Of Boredom, Final Grades, and Experiences

I'm just going to ignore the fact that I've not posted for over a month, okay?  Thank you.


  At the end of February, I began taking the final class in the Signature Leadership Courses by Dr. Jeff Myers.  This was an eleven week class, set to finish on May 10th.  I was not going to be able to start classes at Thomas Edison until June...so I was excited for that three week break!  Well...long story short, for multiple reasons, I wanted to finish a week early.  However I ended up finishing almost two weeks early.  I was pumped that I would get over a month break!!  That quickly ended -- I believe it lasted only through the night.  I found that I didn't have much to do.  Sure, I could clean, watch movies, or read...but for some reason, that sounded a lot more fun before I was on break.  Typical.

  I kept myself busy by trying to sell books, enrolling in Thomas Edison (yes, that did indeed take a full day), and minimal cleaning.

  Finally, I could start preparing for LIVE's Mother's Day Brunch, which was happening Saturday, May 10th.  See, if I start planning too early, I'll get it all done, and then have nothing to do in the final days' leading up to it.  So I have to wait to plan for bigger events.  Anyway, I started meeting with a few of the planning committees comprised of my older girls.  I made way too many trips to Target...especially for someone who lives twenty minutes away from the nearest one.  I planned for the planning meeting which was happening two days prior to the Brunch.  I stayed up late prepping final touches for the gift that the girls were making for their moms.  I cleaned (sorta).  I painted my nails (which I never do).  We packed three laundry baskets full of food, decorations, and other supplies.  And I stayed up late Friday night relaxing watching TV (that's how I de-stress).

Shopping with the Decoration Committee!

  Even though I felt a little overwhelmed, and a tad-bit nervous for this Mother's Day Brunch, the event went spectacularly!  I can't even begin to describe how well it went and how fun it was!  I was thrilled to find out the moms enjoyed themselves, also!  My girls put a lot of work into helping me plan this event, I'm so proud of them!  They worked hard on decorations, writing a skit, writing their testimonies, singing, and making food.  I wish I could share more pictures, but for the sake of my girls' protection, I won't be able to.  But here are a couple photos to give you a small glimpse of the fun we had!

This young lady, who I have the amazing privilege of mentoring, shared her testimony in front of the moms.  Two other girls did as well - they all did a beautiful job!

  Other things that have been keeping me busy....

Mother's Day, 2014

My friend Ashley had surgery so I've spent a couple days hanging out with her as well as some others from our small group.

 On May 9th, I was given a ticket to Leadercast -- a world-wide, day-long simulcast featuring speakers including Laura Bush, Andy Stanley, Randall Wallace, Malcolm Gladwell, and more.  This was such an incredible opportunity for me, especially arriving on the heel of finishing my leadership class with Dr. Myers!  I learned so much, and would love to go again next year!  If you ever have the opportunity to go, GO! 

  A few great movies have come out recently, and my mom has taken my sister and I to them.  I love that our movie theater has $5 Tuesdays. :)

Watching Disney movies with my sister.  Boy do these bring back memories!

Yesterday, I made red velvet cake pops. (this is as great of a picture as I got)

Reading...

okay, so I've read one book on that list so far.  BUT, I still have 16 days of my break left!  Need to fill it with something besides my Nancy Drew games! :D

  Oh and that course I mentioned at the beginning?

Yep, I passed with 99%!  And...I am now a Senior in college!  Wow.  Finally!  :)  I begin my year at Thomas Edison in June and have ten classes to take with them.  By this time next year, I will be finishing up my very last college course EVER!!!

 There ya go, an update on my exciting life. ;)  And for those of you wondering...no, I do not have any more trips planned.  I wish I did, but I think traveling will have to wait until after I graduate (remember, just one more year!).  Besides, I have a four-month long backpacking trip through Europe to save for!! ;)

Sierra

Leadership Capstone, Colorado

  Last week, I took my second trip to Colorado in three months.  Actually, I just realized I forgot to write about my time at the World-Changers' Summit!  To quickly describe it: it was incredible!

