complacency?

 "The deepest conviction of sin is not that of the newly awakened sinner, but that of the most advanced saint, for to his cleansed eye and purged heart sin is a far more hideous and repulsive thing than it can possibly be to one who has just found out that he is guilty before God.  Hence, we may lay it down as a general law, without any exceptions, that when a man congratulates himself on his personal worthiness, he is really unworthy.  Here, he who is satisfied has never really eaten, or, in the words of the hymn, 

"whoever says I want no more, 

confesses he has none." 

Satisfaction with ourselves is a clear indication that God has no complacency in us.  

Humility and holiness go hand in hand."

The Miracles of our Saviour 

by William Mackergo  Taylor  

{i have not yet read this book but found this quote and it kind of struck me}

I read this and kind of tying into that {but kind of not}my mind goes to thinking of how we, as Christians, too often become complacent in our walk with Christ.  We forget the scripture that says "repent daily."  Maybe we feel it's a one time deal, we got our fix and we're good?  As Christian believers, I don't know how many of us often confess our sins daily.  I think those outside the church many times view Christian believers as having this attitude of "holier than thou.  We can sometimes get into this unfortunate mindset of 'I'm a Christian, not a sinner like those other people.'  {uhhhh I hate just typing that}.  It's unfortunate to have this attitude.... because we are saved by His grace, but we fall short everyday. 

When we meet someone who has just come to know Christ, their joy and passion for this new found truth is refreshing!  They know they have sinned and fall short {as we all have} and they jump at the  knowledge of Jesus Christ and the power of the cross!  But we "old" Christians walking with Christ for 10+ years, we don't always recognize this.  {This is totally just a retorical "we" speaking... just my thoughts of how often I do this too casually}.  We casually walk through our daily lives, praying for those that need it, praying when we hear someone is sick, pray when we need help, etc.  That's about it.  We don't jump anymore at the joy of salvation.  We casually call on God for our convenience and not always with a deep reverence for WHO He is. 

I confess – I often forget Who He really is.  I think He will fail me.  I think He’s not for me…. maybe He’s working against me… maybe He hates me, maybe He's just like people here where they fail and sin, they fall short of my expectations.  I forget His Word, I forget the cross, I forget WHO He is.  There was a song that I used to sing titled, "God Forbid."  The words are convicting: 

The more I know your power, Lord
The more I’m mindful
How casually we speak and sing Your name
How often we have come to You
With no fear or wonder
And called upon You only for what we stand to gain

(chorus)
God forbid, that I find You so familiar
That I think of You as less than who You are
God forbid, that I should speak of You at all
Without a humble reverence in my heart
God forbid

Lord, I often talk about your love and mercy
How it seems to me your goodness has no end
It frightens me to think that I could take You for granted
Though You’re closer than a brother
You’re more than just a friend

(repeat chorus)
You are Father, God Almighty
Lord of lords, your King of kings
Beyond my understanding
No less than everything

(repeat chorus)
God forbid
God forbid

Meet my cousins "Uz and Buz!"

My name is Autumn and while I like my name, I appreciate the meaning behind it more. Autumn means mature; a time of harvest; maturity. It is also my favorite season! I didn't like my name as a kid, but now i embrace it. 

NAMES - I have pondered this many times and I just thought I’d like to share my thoughts on this little blog. First, let me ask, why is it that parents, particularly Christian parents come up with the hard to pronounce, no-meaning-at-all names? Or they pick a name only for the simple {poor} reason that “it’s Biblical” without ever reading about the true meaning of the name?

For centuries, the meaning behind a person's name is very important. It's something they live up to. Names are considered one of those choices that you are to make with a sober mind and careful consideration. This brings me to my next question… why do people feel the urge to get super creative and pull some name out of their butt? {sorry for the bluntness} But seriously, please explain this to me. If you don't care about the meaning behind the name and if you are not a Christian, then I completely understand that I shouldn't expect you to honor your child with the name you choose. If you do care and especially if you are a Christian believer, I ask you to choose a name with careful consideration. 

A name is important. Even God Himself renamed people throughout the Bible because of their calling and purpose. Children live up to the name you give them. No question. They will. They always do. 

People in the Bible even changed their names to show of the type of person they were “becoming.” Think about it… in Ruth 1:20, Naomi says, 

“She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

It’s not a uplifting example, but it proves my point. God changed people’s names too… from Abram to Abraham, and Sarai to Sarah. It was as if He was giving them a new identity {as if the old were being washed away}. Sarai means “Princess” but God changed it to Sarah which means “mother of many nations.” This is huge! God was changing her name because of His promise to give her a child. I read that and think, this is like God saying I made a promise, I am faithful, I am who I say I AM and I stake my claim of this promise to you. Every time you are spoken of from now on as your new name Sarah, it’s a reminder of this promise being fulfilled!

Why was God re-naming people? I see it as God was giving them a name that fit their calling and purpose, it was a new identity, a new mission, a new outlook and hope for what was to come.

This is simply just my opinion based on scriptures and what I've learned. I'm tired of trying to pronounce these really hard names with no meaning behind them. I'm tired of trying to hold in my laughter when someone introduces their child "Asshole." {I'm not kidding}. 

All this said, I don't mean to offend and this is only my opinion. Take it for what it's worth, but I firmly believe names are very important. Please do not name your child any of the following: 

Princess – it is ridiculously unprofessional to see this on a future resume and I can’t call anyone that. 

Delilah – didn’t she lure men to her lustfully in sin?  
Cain – killed his brother

Judas – do I really need to explain this?

Jehovah – mmm… there’s only One and it ain't your kid. 

Ham – Hello lunchmeat?

Shem – just no.
Jezebel - you really want your child to live up to this?
Lorelai - it’s not Biblical, but according to Greek mythology, she was a siren that lured sailors to a watery grave. 
Adolf – not a Biblical name, but why would you name your child after a crazy man who murdered millions of people.

{You may laugh but it is true that these are actual names that some people like… or maybe they know that they aren’t good names and they just want to torture their own children?}
Scooter or Skeeter - are we Hillbillys? 
Jacob – I know this is a popular name, but it means “Trickster and deceiver." I've had so many babysitting jobs, I can tell you for sure, they live up to the name! 

Any thoughts?  Humor me, please.