Showing posts with label Advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advice. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Dance of Life
We should think of marriage as a dance. In this dance both the man and the woman are equal. God, the choreographer, teaches and coaches both dancers so they can show off their own specific qualities. The dance is not about who leads or takes each step, it's about the overall performance. Both dancers want to do well at their role so they come to the choreographer with questions on how they can make their individual parts better so they can , ultimately, make their partner look better. In the end, both dancers have perfected their routine and are able to perform their dance flawlessly.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Love and Lasting Relationships
In today's culture, love means so many different things. One can express love in an intimate way for his spouse in one breath and in another say how he loves football or a cup of coffee. Returning to the original Hebrew translation of love we see that there are three different types of love: eros, philos, and agape. Eros love is erotic love. This is the type of love a man would express to his wife. In Proverbs 5 it is said to be like fire and passion. Within a committed relationship, this is the typical type of love. However, if eros love is shown in other circumstances, that “fire” might crawl out of the fireplace and burn down the entire house! The second type of love is philos love. This type of love is the one that would be expressed about football or coffee. Philos love is a love of companionship and fellowship. An English word that comes from this type of love is Philadelphia-- the city of Brotherly Love. Lastly, Agape love is a selfless, unconditional, one-sided love. In agape love, a person loves with the purpose to simply help the other person without expecting anything in return. One person gives what the other needs the most when they diverse it the least. Agape love enriches and encourages both eras and philos loves. The type of love expressed in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 is what agape love consists of: patience, supernaturalness, kindness, etc. Eros, Philos, and Agape loves are what make up the common “love” that is referred to daily in present day culture.
When someone finds another person of the other sex whom they care deeply about, sometimes it is unclear whether they are in love or just infatuated. The verdict is simple to determine. Love takes time to figure out how how it feels for the other person before making its move while Infatuation explodes out of no where and has to make itself known immediately. Love cares about the other person's feelings and shares its feelings. Infatuation only cares about itself and how it looks. Love devotes all of it's time to one person and can not make room for others. In contrast, Infatuation can care about two or more people at a time without any problem. It is simple to determine whether love is true or simply just infatuation.
The views of love from the perspectives of Hollywood and Christ are extremely different. There are four steps to ensure a lasting relationship. Following God's commands are the first step to keep a lasting relationship. God says to become the “right person,” an imitator of God, mimic God's tenderness, compassion, and forgiveness. Hollywood tells the world to find the right person, fall in love, fix all of your hopes and dreams with the other person, make sure they come through for you, and it things do not work, throw it all away and start the process all over again. God tells us that we have to walk in His love without games, manipulation, or power-plays. We should seek God in our relationships. We need to beg God to make us like Him so we do not see just the holes in the other person's character and what we, as humans, think they should live up to. Hard times are expected and when they happen, simply repeat God's steps one, two, and three. When relationships grow through the bad times, that is when Christ is present.
It is important to remember that God has a special plan for each of his creations and we should not rush into relationships just because there is a flush of emotion. When someone enters into a relationship with another person, he needs to remember to keep God as the focal point. It is important to truly know the other person on various levels. Seeing the other person on a spiritual level is very important. If he or she does not love Jesus Christ, that is immediately a sign to stay away. Knowing the values, lifestyle, and commitment that the other person towards Jesus shows the health of his or her soul. Observing the other person on social setting without pairing off alone lets you have a chance to see how they act and especially treat their family. Knowing the other persons psychological mind lets you see his or her dreams, gifts, and ambitions in life. Understanding the emotions of the other person show the physical commitment of in their life towards things that are important to them as well as what they can give to you. When relationships are followed with God in mind, they work.
*Source: Chip Ingram in his series Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships
When someone finds another person of the other sex whom they care deeply about, sometimes it is unclear whether they are in love or just infatuated. The verdict is simple to determine. Love takes time to figure out how how it feels for the other person before making its move while Infatuation explodes out of no where and has to make itself known immediately. Love cares about the other person's feelings and shares its feelings. Infatuation only cares about itself and how it looks. Love devotes all of it's time to one person and can not make room for others. In contrast, Infatuation can care about two or more people at a time without any problem. It is simple to determine whether love is true or simply just infatuation.
