This is a link to a document that I made that has some great quotes and a couple of verses.
https://sendnow.acrobat.com/?i=6srGdLIFk6Y7jMq7W4LBvA
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
"How Full Is Your Bucket?": A Reflection of My Strengths/Gifts from God
I write this post partly to recommend the book "How Full is Your Bucket?" but also, this post is a reflection of my strengths or gifts from God, because that is what I thought of after reading this book and taking the personality questionnaire.
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I read the book for my HBM 131 class. At the end of the book, you take a personality assessment that (based on many questions, taking about 20 min, give or take. lol) is supposed to determine your top 5 strengths. Then you can decide how accurate the results are. I was actually surprised at the high level of accuracy my results seem to have, when I compare the results to the qualities I notice about myself.
I wrote this paper three days after a breakup (wrote all of this in the two hours before it was due, of course. haha) I was grateful that the promt my professor gave us asked us to "do some soul searching." This was really helpful for me, because at this time, all I could think about was God: how much He'd helped me through the breakup, and how I know He's always here for me -- really, He is so close to me that He is in me: He influences my thoughts, desires, actions and words. Anyway, I was glad this prompt gave me the opportunity to reflect upon the strengths God has given me; it is clear to me that nothing I have, including nothing about me, comes from anywhere except the hands of God.
God helped me SO much to get through this trial and come out of it stronger than I'd ever been. I'd say that I'm shocked I felt so great so soon, but when I think about it, I'm not surprised. Because, as Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I believe that because I love God, He really "showed up" when I needed him. He showed up in countless ways, including showing me that He has provided me so MANY amazing friends who love me and were more than willing to help when they knew I wasn't doing well. If you helped me in any way, know that I am forever grateful for what you have done, and would do the same for you in a heartbeat. God has given me all of you, and it is hard to grasp an understanding of why I am so blessed, but I'll bet it is because God knows I love Him. When I ask for help, He is always there, sometimes I may have to look harder than at other times. but He really is always there and will never forsake me, or any one of you :)
So thanks for reading this -- and know that I am thankful and blessed to have each and every one of you in my life. so to all of you, my fellow believers in Christ, thank you for all that you do and in using your lives to impact others just as Christ did (and continues to do) for us.
So...below is my paper about "How Full Is Your Bucket?" that I turned in to my class. Its pretty long, I know. haha so...I hi-lighted some of the main points:
"The five strengths that the Strength Finder assessment determined that I have are as follows: I am a developer, my beliefs are important to me, I stay positive, strive to include others, and I am responsible. I find this information to be quite accurate. I actually was impressed by how accurately the descriptions of each of the characteristics apply to me. Knowing myself and this information about my strengths, I think that I would be most successful surrounded by people who have my same Strengths, as well as people who also really value the importance of working hard in order to achieve success. (I am a hard worker, and was a bit surprised that that did not show up in one of my characteristics. However, a strong work ethic and determination to work hard fall into responsibility, one of my five characteristics).
First, I am a developer. I really am amazed at how strongly this describes me. Sometimes I think it may sound naive, but I really do always see the potential in others. I believe that everyone was given the qualities and talents that they, as an individual, can use to succeed in their own unique way. No one is perfect at anything, we were made to make mistakes. But my “developer” view shows me that everyone has the potential to achieve greatness. No matter who they are, no matter how terrible the mistakes a person has made, they still have the potential to turn their life around and make it a success. Even people who the majority perceive as the lowest of the low were born with qualities that they can be using to succeed.
