Lessons from Eagles

Mom sent me some lessons she was learning through Joel Osteen this morning. Good stuff right here:

When the crows peck at you just fly above them. Don't let critical voices take the joy away from flying! You don't have to fight the crows - just rise above them! Just run YOUR best race to the best of YOUR ability - we are called to be EAGLES.

(For those that don't know --- eagles are a very important part of our family life. We wrote a letter to Raymond before he was born based on him being our little eaglet...and his middle name is Isaiah after our favorite family verse Isaiah 40:29 -31.....I really have to add this lesson on to Raymond's letter some day --- maybe at every year birthday I will add on some lessons we learned that I want to teach him -- this is one to add!)



But these lessons mom passed to me really goes along with what I was going to type today. I was laying in bed last night thinking about my post from last night and I thought that some people's challenge is making sure they keep a high standard in their lives. We can't compare ourselves to others and just say, "well I'm a christian so I know I'm going to heaven so it's okay what I do - God will always forgive me". Yes God WILL always forgive you when you repent - that is why Jesus paid the ultimate price --- BUT when we become christians our standards now change.

We are above the crows and it is our time now to rise above the norm and go beyond what is expected of the status quo. We need to set higher bars for ourselves --- continually making it higher! The bar should be set just a little bit higher than the level we're at (so not to get discouraged) but then it should continually be raised for life - while on this earth, we are never going to be able to say, "okay I've arrived - this is as high a standard as I can go". That will never be true -- we always have to continue to make ourselves better. God will always forgive - but He knows your heart and He wants you to grow and mature. If you don't learn the first time - He loves you enough to send challenges and bumps and struggles which increase your faith muscle and help you grow in maturity with Him.

Struggles and bumps will come in everybody's life no matter if they are christian or not --- so I'd rather hit those bumps knowing God is in complete control and will help me get through me -- rather than thinking they are just coincidental and something I have to deal with all myself.

So here's to the journey of becoming an eagle and stretching our wings daily! :)