So to go along with my last post about change. I signed up for this Intense Discipleship Program at my church. Confession: I am a Christian. I know that this may not totally be apparent unless you read about me meeting my ex-bf on ChristianMingle. But yes I am a Christian and I am proud of it. I don't go around "shoving it down throats" or yelling it out loud, but I do my best to live the life that God and Jesus have directed me to live. I try to be non-judgmental as it is said "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" John 8:7 (NASB). This may not be the exact same version that most people learn, but it gets the point across, and it is the version of the bible I have sitting next to me.
I have just finished my first Daily Devotion of the program and the reading was Acts 18. The verse that stood out for me today is the reason I am posting this blog. I think even though this is about my graduate life that I am going to also share my life as Christ is directing it as that is part of my graduate life. If this offends any of you I am sorry, but this is is who I am. I am sharing my faith as the verse that "spoke" to me told me to do. In Acts 18:9-10 "And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city." These verses told me that I should not be afraid to share my faith as the Lord is with me. So that is what I am doing.
So just so that those of you who read this and those I talk to (the 1 or 2 of you) I will give you a heads up of what the "requirements" are for this program. I must attend class every week (Confession: sadly I will be breaking this rule in a few weeks, resulting in my "dropping" the class. I will be on spring break and have had these plans for months, so not canceling them.). I must attend church every Sunday and sit as close to the front as I can (Confession: blech, I like my back row seat, I do not want to sit near the front, but the pastor knows I'm doing the program). Daily Devotions and 10 minutes of distraction free, outloud prayer (Confession: the only time I talk to God outloud is when I'm having very random conversations with him or sometimes just ranting. I guess prayer is just talking to God so this part shouldn't be to hard, except that 10 minutes is a long time.) I have to listen to Faithbuilders on CDs, for this first week I have to listen to 2 cds and then write about them for a quiz I will be taking each class. Memorization of verses which isn't too hard for me, especially because one of the verses I am learning this first week is one of my favorites: Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Don't know the exact version of the bible, but will figure that out before Sunday. Next I have to serve in a ministry at my church each week which. isn't too bad. I have to love people and be kind and encouraging...I do this anyways and do my best to not be "mean". I also have to be an example of God's love, again I try to do this already. If I've been mean to any of my readers, I apologize and hope you can forgive me for what I did to you. But I do not apologize for sharing my faith if that is what I have done to you. Some other random ones things that I need to do and isn't too hard for me.
Now for the kicker in which both R who lives with me and my mom asked if I had joined a cult. I know they sound crazy and I'm already going crazy from. Limit media (TV, internet, books, magazines, video games, phone apps, etc.) to 2 hours A WEEK unless it is work or school related. This is only two hours a week, I watch at least 5 hours of TV a week and spend way more of that online doing random things...:( I am going to struggle without watching all of my tv shows. I also cannot listen to secular music (which means no country for the next 4 weeks...dying), no movie theaters (dying again....so many good movies out), only appropriate movies and video games. And the last one in which any college student of any level will gasp and yell "BLASPHEMY" at is no alcohol. No bars for me as I cannot drink or listen to the music. Might not follow this as I will be on spring break and I'm already dropping the course for spring break, so oh well.
So for those of you who think I am crazy...I am using this as a social experiment as well as a way to get closer to God. There is music other than country (gasp) and I already hardly drink...but now that bottle of wine on the counter looks really good. I can do this for hopefully three weeks is my goal, maybe 2.
Wish me good Luck....and pray for me if you believe in it.
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