Next, the Strength Finder explained me as holding great importance to responsibility. This is very accurate. Some may call me a “goody-two shoes” and I cannot disagree with that. People do not perceive me as a typical WSU student. I do not party, and I rarely drink. (I have never drank more than 1/3 of a beer at one time, and I only did this once. All through my time at WSU, I have never been to a frat party and have only twice been hanging out with friends who were drinking.) It isn’t that I want to party but am holding myself back from it either. I just really have a mindset of responsibility and do not care to partake in actions that I perceive as risky. I do not feel like my way of life isn’t enough fun. I have plenty of fun and have plenty of great friends who care about me. When we hang out, we play tennis, watch movies, go hiking, horseback riding, as well as various other activities we all enjoy. A vital component of responsibility, I think, is honesty. Ever since I was old enough to understand why, I have known the importance of honesty. Without honesty, who could trust me? What respect could I have from family, friends, and co-workers? Not much. Dishonest behavior quickly causes those around you to lose their trust, respect and desire to be around you. My Strength Finder results are accurate by stating, “When people come to you for help—and they soon will—you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should.” There are times in my life when I have helped others so much that it was not healthy for me because I had taken on more than I should have. My strong desire to help others is hard to push away. It is difficult to say no to someone who is requesting my help. I am described well by this statement, too: “If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution.” I strongly dislike making excuses, and try in every way to avoid situations that excuses may come up. If I end up making an excuse, I feel guilty. I tell the person that I am not trying to make an excuse, but rather an explanation for the way I messed up, and that I would appreciate it if they could try to see it as such. I also don’t like asking for help, because my responsible nature causes me to feel the need to complete my personal tasks on my own, as well as to be dependable for everything I say I will do for others; I even feel responsibility for things I have not directly committed to (things I expect of myself to do for others).
Next on my list of qualities from the Strength Finder questionnaire is belief. I was pleased to see that this made my list of five attributes. My faith is extremely important to me and I would never want to lose it. Many of the decisions I make on a daily basis are based upon my faith. As time passes, I see my faith grow, and especially after I have come out of a negative situation. My faith helps me to stay positive when things get tough, because no matter how hard life gets, (and yes, there have been some pretty difficult, low times in my life), I believe that my faith is strong enough to help me through. During a difficult situation -- it may be hard to see because I am in the moment -- but afterwards, I am usually able to see that God had a purpose for placing me in that situation. He had a reason for my struggle. I believe that there is always, (yes, really, always) good that can come out of any situation. No matter how hard the trial may have been, God had a reason for it, just as He has a reason for everything. Through prayer and patient requests, He will show us why we were in that situation. It may take time, sometimes more time than one hopes, but by relying on God, looking for His ever present love and guidance, I believe that we can always find what God wanted to show us. Each trial we go through really does make us a better person and is meant to strengthen our faith. God teaches us to love Him and to love one another, but also to not neglect to love ourselves. This last one has taken me time to implement into my life. But lately God has shown me how to love myself. He wants me to put Himself and others above me, yes, that’s true, but He never wants me to forget about loving myself, too. This may mean trusting Him and not being afraid to ask friends for help when needed, and it also means that I should not forget that all the confidence I have is given to me from Him and I must never let go of it, though I also must not be prideful. When making decisions, I must think first of Christ, then others, and lastly, myself. In this way, I can be the selfless, loving, caring and sincere woman of God that I believe I am called to be.
The Strength Finder assessment results say the following about my faith: “your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics—both in yourself and others.” As well as, stating that “success is more than money and prestige”. This really applies to me. I like to think that I really am not into material things (at least I hope that this is true). I have never been really into shopping, though some people find that odd, as most girls love shopping. I make a budget and when I shop, I stick to it. I find no reason to buy something if it is too expensive or is not a necessity. Another example is that in thinking about the kind of ring I’d like when I get married, I am not interested in having a diamond ring. For two reasons: one, it just is not necessary. If I marry the right person, then our love should be strong enough to not need something so meaningless. If we really love each other, we will know it and Christ’s love will still be the most important. I don’t believe that Christ wants us to become caught up in worldly things such as diamond rings. The second reason is that to me, diamonds are not a symbol of love. (This being said, I do of course respect those who desire to have a diamond ring. It is a personal decision, but I personally would like something different. Probably a ring with a cross on it, as that would hold more meaning.) If someone buys an expensive diamond ring for the sole purpose of proving their love for another person, then they are not truly in love. They are not in the kind of relationship that God has called us to enter. (Again, I’m not saying that diamond rings are not okay or that people in love should not buy each other expensive things. This is a personal choice). If a person proposed to me with an expensive diamond ring, then I would know that they are not the one for me. Because they’d be showing me that they do not understand what I value. The Strength Finder results also say that my faith makes me easy to trust and people know where I stand. This is accurate as well.