  This trip to Colorado was a four-day leadership intensive for school.  I am currently taking Dr. Jeff Myers' third leadership course, titled Leadership Learning & Execution.  Sixty-one other students and I are in week seven of eleven of this class.  I have taken Dr. Myers' two other leadership classes also: Leadership Theory & Practice and Leadership Management & Communication.  These courses have all been amazing!  This third class has been focusing on mentoring, which has been such a blessing!  I started mentoring two girls last fall and I love it!  But since I have never been mentored, I had no idea how mentoring worked...just that I felt called to do it.  I was so excited to find out mentoring was the focus of this class!  I have a mentoree and a mentor for this class, both of whom have been blessings to me!  When a student completes all three classes of the Signature Leadership Courses, they receive a leadership certification for completing over 360 hours of leadership training!  I'm looking forward to receiving that in about a month!

  The one thing that differentiates this class from the other two is that there is a four day Capstone mid-way through.  Everyone in the class gathered in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado to learn together!  Although I didn't know what to expect and was a bit nervous about meeting my fellow students, I was really excited to hear Dr. Myers speak.  And my nervousness quickly melted away when I met my roommates!

they were the best.

we spent way too long taking these group selfies.

  We stayed in our room the first....two hours....and just talked.  It was never so easy to carry on conversation than with these girls!

"Planning is everything, but plans are nothing."

~Dwight Eisenhower

  The sessions were beyond amazing, in my opinion!  I had heard Dr. Myers speak in person at the World-Changers' Summit in January, but unfortunately he only spoke for one session there.  Last week, we heard him speak for over eight hours, and it was the general consensus that we could have listened for hours more!  All we would have needed were snacks and bathroom breaks, and listening to him for 24/7 would have been welcomed and easy! :)  I learned many principles last week about mentoring and coaching that I cannot wait to apply!

  I also had the opportunity, on the second night, to sit at the dinner table with Dr. Myers along with about eight others (although, by the end, that crowd had grown to about fifteen).  My roommate, also sitting at the table, asked him, "Dr. Myers, what do you love most about your job?".  First, you should know that Dr. Myers is the president of Summit Ministries, a very successful and highly regarded ministry.  And his answer was this, "I love being able to help others succeed at their jobs."  Wow!  I was blown away by his humility and wisdom as he continued to explain.

"I do not believe in a fate that will fall on us no matter what we do. I do believe in a fate that will fall on us if we do nothing."

~Ronald Reagan

  Another highlight of the week occurred the first evening.  My CollegePlus coach, Heidi, showed up!!!  She had four students there last week, so she surprised all of us by coming!  Heidi has been my coach since the beginning of CollegePlus...three years ago.  It was so fun to finally meet her in person and get to know her better!

  On the second day, there was about two hours of "unstructured activities" (must be the grown-up way of saying "free time").  I joined a small group of people who were going to spend some time in worship.  In the end, we sang for about two and a half hours!  It was such a blessed time of worshiping our Lord together.

  For a few projects throughout the Capstone, we were split into ten groups.  My group consisted of eight others.  They were so fun to hang out and work with throughout the week!  It was so encouraging to hear the dreams they have to serve the Lord and further His kingdom...I'm excited to see what He does through each of them as we stay in touch!

thanks, Jeanne, for joining our group!  we loved having you with us!

"God doesn't just reveal His plans; He reveals Himself."

  The last night, since we didn't have sessions in the morning, I decided I didn't care how much sleep I got (a common decision the last night of CP gatherings).  One of our roommates was leaving at 3am, so we decided to stay up with her.  Around midnight, some girls across the hall invited us over to watch a movie.  So...seven of us squished on a double bed to watch an action film on an iPad.  It was so fun, and photo-worthy...unfortunately, we were too tired to think of that.  I ended up getting about three hours of sleep that night.  :)

  I had a later flight (5:30pm) on Saturday, as did several others.  We were able to sit at the airport together for about four hours before we all split.

