March 13, 2010 – 11:59 am
I am sure there are people who have read my blog who think I am quite taken with myself. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I am my biggest critic, always trying to fix what is wring with myself and rarely sitting back to enjoy my achievements. I see life and blogs as processes that are always resetting themselves. Under the surface of my blog is a person who believes in the value of humility (regardless of how it may appear).
Jesus talked about being humble. In addition, there are Proverbs in the Old Testament that exalt humility (oxymorons of each other?) In the same way, I admire people who are sincerely humble. Jesus talked about doing things for our heavenly Father to see and not for men to see. This is easier said than done. We can “fake” humility expecting rewards for our humility. This is NOT true humility. Humility does for the better of the other person. It is more a state of mind than a way of speaking or remaining silent.
Today, for example, I dropped my dog off to get groomed. We have waited too long this time and her Lhasa Apso fur is a bit matted. We’ve made this mistake before and when we do it’s always an ordeal getting a lecture from the groomer.
Today, the groomer was humble and gave me some friendly advice on how we can avoid her hair getting so matted for next time. Without going into details, she was friendly and used general statements rather than blaming me for the dog’s hair being so long. Now, I agree we need to make sure we get in there sooner, but it was nice to not be yelled at about it. The woman was an example of a humble servant, and I appreciated it.
Now for the personal application: How do you serve others? Maybe it’s on your job or with your friends. Do you point fingers or are you a humble servant? Something to think about here in the religion category.
When tough times come, think about tough times in your past. In my experience, they have always passed. You might say that God’s track record is good with me and my life’s crises. God has always pulled me through to a better day. It isn’t always easy to tell myself that when I’m having a tough time. It can seem that the whole world is falling apart around me sometimes. I try not to lose hope in those times because of God’s track record.
You base chance percentages on what has occurred and if you are like me there are many occurrences of God’s saving grace throughout my life’s history. If you can’t find any, how about the fact that your are alive right now? Something to think about. God’s nature is exemplified through our life histories. When we call on Him we can be sure He will be true to his nature and get you through. For me and in my eyes, that is God’s track record.
February 25, 2010 – 8:57 pm
An old, dear friend facebooked my this morning telling me he was “walking with the Lord” again after being the “prodigal son.” I was very happy about this since I feel this is one of the greatest things we can do with out lives. I got to thinking though about it as a sub-culture idiom that could be interpreted differently by different people. I thought I’d make a list in this post of what “walking with the Lord” means to me:
- Trust in Christ.
- Believe Jesus is God.
- Pray as a desire more than an obligation.
- Share your experiences of faith with other believers. -and-
- Read/study the Bible.
What about you? When someone says they are “walking with the Lord,” what does it make you think of?
February 14, 2010 – 11:44 am
Most people who aren’t fans of Christianity have a view of it as a set of rules you follow and share about with judgmental people each week at church. Unfortunately, in many situations this is true. That’s why I have a card in my Bible I put there years ago that reads: “The people in the world who make it hardest to be a Christian are “other Christians.” I still try to practice love for people who judge. After all, I haven’t been the most perfect person through the years either.
To those who would say Christianity is all about rules I would say this: Faith that I espouse is less about rules and more about a “ride.” When one surrenders to faith, it is like a ride. I have seen this in my life as well as friends and family members through the years. I recognize that I can never do any good apart from God so I have surrendered to Him to enable me to do good things, despite myself. That surrender changes lives, we see it all throughout history, even since Jesus called the disciples one by one in each his/her own way. He still does that today.
So, the next time you see a tv preacher or even an obnoxious Christian saying ridiculous things at the corner coffee shop, don’t blame God or Christianity. Remember each life is different and your experience of God and faith will be different. All you need to do is the hardest thing in some ways: simmply surrender and get on the ride. God’s love will blow you away.
February 10, 2010 – 10:57 pm
I am so glad that I have faith in a God I can cast all my cares upon. While I treasure psychology and the cognitive help it offers me daily, I can’t really imagine a psychological precept more helpful than “giving it to God.” I think many people resent that phrase and see it as childish. They view rationality as the only God worth worshiping. The truth is, it takes a highly matured person to understand that we need a higher power to let things go to. But when those people persist (perhaps you are one of them) take solace in the fact that the God of the Bible asks us to have a child-like faith. That being the case you don’t need rhetoric to combat that “pigeon-hole.” You can actually thank them for verifying you are doing exactly what God asks of you.
I once had a friend at church who told me when his life was full of anxiety he would practice a ritual of putting all his cares, anxieties, and worries in a jar by his open window. At the time he was struggling to find employment and yet always had a smile on his face. He would pray something like:
Dear God, you know all and see all. Please take these worries and anxieties while I sleep because I cannot handle them.
I’v practiced something similar for years by putting prayer requests in my journal and “giving them up” to God. I have seen some of the hardest times of my life get better through this spiritual technique. Do you have anxieties you need to “give up” to God?
January 10, 2010 – 6:42 pm
Happy New Year one and all: In this podcast episode, I outline what you can expect from my blogging and music in 2010. I hope you enjoy it. I think it’s a fairly entertaining podcast if I do say so myself ;) As always, I really appreciate your input in the comments. I hope to hear from and work with the people I mention in the episode as well as others of you in the coming year(s). -Damien Riley
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By Damien Riley
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Also posted in Blogging A to Z, Online Diary, Podcast
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Tagged Chuck Smith Jr., cognitive psychology, Derek Semmler, Eric Stefani, Isabella Mori, make money blogging, microblogging, mmol, online publishing, social media
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August 23, 2009 – 4:56 pm
My son and I attended a father/son church camp last weekend and had some new adventures in faith. We were at the campground from Friday afternoon to now. We met new friends, talked about faith, as well as other stuff. At night exchanged random stories by the Coleman light. We discussed everything from trucks to patio decks. It was great … just what I needed after the first week tension I had just before.
