One Bold Move

Hopelessness

His coat was tattered

Due to storms a plenty

Which had both come and gone

Throughout his short life.

His feet were not shod,

Never with peace,

But were bare and seemed

To say anything but solace. 

They were calloused and hard,

Very much like his heart,

Because of early years of abandon,

Middle years of hurt, and now just much pain.

The physical pain

He had learned to endure,

But 'tis a hard lesson indeed

To learn how to cope with emotional.

His scars on the skin

He was forced to see everyday,

And they made his heart bleed

As memories flooded his being.

Not one good memory

Could he bring to his head

But only terrifying ones

He kept having to relive.

Memories of abandon,

Of hate, and not love,

Of pain, and not healing,

Of things below, not of above.

His scars grew deeper

With each passing day

And salted by all

Who passed on their way.

Once, he envied those

Who seemed never to have problems,

But because of their treatment

His envy turned to hate.

No one had ever loved him,

Never took his crying hands,

Never kissed his wet cheek

Just rubbed it in the sand.

His eyes, he was sure,

Would always be red

From all the tears he had cried

Upon many a bed.

His poor crying heart

After ages of sanding

Had become calloused hard

And now heeded not the grating.

'Twas believed that he possessed

Not one pliable area in his being

But sometimes one needs not soft,

For some things are able to crush through rock.

This man so poor, so lonely, so sad

Was so hopelessly lost 'twas thought

That there was no hope to be found

So no one thought twice.

Until a young child perceived 

Not a man in torn clothes

Not the grumpy old face

Not the crooked and bent nose,

What that child saw, only he could say

For that day he saw a man in pain.

He saw a bleeding heart

He saw those red eyes.

He saw the pain, the hurt

And the rejection too,

And although the child understood not why,

He knew what he must do.

The child tore away from his mother

And ran to the pitiful man,

And without stopping

Ran straight into him.

He wrapped his arms around him

And squeezed him tight,

He said that Jesus loved him,

And that he would be alright.

The man in tatters was surprised

And very much embarrassed

But embarrassment didn't matter

For someone cared enough to notice him.

He hugged the child back,

As tears streamed down his face,

He then asked the child a question

Who was the Jesus who loved him?

The child explained as only a child can,

How the Son of God came and became a man,

He took all our sins in His body on the tree,

And then He died for you and me.

The man did not need anything more,

He had been so hopeless for so long,

This little glimmer of hope

Looked more like the shining of the sun.

Through the witness of a child, 

This poor man's life was changed,

He was given hope when none could be found,

So can we not do the same?

If a child so small could give a simple hug,

Can we not love our neighbor?

And give them a hug when they are hurting?

And love them when they lose hope?

Through Christ we find the strength,

And love overflowing,

Enough to share with all the world,

Why are you not going?

Share the love with friends,

With family, with everyone around.

Let Christ so fill your life,

So through you Christ can be found.

Worth Fighting For

The clock ticks. Slowly. Steadily.

You chew your pencil. Day dreaming. Staring.

You inhale. You exhale.

School, chores, work, church, volunteer work, hanging out, video games...these things fill your life, your spare time, your thoughts.

Life seems boring. Dull. Repetitive.

You want adventure. Excitement. Purpose.

You know what you could be doing. You know what you want to be doing. You know what you need to be doing. 

But somehow, these things often don't happen.

Life becomes grey. Purposeless. Worthless.

You need something. Something new. Something exciting. Adventure. Purpose. 

Something worth fighting for.

Every hour, dozens of abortions take place in the US alone.

Every hour, Dalits are raped and murdered.

Every second, a mortal life ends and an eternal life or death begins.

These are battles that are currently going on in your world.

These are battles most people either don't know about, or just chose to ignore. 

These are just a few examples of causes worth fighting for.

End abortion. End the raping and murder of Dalits. Show the lost the Savior.

You have a choice.

You can chose to ignore these ongoing battles like most people, or  you can fight. It's your choice.

No excuses.

There are things in this life that are worth fighting for.

They're watching you!

Hey guys, I just wanted to tell you guys something I know I've told you before...but, hey, reinforcing and reminding is good, right?

You are being watched.

The little ones always see you. Your peers see you. Those older than you (guess what?!) see you. Everything you do around others is seen. Only those things that are done when you are alone are not seen.

You are being copied.

Ever see a little kid spout off to their parents and wonder what those parents do at home? hmm. Interesting. If you look closer you'll see that a lot of times, the kids are doing just what their parents are doing. Don't get me wrong though! There are many cases in which the kids are doing something completely abhorrent to the parents, but you can be assured that the kids are learning it somewhere and from someone. You put your attitude in the copy machine and *pop!* an exact replica comes out on a different sheet of paper. Sounds pretty accurate to me.

Just recently I had the opportunity to see this in action...unfortunately. A group of teens of which I was a part of were watching an exceedingly large group of young children for a few hours. Unfortunately, one teen thought it best to start yelling at the kids; another thought it best to stand on a chair and raise their voice (not yell, just speak really loudly); and a bunch of them thought it best just to leave a couple of us to our own demise and just left the room. 

