Not Finished Yet - I Am a Work In Progress - Be Patient With Me

www.mycanadiancontractors.com has an iPod Nano Giveaway and thought some of you might have it on your Christmas list or your children's Christmas list. The contest is simple and no purchase necessary. If you have a website or a blog, all you have to do is link back to them. Just the way I do it now.

You can find Kitchen Renovation Contractors and all kinds of contractors on their site.

For more info how to enter click the link here iPod Nano Giveaway

Good Luck to all. 

Have you ever wondered if you could have the opportunity to go back in time and change your life, what would be the date you would choose to backup your life? Most of you seen one of those “time machine” movies, when the main character was able to go back in time and fix future mistakes.

I know, some of you who read my blog were wondering where was I in the last couple of weeks? The last time I posted on the blog it was about six weeks ago. Some of you contacted me in regards of my disappearance and I want to say thank you. You’re concern meant a lot.

There were two main reasons I haven’t posted:

• -My hubby and I launched an online business called: www.mycanadiancontractors.com which took endless hours of final preparation
• -I had an online data lost issue. For whatever reason, one day one of our websites went blank black. I called the hosting company to find a solution to restore the website. I found out, that hosting more websites on the same IP will affect ALL my sites if something goes wrong with one of them. The hosting company offered to backup my server to a previously saved date.

It was absolutely interesting: I had three different date options to choose from. Before they began to restore my server, they explained that ALL my websites will be restored to the date I choose and everything after that date will be erased.

I choose the closest date to the actual failure as I wanted to lose as minimum data as possible. It didn’t work. The backup wasn’t full, so I had to go back in time few more weeks. After few hours of service interruption finally, the hosting company was able to restore my data to the previously saved backup date. It took me and a friend of mine days to restore some of the lost data.

After I finished the conversation with the hosting company the question came up: "Piri – if you could have the opportunity to have a LIFE BACKUP option - what date would you choose?" Personally, these are the questions that challenge me to the core of my being. If the operator would ask – "please tell me where to take you back?" - What would I answer … what would you answer?

The next couple of days, mentally I went back in time again and again and wondered where would I go back? I had many many memories come back to life. I was laying in my bed at night, for nights in row, and wondering Piri - what date would you go back? In my mind, I recalled dates and now I know the after time consequences. Going back in time and change the mistakes I made, how would my life look like today without all that pain and drama caused by my own choices, disappointment and hurt caused by others, grief and loss?

Today, I’ll stop here: I want you to meditate on this. I want you to ask yourself this question: If you could have a major backup of your own life: what date would you choose and why? Of course I would love to hear from you, but I guess this is really personal for many of you to just be honest. If you’re not comfortable, that’s OK. Please take some quite time, find a place where you can be by yourself and ask yourself again and again: where would you go back? And why? Take a piece of paper and write it down, just for yourself … and then come back to see what date I would return … (I will be really honest and really personal).

They’re cold as you touch them, and you feel its rough finish. You stand in the crowd, and with a stern look you survey those around you. She is humiliated by her nakedness; you stare at her body, but can’t look into her eyes. You feel the stone’ weights as you’re rubbing it together.

“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” ~ John 8:4

She was caught. He was caught. And you’re in the crowd rubbing the stones, ready to throw them. She sinned. He sinned. It’s sin. Let’s outcast them! Let’s stone them!

Jesus is not talking now. He - stopped down … and … wrote in the dust with his finger. (And since then, thousands of theologians tried to solve the reading from the sand). He didn’t’ talked, he didn’t look at them. With his head turned down, Jesus wrote.

The crowed didn’t like HIS approach. He supposed to encourage them to follow the law. He should pick up a stone and throw it first. The crowed demanded an answer! And we demand an answer! She/he sinned. What to do? We demand an answer! We pick up the Bible and look and search for the law. Stones in our hands, laws in our hands … we demand an answer!

Jesus stood up … looked into their eyes … one - by - one: All right, you want to stone her? Ok go ahead, stone her. You know the law. It’s in your hands, just like the stones. You have your hands in the air, ready to throw it. “All right, BUT (emphases mine) let the one who has NEVER sinned throw the first stone!” ~ John 8:7b and then, he stopped down again and …wrote.