Faith is important to me, especially as a father. It should also be important to christian churches. This is one indicator that a church is healthy and well-balanced. Faith should be pre-eminent.
“(Faith) is a gift of God and not a result of works so that no one can boast of it.” Ephesians 2:8-9
I’ve always thought that faith is caught and not taught. My son and I hiked in the day and swam in the lake. I had a great time just hanging out with him. He’s only 11 once, and I won’t forget my times with him. I also look forward to becoming better friends with the guys I met on the trip. I’m glad to be “modeling” what faith looks like. My dad raised me to attend a bible church and to have faith. The least I can do is show my son the same. I know with sons, all eyes are on dad in that regard. I’ve been quite lax in his lifetime about pointing our family to faith and church. I feel like this weekend was something that sowed a lot of seeds in him. These are seeds of faith of course I am speaking of.
Tomorrow I start my second week back at work. Definitely another journey of faith. I’m learning so much this year and taking it all in. It is also one of the few years where I feel really confident at the start. My kids are great. There are a few challenges but I have “faith” that as we get into our routines and I teach the way I know it works best, this class will make huge academic strides.
I believe in the road ahead and where it goes, even while I can’t see it. Kind of like “Use the force” ya know? In my youth camp I once attended, the youth ministry was always making allusions to Star Wars. I guess I’m dating myself there. The takeaway I got from it was to make faith visual and always be showing it by example.
August 19, 2009 – 9:48 pm
"Sometimes I feel like somebody's watching me."
The following is a rant about work relationships. I probably shouldn’t waste an ounce of thought on this person but I am. I’m thinking people out there might relate. Besides, someone once told me it was okay to “rant” on a blog, so here goes: Have you ever dealt with unnecessary conflict at work? Certain people thrive on creating drama. These people feel they are higher than anyone around them. Maybe you’re thinking of someone in this category? Basically, these people think they are better than you and deserve more from the world than you do. In their mind it is not up for discussion. When you call these people on something they become defensive and often try underhanded tactics to “get back” at you. Let me give you two work tips: 1) Don’t sweat the small stuff and 2) it’s all small stuff. These socially inept people aren’t worth thinking about for too long.
These people might be termed are “socially inept.” They have no clue how to genuinely laugh at a water cooler joke because everything they utter is fake. If you’ve ever had one of these people cross your path, you know who I am talking about. They trash talk everyone and until you get a clue about them, they have talked about you behind your back. When you bring any of this to light, they get violent. The violence isn’t physical, but you feel it. It takes a much bigger person than they are to look over their gossip and slander. If you are better than them, you must act like it and not let them bother you. Of course, there is a time to say something or complain through the proper channels but usually this type is harmless. The only thing they threaten is your ego and we’ve all learned from Eckhart Tolle that the ego is bad anyway. You can’t legislate mental states.
Socially inept people are cripplingly insecure. I ran across a person like this about 2 years ago. I learned a valuable lesson from trying to make a bridge and be her/his friend. It is impossible. Whether it is disdain, jealousy, resentment, or the like, she/he has made up her/his mind that I am the enemy. My mom gave me great advice about people like this in life: she said I should feel sorry for them. Being angry or seeking revenge only brings me down to their level. I think that is great advice. Some psychologists call these types “toxic people.” They love to produce work conflict. They like to spread their poison. Don’t let them get to you. These people are socially inept and that’s not the kind of sick you can get quick help in only 1-2 therapy sessions. Toxic people are a real drag to have working around you but you can get through it. Ring any bells?
I’m really glad I read the Purpose Driven Life recently. Where else would I find the purpose of life? Certainly I won’t find it in Hollywood entertainment. Ever get punched in the stomach by circumstances so hard you nearly doubled over? I had a fun day today :) insert sarcastic tone. As always, these posts are more about you … encouraging you. Forgive me for the occasional rant. Suffice it to say, (more sarcasm ahead) I feel God is preparing me to be in charge of a place in heaven where everything breaks constantly. Teach me what you will God, I will try to learn it. I alluded earlier in the year in a post on Chuck Smith Jr. that some religious stuff was coming. This is a sample of what that might look like.
Through it all, I have to remember Job. He loved God through the toughest of times. Before he was stricken with boils, he could have scored 100% on a term life insurance medical exam. Quickly thereafter, his fate took a different course. In a way there is a peace even through the pain when you choose to trust God. It doesn’t make you a zombie who sits up and begs and says, “Thank you for the paddle to my backside, may I have another.” But hope in something real is hard to define. It’s a really really great thing. Tomorrow we go to our weekly Christian bible study. There is a new series starting. If you are nearby, look for us to say hello. Meanwhile I’m going to recite this mantra over and over again: “God is bigger than my problems” and it’s not all about me. If you have a minute and you’re married, click on the banner below and watch the video. I think you’ll agree this series “Meet the Joneses” is worth attending. Your feedback?
High Desert Church is working to prevent divorce and strengthening the family unit:
I recognize not all my friends who read my blogs are Christians. I hope showing my source of strength occasionally is interesting and helpful, never preachy or divisive. I aim to be like Harvest Crusades of blogging once in a while, sharing inspirational messages in my posts. Those people that say you have to be divisive to be a Christian are completely wrong. I’m into all schools of thought, it doesn’t matter what I believe, dialog on my blogs is king. This blog wll never be a Christian Bible study but I’ll share good stuff from that realm when I feel it will enhance your life.
