Living out a Legacy

What is a legacy?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as: "Something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past."

What kind of a legacy are you leaving?  It is my theory that one begins to work on one's legacy from the time they are born.  Character development, or a lack of such, is the job of a lifetime.  When I look at my life, I see many things that I wish I hadn't done, said, or focused my heart on.  It just all seems so petty now!  There are much better ways that I can spend living my life.

When I truly get down to the nitty-grittiness of it all, I realize that God has been showing me something; something that He has been unveiling and showing me to be true over the past several months.  Thankfully, He continues to show it to me when I need to be shown most.  And that thing, that idea, is that it doesn't really matter what we do with our lives, that it doesn't really matter what happens to us during our lives, as long as we keep our eyes and focus on Christ.

I had to take a test in one of my classes the other day.  I wasn't really looking forward to it, but unfortunately my professor didn't really take that into consideration.  :)  Anyway, we got the graded tests back today.  I didn't score nearly as well as I had hoped, and I felt my life begin to crumble.  The thing you have to know about me is that I may say that I don't care about good grades or doing well in school, but the fact of the matter is that I can't stand getting bad grades!!!  I get depressed, stressed, and angry if I do poorly.  After all, if I get a bad grade then it's going to affect my GPA, and my GPA is important if I want to get into a real college, and my insurance rates go down when I have good grades, etc., etc., etc.  I would much rather drop the class than continue on and sink my GPA.

But you know what God has been showing me?  He's been showing me that it's okay to get bad grades.  It's not a reflection on my life.  It's not even a reflection on my character!  It's merely a reflection of my understanding of subject matter that is not important when it comes to the kingdom!  WOW!  Yeah, I got depressed this morning, and yeah, I was forced to deal with it practically all day, but God is still in control.  All I really have to do is obey Him and trust Him if I want to succeed in life.

And that's the kind of legacy I want to pass down to my children.  I want to teach them how to live a Godly life and how to obey Him and please Him in everything they think, say and do.  I want to pass on a legacy of righteousness.  Character is so much more important than good grades.  I'm still learning how to grapple with letting go of my perfectionist tendencies in that area, but God is a patient teacher.

What legacy will you be passing on?

Bright Sunshiny Day

Isn't it amazing how when you draw back the curtains on your window light floods the room with its cheery warmth?  The stark contrast between the dark and the light hit me right in between the eyes today.  One minute it's hard to see as you squint your eyes trying to make various objects out, and the next minute everything becomes clear as day!  This is so representative of salvation!

Today is an amazing day because it is the day that the Lord has made.  Praise God for His mercies are new every day.

I love life!  Life is treating me so well!  I took a Spanish test today and almost died because of its difficulty, but God is good.  I really didn't want to get out of bed today, even though I was freezing, because I was exhausted.  But God is good.  I was able to actually sit down with a mug of hot coffee and the Bible before class today.  God is SO good!

Happy music -- such as "Happy," "Haven't Met You Yet," "Smile," etc. -- is playing it's cheerful strains through my ears.  It makes me feel like dancing.  Perhaps I will.

Life is good and God is good. Life is just as it should be.  :)

On the Subject of Friends

I have to thank God for this past Christmas break. Why? Because I was able to spend some time with Zach. While we had a nice relationship before, I don't believe we ever had the friendship factor that is now in place. We've had some heart-to-heart talks in the past month that I wouldn't trade for the world! I opened up to him about things that I never thought I would ever share to another living soul. God truly brought us closer together, and I am now blessed to call Zachary one of my closest and best friends.

Today I was missing my older brother, and then I heard this song on the radio. It encouraged me to keep on, and understand that there's a reason for everything. God has a plan for our separation, and though I don't know what it is yet, He is going to help me through this season.

Part 3: Just Say Hello

So far I have shared some of the techniques I have used in getting to know others.  Here's one last way to endeavor to love some more of God's creation.

If you think about it, there's always one way that is pretty much guaranteed to start a conversation:  Just say hi.  Yep!  It's that simple.  Think about it.  When you see a friend you haven't seen in a very long time, chances are you are going to open up the conversation with "Hi!  I haven't seen you in so long!  How's everything going for you?"  And so on and so forth.  The fact of the matter is that when you open your mouth to say "Hello," other words soon follow until you are pretty deep into conversation.

I like to make it a point to say hello to those around me.  It shows them that you have acknowledged their presence and that you are glad to see them.