Liz and I at the airport

  And eventually, it was time for me to say goodbye to these beautiful mountains.

  Overall, it was a blessed time where I learned a ton, met a lot of new friends, and had such a fun time!  These classes are awesome and unfortunately, there's only three.  I will be savoring these last few weeks of this class!  Although, I do have to admit that I'm pretty excited for the three week break I get after its done. :)  

 God bless,

   Sierra

The $5 Savings Plan

  In September of 2012, I was browsing Pinterest (again) and came across something called the $5 Savings Plan.  It sounded pretty easy, so I began!

  For the $5 savings plan, you never spend a five dollar bill.  You get it as change, or the teller at the bank hands you a few when you're withdrawing cash, or someone's paying you back the money they owe you...never spend a five dollar bill!  It was a little difficult at first to remember, but I just stuck it in a separate pocket in my purse and it became easier and easier.

  I didn't know what I was going to save them for, but it was going to be for something big.  So in August of 2013, when we decided we were going to Mexico, I decided that all the 5's were going toward that.  By the time December came around, I'd been saving for 15 months and had a total of 500 dollars saved in five dollar bills!  And when I came home, I had some left over, and started all over again!  And within the past three months, I've saved over $200.  Although, it's really helpful when you pay for a $10 pizza with a $50 and the guy gives you $40 change in 5's.  :)  The key is to not ask for fives in change or cash in any setting!  I decided to set this money now aside for a little trip I may be taking in May.  Otherwise, it's just going to be set aside for vacations.

  Another thing, I don't ever spend change.  One, I hate taking the time to count it out at the check-out.  But two, you usually get change back when paying in cash.  And that change can add up quickly.  Not as quickly as five dollar bills, but still... :)

  I just wanted to share this little savings plan with you because it's really worked!  It also makes me more aware of what I'm spending.

  If you've tried this before, what did you think?  If you haven't, let me know what you think of this idea!

Sierra

From a Homeschool Graduate

  I recently had the privilege of sharing a bit about my homeschool journey with our local group of homeschool moms.  I thought I'd share on here, too, for any other homeschool moms who are interested in knowing what my mom did right and what we could have done differently on my homeschool journey.  Also, if you're not a homeschool mom or a homeschooler at all, maybe this will put some of your questions at ease. :)

  First of all, I am SO glad that I was homeschooled.  I wouldn't have had it any other way.  I remember in maybe 5th or 6th grade, I was behind in some of my school work.  It was around Thanksgiving, and my parents told me that if I didn't catch up by Christmas, they were putting me in school in January.  That was possibly the worst punishment, in my opinion, and I got down to work and caught up on that school! :)  I realize that homeschooling isn't for everyone, but for me, it was the right thing.

  My dad is actually the one who wanted us kids to be homeschooled.  My mom was a public school teacher for 12 years until my sister was born (I was 4).  I went to public school for kindergarten, but after that, my mom pulled me out and we started homeschooling.

  One thing I have to put to rest is that YES, homeschoolers have friends!  This is a common misconception - one that actually prevents other kids from befriending you.  The majority of my friends were also homeschooled.  I can only name two other people who were friends with me in spite of being homeschooled.  But, right after starting to be homeschooled, we started attending a local homeschool co-op where, twice a month around 30-40 families got together for three hours and the parents taught/supervised and students went to three different classes.  The classes changed throughout the years, but they included a geography class when I was younger, a logic class (my personal all-time favorite), science, creative writing, gym, art, and as high schoolers, we got a game hour to just have fun with each other.  It was a great place to meet new friends and build that initial foundation of friendship.

