Preach to everyone. When necessary, use words.

I listen to Joyce Meyer almost every day on my way to and from work plus while doing my errands. Not only does she point out what most people are doing right in their Christian walk, she also slaps me upside the head when I need it. And did I need it this week!



I have a tendancy to think of all the good things I've done for the day when I am doing my daily readings at night - MK client questions, helping clients in the store, cooking supper, etc. But the latest CD to pointed out the most important thing Christians can do when they are preaching to others about their faith - live it. I've heard this in church over and over again, but for some reason it really sunk in. Am I giving my best to everything and everyone everyday? Am I just talking the talk or am I also walking the walk? I don't want to live a secular life Monday-Saturday then transform into Sister Christian (sorry for the pun) on Sundays. This is something that I will be working on.



What I struggle most with is sharing my faith with others. I have never been comfortable with sharing my views on anything in a one-on-one setting. Groups are a different story, especially if we all have similar goals. But I have found that the best way to reflect and share my faith with others is to live it. The quote from Joyce's CD that made this evident was the title of this post. It made me realize that it really is up to me to share but preaching to others with words isn't always the best way to do it. What a relief!



But now I have to put it into action everyday. It seems so easy, but have found many times its going to be a challenge. Yet, God wouldn't give me a challenge if I couldn't handle it.

Back to Basics

So the fact that Mike or I haven't blogged in a year kind of speaks volumes on how busy we have been. I hate using the word 'busy' because anyone can make themselves 'busy', but our lives have been jam-packed and in a good way. There have been a lot of changes since last year. Let me update you!

• We got married and just celebrated our first anniversary a month ago.
• We have had a challenging but fun first year of marriage. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
• I decided not to pursue my master's just for the fact that I didn't know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Instead, I made the decision to become a Mary Kay consultant. (Will explain this more in next blog)
• Mike is now starting his 4th year of teaching. So hard to believe that it has come so quickly! He will be starting his Master's degree sometime this winter.

Also, I have decided to do this blog on my own. Mike has so much to do between teaching, coaching CDE (Career Development Event) teams, OAAE (Ohio Association of Agricultural Educators) treasurer, and his weekly bowling games with buddies (this is key to handling the stress!) that a blog is the last thing on his mind. Though I don't have a lot of spare time myself, this blog is important to me to share with others the importance of agricultural education, my adventures as a beauty consultant (yes, it is a REAL job!) and share my faith with others. It may seem like a hodge podge of items for one blog, but I know it will help me reflect on this wonderful life God has given me.

My first post since re-starting the blog will be short. Besides being a MK consultant, I also work at a local fine jewelry store part time. My employers (and friends) are wonderful people and I really love 'playing' with the latest in jewelry trends. I work there tomorrow plus have quite a few MK phone calls to make after work. These long weekends really mess schedules up, but it was worth it! Will post more later this week. Carson (our dauschund-boston terrier mix) is telling me its time for bed.