"Do you go to church?" It took me weeks to ask him that. Lately, evangelism has really been on my mind, but shouldn't it always? I don't think I've ever given it the consideration and thought and passion that I should. Since the beginning of this year, I started school while working a full time job that includes travel. I have stressed over EVERY SINGLE ASSIGNMENT so much to the point that I was convinced I was losing all my hair (still am). I started breaking out. I wasn't sleeping enough. Every B that I made meant that I would never get into nursing school. Great! What will I do now? I stressed over the fact that I felt I was too old to start all over in my career. I stressed about making simple mistakes and errors at work because I wasn't getting enough sleep to be fully aware on the job. My two closest friends moved away. My friend passed away. My heart was broken. I don't know of any other to describe how I felt than that. I had a broken heart. I stressed about my faith. Where will I go when I die? Do you feel me? Someone very wise gave me some great advice. He told me that I needed to get the focus off of myself. He said that all of my focus was on me and to try to focus on something else. So, I asked my coworker if he went to church. I had been playing out scenarios of how I would talk to him about Jesus for weeks. What if he asks me this and I don't know the answer? What if he thinks I'm some freak? What if he tells me he's an atheist? How in the world do you respond to that? I think that's Satan trying to keep me from doing my job which is spreading the gospel. I'd like to tell you that we had this amazing conversation about God and faith, and he agreed to come to worship with me. I'd like to tell you that I asked him some thought provoking questions that made him question his own faith and why he believed what he believed. Friends, I simply asked him if he went to church. The rest of the conversation was pretty short. I gave him a card that had our church's name, location, service times, and contact info. I found out that he is somewhat religious. That's pretty much all I know. It's a start right? I had been praying God for courage to speak to him about God. I had been praying to God for the courage to let my light shine and not care what others think about me. It felt so good to just do that. I'm not done yet. I've got more to build on with my coworker. Inviting someone to church does not equal spreading the gospel, but it's a start. It's a seed. I thought about it for the rest of the day. Not because I was so proud of myself but because what had been holding me back no longer was. I did it. I TRIED. My mind was racing. What's next? When will be the next opportunity to plant another seed with him. What about my other coworkers? More seeds to plant. I was excited. I was reading 1 Corinthians last night, and this verse is sooooo good.
1 Corinthians 1: 18-19: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." We can't let fear of what others will think stop us from sharing God's word. God even told us they would think we were crazy. Some out there will listen to us though. They will realize that what you're saying makes sense. They will read God's word for themselves and realize that they need to make a change in their life....a big change. We won't convert everyone. Our job is to plant a seed. Someone else waters. God gives the increase. The reason I"m writing about this is that it took the focus off of myself. I was not worrying about these classes I'm taking and how I'm going to juggle it all with work. What is more important is teaching the truth in love. When you focus on Godly things, worldly things seem so much smaller and less important. My fears aren't gone. I'm no pro at evangelizing. Who is? Today I'm just a little more courageous than yesterday. I have to build on that.