  I also attended a discipleship group for girls with several friends, before I started my own when I was 14.  Going to this group was a highlight, twice a month, where I learned more about living a life for Christ and also got to spend more time with friends.  But besides, those structured times, my mom was really good and purposeful about getting together with friends for my siblings and I.  We had friends over all the time, whether those friends lived in our neighborhood or 30 minutes away.  My mom recognized how important socializing was and made every effort to help us develop friendships.  I remember one year, my mom did a creative writing "class" just at our house with 4 or 5 of my friends and we got together for maybe four sessions and at the end had a mother's day...day where we presented our moms with an acrostic word project we'd made.  Every Christmas for a few years, my mom would organize a mother-daughter Christmas Tea with several other mothers and daughters we knew. We'd have a couple games, a devotional, singing, and had amazing food!  Because we didn't celebrate Halloween, we would invite about seven other families who also didn't celebrate it and just have a "harvest party".  This event often included a potluck, a campfire, and night games.

  My mom was also big on birthday parties, which she often allowed me to help plan!  I remember having a water-park birthday, a Hello Kitty party at a playground, a scrapbooking party/sleepover, a Nancy Drew computer game race birthday, a mystery dinner party, a soccer-themed party, and then my extremely memorable 16th birthday (which was a surprise).  She even let me and one of my best friends plan that soccer-themed party all on our own!  By helping plan those parties, I learned what all went into party-planning: invitations, RSVPs, decorations, games, food, cleaning, etc.  And now that I plan about a half-dozen parties for LIVE every year, I realize how important that experience was for me!  And as you can see, I never lacked time with friends.

  When I was in 5th, 6th, and 7th grade, I went to band at the public school, where I played flute.  I had a good friend who had started full-time public school the same year I started band, and although she was a year older, it was fun to be able to see her after school.  However, after 7th grade, I quit and just took private lessons.  People create stereotypes and oftentimes, all it takes is one person.  Just as it might take one homeschooler for every public schooler to be against them, it can take one public schooler for every homeschooler to not be so positive about them.  In 7th grade, we were supposed to play seven songs at the Spring concert.  By the time the concert came around we could play three or four.  That year was the worst!  My band director walked out crying twice because the kids were so disrespectful, I hardly learned anything that year, because the majority of the kids were disrespectful, and not enough students practiced at home nor paid attention in class to learn the assigned songs.  It was very frustrating to me, and I know that not every class is like that, but I was very glad that year that my parents homeschooled me, because of that experience I had.

  There are many things that, had I gone to public school, I would not have been able to do.  One of the biggest things is leading my discipleship group.  I started when I was 14 with girls in my neighborhood and it was then that I started writing curriculum, too.  I loved leading the group and those girls were so special to me!  My family moved in 2011 and that's when I started LIVE, with girls from our local homeschool group.  I cannot imagine what it would be like not having these girls in my life!  College has crossed my mind a few times, but the primary reason I won't go is because I would no longer be able to lead LIVE.

  Another thing is traveling.  My family has always taken vacations at least once a year with several camping trips crammed in, especially when I was younger.  Lots of families take vacations, I know.  But we would be able to start school a few weeks early and then, once school had started for everyone else, we would pack up and get out of waiting in lines and having those crowds!  One fall, my parents made the very hasty decisions to purchase a vehicle online...in North Carolina (and the funny thing is, that wasn't the only time, either!).  After they won the eBay bid, it went back and forth about who was going to go pick it up.  First, it was just my dad.  Then, I was going to go with him (I was 10 at the time).  In the end, two weeks later, all five of us were on a plane to NC.  But it wasn't just to NC that we went...we ended up driving to Williamsburg, VA!  That was one of the best vacations, ever!  In fact, we even decided to stay longer than originally planned because we could!
  One year, in 8th or 9th grade, I did a research paper on the Amish.  And that same year, my brother did a project on Gettysburg.  So on our vacation to Washington D.C. (which, by the way was SO much fun and SO much learning! :D), we stopped in Gettysburg so Aidan could see his project practically come to life.  And on the way home, we stopped in Ohio and stayed with an older Amish couple for a couple days and I learned so much after I'd done my paper!  That same trip, we also went to Assateague Island and Maryland City.
  Another year, it was a week and a half before Christmas and we got a call from my dad's uncle, who we didn't really know that well.  He told us they had some vacation points that needed to be used within two weeks and they wouldn't be able to.  He said he had two suites and asked if we knew any other homeschooling families who would be able to with us.  Of course, we said yes and invited three other homeschool families and four days later, we were on our way!  Oh, the joys of being able to drop it all and leave! :)
  We've also gone to Colorado, California, Wisconsin Dells (on other occasions), Mexico, and South Dakota.
  Last year was the first year that my parents allowed me to travel alone.  I was able to put school (both high school and college, thanks to CollegePlus) on hold and go to Virginia for a week.  I was able to take a mission trip to Haiti, go to Texas, leave on four days' notice to Florida with my dad, and in January/February of this year, I went to Colorado with three weeks' notice.  Traveling is something I love to do and it looks like I'll be able to more of it this year!

