I mentioned in another post recently that my friend Lisa is gearing up her team to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure. I wanted to remind you, if you haven’t already, to consider checking out Lisa’s blog. I’ve heard that she’s got some interesting information (discount?!) up there about the Walk, especially for anyone interested in participating. Of course, you can still visit the team’s profile at the 3-Day website to help them out.

Part one was about understanding what it means to become a Christian. But that was only part one because there is more to living as a Christian than just making the decision. As I said before Christian is Christ-like; therefore, belief is important as a first step, but belief was not meant to be the end. Christianity is less about what you believe than how – you – live! It’s how you walk, why you walk, where you’re walking to, and who you’re walking with – that’s what Christianity is about.

Why

The reason we walk is our belief. We believe in Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. We believe in Jesus Christ, who was given to die as a ransom for us, to cover our wretchedness with his blood and make a way for us to approach God. We believe in God’s Holy Spirit, who lives in us and reminds us of His words. We believe that our sins are forgiven us, and that we will live eternally with our God even after this life ends. We believe that the world needs Jesus in order to both experience this life and the next life fully because the majority of the world currently exists dead in their trespasses (Colossians 2:13), because of the original sin (Genesis 3), and because the devil seeks to destroy us constantly (1 Peter 5:8).

Where

Where we’re walking is on the narrow path, through the small gate (Matthew 7), towards eternal life in God’s presence. We go towards that place where there will be no more pain or weeping, where perfection is restored to God’s creation. (Revelation 21)

How

The way we walk is in love. Love for our family, our friends, our enemies, our authority, our subordinates. Sound odd? Love them? The greatest two commandments God gave us, according to Jesus, are to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbor. (Matthew 22) If we don’t walk in love, all our good deeds are in vain. (1 Corinthians 13) And if we don’t walk in love, we are not Christians because 1) we’re not living like Christ, who IS love (also see John 3:16) , and 2) Christ says that we are known by our fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. (Luke 6) But the trick is that only through Him is such love possible. Really, it’s God loving through us, and we are willing to let Him.

Who

Our companion is also our savior. We walk with a God who is bigger than all problems we face, Jesus who faced worse than we ever will, and the Holy Spirit who comforts us and counsels us as we walk. This relationship between me and the God-head is my reason for keeping on going, it’s how I get through, it’s what I’m aiming for, and it’s the whole point. It’s everything wrapped up in one, this relationship, this love.

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I’m not saying there is nothing else worth mentioning about life as a Christian, but I wanted to point out these things, at the very least. I’d be happy to hear your thoughts and questions!

Do you agree with the idea that perfectionism is a disease? As I’ve been getting into the “blogosphere” more (to steal a term from @tendogy), I’ve heard that idea from several different places. No one seems to argue with it, and I can’t either. Only – what of the saying, “If you aim for perfection, you might achieve greatness” that was on a poster on my wall as a teenager?

I grew up with a perfectionist mother, by her own admission. A lot of that rubbed off on me, in my childhood. So much so that I almost thought I was OCD for a while. My husband’s favorite example is how my mom and I put sugar in our tea and coffee. He says that we could carry a spoonful of sugar across the room without spilling a grain. I don’t like to make messes, and I don’t  like to make mistakes. When I was younger, things always had to be “just so,” from where my mom wore her watch to how tight my shoes were (I conquered this by just not tying my shoes anymore), and I still struggle with accepting imperfections.

It really is a disease in some ways. Perfectionism made my education very hard. Where others were doing as much as they could in an evening, I was struggling all night to make a project or paper perfect, using time I didn’t have, and was still never satisfied. In fact, in some cases, it was a struggle just to get started because I knew how imperfect the product would be. If I couldn’t do it right, I didn’t want to even try! Perfectionism would stop me from posting any blogs at all, if I let it. And my poor husband has to put up with me trying to remember that messes are okay, and mistakes do happen.

But there’s value in the idea of aiming for perfection even if you can’t achieve it. Sometimes, we can hit our mark when we aim, but at the very least, we’ll be closer than if we aimed elsewhere. If I aim for my glass when pouring a drink, I’m pretty likely to hit the mark. But I don’t aim for the edge of my glass usually, because if I miss my mark, it may go outside the glass. I aim for the center. And if my aim in life is only to be good enough, I may miss the mark and end up not-quite-good-enough. If I aim for perfection, I think I have a much better chance of reaching good or even great. Better to fall short of perfection than to fall short of good.

As in most cases, the secret is in the balance. I want it, but I can’t be disappointed or disillusioned when I’m less than perfect.