The views of love from the perspectives of Hollywood and Christ are extremely different. There are four steps to ensure a lasting relationship. Following God's commands are the first step to keep a lasting relationship. God says to become the “right person,” an imitator of God, mimic God's tenderness, compassion, and forgiveness. Hollywood tells the world to find the right person, fall in love, fix all of your hopes and dreams with the other person, make sure they come through for you, and it things do not work, throw it all away and start the process all over again. God tells us that we have to walk in His love without games, manipulation, or power-plays. We should seek God in our relationships. We need to beg God to make us like Him so we do not see just the holes in the other person's character and what we, as humans, think they should live up to. Hard times are expected and when they happen, simply repeat God's steps one, two, and three. When relationships grow through the bad times, that is when Christ is present.
It is important to remember that God has a special plan for each of his creations and we should not rush into relationships just because there is a flush of emotion. When someone enters into a relationship with another person, he needs to remember to keep God as the focal point. It is important to truly know the other person on various levels. Seeing the other person on a spiritual level is very important. If he or she does not love Jesus Christ, that is immediately a sign to stay away. Knowing the values, lifestyle, and commitment that the other person towards Jesus shows the health of his or her soul. Observing the other person on social setting without pairing off alone lets you have a chance to see how they act and especially treat their family. Knowing the other persons psychological mind lets you see his or her dreams, gifts, and ambitions in life. Understanding the emotions of the other person show the physical commitment of in their life towards things that are important to them as well as what they can give to you. When relationships are followed with God in mind, they work.
*Source: Chip Ingram in his series Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Gravity!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeV_R4tsdAs
Well, I'm totally addicted to this dance. It's from So You Think You Can Dance and it's performed by Kayla and Kupono. The story behind the dance is this: At some point or another in your life, you will be tempted...it may be drugs, a relationship, shopping, (updating your blog?!) or somthing as simple as checking email. In this dance, Kayla represents each human struggling with an addiction while Kupono IS the addiction. She repeatedly ties to escape his shadow, but he's always there-- beside, above, and behind her. She can't escape.
This piece is so inspirational. It was choreographed by Mia Michaels. I absolutely love her work. The song is Gravity by Sara Bareilles.
ENJOY! (I did!) :)
xoxo,
-H
Well, I'm totally addicted to this dance. It's from So You Think You Can Dance and it's performed by Kayla and Kupono. The story behind the dance is this: At some point or another in your life, you will be tempted...it may be drugs, a relationship, shopping, (updating your blog?!) or somthing as simple as checking email. In this dance, Kayla represents each human struggling with an addiction while Kupono IS the addiction. She repeatedly ties to escape his shadow, but he's always there-- beside, above, and behind her. She can't escape.
This piece is so inspirational. It was choreographed by Mia Michaels. I absolutely love her work. The song is Gravity by Sara Bareilles.
ENJOY! (I did!) :)
xoxo,
-H
Monday, May 4, 2009
Rule or Exception?
I recently saw He's Just Not That Into You and overall I thought the plot was good. Some of the scenes were really undesirable and they wouldn't have been my choice, but what can you do...lol. One of the main points that was made was that there are no “Happily Ever Afters.” Those people are just the 'exception.' Most generally everyone is 'the rule.' People who end up as 'the rule' just live day to day and if they end up happy, well...lucky for them....but that's not how the 'normal' people live...I can't, in good conscience, say that I agree with that. People live happy lives all the time. Granted, some people have desires to live better lives with newer clothes, getting paid more at work, getting better grades in school, etc, but are people really unhappy? Maybe they're just selfish. I think people choose whether or not they're going to be happy. If you're always grouchy about what you don't have instead of thinking about what you DO have, well then NATURALLY people aren't going to view their lives as happily ever afters...it's going to be LIVING HELL! :) Now, I understand that what they were talking about in He's Just Not That Into You regarding the rule, the exception, happily ever after, etc isn't a state of mind. They're referring to relationships. I don't know if it's more common for people to be happy or unhappy, but maybe the same thing holds true in this situation. If you're always looking for something better or worse yet, something wrong, well...where does that leave you? You will never be happy because you're gonna be insecure! Who knows if there's an official statistic that says how people end up in the end, but I hope that all my friends have their happy ever after endings and that they remember to look for the silver lining in every situation.
xoxo,
-H
xoxo,
-H
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Love Is In The House
For Christmas I got a live concert Toby Mac CD. This was really interesting so I thought I'd share it! It's all based off of 1 John 1:5-7.
“Now this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is the light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” ~1 John 5-7
(The “idea” Toby shared with those at the concert...)
“No matter what color our skin, no matter what denomination, no matter what cultural background, no matter what social economic level we live in...we all have fellowship in one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son who cleanses us from all sin.
It's not our words. They aren't going to be what stops the world in its tracks. Our words will not change the world. They've heard it all.