Sundays are just not enough. That's not enough time to spend with God. You see, like Paul, I have to struggle with what I need to do and what I want to do. Sometimes, they are the same and sometimes not. I don't know about you, but I have a very....near-sighted memory. Sometimes, I have to constantly be reminded of lots of things. If my mom calls me and asks me to email her something, I will forget as soon as we get off the phone. For this reason, I tell her to text me whatever she wants me to do because I will forget. God knows that about us. He knows that we need to constantly be reminded of important things like how much He loves us, what our purpose here is, what Jesus did for us, etc. I believe this is one reason why we take the Lord's supper every week. Be honest with yourself and ask yourself this: How many times a week do you sin? How many times do you say or do something you shouldn't. How many times do you fail to tell someone about Jesus because you're afraid it will be uncomfortable or you're worried about what that person will think of you? How many times do you put Jesus at the bottom of your list? "I'll just get to that later". And later becomes tomorrow and so on. How often do you struggle with your faith? Am I saved or not? "I don't feel saved." Have you ever said that? How many times have you just wanted to give in and go get drunk with your coworkers because you just want to fit in with them? Have you ever envied a non-Christian's life because they look like they're having so much fun doing all the things you KNOW you shouldn't be doing? How many times have you prayed asking for forgiveness for the same sin over and over? Friends, I have struggled with many of these on this list and more. For this reason, I am worshipping with the Saints every time those doors are open. I need that encouragement. I need to reminded ALL OF THE TIME of what this is all for. Why? Because I forget. I forget just exactly what Jesus did for me. I forget that I would be lost without him. I need to constantly be reminded of what I am supposed to be doing here. I just heard this phrase in bible class, and I love it (even though it kind of scares me, but that's another story). We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey. Satan is always at it. He takes stress, worry, self-consciousness, anxiety, worldly pleasures, sexual lusts, fear, and a whole bunch of other stuff to distract us. These all can take our attention away from God and onto ourselves. Don't forget. It's not about you. It's not about me. But I so often forget that. That is why I need him. Pray without ceasing, the Lord tells us. He didn't say pray every week. He didn't say to only pray when you need him. Pray. Pray all the time. Not feeling prayer? Do you wonder if he is even listening? Pray. Don't feel like reading your bible? Rather watch Law and Order SVU instead (I love you Benson and Stabler)? Read. Even if it's only for a few minutes a day, start with that. You will get something out of it. You see, I'm on a journey. Every little bit helps. Every bible class....every worship services, every talk with a friend, every bible reading, every prayer, it all helps. It may not feel like it, but I believe the holy spirit is helping you. Romans 8 says he is.  Little by little, something is happening to you. You are transforming. It's a continual transforming. It doesn't stop. Keep in the word. Keep in prayer. Keep worshipping. Keep talking to others about Jesus, or start. Ask God to help you. If your faith is weak, don't just ask for a stronger faith. Do something about it. A plant won't grow if you don't water it. (Wow, that was super cheesy! ;) But the analogy fits). Here is something I am having to learn. I need Him all the time even when I don't necessarily want him. I do want him, but I want him when I want him. Do you feel that way? There will be time for Jesus later, but right now, I need to finish this paper. Right now, I have to stay up late working. Right now, I need to run errands. Whatever your "excuse" is, you need him. And we need to be constantly reminded of Him. He needs to be around our neck, written in our hears, in our homes, everywhere. I have so many distractions taking my focus off of Jesus, but Jesus should be the distraction taking our focus off of everything else. I talk a good talk. Let's see how I put all this into practice.  I hope you will pray for me as I pray for you. I guess that's enough rambling for now.

-from Lydia

 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7“You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8“You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9“You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. --Deuteronomy 6:4-7

1. A ring- Are you wearing YOUR ring? Remember, you are married to Christ. The first ring you need to be looking for is yours. Don't forget who you are and whose you are. (Romans 7:4)
   
   
   
2. Does he have any flaws? - None. Not a single one. He is perfect in every way. He is loving, kind, gentle, forgiving, compassionate, always on time, patient, faithful, all knowing, all powerful, a good listener, comforter, strong, without sin, and the list goes on. (1 Peter 2:22)
   
   
   
   
3. Is he the "bring home to mama" type? - Not only that, he is the type that you show off to your mama, your friends, your coworkers, your cable guy, anyone who will listen. He will never embarrass you, and if you are embarrassed by him, it's a problem with you. It is also something He can help you with.  (Mark 8:38)
   
   
   
   
4. Does he have a job? - He had the most important job of all. He saved you. He saved your friends. He saved your family. He saved the world, and he still continues to look after you even at this very moment. (1 Peter 3:18)
   
   
   
   
5. Last but not least, does he love the Lord? He loves God. He is God. He is everything you will ever need. With him, you cannot go wrong. He will always steer you in the right direction. He will teach you. He even wrote you this amazing letter that will guide you through life and ultimately closer to God. He is love. (1 John 4:8)
   