You may be thinking, "this is all well and good, Alex, but what is the point, I ask you?  Why are you telling me to find out what the other person is interested in, turn on a smile, and say hello?  Why?"  Well I'll tell you.  After putting all these into practice, I've found that you soon begin to be someone who people go to when in times of need.  You've shown them that they and their interests are important to you, and that you at least seem ready and willing to take on the world.

In time of need, people like to turn to those who at least appear solid and who appear like they have life under control.  Ultimately, the point of putting all these into practice is, once you've won the friend, to influence them to Christ.  Everybody comes up against a brick wall at some point in their life, and it is critical at those times to have a rock.  More specifically, it is critical to have The Rock.

You might just say that this is my way of trying to spread the gospel.  Show others that you care, and then when the time comes, show them just how much you care by sharing Christ.

Part 2: You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

There are two kinds of people in the world: pessimists and optimists.  Everyone tends to lean more one way than the other.  One thing I've found is that people tend to be drawn to optimists, or people who choose to face the world with a smile on their face rather than a frown.

Personally I enjoy smiling.  Often times I just can't help it!  One of my favorite things to do when I see a grumpy person is to flash them a huge ear-to-ear grin and greet them with a cheery "hello!"  Whatever negative comment it looked like they were about to say instantly dies on their lips.

I've heard it said that people are drawn to "yes-faces," or people who appear warm and welcoming.  Nobody wants to get to know someone who looks like they spend their time frowning and shouting at those around them.

I once had a customer who, when she saw me, said, "Oh yay!  We have Smiley!"  I didn't remember seeing her before (and I remember a lot of customers) and said something to that effect.  She simply told me that they had me ring up their groceries once before and that it was a very pleasant experience.  I was stunned!  First off, I don't remember anyone getting quite this excited about having me as their checker before, and secondly, I don't remember ever trying to ensure a pleasant shopping experience before.  In my mind, you either hit it off with the customer, or you don't.  I've had my share of both.  What was interesting was that this one simply remembered my smile.  Wow!

My second tip for drawing others to you is to just smile!  It's not hard and it costs you absolutely nothing.  It leaves an impression on people, telling them that no matter what comes, there is still joy to be found in the life that God has blessed us with.

How to Win Friends and Influence People .... My Way: Part 1

I like people.  I like people a lot.  I love to be out among them, to talk to them, and to watch them.  There's something fascinating about human-beings.  Could it simply be that they are a part of God's marvelous creation? Or do I gain fascination because I see how each person has their own story to tell with their own unique personality and quirks?

Being a people person, I must admit that I like being on everybody's good side.  However, I don't try to alter who God made me in order to be perceived differently by each person I come into contact with.  I try very hard to have the kind of integrity that it takes to be a Christian, instead of being one kind of person when I'm around this friend and one kind of person with another.  It's hard at times, but I have found that it is possible to maintain the character that God has given me while interacting with all kinds of people.

One of the things I like to do while talking to others is to quickly discover a favorite hobby or interest that they have, and then get them to tell me all about it.  After all, people are more willing to talk when it's about something they are familiar with.  In this way, I get to learn not only about a unique hobby, but also more about the person I'm dealing with.

Recently I started a conversation with a guy at work.  I found that he loves old movies, and when he learned that I have a mutual interest, we talked for the rest of our lunch about favorite actors and favorite movies.  We tried to find movies that the other hasn't seen so we could loan them back and forth and get caught up.  Today he told me that he was excited to find someone who shared his passion.

I've been at my job for a year now, and I've seen this guy lots of times, but we never really started talking until we found that we shared a common interest.

My first key of winning friends:  find something that they are interested in, and truly be interested in it as well.  This technique shows them that you care about them and that you aren't going to simply roll your eyes and sigh when they start talking to you about the same topic later on.  It will actually begin to open up a door of friendship.

Back 2 School

My first foray into the college world was when I was 16.  A friend of my mom's asked if I wanted to join her in a photography class over the summer.  It was a continuing education course, so it wasn't worth any credits, but I still got a lot of it.  Strangely enough, I don't think I learned much as much about photography as I learned about how to counter belief systems that were contrary to my own.  Sometimes I even debated the professor himself in the middle of class, while other times I would just rant about where he got his crazy ideas on the way home.

I have now taken several college classes with teachers varying in their beliefs.  The interesting thing is that while everyone is preaching tolerance, they really only mean, "listen to what I have to say and consider my ideas acceptable while I discount everything you have to say because it just isn't the truth."  But even while this is the case, I have had professors that I have come to love, simply because they have a sincerity about them that lacked in the others.

One of the things my parents taught me before I graduated was to make Christ my foundation, and then to build my beliefs on top of Him.  As long as I continue to go back to what He is, my faith will stand strong through the fiercest of storms.

I don't go to the mat over everything now, but rather just let their arguments slide away.  Truth be told, it just isn't worth it to start an argument debating Freudian psychology.  Yes, there are times to defend what you believe -- like when you have a photography prof who refuses to believe that art can be made simply out of pleasure and joy (may I refer you to the week of Creation?) -- but then at others, it seems to be best to be seen and not heard.

My next semester starts in a little over one week, and while I may not be ready for all the studying, testing, and more studying that will be required of me, I am ready to see what God has in store for me.  How will He choose to strengthen my faith and trust in Him?  We shall see...

The Breaking of the Fellowship

What is in a friend?  Companionship, love, and support would all be great answers to this question.  There's just something special about a friendship.  Inside jokes are created, laughter and good times are had, and oftentimes hearts are shared.  Yes, there is certainly something to be said about friendship.

J.R.R. Tolkien understood the importance of this unique bond when he wrote "The Fellowship of the Ring."  A band of 9 travelers are united by a single purpose: to destroy evil from their world.  This purpose leads them through many dangers together until it is impossible for them all to continue on the same path.  At this point, they must decide where to go.  Though both ways continue to aide in the fight against evil, this tried and true group of close friends are no longer together.  Some die, and some lose their way in the end.

This fellowship that Tolkien writes of is symbolic of all friendships.  At first, in order to call one "friend," you must be walking in the same direction, aimed at the same goal.  If this does not happen, true growth in the relationship cannot take place.  It is impossible!

Secondly, there are people out there who you previously called friend, but who have since decided to take a different turn than one you are willing to make.  But as long as they are basing their reasons for this change solely on Scripture, and, because of this, are fully convinced in their own minds that what they are doing is correct, then there is no reason that you should stop calling them "friend."  Perhaps it is harder to maintain a close relationship, but it is not an unhealthy one.

Finally, there is the companion who falls away and loses sight of your original goal.  They try to get you to go with them, but remain steadfast!  They are not leading you to the light as friends should, but to darkness.  When this happens, it is better to sever the relationship and any contact you had with them.  Serve Christ and do not fear what these kinds of people think about you.  Do not waste your time!

At the end of his trilogy, Tolkien does something interesting.  The battle over evil has been fought and has been won.  It is at the point that peace and rest enter the world.  Remember those friends who made the difficult decision to deviate from their original path, but were fully convinced of their way?  They are reunited with their friends who stayed the course to the end.


"For whoever find me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death."  Proverbs 8:35-36

Christianity in a Nutshell

But whoever listens to Me will dwell secure and will be at ease,

 without dread of disaster.

Proverbs 1:33

The Heart of the Matter

My mind has been occupied over the past 22 hours or so with a single idea, and this idea gets deeper and deeper the longer I choose to dwell on it.  What is it that fills a human's heart, and how in the world is it possible to know what it is that is in our own hearts?

Last night Zachary, Mom, Dad, and I sat down to a movie entitled "What Did You Expect?".  It's main focus is on how to have a healthy marriage, but it's principles are applicable to all relationships, even with the one that wars between your own two ears.  Paul David Tripp, the speaker in this film, talked about our hearts and what occupies them.  The truth is that what is in our hearts is what eventually comes out of us in one way or another.

By way of explanation, perhaps I should enter a personal story.  There are times when I get extremely impatient with various customers at the store who are very particular about how they want their groceries packed, how they want the bags set in the cart, etc., etc, etc.  Inside, my head begins to spin and I tend to just want to scream at them for them to bag their own groceries instead of getting on my back about it!  What has to be realized here is that the things I want to scream at them is what is really in my heart.  It's what I really want them to know and what I really want to say to them, instead of "Have a good day!"  *Insert forced smile*

Mr. Tripp explained it in this way.  He took a bottle of water, unscrewed the lid, and began to shake it about, thus spilling some of its contents on the floor.  He then asked the audience:  "Why did water come out of the bottle?  Because it was water that was in the bottle." 

This is why it's so important for us to be of pure mind and to watch what we meditate on.  After all, we live out of our hearts.  The thoughts and feelings we experience in our hearts are what dictate our actions.

Philipians 4:8,"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things."  If we do these things, it will change what is in our hearts, therefore changing how we live our lives.