  Having a close relationship with my mom is something else that I don't think would have been possible had I gone to school.  I began growing closer to her in high school, which if I were in school, I probably would have been gone 9-10 hours a day, if not more.

  Also, being homeschooled provided me with opportunities for some jobs!  One year, a neighbor came over to our house to ask if I would be able to get her autistic son on and off the bus when she worked.  He rode a different bus than his siblings, so it actually came later in the morning.  If I had been at school, I wouldn't have had that experience.

  One more big thing is doing CollegePlus.  I did their CollegePrep program when I was 14 and by the time I was 15, a Sophomore in high school, I had 12 college credits.  By the time I graduated high school in 2013, I had 58 credits and was a Sophomore in college, and I currently am a Junior with 81.  I will be (Lord-willing) graduating in June of 2015 with my BS in Organizational Leadership through Thomas Edison State College.


  There are some things that my mom and I wish we had done differently in my "high school career". I hope maybe it will be helpful to you homeschool moms. :)

  Science.  I am not a science person at all.  My mom found a science curriculum one year and I...strongly disliked it. :)  I'm not sure what it was called, but it was boring and I didn't learn all that much.  And, when the time came for me to take the science CLEP test to earn college credit, I did not have a very strong foundation in science.  Yes, I did study (for four months, in fact) other resources for the CLEP, but honestly, I felt like I was starting completely from scratch.  I ended up failing the Natural Sciences CLEP...twice.  I realize that it's not all the curriculum's fault, but I do believe it played a role in it.  I think had we done Apologia, it would have been fine.

  Math.  So I'm not really a math person either.  Let me rephrase that...I love math when I understand it.  If it's easy for me...it's all good.  So I loved math up until 10th grade.  In 10th grade, we started Algebra II and I didn't understand it.  So, we switched to Geometry.  However, not only did we switch to Geometry, but we switched curriculum, too.  And I didn't not like this curriculum.  I think it's important that you have a curriculum that your student can understand and enjoys.  Otherwise, we're not going to get as much out of it as we should.  And the beauty of homeschooling is that you have dozens of curriculum options for each student!

  Foreign Language.  My mom and I would suggest you allow your student choose their own foreign language.  You can approve, sure, but let them choose.  My mom chose for me...Latin.  She thought that learning Latin would make learning any other language easier.  I did not want to learn Latin the first place, which made those three years kind of miserable.  I would have much rather learned French.  Yes, Latin may have been useful had I been a science major, but as we discovered with the failing of two Natural Science tests, that was NOT going to be the case. :)  Most people I know who have been out of high school for a couple years do not remember the foreign language they learned.  So by the time I ever get around to learning French, if ever, that Latin wouldn't be any use to me anyways.  Just something to keep in mind. :)

