Madison's 9mth Portraits, March 2014
10 years ago
Purpose Life
Rick Warren (REMEMBER HE WROTE 'PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE')You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife nowhaving cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is anabsolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church inCaliforniaIn the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In anutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to lastforever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of mybody-- but not the end of me.I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillionsof years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, lifeisn't going to make sense.Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're justcoming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.The reason for this is that God is more interested in your characterthan your comfort.God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in makingyour life happy.We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal oflife. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likenessThis past year has been the greatest year of my life but also thetoughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a darktime, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind oflike two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have somethinggood and something bad in your life.No matter how good things are in your life, there is always somethingbad that needs to be worked on.And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is alwayssomething good you can thank God for.You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,”which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest waysto get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and on to God andothers.We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds ofthousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy forher.It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened hercharacter, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her atestimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. Forinstance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal withbefore. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own egoor for you to live a life of ease.So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money,notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helpedme decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change ourlifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary fromthe church.Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The PeacePlan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for thesick, and educate the next generation.Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 yearssince I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberatingto be able to serve God for free.We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions?Popularity?Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism?Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God,if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more andlove You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-dolist. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That’s whywe're called human beings, not human doings.Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.Painful moments, TRUST GOD.Every moment, THANK GOD.
Moms
somehow – even though it could be hard work and even though I had my testy moments – my kids didn’t think of motherhood as a job.
And I decided that was a good thing – because it’s not really a job at all, but a calling. And callings just don’t look like jobs, because they require more of a person than a job requires.
Which makes it hard for moms whose days are spent conquering mountains of laundry, creating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and kissing owies.
We live in a world where success is measured by progress – as recorded on report cards, sales reports, performance reviews, pay raises. And symbolized by ribbons, trophies, and merit badges. In our lifetimes, our husband and children will bring scores of these items home and make us proud. We’ll put them in scrapbooks, sew them on uniforms, frame and hang them up for all to see.
But I don’t know of any special awards for teaching a child to tie her shoe or come to dinner when he’s called. No raises or praises when a mother drops everything to drive someone out for posterboard: “Your project’s due tomorrow? But it’s almost eight o’clock!”
Every day this goes on: everyday moms doing everyday things – sometimes struggling with feelings of inferiority or even worthlessness – just being obedient to their call.
But while motherhood can look easy – it’s certainly not rocket science, after all – the irony is this: while lots of important people in important places conduct lots of important business every day, the truly most important work in the whole world is really going on at home, where the CEO is mommy.
And God is like an equal opportunity employer, giving every woman in the world – through birth and adoption – this wonderful, unequalled opportunity.
I guess if we got disgruntled enough from lack of appreciation, we could start a Mommy Power movement (the same seeds of discontent that began the feminist movement – only in a direction away from motherhood). We could have bumper stickers that say: If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy
We could sue people who put us down at parties and maybe even get a special mention as a protected minority not to be discriminated against.
But that wouldn’t be very mommy-like, would it? Because there’s something about mommies that should be soft where others are hard, kind where others are cruel, patient where others can’t wait. We may not start out that way at all, but there’s absolutely nothing like motherhood to change anything about us that needs to be changed.
At least, that’s how it’s been on my motherhood journey. I set out to make a home, to grow a family, and to help my children reach their potential.
The most amazing thing is that while I was helping them reach theirs, God was helping me reach mine.
And I decided that was a good thing – because it’s not really a job at all, but a calling. And callings just don’t look like jobs, because they require more of a person than a job requires.
Which makes it hard for moms whose days are spent conquering mountains of laundry, creating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and kissing owies.
We live in a world where success is measured by progress – as recorded on report cards, sales reports, performance reviews, pay raises. And symbolized by ribbons, trophies, and merit badges. In our lifetimes, our husband and children will bring scores of these items home and make us proud. We’ll put them in scrapbooks, sew them on uniforms, frame and hang them up for all to see.
But I don’t know of any special awards for teaching a child to tie her shoe or come to dinner when he’s called. No raises or praises when a mother drops everything to drive someone out for posterboard: “Your project’s due tomorrow? But it’s almost eight o’clock!”
Every day this goes on: everyday moms doing everyday things – sometimes struggling with feelings of inferiority or even worthlessness – just being obedient to their call.
But while motherhood can look easy – it’s certainly not rocket science, after all – the irony is this: while lots of important people in important places conduct lots of important business every day, the truly most important work in the whole world is really going on at home, where the CEO is mommy.
And God is like an equal opportunity employer, giving every woman in the world – through birth and adoption – this wonderful, unequalled opportunity.
