How do you spend your Easter?

 

Easter, a day to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us and to also celebrate His resurrection.  

 

What are your plans for this Easter weekend?  If you don’t have any plans and wondering what you should do, I want to personally invite you to join in on the celebration at Central Christian Church (http://www.centralchristian.com).  If you visit this link it will tell you of three locations that we have in the Vegas valley.  If you don’t live here, well don’t be disappointed, you can still join in by visiting our Central Online Campus (http://www.centralonlinecampus.com/).  Here, there are several services going on where you can connect with people from all over the world and even pray with someone if needed.  So please, open your heart this Easter, right where you are in life (hurting, scared, in crisis, burned, addicted, etc. what-have-you) and see that it is okay to not be okay!

 

I pray that everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend.  I pray that many will take that next step and welcome God into their lives to begin the most wonderful journey they will ever experience.  May God also touch the lives of those who are scared to step forward and allow God hear the cry for help.  I hope to see many new faces this weekend.  If you have any questions please again visit our church’s website or you can comment on here and I will be more then happy to answer any questions if possible.

God Bless

Beth

Out of the Loop …

Hello everyone, have been out of the loop for a while now in posting new blogs for everyones enjoyment!  Had a minor surgery and now I am recovering.  Trying to get back into the swing of things that keep my grounded, like blogging about anything!  Just wanted to also thank everyone for the prayers/thoughts during and after my surgery.  I really won’t know more until next week, so I will keep you all posted.  In the meantime I will have something new posted for later today.  Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.  But to add a little punch into this catch up blog, I wanted to post a video for you all to see.  Please take a look.

 

What’s in a Message?!?!

SCENARIO#1:   Ring … Ring … Ring … Ring … Hi, can’t get to the phone right now, please leave a message after the beep … Beeeeeeeeeeeep (Whoever was calling hung up)

 

SCENARIO #2:  Ring … Ring … Ring … Ring … Hi, this is ______, leave a message after the beep … Beeeeeeeeeeeeep (“Hey it’s me, call me back”)

 

SCENARIO #3:   Ring … Ring … Ring … Ring … This is  ______, leave a message and I will get back to when I can … Beeeeeeeeeep (“Hey, its ______, so I was calling because  … and I I remembered … so it got me thinking … and then maybe later …”)  This message timed out and they call back (“sorry, its _____ again, I didn’t get to finish my message.  I was thinking … and if you want to … so when you get the message … and if I am not home …”)

 

I have this wonderful theory that I seem to live by and its not for everyone and may really bother those who I call; however, I am just a simple person and like to make things easy.  When I call someone, whether it be family or friends, I don’t always leave a message.  It is a rare occasion that you get a message from me.  My reasoning behind this theory is “If it is important then I will leave a message and if I am just calling to say HI, no message is left.”  I feel that everyone leads important lives and their lives can get rather busy and I know it is nice to hear from someone if it is just a “Hello;” however, I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t have caller ID and they can see I called.  If they would like to call me back at their convience, I am okay with that.  

 

My theory when someone is calling me works in a similar fashion.  If someone is calling me and I know who it is, I will answer the phone if I am available.  If someone is calling me with an unknown phone number or a number I don’t recognize, I don’t answer it, they will get my voicemail.  If the reason they are calling me is important, then they will leave a message and if it isn’t they will just hang up.  I am not bothered either way!  

 

Now, I can’t imagine what you are all thinking about my phone theory and I’m sure its not a normal method of message leaving or phone answering.  What I do know is that everyone has some kind of theory on how and why you leave a message and how and why you answer the phone.  So lets hear it!  I can honestly tell you I have heard it all about my phone methods, but I want to know what your phone methods are, what are your pet peeves, etc.  

 

I know this is something completely off the wall and bizarre.  And most would say that it doesn’t matter how you leave a message or why you leave a message etc.  I am just curious because I get picked on a lot by some friends as to why I don’t leave messages.  So please, add your two cents.

 

Beth

I keep looking, but I can’t find it …

I can imagine that someone is always looking for something, whether it be your keys, your phone, a book, a piece of paper, etc.  It could be anything that someone is possibly looking for.  For arguments sake, I would go as low as 7 times out of 10 you can NEVER find that specific something that you are looking for.  In turn, because you can’t find it, your reactions vary depending on how important it is and why you are looking for it.  Sometimes we just give up and have that “whatever” attitude or sometimes we become  angry because whatever it is we are looking for is so important or sometimes we find ourselves feeling panicked because whatever it is we are looking for belongs to someone else.  So we look and look and look until we find our room, house, car, office or what have you turned upside down like a tornado just came flying through.  Low and behold, when you do find it, which is rare, a sigh of relief comes over you and you either laugh or cry.  And when you can’t find it, you can’t stop wondering where it was the last time you saw it.   

I can’t tell you how many times that has happen to me and ironically when I am not looking for this specific item, I end up finding it unexpectedly.   So do we keep looking until we are blue in the face or stop looking for that specific thing we lost because statistics tells us we will find it when we are not looking?  This entire thing only came about because of my sister, she was going on vacation and she couldn’t find her camera.  Almost two weeks later, I was helping her pack her things and ironically, she found it.  So thank you my wonderful sister for this inspiration of something to talk about, I love you.

 

How many times do you lose things and can’t find them?  Do you normally find that specific something when you are not looking for it?  Can’t wait to hear back from you all.