If you’re going to be a perfectionist, I think You have to master the art of forgiveness, as well. Forgiving others for imperfections as well as forgiving yourself. We know, and remember, that no man is perfect. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that even Jesus Christ wasn’t perfect. Don’t stone me! I don’t mean he wasn’t sinless – that is certain – but I find it doubtful that he was perfect in the way some of us want to be perfect. Never making a mess or misspeaking?

Only God, the great I Am, is perfect. That’s all I have to say for now, but continue reading and see what the Bible says about perfection, if you want! Feel free to comment with your thoughts on the issue of perfectionism.

Deuteronomy 32:3-5 (New International Version)

I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
       Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
       and all his ways are just.
       A faithful God who does no wrong,
       upright and just is he.
They have acted corruptly toward him;
       to their shame they are no longer his children,
       but a warped and crooked generation.

2 Samuel 22:31-32 (New International Version)

As for God, his way is perfect;
       the word of the LORD is flawless.
       He is a shield
       for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD ?
       And who is the Rock except our God?

Psalm 18:30-31 (New International Version)

As for God, his way is perfect;
       the word of the LORD is flawless.
       He is a shield
       for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD ?
       And who is the Rock except our God?

Psalm 50:1-3 (New International Version)

The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
       speaks and summons the earth
       from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. 
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
       God shines forth.
Our God comes and will not be silent;
       a fire devours before him,
       and around him a tempest rages.

Romans 12:1-2 (New International Version)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy,
      to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing
      to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
      but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
      Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will
      is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

What gets you going? Whether it’s consulting, cutting hair, blogging, or selling Avon, when you’re working from home, you have to get motivated in different ways from people employed outside of the home. Or maybe not so different ways!

• Get Up, Get Dressed
  Any outside job starts in pretty much the same way. At some point before work, you have to get up out of bed and get dressed for work. Many of us who work from home find ourselves tempted to stay in our PJs all day, and some find that it reduces productivity to do so! It’s a good practice of discipline to get up and out of bed at the same time every day. No matter what you do with your day after that, it will help get you started, and it will also make sleeping easier at night! Our bodies like to settle into familiar routines. If you don’t have to get dressed for work due to not leaving the house, do you do it anyway? Do you find that it helps you get motivated for the day?
• Shoes
  While sort of a part of getting dressed, I’m listing shoes as a separate point because I don’t wear shoes in the house. However, I was told recently that I should get on my shoes to motivate myself to work! Maybe I should try it, but I have other reasons for not wearing them in the house. What do you think?
• Showers
  Some do it in the morning, some do it at night, and as for myself, I tend to do some of both! I do find that when I shower first thing in the morning, I feel very fresh and ready to start in on the day’s tasks. Do you think showering first thing motivates you to work?
• Schedule
  This is one I believe in, for sure. I don’t always stick to it, but I should! I tend to work from lists, which may be in my head or on paper. I sometimes tell myself that the important thing is getting the tasks done, no matter what order or at what time, but I find that I’m much more productive if I set a schedule and stick to it. From 9 to 11 is when I need to get this done, then I need to start cleaning and making lunch, and after Hubby goes back to work I can work on these things before doing this. Leaving it all up to chance and what I feel like doing next usually makes for a less productive day.
• Work Space
  I do my work in our office/junk room. This is perhaps not ideal! It would probably be better to have a separate, clean work space to make me feel more productive and motivated. The bright side is that I have finally cleaned off the desk itself, and since Hubby usually uses his laptop for browsing, I have the desktop to myself for business and recreation both. How about you? Do you share your workspace with your spouse or kids? Is it in a high-volume area of your house? Does it affect your work?
• Distractions
  I’m bad about letting myself become distracted while I’m working. Ideally, I would close Twitter and Facebook, quit texting friends, and try to stay more focused. But I don’t. I try to multitask, doing it all at once, with breaks to go do housework in between. Hopefully you’re better than I am at limiting your distractions. If you are, would you care to share any advice?

Christianity is a hard topic to discuss. I claim it as my religion because there’s nothing else to claim that people would understand! But even so, who really understands what I mean even if I do use a common word like “Christianity?”

Denotation

Let’s get some definitions straight. “Religion” and “Christian” are words used so loosely that some may be unsure of their meanings. For the purposes of this discussion, let’s keep these definitions in mind.

