Serendipitous Musings

http://www.examiner.com/x-61333-NY-Christian-Living--Examiner

It has come to my immediate attention that the things that we hear and the things that we see have an impact on what we think. It has a greater effect on our minds than we may think. I was led to write this article because it has come up in various discussions with a few of my Christian friends. Is what we take in through our eyes and ears really important? If we know as Christians that we aren’t to entertain certain ideas or thoughts, why can’t we listen to certain music and watch certain programs and then just dismiss what isn’t righteous?  No. The fact is we can’t. Seeds are being planted by the enemy. The solution is to be very aware of what you take into your body. You wouldn’t knowingly put harmful chemicals in your body would you? So why would you knowingly put images or sounds into your body that would be harmful to your soul? Not everyone sees it this way. This is just my personal opinion. From life experience, I find that for myself it’s better to distance myself alto...

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been challenged to try and hear God’s voice clearer. A really good friend of mine is fasting and trying to do the same and I was inspired. If you’re a Christian you know there are peaks and valleys in our walks and I was in the proverbial valley. During this time, I had encountered numerous circumstances and scriptures on the topic of worldliness (of, relating to, or devoted to the temporal world not the spiritual one). I know at times I can get caught up (i.e. jamming to the new secular song by Usher, watching my favorite Desperate Housewives episode on Hulu or entertaining a conversation that is less than edifying) but as a seasoned Christian these things should have no affect on me, right? Wrong. We have to limit the amount of worldliness we allow into our lives and this should be an ongoing process. As a believer, I am given freedom! But not everything is beneficial for me (1 Corinthians 10:23). As a rule of thumb, I’ve chosen to follo...

The deeper you go in God the more dependent you become of Him. Then it just aches to be centered in on anything else but Him. -Heavens Hart

What does it mean when you dream that teeth fall out your mouth? It was more to it than that but that was the end…and it was HORRIFYING…Imagine holding 5 of your teeth in your hand! Smh… I woke up and immediately reached for the Psalms…so comforting… Psalm 23 A psalm of David. 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

He was someone I had known for years. He had been a close family friend. He had many appealing qualities, but I had never really thought about him in a romantic way. It was true that he had a sensitive and tender side that I had seen on a few occasions. But he was also extremely passionate about truth, and I felt that sometimes he came across a little too strong on certain points. To be honest, he intimidated me. It also seemed that he was a little too involved with “church stuff.” When I thought of him, I was reminded of Sunday school lessons with flannel Bible story characters or gold offering plates, this was not exactly the atmosphere for true love! He was one of those people with a piercing gaze who can see straight into the depths of your soul. Because of this, I had gone out of my way to avoid him for the past few years. For some time now, my life had been a chaotic mess of compromise and confusion. I didn’t want him to see what I had become. If he found out what I had done, I...