Sincere Honor

Yesterday I realized what an amazing chapter Romans 12 is. It gives an amazing outline of how to live a righteous life and shows how the body of believers should interact with each other. There are a slew of wisdom-nuggets that you can tuck away in your back pocket for a rainy day of rebellion.

However, one verse in particular stuck out to me and that is Verse 10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." The theme of honor has been a reoccurring theme in my life lately. Giving honor to others but desiring and seeking honor from God alone and not seeking after praise from other people. I read a in a book the other day that said "If our encouragement comes from people then they are the ones we are worshipping. If our encouragement comes from God alone, then He is the focus of our worship" I am becoming more and more secure in this idea of not really caring what other people think about me, but truly desiring to feel God's pleasure over me (more on that in a later post...maybe).

Even though we are supposed to seek after God's honor only, honoring one-another within the body is a theme that is repeated over and over through out the Bible. Honor your father and mother...Submit to and honor the authority over you... honor one another above yourselves...etc. etc. etc.

However, I feel like this value is is being lost on an independent generation of people who desire glory and fame for themselves. They love to have control of the reigns before they even know where the horse is supposed to go. They don't know how to honor those in leadership over them let alone how to honor some one on "the same level." This lack of honor builds up barriers of bitterness, self-righteousness, anger, jealousy and eventually division.

The sooner we learn to genuinely bless, sincerely honor, and extravagantly love the people around us the sooner we will realize that all of this...it's not even close to being about us.

2010 = A Glorious Year of Writing

Well - it's 2010. New year...new blog background and font. In case you were wondering why things changed.

I announced my resolutions for 2010 to the world via facebook about a week and a half ago and I've officially started the year off by not following a single one of my resolutions successfully. Except for one...maybe...and now two. After posting on FB that I was pondering my resolutions I received some strong negative feedback from people who think resolutions are pointless. However, I actually followed through on my two resolutions for 2009 (for the most part) so they can't be all bad...So in case some of you aren't on facebook and are curious what my 2010 resolutions are, here you go: Finish reading the Bible in a (2) year(s), write one hand written letter a month, write one song a month, write two blogs a month (at minimum) and incorporate the words magnificent, outstanding, and glorious into my vocabulary more often.

The only one I have started doing is using the words magnificent, outstanding, and glorious every now and then...and I guess now, I have started writing on my blog.

I do feel like at the beginning of each year it's a good time to reflect on the previous year and see what was accomplished and look forward to what's ahead. So with that said...here are some of the things I learned in 2009:

• I learned that labor (child labor) is beyond a doubt hard...not like I didn't know that already, but I saw how hard is was for Joanna a year ago today...and then I became an auntie to Ayla Joy Michael. Sweet sweet girl. One might say she's outstanding.
• I then lived with a baby and got to see what life is really like with a newborn...all I can say is wow...in a good crazy and dramatic way babies change everything.
• I learned that Tony Horton means business...P90X is super intense and I plan on doing it once a year till I die...maybe I will actually get through the whole thing next time.
• I learned that family vacation with the Ewings is dramatically different than it is with the Michaels, however, both are so much fun and bring about tons of memories.
• I learned that I will soon have a new brother. Not via my parents (obvi) but via a matrimony between Andrea dn Michael Giordano on Feb. 13 of this year.
• I learned that i panic and josh remains calm when jobs are lost...and on a non-related note (heavy sarcasm here folks...), I learned that God is 100% faithful and loves to surprise us. Our savings and unemployment were about to run dry and the Lord opened the Flood Gates of surprise and dropped Josh's new job in our laps via Craigs List.
• I learned that I want to constantly live with eternity in mind.
• I learned that everyone had babies in 2009 and that I'm still not ready for babies...probably not for another 3-4 years.
• I learned that Rick Joyner is an amazing writer. Everyone must read "The Vision" by him...it will change your perspective.
• I learned that coupons can save you millions...well maybe not millions, but LOTS and LOTS!
• I learned that I want to worship with all my heart and hold nothing back. I mean, should I not jump around, shout, dance or sing in tongues just because others might think it's weird when my heart is bursting and wants to give God praise in that way? Heck no, is the answer in case you were wondering. I want to be undignified and worship Him with all my might. He deserves the best, and a fear of man is not ever worth it.
• I learned that things change, people move, get married, have babies, take new jobs, etc. and I should hold on to them loosely and send them off with blessing. Genuine blessing...not just talk or a facade that I'm happy for the new direction their life is taking, but that I legitimately want the Lord to pour out His favor on their lives in their new situation.
• I learned that Josh is super supportive.
• I learned that a money envelope system is kinda hard, but in the long run will be best for our finances.
• I learned that Mac is better than PC (just kidding, I already knew this...but we got a Mac in 2009. yay!)
• I learned that people break promises and God doesn't.
• I learned that painting rooms isn't as easy or cheap as people say it is...especially when every other wall is a different color.
• I learned that a california king bed is amazing, but it does cut back the cuddle time.
• I learned that our youth group is crazy hyper sometimes, but I love them all and I want to see each and every on of them become passionate and fiery disciples for the Lord.
• I learned that being a house owner can be great, but also frustrating when everything breaks at the same time.
• I learned that I will never run the Country Music 1/2 marathon again...it's too crowded and stressful.
• I learned that Romans 8:38 - 39 is magnificent and it's probably my favorite promise in the Bible.

Whew...now onward to 2010 with a heart full of hope, a mouth full of joy, and life lived to the full.

Bring it on.