My next attribute, as revealed by the Strength Finder exercise is positivity. This also describes me well. It states that, “You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either way, people want to be around you.” Throughout my life, it really pleases me to see that people do seem to want to be around me. I find that when I am most myself, people around me are smiling, laughing, and seem really happy. I believe that my positivity comes from God (just as I believe all my other traits do). Thus, I can’t be proud of my positivity, but rather should want to share it with others because that is why God has given it to me. After all, what is positivity if it is not shared with those around you? If one is positive, he or she should not keep the positivity to oneself, just as one should not selfishly hide and try to keep any of their other God given gifts to oneself. The Strenth Finder results also say that I seem to find a way to lighten others’ spirits by using my energy and optimism. It is also accurate by saying that I keep hold of my sense of humor through life’s setbacks and that it is difficult for others to bring me down because my positivity is so strong. An example of my optimism is that even the night of my breakup, though I felt hurt by him, I was still able to find some things to laugh about -- I even made my friends (who were supporting me and helping me through my breakup) laugh. Laughter truly is the best medicine! It takes many negative interactions for me to be brought down. Sometimes if I’m having a bad day or going through a tough time, my positivity is harder to keep, but it is always there. I always at least attempt to treat all people kindly, no matter what they have done to me. The way I see it is like this: no matter what I'm going through, there is someone out there --no, not just someone, but many people, more than I could even count-- who are struggling even worse than I. So even in my own times of need, I at least attempt to reach out to others: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” Philippians 1:21.
Lastly, I am an includer. I see a lot of truth to this as well. When I meet someone new, I really try my best to withhold/suspend judgment. I like to think that God has made me a generally accepting, non-judgmental person. Thinking about it, I honestly would be friends with everyone if there was time for that. If anyone needs something, even if I hardly know them, I do my best to help out because I feel that it is my responsibility to help all those who are hurting. I love to reach out to others. To make even just one person's day better, makes my day SO much better. Throughout my life, I have various examples of being an includer. Leaving people out makes me hurt because I have empathy for them when I think about times I have been left out, made fun of, or talked about behind my back. Those actions are hurtful, and I am not saying that I include people as much as I should, nobody does, because no one is perfect. But I do try to include others as much as I can and I will go out of my way to do so. When I reach out to people, I love to see their response. Helping and including those who are really hurting, or those who had been hurt but are still healing and want to talk about it, is something I deeply, sincerely enjoy. I am not completely sure what occupation I have been called to in this life, but am currently an Organizational Communication major, planning on minoring in Hospitality Business Management and Psychology, too, if I can fit that in. A part of me feels that I may be called to counseling. I think this because some of my life experiences have shaped me into the kind of person who truly does sincerely care about others. I don’t worry very often, but one thing I do worry about is the possibility of saying or doing something that could hurt another person. God has made me sensitive to the feelings of others and given me a great deal of empathy and understanding. I plan to earn my Bachelor’s degree, then work in the Human Resources field, because I want a job that I would get to have a lot of interaction with all kinds of people. Then after probably a few years at that, I hope to have some money saved up to be able to go to grad school for psychology if I decide that is what I should do. Being that I am an includer, I believe that a counseling job could be a great place for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Strength Finder book and felt that it accurately displayed my top five strengths, as I see myself and as God sees myself. I see that (and especially after writing this), I was able to clearly reflect upon the five strengths and find them to truly be accurate. I definitely more than “a little soul-searching” as the prompt had asked. But I am glad that I took it deeper, as it made the experience truly worthwhile. I did not feel as if reading “How Full is Your Bucket?,” taking the assessment and writing this paper wasted any of my time. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it to be highly useful. I already see myself implementing some of the suggestions the book makes into my life. I am “filling buckets” more frequently than I used to because I clearly see the impact it makes (not only for the person receiving into their bucket, but for myself). “Filling buckets” of others gives me such a great personal reward that it almost feels selfish. It seems to me that giving praise, compliments, and thanking others for what they have done for me might even give me a greater reward than it does for the person receiving from me. I found several quotes to be eye opening, but especially this one: “Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.” Though it is a bit different from what we are used to hearing (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”), it is a selfless variation of the famous quote. If we do unto others as we would want them to do for us, then we are not being sensitive to their individual, unique needs and emotions. All people are created equal, but it is important to recognize that all people were not created the same. How boring would our world be if we were all the same? If I could choose to take only one important thing away from reading this book, it would be this: always be sensitive to the needs of others and do not expect that they want to be treated the same way you do. They might, if you are very similar people, but chances are, if you really treat someone right, you would not be treating them in a way identical to that which you would like to be treated."