It's not normally our music. We make music for us to sharpen the body, glorify our God. One and a while someone will crossover, but it's not typically the music that will stop people in their tracks. Our music won't change the world, more than likely.
It's not our buildings as beautiful and grand as some of our church buildings are – it's not the architecture that's gonna chance the world.
But I believe what's going to change the world is when we begin to love each other, when we begin to love the world, and when we begin to reach out to the orphans and widows and the lower income families in our communities. When the world begins to see that kind of love – undeniable love, I believe they will stop in their tracks and say,
'YO! Whatever you people have over there, I want somma'dat, BABY! I want somma'dat right there for me, baby!'
When our houses are packed so full of love that we gotta open up the back door to let it ooze out into the valleys, suburbs, and city streets. When the world sees that kind of love – REAL love, they're gonna stop in their tracks. They're gonna say,
'YO! Homie! Whateva you people have ov'a there, you Jesus Freaks! I WANT SUMMA'DAT JESUS, MAN! If it's doin' alla' 'dat!'” -Toby Mac
All this was followed by his song Love Is In the House...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVfae7pRD7U
Powerful Stuff, hm?! :)
xoxo,
-H
“Now this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is the light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” ~1 John 5-7
(The “idea” Toby shared with those at the concert...)
“No matter what color our skin, no matter what denomination, no matter what cultural background, no matter what social economic level we live in...we all have fellowship in one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son who cleanses us from all sin.
It's not our words. They aren't going to be what stops the world in its tracks. Our words will not change the world. They've heard it all.
It's not normally our music. We make music for us to sharpen the body, glorify our God. One and a while someone will crossover, but it's not typically the music that will stop people in their tracks. Our music won't change the world, more than likely.
It's not our buildings as beautiful and grand as some of our church buildings are – it's not the architecture that's gonna chance the world.
But I believe what's going to change the world is when we begin to love each other, when we begin to love the world, and when we begin to reach out to the orphans and widows and the lower income families in our communities. When the world begins to see that kind of love – undeniable love, I believe they will stop in their tracks and say,
'YO! Whatever you people have over there, I want somma'dat, BABY! I want somma'dat right there for me, baby!'
When our houses are packed so full of love that we gotta open up the back door to let it ooze out into the valleys, suburbs, and city streets. When the world sees that kind of love – REAL love, they're gonna stop in their tracks. They're gonna say,
'YO! Homie! Whateva you people have ov'a there, you Jesus Freaks! I WANT SUMMA'DAT JESUS, MAN! If it's doin' alla' 'dat!'” -Toby Mac
All this was followed by his song Love Is In the House...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVfae7pRD7U
Powerful Stuff, hm?! :)
xoxo,
-H
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Search for a Godly Spouse
Oh my goodness! It's been a long time since I've blogged! WOW! :)
Well, the past two mornings I listened to a radio broadcast called The Search for a Godly Spouse. It's really entertaining to listen to because the speaker is Irish. :) The gist of the talk is pretty much summed up into the title-- The Search for a Godly Spouse (That's the 3rd time I've typed that...I should stop...lol). :)
The speaker, Alistair Begg, gave the 6 most important qualities to look for in a future spouse and he divided them up for both male and female. I thought it was really interesting...take a look. :)
They were aired on 2/9 and 2/10.
ENJOY!
xoxo,
-H
PS The Search for a Godly Spouse...ok...I had to write it just ONE more time...for old times sake. haha :)
Well, the past two mornings I listened to a radio broadcast called The Search for a Godly Spouse. It's really entertaining to listen to because the speaker is Irish. :) The gist of the talk is pretty much summed up into the title-- The Search for a Godly Spouse (That's the 3rd time I've typed that...I should stop...lol). :)
The speaker, Alistair Begg, gave the 6 most important qualities to look for in a future spouse and he divided them up for both male and female. I thought it was really interesting...take a look. :)
Women: The man you someday marry should…
- Be continually growing closer to Jesus Christ
- Demonstrate integrity
- Be a bold leader
- Love sacrificially
- Laugh heartily, especially at himself
- Model genuine humility
Men: The woman you someday marry should…
- Have a personal faith in Jesus Christ
- Possess inner beauty, not just outer
- Be an initiative taker and have an attitude of submission
- Be a wife who will help build her husband's confidence
- Display kindness
- Have a sense of humor
They were aired on 2/9 and 2/10.
ENJOY!
xoxo,
-H
PS The Search for a Godly Spouse...ok...I had to write it just ONE more time...for old times sake. haha :)
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