The teen who frequently yelled at the kids, needless to say, didn't get anywhere with it. In fact, the kids just got rebellious at this act, and simply made more noise. 

The teen who stood on the chair and raised their voice didn't get any response at all.

The teens who left the room...yeah, they didn't even try.

Finally, after I'd stayed shut up for way too long, I broke up the yelling and calmly asked the boys who were causing the most ruckus to watch out for the younger ones and be quieter. They responded by being open to me with their feelings and wants, they were calm, and they behaved quite nicely the rest of the time. What caused this difference?

Love.

When you love like Christ, when you act like Christ, when you serve and care like Christ, you get a different response. When you respond out of love in every situation, you can make ANY situation better. Guaranteed. 

Most people today do not respond that way. They respond my yelling, then breaking down because no one is listening, and yelling some more out of anger. But when kids (and teens and adults) are treated with love as fellow human beings, and not as animals needing to be herded and led about, they usually respond back in love - at least, if not in love, they are calmer and respect you more for you are taking control of the situation calmly.

Therefore I exhort you, my dear brothers and sisters - set the example!

Love like Christ. Serve like Christ. Care like Christ. Behave like Christ. And finally, have the attitude of Christ. Do all things out of love, not out of anger or frustration; those things get you no where, but love conquers.

In Christ alone,

Buttercup

NOTE: I absolutely do not hold anything against those teens that I mentioned! They just haven't learned that lesson yet. I pray that I might be an example to them that they might see Christ through me.

Smile :)

On a plane somewhere again

I take my place in line

Just like every other time

I slide into my window seat

She was sitting there

One seat over so I said

"Hello, how are you today?"

With my smile I could see the hope within her eyes

And I knew that something's different today

Though everything's the same

Inside there's something real

A faith which causes me to change

(But what's different now)

A spark is gleaming in my eye

Like diamond stars that fill the sky

I think a smile says it all

A smile says it all

The conversation presses on

As miles pass below

She said I have to let you know

You seem so different to me

There is a joy inside

The love of God is all I know

From which this could originate

With one smile I could see, the faith we share inside

And I know that something's different today

Though everything's the same

Inside there's something real

A faith which causes me to change

(But what's different now)

A spark is gleaming in my eye

Like diamond stars that fill the sky

I think a smile says it all

A smile says it all

I see what a smile can say about me

I know that words are not always what speak

Sometimes it's not what I say

That the world around me seems to understand

Though everything's the same

Inside there's something real

A faith which causes me to change

(But what's different now)

A spark is gleaming in my eye

Like diamond stars that fill the sky

I think a smile says it all

A smile says it all

A smile says it all

(A smile says it all)

A smile says it all

(A smile says it all)

A smile says it all

(A smile says it all)

A smile says it all

(A smile says it all)

By Kutless

---------------------------------------------

The first thing people see when they look at you is your expression - your attitude. What do they see? What is their first impression of you? Do they see that you are unhappy? stressed out? angry? kind? overjoyed? Do they see a smile? or a frown?

Please, honestly answer this question: What do others see in you?

Your answer should either encourage or challenge you. It should encourage you if you are already living your life with a smile on, living in a way that shows the world that you are different - a servant of Christ. But on the other hand, if you examine yourself and find that you are not that kind of person, then it should challenge you to BECOME that kind of a person!

I have always liked this song by Kutless. Love at first sight, you could say. For it tells of a man who gets on a plane, sits next to a woman, and through his smile and joy, she sees something different in him. The song goes on to reveal that the woman figures out that the man is a believer without him saying anything about it and that the smile and joy of the man betrayed where his loyalty stood.

The writer of the song makes it obvious that it was nothing the man said that showed the woman that he was a believer, it was his joy - his smile.

That is how we should live. We should live in a way that shows the world that we are different because of Christ. He lives in us. We must live in a way that manifests Him in our lives. This means allowing His light to shine through. Putting ourselves behind, and Him in front. So the world sees Him not us.

"A smile says it all."

Live your life to His glory. Manifest Him not only through your words and actions, but also through your attitude.

In Christ alone,

Buttercup

The Extra Challenge!

Hey Y'all! Remember how I said that on the 20th I would post an extra challenge? Well, I'm actually doing it! lol. Kinda creepy, since that never happens. "Aren't you proud of me?!" ("Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs")

So, The Extra Challenge is...

Matthew 6:3-4 - ³But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: ⁴That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Do actions of thoughtfulness *in secret*. Not only does God enjoy seeing us do things in secret, but they are also really fun. *hehe* Therefore, I would like to challenge you to do some "fall actions of thoughtfulness" in secret! Here are some ideas:

-Leave anonymous notes.

-Slip a note of appreciation in someones mail folder at church (our church does the mail folder thing, but I don't know about others)

-Leave a little gift (i.e. chocolate, candy) in someones chair or desk.