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I read the book for my HBM 131 class. At the end of the book, you take a personality assessment that (based on many questions, taking about 20 min, give or take. lol) is supposed to determine your top 5 strengths. Then you can decide how accurate the results are. I was actually surprised at the high level of accuracy my results seem to have, when I compare the results to the qualities I notice about myself.
I wrote this paper three days after a breakup (wrote all of this in the two hours before it was due, of course. haha) I was grateful that the promt my professor gave us asked us to "do some soul searching." This was really helpful for me, because at this time, all I could think about was God: how much He'd helped me through the breakup, and how I know He's always here for me -- really, He is so close to me that He is in me: He influences my thoughts, desires, actions and words. Anyway, I was glad this prompt gave me the opportunity to reflect upon the strengths God has given me; it is clear to me that nothing I have, including nothing about me, comes from anywhere except the hands of God.
God helped me SO much to get through this trial and come out of it stronger than I'd ever been. I'd say that I'm shocked I felt so great so soon, but when I think about it, I'm not surprised. Because, as Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I believe that because I love God, He really "showed up" when I needed him. He showed up in countless ways, including showing me that He has provided me so MANY amazing friends who love me and were more than willing to help when they knew I wasn't doing well. If you helped me in any way, know that I am forever grateful for what you have done, and would do the same for you in a heartbeat. God has given me all of you, and it is hard to grasp an understanding of why I am so blessed, but I'll bet it is because God knows I love Him. When I ask for help, He is always there, sometimes I may have to look harder than at other times. but He really is always there and will never forsake me, or any one of you :)
So thanks for reading this -- and know that I am thankful and blessed to have each and every one of you in my life. so to all of you, my fellow believers in Christ, thank you for all that you do and in using your lives to impact others just as Christ did (and continues to do) for us.
So...below is my paper about "How Full Is Your Bucket?" that I turned in to my class. Its pretty long, I know. haha so...I hi-lighted some of the main points:
"The five strengths that the Strength Finder assessment determined that I have are as follows: I am a developer, my beliefs are important to me, I stay positive, strive to include others, and I am responsible. I find this information to be quite accurate. I actually was impressed by how accurately the descriptions of each of the characteristics apply to me. Knowing myself and this information about my strengths, I think that I would be most successful surrounded by people who have my same Strengths, as well as people who also really value the importance of working hard in order to achieve success. (I am a hard worker, and was a bit surprised that that did not show up in one of my characteristics. However, a strong work ethic and determination to work hard fall into responsibility, one of my five characteristics).
First, I am a developer. I really am amazed at how strongly this describes me. Sometimes I think it may sound naive, but I really do always see the potential in others. I believe that everyone was given the qualities and talents that they, as an individual, can use to succeed in their own unique way. No one is perfect at anything, we were made to make mistakes. But my “developer” view shows me that everyone has the potential to achieve greatness. No matter who they are, no matter how terrible the mistakes a person has made, they still have the potential to turn their life around and make it a success. Even people who the majority perceive as the lowest of the low were born with qualities that they can be using to succeed.
Next, the Strength Finder explained me as holding great importance to responsibility. This is very accurate. Some may call me a “goody-two shoes” and I cannot disagree with that. People do not perceive me as a typical WSU student. I do not party, and I rarely drink. (I have never drank more than 1/3 of a beer at one time, and I only did this once. All through my time at WSU, I have never been to a frat party and have only twice been hanging out with friends who were drinking.) It isn’t that I want to party but am holding myself back from it either. I just really have a mindset of responsibility and do not care to partake in actions that I perceive as risky. I do not feel like my way of life isn’t enough fun. I have plenty of fun and have plenty of great friends who care about me. When we hang out, we play tennis, watch movies, go hiking, horseback riding, as well as various other activities we all enjoy. A vital component of responsibility, I think, is honesty. Ever since I was old enough to understand why, I have known the importance of honesty. Without honesty, who could trust me? What respect could I have from family, friends, and co-workers? Not much. Dishonest behavior quickly causes those around you to lose their trust, respect and desire to be around you. My Strength Finder results are accurate by stating, “When people come to you for help—and they soon will—you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should.” There are times in my life when I have helped others so much that it was not healthy for me because I had taken on more than I should have. My strong desire to help others is hard to push away. It is difficult to say no to someone who is requesting my help. I am described well by this statement, too: “If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution.” I strongly dislike making excuses, and try in every way to avoid situations that excuses may come up. If I end up making an excuse, I feel guilty. I tell the person that I am not trying to make an excuse, but rather an explanation for the way I messed up, and that I would appreciate it if they could try to see it as such. I also don’t like asking for help, because my responsible nature causes me to feel the need to complete my personal tasks on my own, as well as to be dependable for everything I say I will do for others; I even feel responsibility for things I have not directly committed to (things I expect of myself to do for others).
