Bible study tonight was rough.

I have issues with Happy, Healthy, Wealthy philosophies. I don't really think that God calls everyone to have good health, money, and easy times when they become Christians.

I went to a conference with Heather on Friday. The speaker was Creflo Dollar. I was a bit leary of him because I was afraid it was just going to be a show, but he was a good speaker. I was a little amused when he shouted "Somebody say power" and "Say Hallelujah twice". Whatever. I may not be used to it, but there is nothing wrong with being demonstrative. It was when he said "Turn to your neighbor and say 'I'll never be broke another day in my life'" that I got my feathers a little ruffled. He is obviously a devoted servant of the Lord, but that part did NOT sit well with me.

I expressed that I didn't agree with that to Heather and her mom, and while they agreed that not everyone was called to be wealthy, they did agree that God wants to bless his people financially. I just don't know how I feel about that. I agree with this verse out of Proverbs 30:

8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread

I feel that it takes a lot of spiritual maturity to handle having money without it damaging your relationship with God, and I honestly at this point in my life want desperately to never forget from whom my help comes from.

I know that God blesses and protects his children. I don't always think it is monetarily. I know that Paul was a man after God's heart, and that he lived a life full of danger and severe persecution. I envy his relationship with and his dedication to serving God.

Heather, Tiffany and I were the only ones at Bible study tonight, and Tiffany asked about the Creflo Dollar conference, and I told her that I liked it, and that he was funny, but that I wasn't sure I agreed with everything he said. Heather got frustrated with me because she knew that part of my hesitation came from a conversation that I had with my friend Julie the day after the conference, and Julie kind of affirmed what I was feeling about the money issue. That doesn't mean that she's right or that I'm right.

Maybe I don't have enough faith in God. Maybe I feel like I am not spiritual if I have money when so many others don't, or that I want to have a relationship with God where it doesn't matter what I have as long as I am living in his will. All I know is that I got very defensive and I really wanted to walk out when we were talking tonight because I felt a little ganged up on (Tiffany was agreeing with Heather).

I will be in the Scriptures about it, and just to let you know, we were able to get past being confrontational. I am open to revising my way of thinking if it means living God's best for my life. I know that God's best is not what the world would call "best". I pray that God would open my eyes and direct me to his heart on this matter.

I feel giddy...

On Wednesday night my friend and I went to the New Kids on the Block concert at the Richmond Coliseum. The opening act was a group called the Jabbawockeez..they were about eight guys with white drama masks on who did combination street/breakdancing routines. Apparently they debuted on America's Best Dance Crew and won, and now they are touring across the country. There were mildly humorous aspects to their performance, such as when a bunch of guys with white masks did Beyonce's "Single Ladies", or when they did "PYT" by Michael Jackson, but they weren't singing and there was a lot of dancing with a mop, which I could have skipped.
Here's a clip of them doing Beyonce:









My best friend Julie and I..so excited to be in the same room as Joey Joe and Donnie Wahlberg..When I first got there I was surprised to see such an eclectic group of fans..young and old, many sporting New Kids T-shirts or dressed in eighties' attire (Julie tried to make me, but I wasn't having it). Some women were pretty dressed up, as if they were reuniting with long lost boyfriends instead of going to sit in sticky auditorium seats. It was a good day to be people-watching.

I was gettin impatient as I had to sit through the opening act..kind of feeling as though maybe this would be a waste of time. And then..finally..the music for the New Kids started throbbing, and I was a kid all over again. I raised my voice in unison with thousands of other women as we saw the men who had captured our hearts twenty years ago. That dormant love swelled, and we were swept away as five boys who were now men turned and smiled, and then began singing some crazy new songs that were a little inappropriate.

Julie and I screamed crazy things like "I love you, Donnie" and danced and just had a great time full of general tomfoolery. They still know how to get a crowd going, and we all went crazy when they did their old stuff, such as "Step by Step" and "The Right Stuff". It was cool to see 40 year old men pretend like they still had it goin' on..but you know what..they kind of did! The concert ended on one of the newer songs, and after they said goodbye, we all just stood there, waiting. They hadn't performed their most popular song, and it would be a huge let down to leave without hearing it. So, of course, the music started bassing again and out they came in Celtics Jerseys to do "Hanging tough". They rocked it out and I can honestly say it was one of the most fun times I have had in quite a while.

Hangin' Tough:


I have to warn you..it's pretty loud!


The euphoria has worn off a bit..but I loved it!

Just wanted to let you know..

I really enjoyed reading all of your comments from my last post. Each one of you gave me a different aspect to reflect on. Thank you! I will be back to writing real posts sometime soon..don't have the time today because I need to be getting ready for a concert..New Kids on the Block! I am only excited because I am going to see it with my bestest, Julie. We went to their concert in 1990 (she'll tell you it was 89), and we were absolutely crazy about them. I, in particular, loved Joey McIntyre. I dreamed a few nights ago that I met him and he was really old and missing teeth..so hopefully, he'll look a little better in reality! I will try to take some pics! I hope everyone is having a good week!

Advice, please!

I would love your input. Here are some questions I have been pondering over. I know that God is infinitely wise, and that Jesus was the fullness of God in human flesh. So when he was talking to people, he was doing it with full knowledge of how people respond to certain ways of speaking, and he always spoke truth. Many peoples' lives were changed when they met him. Others wanted to kill him. I want to study more how Jesus acted and spoke, so that I can emulate him in my relationships with others. These are some things my friend Tiffany and I were speaking about after Bible study tonight, as we discussed how frustrating it can be to try to lead others to know God. If you have any advice or wisdom, throw it out there! Thanks!




How did Jesus relate to people?

In what ways can I be more like Christ when trying to form relationships with others?

How do we talk to people about God without making them uncomfortable and guilty?

What has worked for you? What has God showed you that has made it easier for you to reach people?