  Deadlines.  One thing, I wish my parents had been more strict on is deadlines.  It wasn't that my mom didn't set them, I just usually got out of them if I wasn't finished with m paper by then.  And when I started taking CLEP tests for college, there was no structure there, either.  For those tests, I was in complete control.  I ordered the books I thought I needed, I made my own study schedule, and set my own goals.  Because CollegePlus is flexible (which is awesome), my college degree could take me six months or six years...it didn't matter.  Now, I'm not hitting the six year mark, but I certainly didn't get it done by high school which was the original goal.  Because I was in complete control, I could push my goals further and further back over and over again.  And by the time I had to take my first online course, I was like, "Wait, what?  I have to get ALL this done by midnight on Saturday?!"  It was very stressful for me.


  I hope you found this post insightful into a homeschooler's life and somewhat helpful. :)  I am so glad that I had my parents as my teachers for my whole academic life, and that I get to have the SAME teachers for the rest of my life in all other areas. :)

In Christ,
    Sierra

and God said, "I Will"

  Last night, I was feeling a bit of anxiousness.  I'm a bit nervous about something coming up and it was weighing heavy on my mind last night.  And so, during my prayer time, I asked the Lord to, in these exact words, "give me peace which transcends all understanding".  Later in my prayer, as I was thinking about this upcoming weekend I'll be spending in Colorado, I asked the Lord, again in these exact words, "help me to live a life worthy of Your calling".

  After I turned my lights off to go to sleep, I got on my phone to look at my two Bible apps which each has its own "verse of the day".  It's something I started doing a few years back.  Sometimes, the verses fit perfectly with my day and God reveals great things to me, other times, it's just a good reminder.  But tonight, as I read those two verses, I saw the Lord answering two of my earlier requests.

  I clicked on the first app, and this verse popped up:

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to
live a life worthy of the calling you have received."    
~Ephesians 4:1

  Wow!  I was awe-struck that the Lord had me read that verse right after praying those words.  I heard Him say, "I will...help you live a life worthy of My calling."

  I clicked on the second app, and this verse popped up:

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

~Philippians 4:7

  No one is going to convince me that was a coincidence!  God revealed to me again, "I will...give you peace which transcends all understanding."  As I went to sleep last night, I was still a bit nervous of the unknown, but I was comforted that God is walking right next to me this whole time!

  I just had to share what He did for me last night!  And how He showed me that He's standing right beside me walking with me all the way, and carrying me when I need it.

He is good,
    Sierra

A Gift from God

I lift my life, lift my life up

I give it all in surrender

I lift my heart, lift my heart up

You can have it forever

All my dreams

All my plans 

Lord, I leave it in Your hands

I lift my life, lift my life up

~"Lift My Life Up" by Unspoken

  I was listening to this song last Tuesday night.  For some reason, I really listened to it.  I'd heard it before, but the words stuck out to me and I prayed the words in my heart.  It's funny - looking back to that night last week.  Just the night after I listened to that song again, but that time as praise - for what He'd done between Tuesday and Wednesday evening.  A twenty-four hour period.

  In December I had the privilege of meeting a woman who was such an encouragement to me!  She was interested in LIVE and asked me about the girls' group and other leadership opportunities I'd had.  After our meeting, she kindly told me she'd be praying for LIVE and myself.  I felt very encouraged by her words, especially since we barely knew each other.

  Last Wednesday night came and my phone went off.  Sometimes my phone goes off and I get excited for no reason because it's an ad of some sort or I got yet another email from Crafts Direct.  You know the kind.  But...this was a Facebook message - I saw it was from this gal and I was excited to hear from her again!  The reason for her message?  She wanted to invite me to something called World-Changers' Summit.  This is "a four-day event held every two years designed to provide practical training for young people in key leadership positions within Christian ministries around the world in how to move to the next level of effectiveness in all areas of Christian leadership."  I will be hearing from and meeting great Christian leaders such as John Stonestreet and Dr. Jeff Myers.  I have taken two of Dr. Myers' classes for college and have enjoyed them immensely!