Next on my list of qualities from the Strength Finder questionnaire is belief. I was pleased to see that this made my list of five attributes. My faith is extremely important to me and I would never want to lose it. Many of the decisions I make on a daily basis are based upon my faith. As time passes, I see my faith grow, and especially after I have come out of a negative situation. My faith helps me to stay positive when things get tough, because no matter how hard life gets, (and yes, there have been some pretty difficult, low times in my life), I believe that my faith is strong enough to help me through. During a difficult situation -- it may be hard to see because I am in the moment -- but afterwards, I am usually able to see that God had a purpose for placing me in that situation. He had a reason for my struggle. I believe that there is always, (yes, really, always) good that can come out of any situation. No matter how hard the trial may have been, God had a reason for it, just as He has a reason for everything. Through prayer and patient requests, He will show us why we were in that situation. It may take time, sometimes more time than one hopes, but by relying on God, looking for His ever present love and guidance, I believe that we can always find what God wanted to show us. Each trial we go through really does make us a better person and is meant to strengthen our faith. God teaches us to love Him and to love one another, but also to not neglect to love ourselves. This last one has taken me time to implement into my life. But lately God has shown me how to love myself. He wants me to put Himself and others above me, yes, that’s true, but He never wants me to forget about loving myself, too. This may mean trusting Him and not being afraid to ask friends for help when needed, and it also means that I should not forget that all the confidence I have is given to me from Him and I must never let go of it, though I also must not be prideful. When making decisions, I must think first of Christ, then others, and lastly, myself. In this way, I can be the selfless, loving, caring and sincere woman of God that I believe I am called to be.
The Strength Finder assessment results say the following about my faith: “your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics—both in yourself and others.” As well as, stating that “success is more than money and prestige”. This really applies to me. I like to think that I really am not into material things (at least I hope that this is true). I have never been really into shopping, though some people find that odd, as most girls love shopping. I make a budget and when I shop, I stick to it. I find no reason to buy something if it is too expensive or is not a necessity. Another example is that in thinking about the kind of ring I’d like when I get married, I am not interested in having a diamond ring. For two reasons: one, it just is not necessary. If I marry the right person, then our love should be strong enough to not need something so meaningless. If we really love each other, we will know it and Christ’s love will still be the most important. I don’t believe that Christ wants us to become caught up in worldly things such as diamond rings. The second reason is that to me, diamonds are not a symbol of love. (This being said, I do of course respect those who desire to have a diamond ring. It is a personal decision, but I personally would like something different. Probably a ring with a cross on it, as that would hold more meaning.) If someone buys an expensive diamond ring for the sole purpose of proving their love for another person, then they are not truly in love. They are not in the kind of relationship that God has called us to enter. (Again, I’m not saying that diamond rings are not okay or that people in love should not buy each other expensive things. This is a personal choice). If a person proposed to me with an expensive diamond ring, then I would know that they are not the one for me. Because they’d be showing me that they do not understand what I value. The Strength Finder results also say that my faith makes me easy to trust and people know where I stand. This is accurate as well.
My next attribute, as revealed by the Strength Finder exercise is positivity. This also describes me well. It states that, “You are generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in the situation. Some call you lighthearted. Others just wish that their glass were as full as yours seems to be. But either way, people want to be around you.” Throughout my life, it really pleases me to see that people do seem to want to be around me. I find that when I am most myself, people around me are smiling, laughing, and seem really happy. I believe that my positivity comes from God (just as I believe all my other traits do). Thus, I can’t be proud of my positivity, but rather should want to share it with others because that is why God has given it to me. After all, what is positivity if it is not shared with those around you? If one is positive, he or she should not keep the positivity to oneself, just as one should not selfishly hide and try to keep any of their other God given gifts to oneself. The Strenth Finder results also say that I seem to find a way to lighten others’ spirits by using my energy and optimism. It is also accurate by saying that I keep hold of my sense of humor through life’s setbacks and that it is difficult for others to bring me down because my positivity is so strong. An example of my optimism is that even the night of my breakup, though I felt hurt by him, I was still able to find some things to laugh about -- I even made my friends (who were supporting me and helping me through my breakup) laugh. Laughter truly is the best medicine! It takes many negative interactions for me to be brought down. Sometimes if I’m having a bad day or going through a tough time, my positivity is harder to keep, but it is always there. I always at least attempt to treat all people kindly, no matter what they have done to me. The way I see it is like this: no matter what I'm going through, there is someone out there --no, not just someone, but many people, more than I could even count-- who are struggling even worse than I. So even in my own times of need, I at least attempt to reach out to others: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” Philippians 1:21.
