Temptation in Our World

Hey guys. I read this article about temptation and thought it was worthy of a repost. Here it is.

A World Brimming With Temptationby Steve Arterburn
Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT It’s inevitable: today you will be tempted by somebody or something—in fact, you will probably be tempted on countless occasions. Why? Because you live in a world that’s filled to the brim with temptations and addictions that are intended to lead you far, far away from God. Here in the 21st century, temptations are now completely and thoroughly woven into the fabric of everyday life. Seductive images are everywhere; subtle messages tell you that it’s okay to sin “just a little”; and to make matters even worse, society doesn’t just seem to endorse godlessness, it actually seems to reward it. Society spews forth a wide range of messages, all of which imply that it’s okay to rebel against God. These messages, of course, are extremely dangerous and completely untrue. How can you stand up against society’s tidal wave of temptations? By learning to direct your thoughts and your eyes toward things that are pleasing to God . . . and by relying upon Him to help you stay focused on things that are “whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable” (Philippians 4:8). And here’s the good news: the Creator has promised (not implied, not suggested, not insinuated—He has promised!) that with His help, you can resist every single temptation that confronts you. Once you firmly decide to stand up to temptation, you are never alone. God is always with you, and if you do your part, He will do His part. But what, precisely, is your part? A good starting point is simply learning how to recognize the subtle temptations that surround you. The images of immorality are ubiquitous, and they’re intended to hijack your mind, your heart, your pocketbook, your life, and your soul. Don’t let them do it.

Blessings
Steg

Surrender

Surrendering to God means that you resist surrendering to those who pressure you to disobey Him. When you surrender to ungodly pressure, you could end up paying dire consequences. When you surrender to God, you benefit, and your family benefits for generations to come.
Are you ready to surrender to God?

Blessings
Steg

Worry About Yourself

3/26/2008
"Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else."
Galatians 6:4, NLT

This is something I need to remind myself everyday at work. I'm constantly looking around making sure I am outperforming my peers at work. I need to focus on myself and worry about where I stand with God . Quit getting caught up in all the petty backstabbing and gossiping that goes on at work.
What a beautiful day God gave us today. Enjoy it, the rain is on its way.

Blessings,
Steg

Faces

As a people watcher , I see all kind of faces. There are happy, excited, sad, depressed, confused, rejected, tired, grief stricken. Often times I try to read people and predict what they are feeling. It's kind of fun until you see someone crying. This emotion scares me the most. It makes your heart hurt. Actually it can be good or bad. Sometimes people cry when they are extremely happy or overcome with the Holy Spirit but usually the outcome is bad. Grief stricken and lonliness are the bad results from crying. My heart goes out to these people , but they must get help or deal with whatever is bothering them. You can't let things get out of control. I guess that is the biggest thing that bothers me about crying. The lack of control part. We must lean on God and get control. We must learn to ask God for help, otherwise we end up in a rut.

Swallow your pride and go to God for help. Whining and endless crying will get you nowhere. Get out of your rut.

Blessings

Steg

Tats

I can't understand why anyone in their right mind would choose to permanently decorate thier body with ink.My opinions on this subject are very well known to my family. First of all read , the bible and see scripture relating to tatoos. Most people that have tats brag about how much they are worth. What a great investment. Not to mention the health risk using needles. What about the tramp stamps that girls get on their lower backs/behind. Now thats classy. The grandkids will be so proud. I guess you could argue that its entertainment for your proctologist. People think its cool. It is mainly done to feed someone's selfish ego. These people need attention. Haven't you always dreamt of having MOM tatooed on your forearm. I like how these people try to justify thier tattoos by having bible scriptures/figures all over thier arms. I had somebody at work tell me they have one for identification reasons. Yeah, just in case his head and other three limbs are severed and lost. Makes sense to me. I treat the decision like this. With every investment you have to look at the return.

Cons--haven't I listed enough

Pros--good colors

will attract seedy girls

You won't forget your third wife's name and first and second

helps you remember right from left.

they look better when you get old and fat

you can become church leader--all people love people w/tats

You have an excuse to wear a skimpy bikini

You don't have to work out as much---tatoos show better than muscles

You don't have to own a Harley to be cool---you can ride a crotch rocket

If you're a girl, ride on the back of a crotch rocket wearing your little sister's t-shirt

It appears the pros outweigh the cons. I guess I'm a true rebel . I refuse to follow the crowd and ever get a tatoo

Later,

Steg

Are you a Target?

I get the feeling that I am a target lately. Wierd things happen at work, while driving, while working out and phone calls to my cell. Is it the enemy or just coincidence. Getting old plays with your mind -maybe thats it. Being slow at work and having idle time also plays with my mind. While driving to work today in the rain, I was following a car in the curb lane when all of a sudden I hit a huge puddle of water, hydroplaned a little and heard a huge explsion of glass. My passenger mirror must have hit a mailbox while going 45 mph . Whats really wierd is the guy in front of me , travelling the same line in the same lane didn't encounter a puddle. I cant stop thinking about the puddle. How can a huge puddle form in just 2 seconds? Enough of this, I need to get back to work.

Later,
Steg

St. Patrick's Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7WoN5y_F9Y

What White People Like

Check out this website. It is hilarious. Go to http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/. Read the various stories -over 100 of them from topics ranging from clothing, coffee, tea. I promise it will crack you up.
Let me know what you think.
Later,
Steg

The Squeaky Wheel

Did you ever notice, that in order to be truely noticed or advance in some companies, you have to be very aggressive, have a big mouth, be willing to sell out your fellow employees at a moment's notice, and suck up to the boss all at the same time? I am so frustrated that a lot of firms operate under this premise. It could be just the construction business, but I just don't know. What ever happened to the old fashioned way of doing your job timely, efficiently, and precisely. Today it's not about what you bring to the table-its more of the perception of what people think about you. The notion of clawing your way, stepping on and over coworkers, in order to move up the corporate ladder makes me sick. What happened to plain old merit? We should get what we deserve and not because your wife is friends with the boss's wife. What happened to company loyalty. Now people jump from job to job getting the best deal and often times leaving behind a mess for the previous employer to clean up. I guess this is why construction work has the reputation of being a cutthroat business.
Here's how you get ahead in todays world. Instead of doing your job, spend your time mouthing off, constantly bitching and complaining, threatening to quit and voicing your demands, and sweep you work under a rug and make the excuse you are so overworked. You have succeeded. You have captured the audience and become known as a real go getter that won't take no for an answer. It takes about a year or so before their true character is revealed but meanwhile they get whatever they want because the SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE. Do you know anyone like this?

Blessings,
Steg