   

So this is a good reminder to me when I walk into the church building. Focus on the man who will never leave you first. And to that poor, muscular, beautiful, beautiful man who visited our congregation a few times (who I probably chased off), my apologies. I've got it together now...mostly. ;)

-from Lydia 

What are the chances of your overcoming this problem or situation? Well, if you try and do it yourself, you may get it resolved. Half of the time yes and half of the time no. Or maybe 60 yes and 40 no. With God, it's 100. All of the time, you will get through it. That doesn't mean it will end up how you want, but you will get through it. So, when do you laugh at God? I have laughed when I ask God for something (like a stronger faith), but deep down, I don't really believe it's possible. I have laughed at God when I didn't even bother to ask him for something. No, I got this. Maybe you don't "got this" and you just "KNOW" it aint gonna happen, so why bother. All my single ladies! All my single ladies! Have you prayed to God for a husband? When people tell you that O so sweet and encouraging and not annoying at all phrase "It'll happen when you least expect it", do you respond something like, "Yea well it doesn't look like it"? I do. Do you have a family member that just won't get it together? They left the Lord and you don't think they will ever come back. Are you lonely and wish you had a group of friends that were hilarious and fun to be around? Do you long for someone else's life because it looks so interesting and exciting on facebook? Are you trying to get better about talking to people about God no matter how uncomfortable you may be? Maybe you have self esteem issues and dream of being prettier, skinnier, taller, straighter teeth, etc? Wow. I could go on forever. When these thoughts consume you, you gotta focus on what's most important. What is our purpose here? It's not to be pretty. It's not to have the most successful job. It's not to have this amazing social life. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says we are here to glorify God. Think about that for a moment. Think about what all that entails. I'm not saying these aren't real problems. They are, and they are very real to the person who is suffering from them. My point is that God can make it bearable. God can help us either solve our problems or work through them. Anything is possible. That husband is possible. He's not promised. He is possible. When you live a life with great faith and are focused on glorifying him, you will be content. You will get through anything. You must ask for help. I wonder if Sarah just stopped asking God for a son after so long. She is proof that He always keeps his promises.

-from Lydia

Buns are soooo last year. This is what I have named a sweet potato slider. (Pretty sure other people have used that name too, but whatevs).  I used sliced sweet potatoes for the bun instead of bread. You can cook them on the stove or in the oven. And those are sautéed mushrooms to the side there. This is not a food blog, but O man these are good! I have never really been a sweet potato person, but I am now. Below is a link to the recipe that I used for inspiration. The sauce is just a small container of Greek yogurt and half a packet of the powder ranch dressing mix. I used the spicy ranch mix for this particular one, hence the orange tint.  You can add more or less depending on how ranchy you like your.....ranch? Anyways, if this looks good to you, you should definitely try it. It's healthy. Super healthy and delicious.

