Let the Commenting Commence

 I am excited to announce that you will now be able to post comments on Worthy Dirt!

I wanted to wait till the reader volume was up before I opened it up. So I want to offer a thank you to all of you readers out there who have helped us get here. Feel free to comment on the site and I will do my best to reply to all of them in a timely manner.

The Island of Failed Commitments Part IV

 After over a week away from blogging I'm back for the final segment of our discussion on commitment and goals. We have covered quite a bit these past few posts and we have discussed in detail three of the four biggest commitment killers. As we bring this study to a close I want to talk about the fourth killer. This one is probably the most overlooked and yet on the other hand it's the area that can give you the edge necessary to accomplish your goals and keep your commitments. 


3) Absence of Accountability 
Accountability is something you hear talked about quite often though you probably don't see or hear it put into practice near as often. Often accountability can be just what is needed to help us keep a commitment or reach a goal. Think of the goals you have reached in the past, whether losing weight, quitting smoking, reading the Bible more, or eating healthier you were probably most successful when you had someone either working toward the same goal with you or alongside you encouraging you and cheering you on. Many times when we feel like giving up or compromising a simple word of encouragement or reminder of the consequences can go a long way. The Bible speaks of this principle in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 which says,  
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Whatever your goal or commitment is I strongly urge you to find someone to be your cheerleader. Find someone who can help you press toward the finish line. 
Now, I wish I could say I am really good with this and I always have accountability in my life; however, I don't. I often struggle in this area especially when it comes to my spiritual life because it is much more personal than health or fitness goal. I have only recently started looking for accountability in my personal life, but let me tell you it is worth doing. A good definition for accountability in your personal life is giving someone full permission to ask you the tough questions. It is easy to go through life sweeping our struggles and sins under the rug, but it changes things when we give someone the permission to check under the rug regularly. 
James 5:16 says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
The Bible talks of bearing each others' burdens and confessing our faults to each other, yet so often we try to go it alone. (I will talk more about this in another post sometime) 


In review here are the four keys to reaching your goals and keeping your commitments.
1) Take a step back and survey the whole picture of what the goal/commitment entails. Be sure you are ready
2) Have a plan. Don't run into it blind.
3) Beware of compromise. Set boundaries. Don't leave room for excuses.
4) Seek accountability. Get a personal cheerleader.


So my challenge to you as we wrap up this commitment series is to make the necessary changes to keep your commitments. It's worth the extra effort. It's worth pushing your comfort zone. You won't regret it.

Sneak Peek

I wanted to take a moment to inform you all of some upcoming stuff on Worthy Dirt. It's been about a month since the start up and I'm still tweaking and modifying things. I also have great vision for the near and distant future. So here are a few things that are in the works that you can look for within the next month or two.

Video posts

• These are going to start rolling out real soon and I am super excited about it. It's a way to add another dimension to the blog as well as offer a deeper level of transparency and authenticity.

Reviews

• Product reviews  
• Occasionally I will do a product review. A simple lighthearted view offering humor and practical opinion.

• Book reviews
• Reviews of Christian living books and devotionals. I will offer a synopsis of the content, a brief bio of the author, and my personal take on the piece.

Music spotlights

• I will share life applicable insight from a popular Christian song

I look forward to continuing this journey with you all and am excited for what God is going to do. As always feel free to e-mail me with any questions, comments, or suggestions at stevanand33@gmail.com

The Island of Failed Commitments Part III

The last two posts covered two of the four things that often cause our commitments to fail. We talked in depth about taking all angles into consideration before setting a goal. We talked about doing a reality check as to what all this new goal or ambition will entail in order to make sure we are ready to take the next step. We also talked about planning and having a course of action. Setting up the what, where, when, and how's. In today's post I want to talk about the third thing that is a huge goal assassin. It's nothing new or deep and can be summed up in one word.

3) Compromise
The third thing I see that is a common killer of commitments is compromise. This happens all too often. We set a goal and once things start getting tough we start compromising. We set a goal to run five miles a week and after two weeks we realize how hard it is and say, "well four miles is pretty good too". This wouldn't be a huge deal if it stopped there, but the all too common occurrence is to continue to compromise until you are far from your intended goal.

The Island of Failed Commitments Part II

Last post we started the blog series "The Island of Failed Commitments" and we have been discussing, you guessed it, failed commitments. I mentioned that although there are a host of reasons we fail to reach our goals and resolutions I see four main causes we fail to turn intentions into results. The first was "A Haphazard Oversight of Reality". So without further ado here is number two.

2) Failure to Plan
The second cause of failed commitments I see is a failure to plan. It's not an astounding principle, but if overlooked it will get you every time. Any commitment run into hastily or carelessly is less likely to succeed. Some basic planning and preparation can have a huge impact on our goals.