I guess if we got disgruntled enough from lack of appreciation, we could start a Mommy Power movement (the same seeds of discontent that began the feminist movement – only in a direction away from motherhood). We could have bumper stickers that say: If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy
We could sue people who put us down at parties and maybe even get a special mention as a protected minority not to be discriminated against.
But that wouldn’t be very mommy-like, would it? Because there’s something about mommies that should be soft where others are hard, kind where others are cruel, patient where others can’t wait. We may not start out that way at all, but there’s absolutely nothing like motherhood to change anything about us that needs to be changed.
At least, that’s how it’s been on my motherhood journey. I set out to make a home, to grow a family, and to help my children reach their potential.
The most amazing thing is that while I was helping them reach theirs, God was helping me reach mine.
It is getting closer to that time of year when all moms are so proud. We get gifts our children school that say how great we are. I remember my 1st mothers day. I got a blue piece of construction paper with two feet on it. Out of the toes were flower petals so it was like two vases of flowers. times that by 2 and that was my 1st mothers day gifts. If I got that present today I am sure I would be scared considering my childrens feet might not even fit on to a piece of construction paper. Either way. It was my proudest moment...... I have to say this is my 8th mothers day and all have been just as special as the 1st one. All the cards and little gifts from the kids, the calls from family telling me I am doing a good job always makes me feel great. BUT There is always one huge problem for me on mothers day..... finding my mom a present that would let her know how much I love her. One to say that for standing your ground when I was a terrible teenager, or thanks for keeping the kids before I went crazy, or for showing me the right way to wash clothes so that all the food stains, grass stains, and junk comes out. Threw out the years me and my mom have not always been that close. BUT now as I am getting older and have children I realize that my mom is one of the most important people in my life. She is ALWAYS there... and always willing to be there. It is amazing how one phone call to my mom can make my day seem to be better. These days I only hope that when my children are my age they can say that their mom(me) is their best friend. So hopefully by sunday I can find a present that represents to my mom how happy I am she is my mom.
For all of the moms that do read this...Happy Mothers Day.
Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom
For all of the moms that do read this...Happy Mothers Day.
Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom
GOD IS LOOKING OUT FOR ME!
I have been thru alot of changes over these past 4 or 5 years. But I think the best change so far is meeting you.
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE NOW!
Someone that would tell me I'm beautiful instead of hot. A guy who would move the hair away from my eyes and then kiss me. Someone that kisses me on the forehead for no other reason than to say he cares. That would kiss me in the pouring rain and not worry about getting soaked. Someone that would throw stuffed animals at me when I'm acting silly and then kiss me a milllion times. Someone who would let me gossip to him and would just smile and agree with everything I said. That will call me three times a day if he goes away just because he misses me. Someone who would call me back if I hang up on him.
A guy that would argue with me over something silly just so we can make up. That would take me to the park and wouldn't be afraid to hold my hand infront of his friends or anyone else that happens to be around. Someone that would count stars with me. A guy that would sing to me at random moments just to see me blush. That would do anything to make me laugh when I'm feeling down. Who wants to show me off to the world, even when I look my worst. Someone that would tell all his friends about me and smile while he did it. That would never be afraid to say "I love you" in front of them. A guy who can turn to his friends, nod his head toward me and say, "that's her" and they know exactly who he's talking about. A guy who would make me feel safe and would protect me, no matter who he has to go against. Someone that would stay home with me on a Friday night just to snuggle up on the couch under a blanket and watch movies together. Who would let me sleep on their chest and stay awake just to watch me sleep.
But mostly, I want someone who would be my best friend.
That would never break my heart~~~Who is a hit and stay!
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE NOW!
Someone that would tell me I'm beautiful instead of hot. A guy who would move the hair away from my eyes and then kiss me. Someone that kisses me on the forehead for no other reason than to say he cares. That would kiss me in the pouring rain and not worry about getting soaked. Someone that would throw stuffed animals at me when I'm acting silly and then kiss me a milllion times. Someone who would let me gossip to him and would just smile and agree with everything I said. That will call me three times a day if he goes away just because he misses me. Someone who would call me back if I hang up on him.
A guy that would argue with me over something silly just so we can make up. That would take me to the park and wouldn't be afraid to hold my hand infront of his friends or anyone else that happens to be around. Someone that would count stars with me. A guy that would sing to me at random moments just to see me blush. That would do anything to make me laugh when I'm feeling down. Who wants to show me off to the world, even when I look my worst. Someone that would tell all his friends about me and smile while he did it. That would never be afraid to say "I love you" in front of them. A guy who can turn to his friends, nod his head toward me and say, "that's her" and they know exactly who he's talking about. A guy who would make me feel safe and would protect me, no matter who he has to go against. Someone that would stay home with me on a Friday night just to snuggle up on the couch under a blanket and watch movies together. Who would let me sleep on their chest and stay awake just to watch me sleep.