-from Lydia

http://oursavorylife.com/sweet-potato-bun-best-hamburger-recipe/

So this is going to start off kind of gross. Have you ever been so sick to your stomach that you wanted to throw up? Of course! We all have. Maybe you ate something that didn't sit well. Have you ever been the kind of sick where you know that if you throw up, you will feel a lot better? Or do you remember the times as a child your mom would make you take this awful medicine that tasted terrible, but it eventually made you feel better. Sometimes I don't want to do the thing that I know will make me feel better in the long run. Why is that? For me, I know that answer. Sometimes I can let my fears overpower my rational thought. Well, let's be real: It's a lot more than sometimes. Sometimes I let my fears keep me from facing my struggles. Ultimately, my fears hamper my faith. Let me get a little more specific. The girls above are my faith friends. I just made that name up, but it fits. We talk to each other about how we are doing spiritually often. We encourage each other. Man, they're awesome! If you ask any one of them how I am doing spiritually now at this moment, they would be able to tell you and I them. (If you don't have friends/sisters in Christ like this, please make that a priority NOW). Anyways, they would tell you that I long for a stronger faith. They would tell you that mine is weak right now. They would tell you that I want to please God, but I am just so hard on myself. They would tell you that I try to be "perfect" so that I don't disappoint God. They would tell you that it takes me a while to forgive myself for even the "smallest" sin or even the smallest "anything less than perfect" thought or action. They would tell you that many times, my relationship with God is more fear than love. If any of you have ever been there, then you know what that's like. They would tell you a lot of other stuff too. Here is what I want to get across in this article. YOU CAN GET BETTER. If you're sick or maybe you're not even sick...you're under the weather spiritually, you can get better. The bible and prayer is your medicine. That is how I think of it. I'm sick. Take the bible (pill). Sleep on it. Get better. It won't happen over night. Man! I wish it did though. The next day, do the same. Do this over and over and over again. God tells us in Romans 10:17 that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  Don't forget to pray either.  Talk to your sisters and brothers too.The thought of facing my fears/faith is daunting sometimes. There is so much work, however I know it can only help. When you face your faith, you may find the ugly truth. You may find that it's not as strong as you thought. You may find that it's not even your faith and you're just doing what you've been taught without any personal convictions of your own. You may find that you have faith, but it does not cause you to really, truly change your life. You have faith, but you can't remember the last time you talked to someone about God. You can't remember the last time you invited someone to church. Maybe you have that kind of faith. Maybe your faith was based on something that isn't true. It's like one of those math problems you did in school. It took you like 20 steps to get to the answer only to find out it's the wrong answer. Now you have to start all over. Well then, start over. If you're a Christian, what is your answer to these next questions:

Do you read your bible often?

Do you pray daily?

Do you worship every week with the saints?

Why do you worship?

Do you want to worship?

When was the last time you tried to talk to someone about Jesus?

Do you love God enough to live for him and not yourself?

Do you accept his forgiveness when you ask for it, or do you beat yourself up?

Do you trust in God's promises?

Do you worry about things you can't change?

I could go on forever with those questions. Faith is not a feeling. Faith is not a feeling. Faith is not a feeling. A visiting preacher said that to us in a sermon one time. Is your faith based on what you feel? Are you only saved if you "FEEL" saved? (Don't even get me started on that question.) Well we know how to get that strong faith, we just have to try. I have to try everyday. God is there to help us. In Luke 22, right before Jesus told Peter that he would deny him, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Is that not a comforting thought? Jesus is rooting for us. God wants us to overcome this fear whatever it may be. We just have to try. If you pray about it, he is sure to answer your prayer.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.    --Philippians 4:6-7                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

-- from Lydia

If you know me well, then you know that Wal-Mart is my second home. I don't really like to go there. It's just that they're so CHEAP! If you know me well, you also know that I have an amazing dating life. I mean, with all the invitations I get from the men at Wal-Mart, it's a wonder I even have the time to sit down and write this blog entry. My mom wants me to be married so badly, but when I tell her the latest "line" I got at Wal-Mart, she then encourages me to just wait for the right one. Thank you Sista Reid. Please keep in mind that these are just the best/most memorable lines here. I'm not even typing out the whole conversation.

Here is my list, and I shall keep adding to it:

• Hey! Do you want to smoke weed?

• Wal-Mart Gentlemen: What you got there in your cart?
• Me: O just some food to cook for dinner
• (He eventually asked for my number. I think I told him I wasn't interested or something like that...which is really hard and uncomfortable for me to do)
• Wal-Mart Gentleman: Well, we both have to eat. Maybe me and you can cook something together

• A different Wal-Mart Gentleman: You think maybe you can give me your number?
• Me: Well I'm not really interested in a boyfriend right now. .I don't have time. (or something like that)
• A different Wal-Mart Gentleman: That's cool. We can just be friends. I don't fornicate.
• My thought at this moment: "I DON'T FORNICATE." Did you really just say that to me? That's great that you don't fornicate. I think I was more shocked that he actually used that word. I only ever see or hear that word in the bible. Ha! Good for you young man. Good for you.

