Lessons From Ecclesiastes

Lately as I've been walking through life I've felt like there is so much I'm trying to figure out. There are a lot of things about the work field, politics, current events, and life in general that I want to know about. I guess I can accredit that to my young age and youthful curiosity.

However, I'm constantly being reminded to "love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." So I thought thes would be a great time to read Ecclesiastes, the book full of reasonings about life. What better time then this to learn how to balance my life so that it is pleasing to God? (Pro. 11.1)

When I read Ec 1.18 I was very puzzled. "For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knwledge increaseth sorrow." What?! Doesn't the Bible tell us to seek after wisdom as choice silver and to get knowledge  so that we will have understandin? Tese verses seemed to contradict each other, something I know the Bible is not capable of doing.

After I recived no answer I forgot about the verse and went on wit hmy life. On the way to work I listened to the radio, eager to learn more about this new health bill, but I also heard about abortion rights and a man facing murder charges. At work the topic of the week ahs been nothing other than the infamous health bill. Later on in my day I was informed more deeply about electronic medical records. Over and over I saw how communication between co-workers, doctor to doctor, and even patient to doctor is slipping away. Basically, what you can't do for yourself, the computer will do for you. No direct human contact needed, in some cases.

By this point I'm starting to feel a little down. But I still tuned in to the local radio station only to hear about trouble in the schools and a down sliding economy. When I got home I realized that too much news is really bad for me. All of a sudden I couldn't stand the sound of the world news playing in the next room. All negative, no possative. Every minute of it was a reminder of how quickly our nation is deteriating into a weak group of people void of the fear of God.

It was then that God gently brought my mind back to that verse. "For in much wisdom is much greif: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." Could it be that Solomon was writing about worldly wisdom and worldly knowledge?

When we become "world smart" and aware of what is going on in this wicked world, it can cause greif and sorrow. If we put too much emphasis on learning more about this world (even though it may seem inocent) our vision is turned from God to something corruptable. I can see why Paul tells us to think on good things. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

I've decided that I'm not going to stay up to date on the news, I'm not going to stress over the health care indistry, and I'm not going to frett over being unknowledgeable about a lot of things. It's not worth it. Those things are going to vanish. I'm going to set my mind on things eternal, things that really matter. I'm going to set my mind on God!

A Great Day At Work

Are you wondering why I had such a great day at work that I would blog about it? There are two reasons that come to mind when I think about Friday's work day.

1. I got a new boss who I really like
2. I got a PROMOTION!

Yes, you read that right. I am climbing the ladder! Along with my new responsibilities I will gain some very good experience which I am looking forward to.

It is easy to go with the flow of the work place when I get caught up in the moment of excitement, but God has been reminding me that I need to remember where I my focus should be: Jesus Christ. While my job may be very great, I still need to put God first in my life and go to him for my joy and all my needs. But I am still convinced that there is nothing wrong with enjoying my job since I truly believe God put me here in the first place. God is good, isn't He?!

Leave The Dictating to the Doctors!

Most of you know that I work in the medical field, something that God directed me to, and really enjoy. I work with two very good transcriptionist in my department who I am always going to when I need an x-ray typed. Having them there makes my job so much easier!

But they don't look at the actual x-ray film and decide what to put on the report. It is the doctors' job to examine the x-ray and verbally relay what he has found, through our phone system. This is called dictation. It is the transcriptionist job to listen to the doctor's voice and type the report as accurately as possible.

For the past several weeks I have felt like I am a trascriptionist and God is the doctor. When I write an article God has told me to write I can feel Him leading me what to write and what not to write. Sometimes God wont even let me add a few words to a sentence if it is not what He wants me to add. Interesting enough, I even found that unique words I usually wouldn't use come to mind while I am typing or writing something for my blog, my friends e-magazine, or anything else. I never knew writing could be so much fun and rewarding!

But let's think about the transcriptionist and doctor scenario again. Have you ever went to the transcriptionist and thanked them for transcribing their x-ray so well? Do you give them credit for finding a fractured bone or a mass in your stomach that could have caused potential harm to your body if it had been left undetected? Most likely not because they are not the ones who found it. All the credit goes to the doctor. In the end, the doctor is the one who God used to saved or increase your health. Not the transcriptionist.