Lastly, I am an includer. I see a lot of truth to this as well. When I meet someone new, I really try my best to withhold/suspend judgment. I like to think that God has made me a generally accepting, non-judgmental person. Thinking about it, I honestly would be friends with everyone if there was time for that. If anyone needs something, even if I hardly know them, I do my best to help out because I feel that it is my responsibility to help all those who are hurting. I love to reach out to others. To make even just one person's day better, makes my day SO much better. Throughout my life, I have various examples of being an includer. Leaving people out makes me hurt because I have empathy for them when I think about times I have been left out, made fun of, or talked about behind my back. Those actions are hurtful, and I am not saying that I include people as much as I should, nobody does, because no one is perfect. But I do try to include others as much as I can and I will go out of my way to do so. When I reach out to people, I love to see their response. Helping and including those who are really hurting, or those who had been hurt but are still healing and want to talk about it, is something I deeply, sincerely enjoy. I am not completely sure what occupation I have been called to in this life, but am currently an Organizational Communication major, planning on minoring in Hospitality Business Management and Psychology, too, if I can fit that in. A part of me feels that I may be called to counseling. I think this because some of my life experiences have shaped me into the kind of person who truly does sincerely care about others. I don’t worry very often, but one thing I do worry about is the possibility of saying or doing something that could hurt another person. God has made me sensitive to the feelings of others and given me a great deal of empathy and understanding. I plan to earn my Bachelor’s degree, then work in the Human Resources field, because I want a job that I would get to have a lot of interaction with all kinds of people. Then after probably a few years at that, I hope to have some money saved up to be able to go to grad school for psychology if I decide that is what I should do. Being that I am an includer, I believe that a counseling job could be a great place for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Strength Finder book and felt that it accurately displayed my top five strengths, as I see myself and as God sees myself. I see that (and especially after writing this), I was able to clearly reflect upon the five strengths and find them to truly be accurate. I definitely more than “a little soul-searching” as the prompt had asked. But I am glad that I took it deeper, as it made the experience truly worthwhile. I did not feel as if reading “How Full is Your Bucket?,” taking the assessment and writing this paper wasted any of my time. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it to be highly useful. I already see myself implementing some of the suggestions the book makes into my life. I am “filling buckets” more frequently than I used to because I clearly see the impact it makes (not only for the person receiving into their bucket, but for myself). “Filling buckets” of others gives me such a great personal reward that it almost feels selfish. It seems to me that giving praise, compliments, and thanking others for what they have done for me might even give me a greater reward than it does for the person receiving from me. I found several quotes to be eye opening, but especially this one: “Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.” Though it is a bit different from what we are used to hearing (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”), it is a selfless variation of the famous quote. If we do unto others as we would want them to do for us, then we are not being sensitive to their individual, unique needs and emotions. All people are created equal, but it is important to recognize that all people were not created the same. How boring would our world be if we were all the same? If I could choose to take only one important thing away from reading this book, it would be this: always be sensitive to the needs of others and do not expect that they want to be treated the same way you do. They might, if you are very similar people, but chances are, if you really treat someone right, you would not be treating them in a way identical to that which you would like to be treated."
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The Ability to Run is a Gift from God...
The Ability to Run is a Gift from God.
Just like all gifts from God, running should not be taken for granted.
Just like all gifts from God, running should not be taken for granted.