Most of you know and seen the shows, and sometimes you might wondered ‘what if’ you could be the next recipient of a makeover.  What kind of makeover would you prefer? Home addition, facial makeover, body makeover, what not to wear makeover or a financial makeover? Would you even be interested in a total life makeover? We all have areas in our lives what would benefit from an extreme makeover.

We love the extreme makeover idea. Someone steps in, and pays the price for your deficiency. You realize that in every extreme makeover someone pays the price to eliminate the inequities and defects that are in need of a makeover.

Every makeover has two parties involved:

•  - someone who receives the makeover
•  - someone who steps in to cover the makeover related costs and/or implementation

The makeover recipient has to realize, that in order to complete the transformation, the receiving individual has to surrender their deficiencies. You MUST give up your shortcomings like your old home, kitchen cabinets, hair style, wardrobe or debt to be able to receive the makeover. As a makeover recipient, you WILL loose your faults and the defects associated with your problem in order to receive the desired restoration.

When Jesus came to this earth to offer restoration for you and me. He paid the price for your life’s makeover when he choose to die on the cross. Jesus covered the cost of our life transforming makeover. God loved you so much that He stepped in and offered His best. To receive your makeover you have to surrender your inequities. You have to give up your sinful nature, you have to just empty yourself and receive the gift of life, eternal life.

As we live our life in this world even the most well willing person will from time to time screw up things. It’s absolutely inevitable that we make mistakes and more than just making mistakes, we make some bad choices over our lifetime.

I sincerely believe this should not be a surprise to any of us. We live in a broken world in a constant battle between good and bad. Some would say that you have no choice over the bad powers. I would argue with that. I sincerely believe that satan has only as much power over us as much we allow him. The problem often is that we choose, knowingly or unknowingly, to be satan’s instrument.

Did you ever heard “the devil made me do it” slogan?  Sorry, but the devil can NOT make you do anything. God gave you free will to overcome and over write the devil’s temptation and your personal choice IS what makes you DO things.

So if we all screw it up, then the question remains what do we do when we realize that we screwed up?

I can tell you from experience that everyone acts a little different when they realize they’ve screwed up. Many of us want to hide (Adam and Eve are a great example of this).

Some of us go into defending our mistakes despite the overwhelming evidence. Like few weeks ago someone looked into my eyes and just flat out lied. When confronted she said:” Sorry that you feel that way. God knows why I said what I said. I can explain it to you”.  I was like thank you Pastor not interested in your explanation. You lied. Don’t defend yourself. Just confess your sins and ask God to forgive.

Others practice avoidance, pretending nothing happened at all. Some screams at the top of their lungs hoping to get sympathy for whatever it is they done wrong. Not a bad strategy.

I was thinking few days ago how our point of view about God changes throughout our life journey.  We all go through different challenges, trials and circumstances which over time form our character. Every time we face these transforming periods we get to know God in a new angle. It’s not God changing as God never changes. Our God aspect is changing. I would not choose most of these circumstances. But I am thankful for the results God is doing through them. 

This time I would ask you to be part of this game if we could call it as such. What are the most recent ten things about God as you acquainted him? Please share your personal experience what you learned about God lately. 

My ten things about God as I acquainted him lately: 

I was watching the “True Beauty” TV series tonight. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to follow every week the show, but sometimes I invest the time to watch it. I like this show.

Every time I see this show I would remember 1 Samuel 16:7 ~ “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This competitive reality series takes some beautiful girls, handsome boys and pits them against each other - but not in the way they think. While the lovely people on the series believe that they are being judged purely on their beauty looks, their actions are being observed as well, with judges forming conclusions based on their frequently bratty behavior.

Each week, the gorgeous contestants are faced with challenges to their outer beauty, like photo shoots and trips down the catwalk, but unbeknownst to them, they're also given challenges that reveal character, conscience, and intelligence.