So I cannot take any credit for the articles I write. As much as I would love to say, "Oh, thank you! It took such hard work and practice to write such articles," the truth is, the only reason my writing has changed is because I have decided to listen to God. I think the best way to get great results is to do what I am good at, and leave the dictating to the doctors!

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**Just a note: Of course it does take persistence and practice to become a good writer, but what I was referring to in this post is the effect of the article. No matter how well someone writes, their product will do no good if the holy spirit is not in it. Every writer wants their writings to make an impact on other's lives. To achieve this we must follow God word by word.**

Happy Birthday?

Today has definitely been a Monday. In other words: busy! However, I don't think that is a very good excuse for forgetting a co-workers birthday. It was really bad of us too because we always celebrate each other's birthday on the day. But today we all forgot that the lady who brings us all together in harmony had a birthday. We all felt terrible!

So tomorrow we are going to try to make it up to her by bringing snacks and an ice-cream cake from DQ. Hopefully she will have a great belated birthday! Here's what I'm bringing:

Jennifer's Chicken Salad (I can't come up with a better name this late at night!)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat
1/4 cup dill pickle

3 small green onions and chives

1/2 cup roasted peanuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in medium size bowl except for peanuts and chicken. Stir peanuts and chicken in last. Chill.

For more great recipes check out my mom's blog: Keeping it Simple.

Another Update

For the past . . . maybe 15 minutes . . . I have sat at my desk racking my brain trying to come up with something half way interesting to write about. (I have diagnosed myself with WRITERS BLOCK!) I never wanted my blog to be a place where everyone could hear about what is going on in my home, work, etc., and go away with nothing to gain from it. I try to post articles and posts that may be encouraging to my readers and beneficial to their spiritual life. However, I am learning more every day that not much (let me reword that) pretty much nothing goes the way I want or expect it! God has his own plan for me and I might as well let go and let Him lead. "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." (Pro. 16:9) The LORD could not have directed me to read this chapter in a better time then lately!

This week has been crazy at work which makes me see just how much I need God in my life every day. Today wasn't quite so bad, but I am still eager for the weekend to get here! Last night mama, Bethany, and I heard a really good message on honor. Interestingly, some of the points he spoke on were things that God has been pressing on my heart. I felt like God was reminding me of what I need to be doing or confirming that the way he has been leading me is the best way for me. I hope I will keep this mind and try to go forward in the right way.

For now, I'm going to straiten up my room and maybe get some crocheting done. By the way, does anyone have a cure for writer's block? I may be able to diagnose myself but I'm not so sure how to treat the illness that I carry :) Hopefully I will have something to write about in my next posts!

Not Quite Wittinessing

When I was sixteen I got my first job at a Christian based and owned restaurant where I had the honor of working for two wonderful bosses. The setting I was in was great for witnessing! My bosses were of like faith and tried to be a wittiness to their employees which meant that I was not alone. There was always conversation of church services, ways that God had provided for us, and things we were praying about. The friendship I gained in these two people helped me to be more confident in speaking up for Christ.

Another great benefit was time. I had the opportunity to talk to my co-workers very often because there was always slow times in the restaurant business. During those odd hours when most people weren't eating I would sometimes talk to others about their beliefs. I don't remember many conversations that were very profound, I mostly asked them where they went to church, are they a Christian, etc., but it was a start.

Now that I work in a hospital things are a lot different. Lately God has been bring back to my mind how little I try to wittiness anymore. While I do work with a Christian lady who I've known all my life, some how God isn't the center of our conversation. No one in my department talks much about God except for a brief mention of a church activity. Time to gab isn't quite as plenteous either. Usually when I do get a chance to be around those outside of my department, everyone is around and I don't believe that is the best time to confront someone about how they think they are going to heaven!

