Do you plaster fishes and bumper stickers all over your cars, then break the speed limit, rage and scream or even speak in sign language when someone cuts you off?

Are you so spiritually minded that you are no earthly good?

Do you use christian language in your everyday topics and end your sentences with AMEN or hallelujah in the workplace?

Do you judge another 'supposed' christian because they do not conform to the ways you think they ought to?

Are you so caught up in rules of religion, that you don't experience the joy of living?

Tough questions today folks. I am not pointing fingers or trying to make anyone feel bad, just some thoughts to ponder. You yourself may not fit any of the above scenarios, but you may know someone that does, or one of the questions above may have prompted that inner voice to raise a totally different one in your own mind.

Thats ok... God's grace is certainly much bigger than all the silly things we get ourselves sidetracked and mucked into.  So..if you have made a mistake..good.. get over it, cause you know what....God gets over it as soon as you ask Him to forgive you.

It's important to be relatable to those around you in life. There are reasons we cross paths with those that we do.  Sometimes its SO obvious, because we have walked a mile or two in what that person is going thru.

 Dawn's beatitudes: (smiles)

1-Be real-Practice what you wear ( bracelets, tshirts, bumperstickers, etc. ) or for goodness sakes get rid of them, until you can! It's a process, and just because you are a christian you are not going to have it all together all of the time of course, but let's be practical here.

2- Be relatable. Speak normal, elminate the thou's and thus sayeth the lord from grocery line chatter.

3-Be authentic-Say what you mean, be honest and dont make promises that you cant or dont want to keep.

4-Be Proactive-Never act out of guilt.

5-Be personal-Have your own relationship with God, rather than relying on your peers, your parents or others.

6-Be thankful and grateful. This keeps our eyes off of others and feeling like someone is getting more than what we have or need.  Keeps things in perspective.

7-Be informed-Stay up on current events, stay relevent, be flexible, keep a youthful perspective and be ready to move.. God is always on the move, not in yesterday's move, but in today's move.

8.Be loving and accepting-Of ourselves and others. Keep your standards without compromising what Jesus encouraged us to do-love.

9-Be excited-life is a gift, try to make each day different than the last!

10-Be a planner-I have heard say that if you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up there. Make plans, set goals, and get into action!

What is a "BE" that you need to work on? Or that you read and thought.. oh ..yeah..thats neat.. or some personal experience with anything shared in this entry?

by Dawn P. July 25, 2005