Conviction
A teenage girl about 17 had gone to visit some friends one evening and time passed quickly as each shared their various experiences of the past year. She ended up staying longer than planned, and had to walk home alone. She wasn't afraid because it was a small town and she lived only a few blocks away. As she walked along under the tall elm trees, Diane asked God to keep her safe from harm and danger. When she reached the alley, which was a short cut to her house, she decided to take it. However, halfway down the alley she noticed a man standing at the end as though he were waiting for her. She became uneasy and began to pray, asking for God's protection. Instantly a comforting feeling of quietness and security wrapped round her, she felt as though someone was walking with her. When she reached the end of the alley, she walked right past the man and arrived home safely. The following day, she read in the newspaper that a young girl had been raped in the same alley just twenty minutes after she had been there. Feeling overwhelmed by this tragedy and the fact that it could have been her, she began to weep. Thanking the Lord for her safety and to help this young woman, she decided to go to the police station. She felt she could recognize the man, so she told them her story. The police asked her if she would be willing to look at a lineup to see if she could identify him. She agreed and immediately pointed out the man she had seen in the alley the night before. When the man was told he had been identified, he immediately broke down and confessed. The officer thanked Diane for her bravery and asked if there was anything they could do for her. She asked if they would ask the man one question. Diane was curious as to why he had not attacked her. When the policeman asked him, he answered, "Because she wasn't alone. She had two tall men walking on either side of her." Amazingly, whether you believe or not, you're never alone. Did you know that 98% of teenagers will not stand up for God. Repost this as Love vs. Sex if you truly believe in God.
PS: God is always there in your heart and loves you no matter what.....and if you stand up for him he will stand up for you.
I stole that from William.
This was the reading at church this past Sunday:
The Parable of the Talents:
It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, "Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more." His master said to him, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy." Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said "Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more." His master said to him, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy." Then, the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, "Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back." His master said to him in reply, "You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
I believe that this is my favourite passage in the entire Bible.
Do you know what is meant by the word "talent"? It's literal as well as figurative. The literal meaning is a monetary value. In the time of Jesus, a talent was several thousand denarii, where a single denarius was a day's worth of pay for the average person. Therefore, even the man who received just one talent received a fortune. Literally. And he went and buried it. God gave him everything he needed in life, and he did nothing with it. Which is where the figurative meaning comes in as well. God has given everyone a talent--a special gift or ability. And to sit on that talent, to sit on our God-given gifts would be like spitting in God's eye. "You have given me everything I need to succeed, something so important, something that needs to be tended to and nurtured, but I'm going to bury in to spite you." you have some special ability, something God wants you to do. Why would you not do it? The same goes for me. What is my talent? God has given me the capacity to learn, love, care and teach. The ability to learn everything, to love everything, to care for everything and to teach everything. And I do everything day in and day out to use these gifts to the best of my ability to better the world and to serve my God.
When meeting someone for the first time, I identify myself by calling myself not only by my name, but by my position in society--how I relate myself to other people. I call myself a student, which high lights how important education is to me. I call myself a sister and a daughter, which high lights the importance of family in my life. I call myself a worker, which highlights my desire to serve others, and I call myself a Catholic, which highlights my need to serve God. My core beliefs, as a student, sister, daughter, worker, catholic, what have you, are that family is the most important thing you could have and that everyone has the right and ability, as well as the responsibility, to succeed. And that success is accomplished through love, passion, drive and education.
So how do I, personally, relate these things to my own personal life? Saying that these things mean something to me and then actually implementing them are two different things.
My family is greatly influential in my life. Nothing is more important in every decision that I make, day in and day out. How will this benefit my current family? How will it benefit my own family I will, God willing, have someday in the future? My school work is oriented toward educating the needy and filling them with such a passion to learn, to succeed, to follow in the footsteps of those greater and wiser than us.