 

Beth

He is …

I pray that this video inspires everyone.  It is a very powerful video that cannot be described.  So please enjoy, I would love to hear what everyone thinks.

 

In Him,

Beth

 

You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink!

In reality, as a person, we can only do so much to help our friends or family (other then pray for them).  Sometimes it gets to that point when the things they say or the things they do  just break your heart in two.  Financially you can’t help them out because we are struggling too.  But a few solutions that have come to mind and suggested that to a friend or family member are not only great solution but maybe a promising turn around.  

The problem that continues to not resolve any part of their situation is, they refuse, don’t go, or simply are ashamed/embarrassed to do any of those suggestions for fear they may be stooping to level that is simply not who they are.  Today, lets be honest, we are in a recession.  We are suffering and struggling to make ends meet.  We should be proud of who we are and thankful for everything we have.  If something is available or opportunity arrises, don’t hesitate.  Think of it as a stepping stone that will help you on your way, a true blessing.  So as many times as I have taken that initiative to help friends out, we can’t make them do something or anything for that matter.  But I believe in the end, without taking up offers being given to you, friends and family members are just hurting themselves and not helping themselves out.  

 

How far have you gone to help a friend or a family member out, but everytime you do, they just won’t go for it?  Let me know your thoughts.

 

Beth

One amazing Little Boy!

This video was sent to me in an e-mail and it just captured my heart.  I hope that everyone enjoys!

 

How do you validate your friendship?

I was leaving my sisters house to head on home.  When I got in the car I called my Hubby to let him know I was on my way home.  He was telling me a story that happened earlier that night with a friend.  And in that conversation my conclusion question was “How do you validate your friendship?”  Everyone has at least one person that they would call a friend.  So, lay it out on the table.  What little or big thing, for that matter, do you do to show your sincerity to that one friend?  Is it calling them once a week to see how they are doing, taking them out to lunch once in a while, sending them a card in the mail, which one is it?  Maybe you don’t need to do anything to show your friend that you cherish their friendship, its just the simple fact that you care.  

 

With previous friendships of mine, I have been through the ups and downs of friendships.  I have been burned by a friend for simply caring too much.  I have learned to let go and move on because, really, life is so short and friends come and go.  Then there are those friends how stick around because they care and you know that they care.  But there was never a validation set in place to ensure that I have a friend, I just always know that if I need someone to talk to, they are a phone call away.  It is nice to send cards, make phone calls, or go out to lunch, that is how a friendship grows.  But without all of that you still know you have a friend.  So the questions remains to everyone out there, how do you validate your friendship?

I was just picking up some food!

So it was a Saturday night, just got home from church and I was hungry.  Hubby was at work and I was on my own for dinner.  I went down to one of my favorite places to eat.  I walked in the doors and it wasn’t very busy.  I went up to the counter, I knew exactly what I wanted, I ordered and payed for my food.  While I was waiting for it to be ready…before I move into this section of the story, I must ask…has anyone every felt like they were being watching or starred at?  

 

Well, this was the case.  I looked up and all three guys in the kitchen were starring at me and smiling with those googly eyes that men have when they try to flirt with their eyes.  So then I turned my head and looked the other way and you will never believe this, but the another guy about 5 feet away was doing the same thing.  Could this be anymore uncomfortable for me.  Mean time, while this is all happening, I am thinking to myself why I even came to get food, what were they looking at (don’t they see the ring on my finger), and all these men seriously need mind their own buisness, amongst other things.  Finally, my food is ready.  It felt like foreverrrrrrrrr.  I am talking like more then 10 minutes, maybe 20.  But in reality it wasn’t that long.  I quickly grabbed my food and proceeded to the door and I can just feel that odd feeling in my presence that every single one of them were watching me walk out.  I finally get outside and I could, a breath of fresh air.  I need that fresh air, I was getting nervous.  Not nervous in a scared way, but nervous in a you way that these guys are sick type of way.  I get in the car call my hubby and share my random story and just laugh it away.  I know this wasn’t the first and won’t be the last.  

 

When were you starred down in an odd situation?  I know I am not the only woman out there that this happens to.

Where do you draw the line?

There is an unspoken game that is always being played by someone, to me it is not of God; however, sometimes because of our core values and beliefs, we got caught up in the game and forget that we are just being an honest and true person in accordance to who we know we are.  This game that I am referring to is playing by someone’s else’s rules, basically their way or the highway.  We, gradually somehow get suckered into it and we don’t even know that it has happened.  Then one day, everything hits the fan and we lose.  The rule maker no longer feels that things are going their way and for some reason, they make this random decision to break up and ruin the lives of others and swipe their everyday world from underneath them and it doesn’t seem to phase the rule maker.  As a good person, how do things get this way?  How do will fall into such a trap?  Where do we draw the line?  I know for me as a Christian, I am stronger then that.  I don’t need to go around hurting others.  However, as a Christian sometimes for me, I am too nice of a person and I want to help everyone before myself.  Well here is where I draw the line.  God is first, then myself and my family comes next.  I don’t ever want to have to draw the line again.  Just know that the line is always there and I now know I shouldn’t cross it.  Most importantly in the end, pray for the rule maker.  

 

Has anyone ever played this game without knowing?  Where do you draw the line?  Would love to hear some feedback.

 

Beth