1. Religion: a specific, fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects.

2. Christian: a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Jesus Christ.

• Real
  Jesus Christ was a real person who lived a real life in a real past. He did real miracles and healed real people and died a real death for real sins. When I’m using the word “Christian,” it’s not a synonym for “someone with good behavior” or for “someone who’s decent.” Being a Christian isn’t like being Latino; you can’t inherit it from your parents. It doesn’t mean that you go to church sometimes or all the time, or that you take communion, or that you pray.
• More Than Real
  A Christian is someone who recognizes Jesus Christ as not only a real person, but the one and only Son of God. Matthew 3, Matthew 14, and II Peter 1 make reference to a voice from the heavens speaking that “This is My Son, in whom I am well pleased.” John 3 says that God gave “His only begotten Son,” because of how much He loved the world, so that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. (Also see I John 5)
• Not Only The Son
  Not only is Jesus the Son of God, but he is also one with God. Romans 10 says you must confess that Jesus is Lord. In John 14, Jesus tells Philip that he who has seen Him (Jesus), has seen the Father. Jesus the Son and God the Father are two parts of the Holy Trinity.

3. Holy Trinity: the union of three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) in one Godhead, or the threefold personality of the one Divine Being.

• The Trinity’s third member is the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost in KJV). John 14 says Jesus will ask the Father to send us the Spirit to be a Counselor with us. Romans 5 says that the “love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (NASB) I Corinthians 2 says that the Holy Spirit teaches us about spiritual matters. The end of the book of Matthew says to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Beyond The Dictionary

The word Christian appears only three times in the Bible. Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and I Peter 4:16. The disciples of Christ were called Christians (or Christianos) by Gentiles (non-Jews) in Antioch. By my understanding, the name was first meant as a sort of insult, but that doesn’t really matter – it later grew to a title of honor. To be named as a follower of Christ means that people could see that their works, behaviors, and teachings mirrored those of Christ. They could see Jesus through these people.

Now, we call ourselves Christians; we are not given the name by outsiders. Is it in hopes that people can see Jesus through us? Or is it simply convenient? I am sometimes hesitant to even take the name for myself because I know how little I deserve it. To me, it would definitely be an honor for someone to be able to look at me and say they see Christ in me enough to call me a “Christian.”

Christ-likeness, that’s what it really means.

Who was He? How can you emulate Christ if you don’t even know Him? Many people name themselves Christians though have no idea what Christ was like or what his teachings were. It’s true that Jesus says all that’s required for salvation is to believe in His death and resurrection and confess that He is Lord, but the life of a Christian involves more than that. There is more. There are other things involved in being a Christian; things that don’t make you more or less saved, but that show your obedience and love of God.

Who Is Jesus?

• Fulfiller of Prophecy
  The Old Testament contains about sixty Messianic prophecies (with many more – over 300 – references to the coming Messiah), and Jesus is the only man in history who fulfilled every one of them. (Click for list of references.) Therefore we know that he is the Son of the God of the Bible, who created the world. The foretold Messiah.
• Sacrificial Lamb
  The purpose of Jesus’ life was to die for sins. Sin, brought into the world first through Adam and Eve, and passed down from father to son. In the Old Testament, God set up a system of sacrifices for people to atone for their sins. Sin cannot be forgiven without the shedding of blood. Romans 6 says the wages of sin is death. There is no way around it. A Holy God cannot overlook sin, un-holiness, evil. In the New Testament, Jesus, as a sinless, pure Lamb of God, gave himself for a sacrifice, so that we would not have to. This is why we no longer make sacrifices. This is why we can be sure of eternal life. Jesus took on the sins of the world to save us from death and separation from God. That is the meaning of salvation! That is the meaning of John 3:16!

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11, NIV)

The Message puts it like this:
“Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!”

• Redeemer
  Jesus’ death, though, means nothing without his resurrection. He conquered death! He rose again on the third day, as it was prophesized and as He said He would. (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, I Corinthians 15)

Salvation

Some people use different phrases to refer to this same concept. To be saved, to be born again, to become a Christian – they all mean that you are accepting salvation, which is the free gift (see Romans 6) given by Jesus, possible only by His death and resurrection.

In Ephesians 2, it is reiterated that we are saved by the grace of God, through faith. It is not “of ourselves,” or not “of works.” In other words, it’s nothing we have done or can do; it is the gift of God. In Romans 3, we are reminded that there is “none righteous, no not one,” and that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Where, then, is boasting? How can we pat ourselves on the back when we know that it was nothing we did, but a gift? We can’t.

So, the question is, where does that leave us? First of all, it leaves us as still sinners. As the saying goes, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven.” We’ve been forgiven of our sins, but we will still continue to disobey and misbehave (sin). Even Jesus’ disciples struggled with it. Romans 7 is a good example, where Paul says, “…the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” (NASB)

It’s a struggle! We will always struggle with sin because our very nature is sinful!

“So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not!

“If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace–a new life in a new land!

“…What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death be the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us.

“From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.

“That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time–remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!–into God’s way of doing things.” (Romans 6:1-2, 8-13, The Message. Click for NIV.)