I have informed God of these excuses many times, along with a few others. In return, God made sure to show me when and who I could wittiness to. Today was one of those times. As I was working on an easy project in my "office" by myself, a lady walked in and began working on her project. God seemed to whispered in my ear, "You said their is never time, and never the privacy you need to share my gospel with others. What about now?" I saw there was no way out of this one. The timing was perfect, the place very quiet, and the person was not a Christian to my knowledge. The only problem was . . . I didn't really know this woman! Of course I knew her name, I knew what she did in the hospital, I knew her reputation, and I saw her every day . . . but I had never had a personal conversation with her.

So I took the first baby step back to where I should be in my call as a Christian. I began to ask her general questions about her children, career, and her home. While I don't think I could call this witnessing, it is definitely a start. Maybe next week God will give me another chance to talk to her more, and in time, I will be able to talk to her about God's love for her. Because of my own selfishness, I have wasted four months at the hospital and may have lost the great opportunity to create a "first impression" of a Christian I would like others to see me as. I'm still learning that if I look hard enough, I will always find opportunities to share the gospel with others. I just need to put the excuses aside and obey His voice.

New and Exciting

Wow! I have had quite a few visitors to my blog lately! It's good to know that my post are being read and enjoyed.

So what have I been up to lately? Most of my time has been spent at work, but that is fine because it is all still new and exciting to me. It reminds me of how I felt when I got saved or felt a new fire for serving God. I was so excited that I wanted to tell everyone! I even told my brother and best friend that they needed to get saved! : ) But now I find myself more interested in telling everyone about my new job instead of our wonderful Savior. What a shame. Sometimes keeping our focus on God doesn't come naturally like it does when we are first saved. Everyday we have to deliberately set our mind on the main goal: to serve God and bring souls to Him. Like we have been discussing in Sunday School, witnessing isn't always easy, so we have make our self put our own desires down and live out God's desire for our lives. But there is a reward for obeying God! Just knowing that I did what God told me to do makes me feel so much better about myself. I have never seen my work bring anyone to salvation, but I know I have planted seeds and in time God will bring the increase if it is His will.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Remember to keep Jesus first!

Witnessing in the 21st Centry: Our Purpose

Tomorrow I will start a new job. I will finally be able to use my college education to make good money and do something I love! What exactly will I be doing? I will be doing all the code work for the hospital in our town. When a doctor files a patient medical record it is my job to look at that record, find the diagnosis or procedure, and find a code that will match it making things easier for the insurance company to pay the doctors and facilities. That will be my purpose - to find the right codes.

Now imagine if I went on the job, realizing what I was suppose to do, but chose to ignore that and do what I wanted to do. I could clean the office, organize papers, set up appointments, answer the phone, maybe work in the transcribing area . . . anything but what I was hired for. It sounds like a lot of fun and I might like it more than coding! But how do you think my boss would react? I don't think he would like it at all! In fact, I don't think I would be his employee for very long if I continued to do such things.

While this illustration sounds a little bazaar, we do the same thing everyday. Most Christians who have been saved for a long period of time know what our purpose is. It is to serve Christ and point souls to Him. We see this in Matthew 28:19-20. "Go therefore, & teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the holy Ghost, Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even till the end of the world, Amen." But do we do our duty? Are we hearers only? (James 1:22 ) How often do we even speak Christ' name to others? These are all questions we need to consider when we examine our life. Sharing God's love with others is something we can all do.

For some this may mean telling their children and other family members about Christ. Others may have great opportunities to witness to strangers on a daily basis while your friend may have to go out deliberately with the sole purpose in mind being to tell someone the good news. Some people may feel more comfortable to hand out tracks and leave them in places where others will find them, but there are some Christians who prefer to talk directly to others about their spiritual condition. However you choose to go about it is okay. The most important thing is that we are following God by telling others about the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That is our purpose.

Transactions

I can't believe I'm almost done with college. The past year and a half has flew by like I couldn't imagine. First Grandpa gave me his old car, I got a job, then my GED. Once I started college things really started to speed up. Now I find myself reaching the end of the tunnel with mixed emotions. I will be glad to be done with all the bookwork and long hours of studying which only keep me from spending more time with my family or reading books I want to read. Yet at the same time, it's kind of cool being a college student! : ) I feel very grown-up to say the least.

There is also the excitment of getting a real job. I suppose since I never intended on staying at the restaurant I am at right now for a long time, I never considered it a real job. Plus, the job I have right now doesn't have benefits. But my next job will hopefully be one that I can stay at for a while. It will be a job that I can be proud of.

But before I know it this transaction from college to the medical feild will be over. Truely, our life is "even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." So I am going to try to enjoy my last few weeks of college before they are gone. (But I will still celebrate with gladness when it is all over! : )

Strangers

Last week God has allowed me to go through an experience that has given me a better appreciation for missionaries. I never thought about what they face every day in this way.

Let me explain . . .

When I turned 16 I got my first job at a Christian owned restaurant. The owners (husband and wife) were members at a good Baptist church I have been to before, the husband being the song leader at the church. The night manager didn't have the same beliefs as me and my family, but he did try to live for God to a degree. One of the assistant managers was a Christian while several of the employees were faithful Christians as well. I was surrounded by good people. My co-workers who weren't believers had a respect for me either because I was a child of God or because they saw me as "still a kid". Several times when someone slipped up and cursed in front of me they apologized and said they didn't know I was there. This may not have been just because of what kind of Christian I was, but because Christians were respected at that restaurant.

Even a lot of my customers were Christians! This restaurant came to be a gathering place for all the members at the Baptist church where my bosses went as well as other churches. I made some very good acquaintances while working there. I loved my job!!!

But . . . it wasn't exactly close to home. So when an opening came at a restaurant nearer to my house, I was inclined to take it. Here, I believe I am the only Christian employee. The two ladies who claim to be Christians don't show any fruit and their actions show that they are not aiming to please Jesus. The women I work with live wicked lives, just like I would if I were not graciously saved by the blood of Christ. I am constantly reminded that I need to be an example to them, but it's not always easy.

I feel like a stranger. Sometimes I feel like no one there likes me. I feel all alone. Unbelievers don't care if they hurt your feelings. It doesn't bother a unbeliever to look past you and act like you are not there. Some unbelievers don't understand that everyone makes mistakes. Unbelievers don't care to make things right between each other. This might not be such a big deal if I only saw them a few hours a week, but I have to spend 40 hours a week with them in one small building. I'm not complaining, infact, things went a lot smoother this past week. It varies from week to week. Some times I feel like I can't take it another day, while other day's I don't find it so hard to hold on for a little while longer. Still, things would be a lot easier if everybody would try to get along.

I never realized how much of an impact God's love has on a person. I grew up around Christians so that was all I ever knew. Lost souls are so different. I know they need to see a Christian that consistently lives for God and cares deeply about others. They need to see that there is joy in living for God. But am I able to do that? It is hard to love them when some don't even want to talk to you. It's hard to show them that the Christian life is one of peace and joy when you don't feel like smiling?

Then I am reminded of countless missionaries who were hated for thier belief. Not just in the past, but in the time that we live in now. Just a few years ago a missionary over seas was threatened to be bombed in his home. He was obviously hated. How could he continue to preach God's love in such an atmosphere? One thing is for sure, he probably wasn't as sensative as me! Even so, it still had to be hard to go on when no one in the country seems to support you. It takes great Christians to be missionaries.
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Now I feel like I know a little bit more about the missionary life. Unless God calls me to be a missionary I will never know exactly what they go through, but I think God reveals little things to us so that we will know how to pray for them. So pray I will! I will pray that God will give them the heart of Jesus who said while he was dying on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

A Great Day at Work

Isn't it so funny how we can forget such simple things that make life easier? I use to pray every morning on the way to work that I would have a good day and that all would go as smooth as possible. Every day didn't go as well as I wanted it to, but the majority of my time was great. Lately I have forgotten to pray over my day. This morning however, when I remembered to ask God for His help I had a surprisingly good day. I was able to focus (something I'm sure the manager was happy about!), stay busy, my mouth actually said the words correctly instead of getting tongue tied, I got along with people I usually don't and the day flew by! That just shows that God want to be a part of every area of our lives and He will bless us when we go to Him for help.

If you're having trouble at work, in school, or any other area, maybe you simply need to pray or about it. Pray can do great things!