• You remind me of Brandy. (this was back when I had braids)
• Guy at my apartment complex: I don't know if you like short dudes or not, but I seen that you a petite girl, and I like that. (really wish I could remember the whole conversation. It was just amazing.)

That's all that I can remember for now. Whenever the Lord blesses me with little Roman (my future child), I am going to make sure his daddy teaches him how to talk to a woman. It goes a little something like, "Hello, my name is Roman. What's your name? Are you from around here?" OK, well I'm partially joking with that intro, but I don't think I am. After hearing all of those lines above, I would gladly welcome the "Are you from around here?" line. Gladly. Well, until my next trip to Wal-Mart, adios.

-from Lydia ;)

What do you say to someone who says "Where was God when ___________ died?" or "What kind of God would let ________________happen?" or "If God is so good, then why is there so much bad?", etc. That's such a tough question to answer when hit with it right on the spot. Your first thoughts are "What do I say?", "What if this is my only chance to show this person the love of Jesus?", "How can I find just the right words to get this person to understand who God truly is and why bad things do happen?" To someone who doesn't know God, this seems like a valid question. To someone who doesn't know God, the world is truly unfair. To someone who doesn't know what God has done for them, they feel like they're getting the raw end of a deal.  In my chronological reading on day 4, I read Job chapters 1-5. I just started the chronological reading about a week  ago. As I was listening to it on my way to work, I realized that Job had the perfect response to that very question. At least it was perfect in my opinion. Job had just lost everything...livestock, servants and children. His wife responded how many respond today when something terrible happens. His wife said to him in chapter 2 verse 9, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job’s response, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" That really hit me. Do we not live in God's world? We drink his water. We eat his food. We breathe his air. We have jobs, friends, family. We get promotions at work, we find love, we have great weather, we have Wing Stop (best wings you will ever have). The world feels entitled. I sometimes feel entitled. I deserve this and that. "I deserve to be happy". When whatever makes me happy is taken from me, I am upset when many times we did nothing to get those blessings. They were given to us. They were bestowed upon us by our father. I realize that Job's response may not be the best or most appropriate response for every person and every situation, but it certainly spoke to me. I heard a saying last week that pain was God's way of saying to us, "Are you ready to come live with me for eternity?" I don't believe that God causes painful things to happen to us, but I do believe what we can take from pain is an even stronger desire to depend on the Lord and to want to be with him. Am I there yet? No. Do I still struggle with my faith? On a daily basis. I am trying. My favorite verse these days is from the man whose son Jesus had just healed in Mark 9. Jesus told him that if he believed, all things are possible to him who believes. The man responded, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." I have to keep reading this verse and reciting it to myself to let it sink in that faith is a journey. You don't just get baptized and have 100% faith. You've got some "unbelief" mixed in there that you have to weed out slowly through prayer and bible study and christian fellowship and life and hardships and blessings. These are just some thoughts from my day 4 reading.

-from Lydia ;) 

So when you're trying to come up with a name for your brand new blog, why not choose the meaning of your name to somehow incorporate that into your blog name. Maybe make a little pun on the words or something like that. Moments before my Google search for "what does Lydia mean", I'm thinking it probably means something like gentle person or compassionate or god-fearer....any one of those would do. What about "one who prays"? Yea, I'll take that. Those may seem like weird blog names, but maybe I could've gotten creative with it and made it work. Well folks, the meaning of Lydia is literally "FROM LYDIA". I mean really? What am I going to do with that? It actually turned out perfect. All of my blog posts are from me, and I wanted to use the meaning of my name in my blog. I mean, it's GREAT! This is my first post, and welcome.

-from Lydia ;)