To summarize, we must do our best not to live in sin any longer. Just because we are forgiven does not give us license to live as we please. In John 14, Jesus says twice that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. II Corinthians 5 says that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.

Where does that leave us? Read God’s word! Learn what he has to say. Find out what pleases God, and what grieves Him. Spread the Good News (the Great Commission)! We are ambassadors, or representatives, for Christ! (II Corinthians 5)

(Read More in Part Two)

To be honest, the only reason I tried this new Avon fragrance is because they gave me a deal, as a representative, on the samples. That’s good news for you because it means I have a lot of samples of this new fragrance, which, by the way, I love!

It’s called U by Ungaro Fever For Her Eau de Parfum Spray, and they’re calling it a “woody floral” scent. If you look it up at my store, you can find the ingredients and further information, such as pricing. As for me, I’ve had to tell myself in no uncertain terms that I cannot use any more samples, or I would surely use them all up. I guess I’m just going to have to buy a bottle!

It’s a fairly strong fragrance, but the florals are, like Avon says, deep and woody, not fresh and fruity. I think it’s a great night-out perfume, and I’m planning to order some as soon as I’m able! If you’re interested in a sample, let me know!

Do you have any thoughts about the new U by Ungaro Fever For Her?

Why I married into the army, why you may not want to, and my thoughts on this subject! It’s on my mind today (which is not to say that it’s not on my mind most other days as well) because Hubby just left for a two-week field training exercise. I miss him, but such is the life of an Army wife!

Why?

If you wonder why I married into the army, well, you’re not the only one. Maybe I haven’t been asked flat-out many times, but I can see the unseen question in each woman’s eyes as she says that she could never do it, and she doesn’t know how I do. The answer is simple. I love him! My husband, my best friend. No one else could take his place. And as we prayed about it, we felt God had been bringing us together and had been preparing us through our long friendship for this marriage.

His being in the army was one of the factors in deciding to marry, but it was never really a deterrent to me. I just couldn’t let it stand in my way. If it put his life in danger, it’s not the only job that can do so! God can protect him as easily overseas as he can right here in the states, and will keep him alive and well as long as he sees fit. If it puts him away from me for extended periods of time, at least it’s for the cause of defending the country. At least he’s serving. At least I know he’ll be back, and I get first dibs when he returns.

I remember before we were even engaged, I was visiting him on base and dealing with the frustration of the Army: (how do I sum this up?) They are so disorganized. The Army is forever changing dates and plans for soldiers without prior notice, keeping the soldiers longer than they said the would, getting things mixed up… I remember sitting in the car, waiting for him to get back from a briefing that was supposed to be finished hours prior, thinking, “I could deal with this better if we were married.”

In some ways, I was right. Becoming an Army wife rather than just a friend to a soldier has given me access to inside information and understanding that I otherwise wouldn’t have had. When he comes home late, it’s me he’s coming home to, and I get to spend time with him right away.

On the other hand, being as close as a wife is to her husband makes the worry over his safety that much more severe, and it makes his stress, my stress, in a more real way than ever before. Thankfully, God is helping me through.

Are You Cut Out?

I don’t think you have to be made from a special mold to handle being an Army wife. I’ve seen others, and they’re of all different backgrounds. What draws us together is the fact that we love a man enough to deal with it. Our similar experiences give us something in common, like an instant conversation-starter.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that wondering whether you’re cut out for the life of an Army wife is enough to say that you’re not. But I would say that before you decide, you pray about it, and consider the factors that come with it that you won’t be able to escape.

There’s much more to it than dealing with deployments! Army wives have to handle the life, not just the deployment. It is an every-day thing.

The Good Side

In closing, I just want to point out that there are positive aspects to it all! The most obvious of these are financial stability and job security. My husband gets paid the same amount every month. Period. It’s enough to live on, though not extravagantly. If we’re wise with our money, we won’t ever go hungry, and that’s a very good thing not to have to worry about! As far as his job goes, he would have to do some really, really bad things to lose his job, things that I know my husband wouldn’t do. Until the end of his contract, we don’t have to worry about unemployment.

In addition: We both have access to all of the medical care we need; His physical training keeps him in very good shape; We have access to on-post facilities such as free-to-use gyms, child care, commissary, post-exchange, etc; His education will be paid for, thanks to the G.I. bill.

I have great respect for the soldiers serving our country and for the wives who back them up and deal with this life every day. To those who have been doing it much longer than I, I commend you! You’re so strong and brave! To those who are new, as I am, we can do it! We are strong and brave, too!

Do you have any Army-wifey experiences you’d like to share? What helps you handle it?