies and the people rejoiced about their destruction. However, when the time came for Amos to tell them that God was not pleased with Judah or His other chosen nations, they persecuted Amos. But Amos had to tell them His message. If they would just repent and let the scales fall from their eyes and soften their hardened hearts then maybe God would forgive again. But they didn't. They were so accustomed to their sinful lives and the profound abundance of wealth, that they couldn't believe that God was angry with them. They went back to praising golden calfs and other false gods, stealing from the poor and blasepheming against the One true God. Amos told them the good news each day. He didn't withhold the pearls before the pigs. He wanted everyone to hear the message. Amos was a good and faithful servant. After 160 years after Amos was killed, his phrophesies rang true.
Why didn't I shout out God's praises before my new friend? First off, it was the only person since my friend Julia to come over to see me and I wanted to spend time with another woman. I want to make friends. I don't want to compromise my values, my beliefs, my God. I want to glorify Him. I am praying that she will be able to see the good works in my and be able to Praise our Father in Heaven; ask herself "why is she such a 'stranger' or 'alien' in this world?" I was confronted by a fellow christian sister about my boundries on friendship and that I shouldn't write people off because of their sin. That opened my eyes so much. I am reminded of Jonathon and David's friendship. David proclaimed that no woman could love him more than his friend Jonathon. Why? Because they held on to what they believed and was strengthened by one another. As iron sharpens iron, so one man should sharpen another. I honestly want to make relationships here and I really have to search and see where I am holding back.
Sorry this post is so random!
Jake and I are really praying about some life decisions that are going to come up within the next year. Last night was just a bit scary thinking about everything that could go 'wrong' if we get out of the military. Isn't it funny to think about how much I have COMPLAINED over the past 4 years and then when the prospect of getting out comes around, it frightens me to death?! We have to hope in Christ and truly seek His will if we want to honor Him through our decisions.
I love my mother-in-law's new life moto 'Life is what it is'
No comments:
Post a Comment