-Leave cookies with an anonymous note in random places (obviously where it's legal and where people are gonna find them soon)

-Send anonymous emails (you know how much fun these are?! Most of the time I get found out though, cause I'm not that good at hiding my name and email address.)

Also, here are some other ideas for not-so-secret actions:

-Buy an extra sandwich and give it to someone who needs it.

-Send a friendship e-card.

-Buy a drink for a grocery store worker.

-Clean a room without being asked.

-Smile (you know how many people don't smile these days? This is one way we can show the world that we are different. And sometimes, someone needs a smile.)

-Make and give baby blankets to a pregnancy center.

-Donate clothing and shoes to a resale shop.

-Give stuffed animals to a fire station.

-Give bottled water to nurses at a hospital or rest home.

-Bring a gift, or just even visit, a rest home resident. Some of them never get any visitors, and they get so lonely.

-Bring your neighbor's trash cans in on trash day.

-Leave a note and treat for the mailman in the mailbox.

There are literally hundreds of things you could do! So what are you waiting for?

In Christ alone,

Buttercup

*note: some of these ideas were not originally mine.

Fall Actions of Thoughtfulness challenge - what I've done

Hey Guys! I really hope that you have participated in this challenge, no one has told me so, but I can still hope, right? :D

Anyways, I know this post is LONG overdue, and I apologize, but better late then never!

First, for the past couple weeks, I've been making Thanksgiving cards for some of my friends. I've been making them out of colored construction paper that I got at the dollar store (it is really good construction paper though), a glue stick, scissors, and a pen! Easy cheesy, but I think they turned out good. :)

I traced a slightly real looking, plastic leaf, then just kept tracing the leaves I cut out. Needless to say, the leaves got quite a bit bigger as time went on. lol. So they kinda hang over the edges of the cards, but I think that's cool. I think I made a total of about 20 cards before I ran out of construction paper. Well, all I have left are black, blue, pink, and purple! haha.

In the inside on the left I wrote out 1 Thessalonians 5:18a - In everything give thanks. And on the right side I wrote a note to the receiver. Though, only a couple (uh, one or two?) have personal notes, the rest are all the same (because I'm not creative like that). Nonetheless, it's the thought that counts, right? And I worked hard on 'em. :)

Second...aw man. I just went totally blank. I know I did other things, and I was thinking of all of them when I was thinking about this post! Ahh! I hate that. Well, when I remember, I'll post.

So what have you been doing? I hope you've taken this challenge with me, I really do. It's a great time to remember to think about others first - and do things for others before you do things for yourself.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to read these two posts: by Anna and by Chelsea, they are really great!

Till I remember what I did or I think of a good post!

In Christ,

Buttercup

It's Fall and time for a challenge!

Hi Y'all! Well, all day it's been quite chilly, rainy, and windy! As long as I am indoors, and not out, this is my favorite weather! If I'm outside...just stop the rain. :)

Well, seeing that it is now fall, and the month of November, we are getting quite close to Christmas! Dangerously close for those of us who like to make all our gifts! Anyways, in honor of fall, I am going to propose a challenge!

The Challenge

Fall Actions of Thoughtfulness

It sounded kind of weird to me, but not so much that I would try to find another name. The idea is not mine, but another blogger's. But they named theirs "Random Acts of Kindness." So, to be honest, I just typed that into Microsoft word, right clicked each word, found a synonym that I liked, and went with it! lol. (Just in case you thought I've lost it... no, "fall" is not a synonym of "random". But all the synonyms for "random" were bad - not the "random" that I'm trying to get across.)

So that I don't leave anything out, let's get organized with the classic 5W's and an H:

Who: Anyone who wants to.

What: Fall Actions of Thoughtfulness

Where: Everywhere! You figure out what your going to do, and then go do it for someone.

When: From now until November 30th. Making it a month-long thing, I think, will give all of us plenty of time to do many different things! No time excuses.

Why: To do things for others and to bring glory to God by thinking of others instead of ourselves.

How: is this necessary???

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Fall/Thanksgiving cards. Who doesn't like receiving a card or note from a friend? It is a simple thing that says that someone took time to think of you.

• Small gifts. I.e. crocheted scarf, earrings, photo of you and them, etc.

• Take on someone else's chores or do a service for free.

These are just a few ideas, but there are so many things you can do! Get creative!

This challenge is open to anyone, and it will be a challenge. Doing things for others, taking time to do something for someone else and not for ourselves can be hard, but it is awesome when you can lift someone up and make their day; and at the same time, be a shining light in a dark world.

Please, don't shy away from this challenge! Do it with me! I'll be posting what I do so that y'all can hopefully get some ideas and encouragement from it, so I would like you to post too! When you do, please share it with me and my other readers:

When you do put it in here, please put the link to the exact post, and not just your blog - because that makes it hard to find your post sometimes.

In Christ,

Buttercup

P.S. On the 20th, I'll propose a special, extra challenge! So be sure to look out for it!