So It's Been A While...

I know, I'm slacking off on my blog. I would say I can blame the busyness of life for the reason I haven't blogged since February. Actually that is what I'm saying, I blame my busy life as well as other things.

It's so easy to blame others for our faults or mistakes. I have a tendency to come up with tons of excuses why I did/didn't do something. It is an easy way out. Kind of makes me think of the old Relient K song "Maybelline."

Maybe....maybe it is them, or maybe it's me, or maybe it's maybeline, oh maybe it's maybelline.

It is important to accept the responsibility of messing up. Only once we take ownership of our mistakes can we begin to fix them. Somethings that I need to learn to accept responsibility on is getting homework done in a timely manner. I have a tendency to blame the lack of time when I get things done at the last minute. Or I even blame the teachers for the overabundance of my workload for classes. "If it weren't for the 5 other assignments I have due this week, I would have had more time spend working on this paper...." If I actually took ownership, my thought would be, "If only when I looked ahead on the syllabus to see that I have 5 assignments due in the same week and decide to work on these assignments ahead of time, I would have had more time to spend on this paper. Next time I will know to get this stuff done ahead of time." Taking responsibility will allow me to change things in the future or fix the mistakes in the present.

This can be applied to my spiritual life. "Why haven't you kept up on your Bible reading and prayer time this past month?"
Excuse making: "Well see, last week I had a crazy week at work and when I wasn't working I was doing homework or in class. Then my friends feel like I have abandoned them so I need to spend any free time with them. By the time I get home each evening, I'm ready for bed. It makes it hard to keep up with my devotion time. Maybe when things begin to slow down, I can get back on track."
Accepting responsibility: "I guess when I got really busy the past couple of weeks, I set my devotion time on the back burner until I have time to get to it. Maybe I need to change my perspective on my daily schedule. My relationship with God is very important to me, so spending time in daily devotions should be to. I'm going to start making time in my busy schedule to get back in the routine of a daily devotion, even if it means forfeiting time for other things."

Accepting blame and repsonsibility is a good thing, only when it comes to mistakes where I am at fault. If I accept blame or responsibility for the faults of others or in situations where I have no control, then I am only hurting myself. The hard part is knowning the difference. I think it is the Serenity Prayer that says: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference"

I just keep thinking about the future and what I want to do in life. My goal is to counsel people. The more I sit here and think about it, I begin to stress out thinking about what I am going to do when I have clients who have severe problems. Am I going to be able to help them? What happens if I have a suicidal client and he ends up killing himself despite my best efforts to treat his depression? Will that mean that I have failed? With a job like this, a mistake won't affect material things, a mistake will affect a person's life. I will definitely need God's help in understanding that I do not have the power alone to fix problems in these clients lives. I can only do my best with what training and education I have received to help them. It will be up to the client to change, and of course the help of an all powerful God who can do the impossible.

Being human, I have limitations. There are things that I cannot do, or things I can only do so much. God has no limitations. He can begin working where my limitations begin. Where I have no control, He is in control. I could not receive forgiveness based on my "good deeds"alone. I am human and make mistakes which means ultimately, I deserve death. God sent Jesus to make a way for me to receive forgiveness where I failed. Only through his death, burial, and ressurection could I ever walk in right standing with God.

One of my favorite songs is "In Christ Alone" The lyrics are so powerful! I am going to end this post with the lyrics:

"In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand"