Watch Your Back
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your god. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Have you ever felt, or known, that someone was out to get you? That they were trying to defame your good name, ruin your reputation, conspiring against you, or at the very least, using your flaws (your humanness) to try to make themselves look just a little better than you?Whether the sabotage is taking place on your job, in your home, or at church (yes I said “at church”), it is always hurtful, and it takes a toll on you mentally and emotionally. You begin to wonder what was said about you, who is involved, how this will affect your other relationships, and what people think of you.
So how do you get through it?
If you’ve been saved and walkin’ with Jesus a while, you pray; and watch your back. If you’re a new Christian who’s still honeymooning with Jesus, you think, “Man if I wasn’t saved!” Then you pray and watch your back. If you’re on your way to the Alter but haven’t quite gotten there, you make a plan of how you’re going to curse them out and take them down before they get you. Then you remember that you’re trying this Jesus thing so you probably shouldn’t do that, so you call a church member instead. After it takes them 30 minutes to calm you down, you pray and watch your back. (Yep. You know that’s how it happens.)
I know someone, who is constantly trying to make me look bad and defame my character to make themselves look better. (Isn’t that something?) Although they’ve been doing it for years, it’s still hurtful because I’ve worked so hard to remake myself into a woman of integrity (Oh I was a big fat liar). But I want people to make their own opinion of me based on our interaction, not the opinion of someone else.
So how do I get through it?
First. I let my work, attitude, and actions speak for themselves. I am the same me at church, at work, on a job interview, at home, everywhere. My character, speech, ethics, passions, and standards are the same everywhere I go because I always try to “conduct myself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”.
Second. I have a Post-It note with a scripture like this one (Jeremiah 1:8), that reminds me:
(1) don’t be afraid;
(2) God is with me;
(3) God will strengthen me when I’m weak;
(4) He will help me when I need it;
(5) and if stuff gets sticky, and it will, God will rescue me.
Third. I pray and watch my back.
(Contributing Writer: Marlena Patterson)The Word: March 29, 2015
Lectionary Scripture reading for…
SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015
(Liturgy of the Palms Liturgy of the Passion)
Color: Red or Purple
SCRIPTURES:
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” [continue reading]
Mark 11:1-11 or John 12:12-16
“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples…” [continue reading]
Isaiah 50:4-9a
“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.” [continue reading]
Psalm 31:9-16
“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.” [continue reading]
Philippians 2:5-11
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” [continue reading]
Mark 14 – 15
“Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.” [continue reading]
Tech Talk: Reply vs Reply All
QUICK TIPWhen to use REPLY vs REPLY ALL
Have you ever been stuck in an email chain that was 20 messages long, and you weren’t even part of the conversation? If so, then you will appreciate the importance of this Tech Talk: Quick Tip.
Use these points as a guide to help you decide if you should send a message using REPLY or REPLY ALL.
- Select REPLY to send a message back to the person who sent you the message. This is similar to a one-on-one conversation.
- Select REPLY ALL to send a message back to every person on the recipient list (or everyone who received the message.) This is similar to a conference call. Anyone who dials into the call, whether 2 or 100 will hear the same message.
The Word: March 22, 2015
Lectionary Scripture Readings for…
SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2015(5th Sunday in Lent)
Color: Purple
SCRIPTURES:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.’” [continue reading]
Psalm 51:1-12 or Psalm 119:9-16
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” [continue reading]
Hebrews 5:5-10
“In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’” [continue reading]
John 12:20-33
“Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival.” [continue reading]
Lessons Learned
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Phil 4:19
Phil 4:19
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:14
Exodus 14:14
Have you ever had God reiterate the same message in your life, over, and over, and over again?Well every year, all year long, there are two messages that God continues to deliver to me loud and clear. The first is “I got your back. I will take care of it. Don’t worry about it.” The second is, “Don’t trip. I’ll fight your battles. You just chill.” My translation. God probably doesn’t speak slang.
Here I am again, realizing that God is showing himself to me once again. After having a very bad customer service experience, I wrote a number of emails to the company about my ordeal. It was actually the same email delivered to multiple people. Anyway, as a result, the company decided to return to me the full amount of my $800 deposit (which they didn’t have to do).
About an hour after I received the good news, I had what Oprah calls an “Ah Ha” moment. I realized that the amount they were refunding ($800) was just $55 short of the bill I’d incurred with a plumber due to a leaky sewage pipe in the basement (I know right!) the week before ($855).
So look at God! An unavoidable $855 plumbing bill is covered by a refund received because of someone’s bad manners. Ain’t God good! Won’t he do it!
So what’s the lesson?
1) God’s [ALWAYS] got your back. He will [ALWAYS] take care of it. Don’t [EVER] worry about it.
2) Don’t trip. God will fight your battles. Just be still.
(Contributing Writer: Marlena Patterson)The Word: March 15, 2015
Lectionary Scriptures for the week of…
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2015
(4th Sunday in Lent)
Color: Purple or Pink
SCRIPTURES:
Numbers 21:4-9
“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way…” [continue reading]
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” [continue reading]
Ephesians 2:1-10
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…” [continue reading]
John 3:14-21
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up…” [continue reading]
Livin’ It!
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
Philippians 1:27
One day I called a company to cancel a policy I’d obtained from them less than a month before. When the customer service representative inquired why I was cancelling, I explained that I discovered I already had the same coverage with a different company. Although I answered his question honestly and directly, that wasn’t a satisfactory for him. He began to yell, yes yell, at me that I wasn’t answering his questions and I wasn’t listening to him. But throughout the call, as he spoke over me, I maintained a calm, polite and respectful voice and tone although I was heated!
Eventually, I hung up on the man because he just wasn’t yielding. After waiting a few minutes, I called back hoping to get a different agent. No such luck. Once again, the same man answered the phone pleasantly, I identified myself and the purpose of my call, and he asked, “Is this the same person I was just on the line with?” I answered him, “Yes. I would still like to cancel my policy.” Again, he went on a rant, yelling, and almost cursing insisting that he wasn’t going to cancel my policy, and that I wasn’t listening to him. But still, I remained calm and polite and respectful toward him. At this point I was HOT!
In the midst of his rage, he said the only way the policy could be cancelled is through non-payment. Eureka! That was the answer to the question. When I heard that, I thought, “I’ll just call the bank tomorrow and place a stop payment on the account.” After that there was no reason for me to stay on the phone with him. I said, “Thank you for that information. Enjoy the rest of your evening,” and I hung up again.
Through all of the yelling, and the emotions running high, I didn’t take the bait. I was determined that no matter what he threw at me, I was going to “conduct myself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
Living the Word, is a lot harder than quoting it.
(Contributing Writer: Marlena Patterson)Senior Friendly Tablets
Hey there Tech Savvy Seniors!
If you’re in the market for a new tablet, we’ve found a couple of options that may interest you.
First is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 LiteHere are some key features:
- Purse friendly size 7”
- Wallet friendly price under $150 at Best Buy
- 8GB internal memory w/ microSD card slot to expand up to 32GB of memory. That’s enough to hold your games, apps, grandbaby pictures, and more! Just a note, the microSD card must be purchased separately.
- Camera on the back to take photos of others. Sorry, no camera on the front.
- Sync contacts, music, videos, files and more with your other Samsung devices.
- Available for purchase In a Best Buy store or ONLINE
Next is the RealPad by AARP
Some of the RealPad’s key features are:
- Purse friendly size 7.85”
- Wallet friendly price under $200 at Walmart
- 16GB memory. That’s enough to hold your games, apps, grandbaby pictures, and more!
- Camera on the back to take photos of others. Camera w/ mic on the front for video chat and your “Selfies” of course!
- Comes loaded with the AARP App, publications, and tools for retirement and healthy living.
- Purchase ONLINE ONLY
That’s all for now.
If you need help narrowing down your purchase even more, you can come to the next WiFi Tech Clinic (1st Saturday of every month), or send an email to technology@shilohbaptist.org.
The Word: March 8, 2015
Lectionary Scripture readings for…
SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015
(3rd Sunday in Lent)
Color: Purple
Exodus 20:1-17
“And God spoke all these words: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.’” [continue reading]
Psalm 19
“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” [continue reading]
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” [continue reading]
John 2:13-22
“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” [continue reading]
The Word: March 1, 2015
Lectionary Scripture readings for…
SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2015
(2nd Sunday in Lent)
Color: Purple
SCRIPTURES:
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.’” [continue reading]
Psalm 22:23-31
“You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!” [continue reading]
Romans 4:13-25
“It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” [continue reading]
Mark 8:31-38 or Mark 9:2-9
“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.” [continue reading]