I am amazed to see what people are capable to do for a $100,000. It’s a competition, yet they have no idea that the judges are judging them on their inner beauty as well. The interesting part comes when the bottom two contestants

If you are like most of us, then you've often wondered if you really matter. Often as we live our daily lives and go on with our schedules, we question ourselves, we wonder if our life is truly valuable. We play the "comparison" game. You look at many successful people and wonder your life, your seemingly insignificant life as a mom, as a wife, as a husband, as a child, as a co-worker..etc.. has any long term value? 

As a financial planner I can tell the difference I make in a family as soon as I walk out of their home, sit down to calculate where they stand financially, and how  I can help them reach their goals. I know the numbers, and when I save a family hundreds of dollars a month and teach them how to get out of debt sooner, I know that I made a positive impact in their life. 

As a mom I know that just being around my kids it brings value to their life. They love me and I love them. My kids are important and I would give up anything for them. As a wife, I support my husband and try my best to be a good wife. But above that what is my life in an eternal perspective? What does my life count for when it comes to God’s kingdom? 

I read something couple of weeks ago and I’m still pondering on it. It’s interesting how our mind brings in context anything we read. We have a basic knowledge and believe on just about anything. Our knowledge and believe system determines the way we react when we read, hear or see something. 

Just look around and notice the different denominations that surround us. I always wondered why? Some keep the Sabbath, while others gather together to worship Sundays. Some wash one others feet as a sign of humility. Some insist that the Holy Spirit baptism is the only mark that you belong to Christ. 

While some believe in miracles and speaking in tongues others claim this is not our generation’s gift. While some pray to St. Mary and need the priest to mediate in their conversation with God, others talk with God in an absolute casual way. Some proclaim that physical healing is still available today; others believe that was only available in the apostle’s times. Some believe in the law others in God’s grace. 

My hubby always says that if you want to prove that you are “right” you can open the Bible and prove it. There is a Bible verse for everything. There are as many interpretations of the Bible as there are those that read it. 

Some people see one thing as sin, others don’t. The question remains how we interpret the Bible? There are many translations and each individual brings his own thinking into the text when reads the Scripture. 

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I saw this video clip and I remembered the cartoon below. They both kind of say the same story. It really got me, because I am not one of those people either who around you can just draw a line and put it in a box. 

“For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts”. ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:4 

I always wondered - what is the reason behind people giving up their God given dreams just to please and fit in someone’s box. Who do you want to please: God or people?

I think we often try to please people because we don’t want to be left alone. We want to fit into the circle, we want to be part of the club. We often give up to obey and please God just to be accepted by people. 

We let people draw lines around us to fit us into their boxes. Just to be accepted, just to fit in. This is wrong, because God examines our heart and see that we would rather give up our God given gifts and talents just to please some. 

Who is drawing the line around you: your parents?  Your Spouse? Your teacher? Your pastor? Church leader? Your weakness? Your inexperience? Who is telling you that you are not good enough to be more? 

Don’t ever let anybody steal your dreams by drawing a line around you.

Galatians 5:22-23 says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (NIV)

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (NLT)

The only way we can always identify who is a real Christian, the one who lives under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit and who is not, is observing the fruit of their life.

Jesus made this really clear and easy. “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” ~ Matthew 7:20 – Not by their words. 

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ ~ Matthew 7:21-23 

Jesus is really clear about the fact that just because someone calls themselves his disciple, his follower, just because someone calls himself a Christian, or prays in Jesus’ name, or performs miracles in his name, means nothing without doing God’s will. It’s not the one who talks the talk, but the one who walks the walk who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!” ~ 1 Corinthians 9:24 

In the last couple of days many thoughts preoccupied my thinking pattern. In the church I attend there are things that should not be, there is pain caused by church leaders and there is even more presumption because there is no honest communication. 

Friday I attended a school relay event with thousands of kids competing against each other.  It was a wonderful day to be outside and watch my kids’ excitement from the time we left until we come home.

It was very obvious as they got closer to complete that nervousness filled the air. They took this race very seriously as they should. If you are not nervous before a race, means that you don’t care. If you don’t care you will never give your best and if you don’t give your best you’ll never win the race. 

I sat in the freshly cut grass and watched their run. The difference between the winner and looser was only seconds or parts of a second. 

