STATUS QUO

Thanks to my girl "Something Special" over at Speak Responsibly, reading her most recent post "Know the Speed Limit" gave me some ideas to write this article.

STATUS QUO by definition means: The existing condition or state of affairs.

My question to you is do you live your life "status quo"? What is your life a representation of? Does it represent the world in which we live in today? Or do you live your life according to the standard that is set by God? After reading an article over at Speak Responsibly I realized that a lot of people are living their lives according to the "norm". People nowadays just go with the flow. Whatever has become normal the people of today's society are OK with it. Remember when back in the day TV shows didn't even show married couples sleeping in the same bed? Now not only do you see them sleeping in the same bed, but you see them acting out sex in what they call a PG-13 film, which is supposed to be appropriate for children! Is that the norm that you live your life by? Who's standard do you measure yourself against? Is it the world's or is it God's?

You know it's funny how as society becomes relaxed and comfortable with the direction that we're moving in, those that happen to hold on the values and morals that were instilled in us in the past are considered to be out of touch. It's one thing to be out of touch with reality or being naive and a completely different thing to just choose not to live according to other people standards. We weren't put here in order to be people pleasers and tickle someone else's fancy. We were put here to serve God and be an example for those that do not know Him. We as Christians, have to set the standard, we have to live differently in order to set ourselves apart the way that God already has, otherwise how can one tell the difference between us and someone who isn't saved?

A lot of people out there who don't go to church, say they don't go because the church is filled with a bunch of hypocrites. They do what they want from Monday through Saturday but come Sunday morning they are tongue talking, bible quoting, "holy rollers" for the Lord! We have got to stop! How can we expect people to want to follow God and do what His will commands for us to do, if we as His people are setting a poor example? None of us are perfect, and I know that better than anybody. There are times where I look at myself and say why am I doing this, I know better?! There are also times where I see where I was and where I am and realize how easy it is to fall back into the ways of the world. See salvation is a process that is on going. We as born again believers may not change "outwardly" over night. Our souls are instantly changed, but it takes our flesh more time to catch up. The great thing about the God we serve is He is a loving God, He is compassionate and He is patient. Though through our walk we may at times go stray, we can never go too far off course before He calls us to come back home. I can remember times in my life, where I was so far from His will that I couldn't hear His voice speak to my spirit anymore, but just when I got to my lowest point, I heard Him call out for me.

So even when we get sucked back in to the world, He always knows when to reel us back in. There is never a reason that it is OK to just live your life according to the norm or "status quo". We have a standard, God's standard, that we are called to live. So I challenge you all to look at your life and measure yourself to determine who's standards are you living according to.... the world's or God's?

Thank you for joining me at The "J" Spot.

Daddy's Girl aka MzCeo

CAN WE SET THE STANDARD AND MAKE A CHANGE?

So today I woke up extra excited that I actually got one wheel in my huge master plan turning! This blog is actually a part of a big plan and so I've been thinking all day, what am I going to write about? What do I have to say? Is it profound? Does it have to be profound? No... it doesn't lol. All it has to do is make sense and make a point, right? What I want to talk about today is the importance of not losing sight of your dreams. This is very dear to my heart because I have always been a person who has had big dreams, dreams so big that I'm sure behind my back people thought that I was crazy and probably still do! The point is to never be concerned by what someone else thinks about you. How someone else feels about me does NOT define who I am. What defines me is how God sees me and how I need to learn how to see myself! If you're given these ideas, maybe it's because we're supposed to do something with them! I believe that we weren't put here to just work for someone else all of our lives. The Bible says that we are to be the head and not the tail, and that we are to be lenders and not borrowers. How can we do that if we're caught up in the everyday rat race barely making ends meet? I think in this day and age it is the time for us to set ourselves apart, let's stop letting the stock market determine who will have jobs or not have jobs today or tomorrow! We have to stir up that entrepreneurial spirit that is on the inside of all of us and start coming up with some God inspired ideas that will not only put us in a position of power, but because it was an idea given to us by God it is blessed and therefore will be prosperous!

I believe that now is the time for us to set ourselves up for owning our own businesses so that we can help other people in need, by providing jobs in the community, having the cash flow to be able to bless a person without hurting afterwards. We have to think BIG! Remember when you were a kid, how easy it was to think that you could be the president of the United States? Remember when it was OK to say I'm going to be a rocket scientist and believe it without batting an eye? We have to get back to that kid kind of faith that allows us to believe that we can. Somehow, in our transition from childhood to adulthood we lose sight of that kind of faith, we also start to think that it's not possible to become all those things that we thought we could do as children. However, NOTHING is impossible with God. If you trust Him, you can do all things... We can't be selfish or stingy with our gifts and talents, because remember God uses people to bless people, not using your gifts and talents or even doubting that you are capable is calling God a liar and our Father is not a man that He shall lie, we need to see ourselves how He sees us. We need to love ourselves like He loves us. If we could all just get a revelation of how He loves us and how He sees us then maybe we could all start to believe it and live up to that standard that He has called us to live! There are only people that you can touch, there are only people that will be able to receive from you, not using the resources that God has given you could cost you that person's soul. We are here not to just get blessed and keep it to ourselves but we are here to bless others. Let's face it, we live in a material world. The better you dress the better you are perceived, the more expensive car you drive the more successful you are assumed to be, if we live in a society that requires you to look and act and dress a certain way just to say that you are successful then, we have to start putting ourselves in the position to be able to play the part. How are you going to tell the young aspiring drug dealer to get off the corner, when he's just trying to hustle up some money for an official pair of True Religion $200 jeans when you're wearing Wrangler. Sad but true, that he would be able to tell the difference. How are you going to impress him, this young kid on the corner when you are rolling up in a put- put with an $80. bible. That won't impress today's generation. We have to look the part and we were called to be blessed and prosperous. Let's live up to our potential. Don't let your mind get in the way of your dreams. If you have dreams, write them down, post them on your walls so that you are reminded of them everyday and make a plan to make it happen! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You are the head and not the tail. Don't sell yourself short.