I only recently became interested in running (started enjoying running last year when I came to WSU). Previously, I used to make excuses not to run. These excuses ranged anywhere from: “Its hard”, “I can’t run fast or far”, or the simple, yet all too commonly said phrase, “I can’t.” Well, once I put effort into trying to run, I found out that all of my past excuses were disproven, because: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ~Philippians 4:13
Last October, I ran a 5K for the first time in my life. Tomorrow, I am running that same 5K again, making this my 2nd 5K. God gave me a gift of two legs that work. He gave me two legs so that I may use them to the best of my ability, in anything that I do. He gave me the gift of the capacity to live a physically active lifestyle, and He blessed me with the willpower to do so. It is my goal to run farther races soon: I'd like to do a 10K, and afterwards, would like to run farther races than that. :) My strength in God can take me far! Jesus said (Matthew 17:20), "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, remove from here to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
Last October, I ran a 5K for the first time in my life. Tomorrow, I am running that same 5K again, making this my 2nd 5K. God gave me a gift of two legs that work. He gave me two legs so that I may use them to the best of my ability, in anything that I do. He gave me the gift of the capacity to live a physically active lifestyle, and He blessed me with the willpower to do so. It is my goal to run farther races soon: I'd like to do a 10K, and afterwards, would like to run farther races than that. :) My strength in God can take me far! Jesus said (Matthew 17:20), "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, remove from here to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
video: "My Redeemer Lives - A true Ironman story (Team Dick and Rick Hoyt)
This video inspires me to run: it inspired me in my first 5K, it inspires me for tomorrow’s 5K, and it inspires me every time I run. Actually, I see the Hoyt story as an inspiration anytime I do anything physically active at all. Through the story of Rick and Dan Hoyt, I see how very blessed I am. God has given me the ability to use both my legs and arms, I can speak, and so much more that Dan Hoyt is not able to do. I can do so many things that Dan Hoyt can only desire to do. When I watch this video, I realize that I need to be careful not to take for granted any of the ways that God has blessed me. I know that there are times when I have taken my gifts from God for granted, in fact, I probably take things for granted every day—I try not to, but it still happens. This may be because I don’t know the full worth of God’s love for me. I know that God loves me very much, but just as God’s love is insurmountable, it is also immeasurable. I think it is impossible to fully comprehend how much He loves me. As I grow in my faith, my concept of God’s love strengthens.
In Ephesians 3: 17b-19, Paul says, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
This video inspires me to run: it inspired me in my first 5K, it inspires me for tomorrow’s 5K, and it inspires me every time I run. Actually, I see the Hoyt story as an inspiration anytime I do anything physically active at all. Through the story of Rick and Dan Hoyt, I see how very blessed I am. God has given me the ability to use both my legs and arms, I can speak, and so much more that Dan Hoyt is not able to do. I can do so many things that Dan Hoyt can only desire to do. When I watch this video, I realize that I need to be careful not to take for granted any of the ways that God has blessed me. I know that there are times when I have taken my gifts from God for granted, in fact, I probably take things for granted every day—I try not to, but it still happens. This may be because I don’t know the full worth of God’s love for me. I know that God loves me very much, but just as God’s love is insurmountable, it is also immeasurable. I think it is impossible to fully comprehend how much He loves me. As I grow in my faith, my concept of God’s love strengthens.
In Ephesians 3: 17b-19, Paul says, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
God gave each individual person his or her own unique gifts, talents and abilities. We must use these gifts well, for together, we all comprise Christ’s body:
“Now you are the body of Christ…” ~1 Corinthians 12: 27
“…God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.” ~1 Corinthians 12:18
“…there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” ~1 Corinthians 12: 25-26
When we notice others who are less fortunate than us, no matter if it is just one aspect of their life, such as doing poorly in school, or if it they are struggling in something that encompasses and creates problems in other areas of their life (poverty, divorce, job loss, etc) we suffer with them.
We must reach out to help all people, both those we see struggling and those who keep their struggles hidden:
We must reach out to help all people, both those we see struggling and those who keep their struggles hidden:
~Romans 12: 6-8 says, “God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well…If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.”
~In Acts 20:35 Luke says, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
There are so many gifts that God has given me. It is my goal to not take any of these gifts for granted. I hope that every day I will see the full value of how blessed I am. I strive to thank God everyday for all that I hold important: everyone and everything in my life are gifts from God. When I think of this quote: “What if you woke up today with only the things you’d thanked God for yesterday?” I realize that I should graciously express my appreciation for God every day of my life.
Friendship
God calls me to be a good friend to many--to be a friend to all His people (all people on earth) whom I meet.