They lined up beside each other and I could see how they measured up themselves against their competitors. Some of them right there in that second won or lost.

He/she is taller then me, stronger, faster. I don’t have a chance against them. I will win this one. He might be taller, but I am faster.

I was listening to their comments and saw a parallel between their results and comments they made right there before they even started to run.

“My complaint is with God, not with people, I have good reason to be so impatient” ~ Job 21:4 

This is so honest. Where do we get the idea that we can have a reason to be impatient with anyone, let alone with God? Job felt that he had a good reason to complain and be impatient with God. 

Did you ever complain to God? I have to admit that I do go through times when I complain to God. When things really don’t make sense, when I know that God is able to change things and He doesn’t, when I see hurt people and wonder where God is now? Why isn’t He doing something? 

I sometimes feel that I have a good reason to complain and be impatient with God. Like when I am impatient about my dad – God how long? When are you going to change my dad? How long my mom has to live in that abusive situation? Lord 40 years is not enough? God only you CAN change my dad, so why is it taking you sooo long? 

Do you think I have a good reason to be impatient? Do you think I have the reason to complain? 

The good news is God is OK with that. “Honest people can reason with him” ~ Job 23:7 

After lot of praying and careful consideration I’m getting ready and planning the first study what we will have here on WIP. If you read my blog and you are not a member yet, please take a moment and sign up as a member. Our studies are available for members only. Membership is free. As a member you will be able to connect with other members and use the chat for study discussions.  

The first study will be called Facing Your Giants and we will follow Max Lucado: Facing Your Giants book and Study Guide. Last fall someone told me about this book so I ordered the book and it really challenged me on many different levels in my life. I like Max Lucado’s books and this book really helped me to stay focus and keep my eyes off the “giants” of my life and look up to Jesus. 

Sign up today as a member and follow us on facebook and twitter for the updates of the exact date when our study starts. 

I am excited because I believe when God talks to you he does it so through you he can help others who go through same challenges.

“I want you to face the mountain,
so that you can see,
when the mountain is out of the way
all there is left is Me.
Only I can move the mountain,
only I can push it away,
only I can conquer the problems,
that you face today.
Your only job is to believe, to listen to My voice,
and when you hear what I command
obedience is your choice.
But I will not make it to difficult
for the victory is already Mine,
and I will fill you with My Spirit
and through you
My grace will shine.
Not when you are perfect,
like you think you need to be,
but when your heart is willing to
become more and more like Me.” ~ Unknown Artist 

I found this poem two years ago when we went through some very difficult times in our lives (we lost our baby girl) and I cried out to God to help me stay strong. This poem felt in my lap. I knew God answered my prayer. I know God talked to me through this poem and the message was clear.

God already has won the victory. He already fought the fight! Death couldn’t hold him! Jesus rose from death, the final word is written. 

“When Judah realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to the LORD for help. Then the priests blew the trumpets, and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah” ~ 2 Chronicles 13: 14-15 

What a day, what a story. The army of Judah was fighting Jeroboam and they trusted and obeyed God so they were ready for battle. “We [the people of Judah] are following the instruction of the Lord our God, but you [Jeroboam and all Israel] have abandoned him. So you see, God is with us. He us our leader… O people of Israel do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!” ~ 2 Chronicles 11b-12. 

Looks familiar? How often when we fight our enemies and we put our trust in our Lord, our God, we believe in God’s deliverance, we stand, we fight, we pray, we proclaim God’s promises, we believe our children will turn to God, we believe that God will heal us and/or our loved ones, we believe that God can make a way even in a weak economic situation too.

“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and everyone else” ~ 1Thessalonians 5:15

But always try to be kind, good, and nice to each other … and everyone else. What do ‘each other’ mean in this passage? Paul talks to church members… so we should first and most be kind to our closest people: to our family members, close friends, church members … AND everyone else.

Often is easier to be kind with strangers, because they don’t hurt you. Those close to you are more likely to hurt you more often. So how do you respond? They are rude, so you are rude. They poke you, you poke them back, they don’t invite you to a family event, next time you’ll “forget” to add them to the guess list, they don’t call for your Birthday, so you don’t call either and the list goes on and on.