  But!  Not only did she want to invite me to World-Changers' Summit...she wanted to personally pay for both my registration and airfare there!  Honestly, there's no way for me to accurately describe the gratefulness I feel for her and her husband.  There's no way for me to accurately describe how blessed I feel that not only she would choose me to sponsor but that God would choose me!!

  While this gift is extremely exciting, it's not the most exciting thing of all!  I strongly believe that God wouldn't send me this opportunity nor send me to the World-Changers' Summit if He didn't think I need to go.  He wouldn't send me there if He wasn't going to use it to prepare me for something greater.  To be honest, I'm only realizing this more and more as I'm typing this out.  :)

Take my life and let it be

All for You

~"Lift My Life Up" by Unspoken

  I came into this year desiring to bless others in some way or another.  Turns out, I got quite the blessing this year!  I will get to meet other young leaders and we will be able to learn from each other in ways I'm so excited to see!  I will also possibly have the ability to be coached by one of the keynote speakers.  

  I am so excited for this opportunity to learn and grow as a leader!  I know that what I learn will be applicable immediately as I come home to 23 girls in LIVE who I lead on a bi-monthly basis and as I mentor two girls individually on a monthly basis.  But then I know that somewhere in the unknown future, what I learn in those four days, will be applicable wherever God places me and uses me.

  For His Glory,

     Sierra

Imitators of Christ

  Quite a while ago, I watched a Youtube video (unfortunately, I couldn't find it) of a mom and daughters on a talk show.  This trio were Christians, yet spent the entire time on the show spouting out judgements.  Their judgements were made in a very inconsistent manner and were also not made in a Christ-like manner.

  After finishing the video, it wasn't hard for me to believe that some people have a hard time with Christians.  As humans, we set stereotypes...perhaps especially after seeing a video such as the one I watched.  It's no different for anything else!  If a Mormon, atheist, evolutionist, homeschooler, etc. were to go on TV, we'd probably come to believe that all Mormons, atheists, evolutionists, homeschoolers etc. believe exactly what they do!  But that's not true!  Not all Christians believe the exact thing, nor do all Christians act the same way.  I know people who judge others a lot and out loud and have often felt judged by them myself.  But not everyone is like that.

  Sometimes, on Pinterest, I'll run across a pin that sort of has a controversial saying...or people think it does.  It's interesting to read the comments on the pins (although you have to be careful of language sometimes).  Recently, I was scrolling through comments on a pin about a specific person.  There were a few people commenting who claimed to be Christians yet the words which followed after that claim included curse words along with very rude and unChrist-like statements directed towards that person and also a group of people.  Again, after seeing those comments, it's not hard to imagine that people have a hard time taking Christians seriously.  If we're claiming one thing, and then acting another way...should we be taken seriously?

  The following four verses/passages often remind me how important it is to not judge others.

"When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, 'Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'"

~John 8:7

  And then comes this verse which puts it all to rest.

"As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one.'"    ~Romans 3:10

  And in Matthew,

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."      

~Matthew 7:2

And another:

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."      

~Matthew 7:3-5

 Now, I do not claim to never cast a judgement on someone.  This post is a reminder to me just as much to anyone else.

 Today, I saw this quote and it inspired me to write this post:

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

~Gandhi

  Honestly, I wouldn't be too open to someone who claimed to believe one thing and saw their actions said otherwise.  Not everyone, but a lot of people know what's in the Bible.  They know that the Bible says to not judge others.  So when they hear or see us making a judgement, it isn't lost on them that we just went against the Word that we claim to be our life book!  When they see how we are rude to others, strangers or acquaintances, they recognize that we've gone against the Lord's second greatest commandment.

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

~Matthew 22:37-39

The last verse I want to share pretty much sums it all up:

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."

~Ephesians 5:1

Let's strive together to show the world how Jesus would act towards them.  He loves them just as much He loves you and I.  Let's be imitators of Christ.

In Christ's Love,

    Sierra