In regards to friendship, my study bible says:
"Love unconditionally." ~Proverbs 17:17
In regards to friendship, my study bible says:
"Love unconditionally." ~Proverbs 17:17
"Be available for advice." ~Proverbs 27:9
"Speak the truth." ~Proverbs 27: 5-6
"Be loyal." ~Proverbs 16:28
"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." ~Romans 15:7
My bible also says: "Maybe it's more important to be a friend than to have one."
My goal is to be the best friend I can be to as many people as I can. Even if I don't get an equal amount of support in return from those I befriend--If I put more into friendships than I get out of them, that's fine. Because my worth is in Christ--above all else, above all people, but especially above all things in my life, Christ matters most. He loves me so much more than I'll ever know.
I pray that everyone on His earth will know and feel Christ's abundant love. My prayer is that Christ would shine His light through me so brightly that when others see me and interact with me, they can't help but notice something special. I pray that Christ's light would project through me onto all whom I meet. Whether I only see/interact with someone once, such as in a public setting, or whether I see a particular person frequently: a family member, friend or classmate--no matter who I meet and no matter how long or short they stay in my life, I pray that my faith will be an example to them: I want my faith to be an example for all people.
"Speak the truth." ~Proverbs 27: 5-6
"Be loyal." ~Proverbs 16:28
"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." ~Romans 15:7
My bible also says: "Maybe it's more important to be a friend than to have one."
My goal is to be the best friend I can be to as many people as I can. Even if I don't get an equal amount of support in return from those I befriend--If I put more into friendships than I get out of them, that's fine. Because my worth is in Christ--above all else, above all people, but especially above all things in my life, Christ matters most. He loves me so much more than I'll ever know.
I pray that everyone on His earth will know and feel Christ's abundant love. My prayer is that Christ would shine His light through me so brightly that when others see me and interact with me, they can't help but notice something special. I pray that Christ's light would project through me onto all whom I meet. Whether I only see/interact with someone once, such as in a public setting, or whether I see a particular person frequently: a family member, friend or classmate--no matter who I meet and no matter how long or short they stay in my life, I pray that my faith will be an example to them: I want my faith to be an example for all people.
I truly believe that laughter is the best medicine: no matter what one's problems are, if one can learn to laugh about them, things will improve. To me, laughter is the first step anyone must take in order to improve his/her quality of life. I hope I make all of the people in my life laugh--even those aforementioned people in public with whom I may not be likely to interact with more than once. If I can even just make someone smile, if I can brighten anyone's day, my days brightens, too.
Here are a few verses which offer a glimpse at what God says about laughter:
Psalm 126:2
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”
And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”
Psalm 4:7
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
God desires for all people to rely on Him: to understand that we aren't meant to go through life without trusting in Him and requesting His help. He is with us through all of our challenges; He stands by us in life's darkest moments. His love overflows upon us at all times, no matter what sin we have committed, God doesn't care: because His love NEVER fails.
In our darkest moments, God may be hard to find, but we must know that He is there always; He is a beacon shining to us, and He is desperately hoping that we will see His light. At times, His light may seem dim, but it only seems this way: in truth, His light is shooting off fireworks in the sky. God is shining His light for all to see, but we sometimes let our fears, challenges, and situations negatively affect us so that we are blinded from seeing God's light.
That being said, God wants us to remember that He is there and to patiently present our requests to Him. These verses are important to keep in mind:
Psalm 138:8
“The Lord will work out his plans for my life--for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.”
Ephesians 3:20
“God can do anything, you know--far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”
Luke 11:9
"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you."
Isaiah 40:31
"Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
"Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Psalm 37:4
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37: 23-24
“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”
Ecclesiastes 11:10
"So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of you body..."
"So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of you body..."
1 Peter 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
and last, but not least (this is one of my favorites!!): "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7
Back to my topic, friendship: Only God knows how far gestures of kindness go: we may see our gestures of kindness as small, especially those gestures which only take a moment or two out of our day. But I believe that to God, no gesture of kindness is considered too small. We, as God’s people, comprise His body on earth (1 Corinthians 12). Each of us plays a unique part in God’s plan; each of us is the only individual created by Him to complete the specific plan we are each called to. Our hands and hearts do the work that God can’t physically do: the work that He does in spirit by calling us to do things for His purpose.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” ~Proverbs 19:21
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” ~Proverbs 19:21
“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives…things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity…we find ourselves involved in loyal commitments.”~Galations 5:22-23
And I’d like to end here, with this verse:
And I’d like to end here, with this verse:
“Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~Joshua 1:9
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