I AM the Meme Queen

Okay, first things first, if you have not seen the video of my son's baptism, please scroll down to the previous post and take a look. Why, you ask? Well, because I love him and I think the video is precious (oh, and because it's my blog and I can promote what I want). Next, you need to try to stay awake to read the rest of this post, because you may have been tagged...........

I will get to the meme's in a minute, but first I have something I need to get off my chest (and onto this thing we call a blog). My son plays basketball in a local youth league. Our church has Upward Basketball, but we chose to let him play with kids from school by the regular rules. We love the Upward program and he does play Upward soccer at church, but we decided a couple of years ago that he would play youth league basketball and t-ball. Anyway, I have noticed that sports brings out the worst in some parents. I mentioned Upward because I kind of feel that if we were playing at church there would be less problem with childish parents. Not that there aren't childish people in the church, but there is more pressure not to show your ignorance in a church setting.


We have seen it over and over in kid's sports --- there are adults who have never grown up. They are living their dreams through their children and the result is not always "becoming". There are men who never "made the team" when they were young and who are determined to make their child the next Shaquille O'Neal. Then there are women who are determined that their child is not getting 'equal playing time' or that someone is not treating their child fairly, so they yell - they yell loudly and obnoxiously. I have come to the conclusion that adults tend to frequently show their ignorance at children's sporting events. It is as if they are 10 year olds in 35 year old bodies.


On the way home last night, I was thinking how we Christians can be like these immature parents. We get saved, we get baptized, and then we never grow up. Oh, not all of us are like that, but don't you know some people who are? I know people who were saved at a very young age that are still as spiritually immature as they were the day they accepted Christ. People who should understand the deeper things of God, yet their actions and words show that regardless of the years they have spent as believers, they are still 'babes in Christ'. It is a sad thing to be spiritually stagnant. Not only is it sad to remain spiritually immature, it is very obvious to those around you. Just like the parents at my son's games who act like children, there are Christians who refuse to grow up in Christ.


Here is what Paul had to say about these Christians:

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Can you imagine, being the people Paul was chastising? He basically said, "I can't even talk to you like adult followers of Christ, I have to talk to you like little babies - I can't tell you the things you should know, because you are too immature to understand them - you are Christians who are way too worldly and it is costing you a close relationship with your Father". That is my paraphrase not Paul's. I know what it is to be a carnal Christian. There are a lot of instances where we could say 'Ignorance is Bliss', but your Christian walk is not one of them. The sad part is that most carnal Christians dont know they are carnal - they just dont get it! There is really no excuse for Christians not to study the Word or grow in Christ. No excuse at all.

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Okay, I am off my soapbox (kind of). On to the Meme's (I used to think it was pronounced "me-me" until Jennifer Partin told in a post that it is actually Meme which rhymes with theme - who knew?). I was tagged twice yesterday. First, by Shelley, if you haven't seen her blog - go visit her soon. She is a writer and speaker and she is actually coming to speak at my church very soon. The meme she tagged me for is a Book Meme and here are the rules: 1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.2. Open the book to page 123.3. Find the 5th sentence.4. Post the next 3 sentences.5. Tag at least 3-5 people. So, here goes:

The book is called Breaking Free by Beth Moore (some of you may have heard of her ;-).

"Satan wants to keep people from receiving Christ as Savior. Certainly, childhood victimization is an effective deterrent. Since the enemy cannot keep salvation from anyone who wants to believe, he tried to ensure that people will be either too emotionally handicapped to turn into an effective witness or too broken to avoid falling into scandalous sin. The enemy's hope for Christians is that we will either be so ineffective we have no testimony, or we'll ruin the one we have"


Okay, I know that is more than 3 sentences, but again, it's my blog and I can do what I want here. By the way, I start leading Breaking Free tomorrow night and I know that there is already a huge bunch of women who have signed up for it. I have done the study twice before and each time I came away with a better understanding of God and who I am in Him. Please pray for this group of women (a larger group than is recommended). Pray that they will feel free to share and that they will learn from one another. The subject matter of Breaking Free gets to the heart of who we are and helps us get past our pasts. It isnt always easy to share your failures and sins in a large group.



Now I am supposed to tag 3-5 people, so here goes: JennyHope, Alana, Cassie, Stephanie, and Fran


If you are thinking that I have left you out of the meme action --- just hang on - your time is coming.


Now, for the next meme. This one was sent to me by an old friend, Cassie, who I recently discovered was also a blogger. YAY! We went to high school together. I remember that she and her now husband were so cute together in school. They were truly high school sweethearts and now they have three beautiful kids who look just like them! So, the rules for Cassie's meme are as follows:


List five kind things you do or have done:
A) for yourself,
B) for your spouse, child or closest friend AND
C) for a stranger.
Then tag some other blogging buddies to do the same.
A) For Myself



5 kind things I do or have done for myself:

1. Bible study
2. I allow myself to eat Dove dark chocolate
3. I take at least 3 vacations per year
4. I go out with the girls from church about once per month
5. I get a massage once per week (okay that is a lie, but I couldnt come up with anything else!!!)



5 kind things I do or have done for my spouse and children:

1. I married him
2. I gave him 2 beautiful boys
3. I try not to nag him about things and I try not to get mad over little things
4. I cook meals
5. I wash clothes
6. I drive kids to school, church, practices, parties, etc
7. I run errands (for everyone)
8. I clean house
9. I do not spend too much money on myself(which might be why it was hard to come up with the first 5 things)
10. I pray for my hubs and kids

Do you really want me to go on? Cause I can........I can.


5 kind things I have done for strangers...

1. Prayed for them

2. Given them money
3. Bought Christmas presents for their children
4. I have helped older people carry things to their car at the store
5. Given compliments



Okay, now I tag Renee, Earen, Janel, Shelley and anyone else who would like to give us some ideas of how we can be kind to others because most of mine are pretty lame.............

Okay, if you are reading this portion of the post, I thank you for hanging in there and staying awake during my ramblings..........for the rest of you......sleep well, friend, sleep well.