But mostly, I want someone who would be my best friend.
That would never break my heart~~~Who is a hit and stay!
SOUL MATE
In our quest for happiness we must be sure that we don't settle for a
Playmate when God has a Soul mate waiting for us. Sometimes this is a
hard distinction to make. Playmates are tricky. They are so much fun
to be with that even the smartest of us will be fooled into thinking
this has to be our Soul mate. Worse yet too many of us attempt to make
a Soul mate out of a Playmate. Women Do this more often than men!!!!!!! STOP!
The danger of this is that later, after years of playing we will meet
our Soul mate, but it may be too late then. DUE to impatience we may have already made a
Life mate of our Playmate and created life-long bonds (emotional,
children, etc.) Or we may have been hurt from playing so hard that we
are in no shape ourselves to be anyone's anything. How can we
distinguish between the One, and just another one?
First, we must be open with ourselves about who we really are and what
our soul yearns for. Only you and God know what is truly in your heart
and mind. Only you know what will make you truly happy and whole.
In order to find your Soul mate you have to know you, first. You must
be willing to listen to that inner voice. And is that voice telling you
that the nerdy person you enjoy talking and sharing your thoughts with,
could be he? What about that friend who is always willing to go the
extra mile for you when no one else will.
Oh no! He's too short or too tall, balding or too hairy, and on and on?
Just too ordinary looking for me! Then there's that girl who makes you
feel so special when you're around her, but she doesn't match that ideal
you have conjured in your head. She's too tall, not slender enough, not
light or dark enough, not shapely enough, not attractive enough, and on
and on. She just couldn't be for me! So what if he or she doesn't look
like Denzel Washington or Janet Jackson! He or she is going to treat you like the jewel that you are.
Not only that, his or her soul and yours will commune in ways you never
imagined possible! In order to heed that voice, we have to put on the
back burner our own superficial thinking. Could it be that your inner
desire is for a truly genuine person with a good heart? If you enjoy
playing, stay on the playground. There are plenty of Playmates out
there to occupy your time. But don't spend too much time playing or you
may play your life away.
Eventually the playing loses its appeal and your soul begins to crave a
deeper, more meaningful connection. Your soul begins to crave your Soulmate.
Playmate when God has a Soul mate waiting for us. Sometimes this is a
hard distinction to make. Playmates are tricky. They are so much fun
to be with that even the smartest of us will be fooled into thinking
this has to be our Soul mate. Worse yet too many of us attempt to make
a Soul mate out of a Playmate. Women Do this more often than men!!!!!!! STOP!
The danger of this is that later, after years of playing we will meet
our Soul mate, but it may be too late then. DUE to impatience we may have already made a
Life mate of our Playmate and created life-long bonds (emotional,
children, etc.) Or we may have been hurt from playing so hard that we
are in no shape ourselves to be anyone's anything. How can we
distinguish between the One, and just another one?
First, we must be open with ourselves about who we really are and what
our soul yearns for. Only you and God know what is truly in your heart
and mind. Only you know what will make you truly happy and whole.
In order to find your Soul mate you have to know you, first. You must
be willing to listen to that inner voice. And is that voice telling you
that the nerdy person you enjoy talking and sharing your thoughts with,
could be he? What about that friend who is always willing to go the
extra mile for you when no one else will.
Oh no! He's too short or too tall, balding or too hairy, and on and on?
Just too ordinary looking for me! Then there's that girl who makes you
feel so special when you're around her, but she doesn't match that ideal
you have conjured in your head. She's too tall, not slender enough, not
light or dark enough, not shapely enough, not attractive enough, and on
and on. She just couldn't be for me! So what if he or she doesn't look
like Denzel Washington or Janet Jackson! He or she is going to treat you like the jewel that you are.
Not only that, his or her soul and yours will commune in ways you never
imagined possible! In order to heed that voice, we have to put on the
back burner our own superficial thinking. Could it be that your inner
desire is for a truly genuine person with a good heart? If you enjoy
playing, stay on the playground. There are plenty of Playmates out
there to occupy your time. But don't spend too much time playing or you
may play your life away.
Eventually the playing loses its appeal and your soul begins to crave a
deeper, more meaningful connection. Your soul begins to crave your Soulmate.
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