It's important to go through life with a mission. "The mass has ended; let us go in peace to serve the Lord." That is said at the end of every catholic mass, every day, all around the world. How do we do that, though? We have a mission statement. A mission statement is nothing more than a reason for being. All sorts of establishments, organizations, companies, etc have mission statements. What is your personal mission statement? What is your reason for being? Hint: It should include whatever talents, literal or figurative, God has given you, no matter how numerous or few, great or inconsequential they may seem.
What is my mission statement? Of course it would be so rude to ask a question of you and not answer it myself.
My mission statement:
To use my God-given gifts of compassion and knowledge to embed a passion for learning in the hearts and minds of those with great needs, regardless of race, gender, religion, location, beliefs, or social status. To love and care for everyone I meet, barring none, with the same love and compassion that our Lord bestows upon me.
So tell me.
If it were a crime to be a Christian...
Would there be enough evidence to convict you?
PS: God is always there in your heart and loves you no matter what.....and if you stand up for him he will stand up for you.
I stole that from William.
This was the reading at church this past Sunday:
The Parable of the Talents:
It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, "Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more." His master said to him, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy." Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said "Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more." His master said to him, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy." Then, the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, "Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back." His master said to him in reply, "You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
I believe that this is my favourite passage in the entire Bible.
Do you know what is meant by the word "talent"? It's literal as well as figurative. The literal meaning is a monetary value. In the time of Jesus, a talent was several thousand denarii, where a single denarius was a day's worth of pay for the average person. Therefore, even the man who received just one talent received a fortune. Literally. And he went and buried it. God gave him everything he needed in life, and he did nothing with it. Which is where the figurative meaning comes in as well. God has given everyone a talent--a special gift or ability. And to sit on that talent, to sit on our God-given gifts would be like spitting in God's eye. "You have given me everything I need to succeed, something so important, something that needs to be tended to and nurtured, but I'm going to bury in to spite you." you have some special ability, something God wants you to do. Why would you not do it? The same goes for me. What is my talent? God has given me the capacity to learn, love, care and teach. The ability to learn everything, to love everything, to care for everything and to teach everything. And I do everything day in and day out to use these gifts to the best of my ability to better the world and to serve my God.
When meeting someone for the first time, I identify myself by calling myself not only by my name, but by my position in society--how I relate myself to other people. I call myself a student, which high lights how important education is to me. I call myself a sister and a daughter, which high lights the importance of family in my life. I call myself a worker, which highlights my desire to serve others, and I call myself a Catholic, which highlights my need to serve God. My core beliefs, as a student, sister, daughter, worker, catholic, what have you, are that family is the most important thing you could have and that everyone has the right and ability, as well as the responsibility, to succeed. And that success is accomplished through love, passion, drive and education.
So how do I, personally, relate these things to my own personal life? Saying that these things mean something to me and then actually implementing them are two different things.
My family is greatly influential in my life. Nothing is more important in every decision that I make, day in and day out. How will this benefit my current family? How will it benefit my own family I will, God willing, have someday in the future? My school work is oriented toward educating the needy and filling them with such a passion to learn, to succeed, to follow in the footsteps of those greater and wiser than us.
It's important to go through life with a mission. "The mass has ended; let us go in peace to serve the Lord." That is said at the end of every catholic mass, every day, all around the world. How do we do that, though? We have a mission statement. A mission statement is nothing more than a reason for being. All sorts of establishments, organizations, companies, etc have mission statements. What is your personal mission statement? What is your reason for being? Hint: It should include whatever talents, literal or figurative, God has given you, no matter how numerous or few, great or inconsequential they may seem.
What is my mission statement? Of course it would be so rude to ask a question of you and not answer it myself.
My mission statement:
To use my God-given gifts of compassion and knowledge to embed a passion for learning in the hearts and minds of those with great needs, regardless of race, gender, religion, location, beliefs, or social status. To love and care for everyone I meet, barring none, with the same love and compassion that our Lord bestows upon me.
So tell me.
If it were a crime to be a Christian...
Would there be enough evidence to convict you?