The Island of Failed Commitments Part I

Well after about two or three weeks I decided to go back to the gym this past Monday morning. I'm glad I did. It was nice to get back into working out. I feel better and healthier when I work out regularly. It's not a surprising statement, but a rather simple principle. As I was running on the treadmill for about ten minutes (I have to ease back in right?) I was thinking about my mindset when I first got my membership. I remember I was so excited and ready to go three or more times a week. I was planning on eating better and boosting my protein intake; the whole works. Yet, here I am a few months later and for some strange reason I have totally fell off the horse and had to make a serious effort to even get back to the gym.
So why do my/our commitments fail so much? Why is the graveyard of my/our past commitments and resolutions so...well...stinking huge?

Lessons From a Fortune Cookie: The Critic

"  It is much easier to be critical than to be correct."   - Fortune Cookie

This was the fortune in my fortune cookie the other day. Think about it for a second. It's so true. Think of the last time you were critical of someone or something. Was it because the person or thing in question was incorrect in some way? Or was it because you had a different taste, preference, or opinion? Take for instance when someone questions something we said or did; instead of admitting we were wrong and correcting the issue we tend to just be critical and try to discredit their opinion.
For some reason I'm the type of person who always thinks he is correct. Regardless of the issue or instance I feel that I am right or correct. Am I? Many times I am correct; but probably not as often as I think. So what do I do when my correctness is questioned? You guessed it, I'm critical. It's always the other person's memory that is incorrect or the other person's opinion that is misguided; when in all reality that isn't usually the case.

Rescued or Brought to Life?

A proper view of our salvation can truly change the way we look at our faith and our lives. I was talking to a friend of mine at work a few weeks ago and we were talking about this. He had a point of view that I hadn't thought of before and it really stuck with me. You see many people look at their salvation in terms of a rescue. As if they were a castaway floating in the middle of the ocean. As they caught sight of a passing ship they cried out for help and God threw them a life ring and pulled them to safety. At first thought this sounds like an accurate description of what takes place at salvation. We think of verses like Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.", but to fully grasp our salvation we need to get a picture of our depravity. We were not merely lost in our sin but dead in our sin.

...Yet We Call Ourselves Compassionate

So I was at Speedway the other day getting a snack. I had already spent five something on lunch and I was really debating whether or not I wanted to spend a couple bucks or try to make it through the next eight hours of my shift and get something at home. I decided on iced tea and peanut M&M's. As I was walking back out to the squad this guy starts walking towards me and is saying something. I immediately realize that he is a panhandler looking for a hand out. My mind instantly begins racing. Can I walk away and pretend I didn't notice? No, I already made eye contact. About this time he reaches me and after showing me his license to panhandle, asks me if I can give him money for some food. I'm stuck at this point. I think for a second and I figure I should give him something especially seeing I'm in uniform and supposed to be all about helping people. He asks me for five bucks and I tell him that I only have two (of course I really mean I only have two ones and don't want to give him a ten or fifty). He tries to barter with me for four dollars and then three, but I hold my ground and give him the two dollars. He tells me God bless and walks away. Of course I know he will probably buy cigarettes or boose or something and not food.
As I get back in the truck and continue my day I can't help but think about the whole situation. Then it hit me,

"So what? Didn't God command us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked?" "How do you know how bad he needs a hand out?" "So what if it makes you feel awkward." "Is it cause you are stingy with your money?"

As you can see the Holy Spirit was doing a number on my conscience. And as usual it worked. Hence, I'm sharing this challenge with you. The Bible talks repeatedly about caring for the needs of others. Matthew 25:37-40 says,
"Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
So why is it we find it so easy to close up our hearts and compassion to people. When was the last time we unselfishly gave to someone in need? When was the last time we fed someone who was hungry? When was the last time we gave, not of our abundance, but of our need? The thing is we can probably think of an occasion or two, but where in the Bible does God say, "Help two or three people out and you have done your part"? Jesus' entire earthly ministry was based on helping people. He spent His time on earth healing the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and comforting the broken. Why should we live our lives any different? When did our lives become all about US and OUR needs and OUR wants. We have been called to serve and to be an extension of Jesus' earthly ministry. I would like to challenge you to take a moment and think about someone in need. Ask God to show you people you can help and be a blessing to. And you, in turn, will be blessed.

Positive Thinking

I ran across this story at http://inspireme.net/blog/ and wanted to share it with you. You may have heard it, but it's a great story with a lesson we can all use to hear again.

A Motivational story about  Positive Thinking  

      by: Unknown


Read this, and let it really sink in... Then, choose how you start your day tomorrow...


Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant.

The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.'

I knew I needed to take action." " What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'"

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

Helpful Devotion Tips

For the past few days we have been talking about spending time with our God in Bible reading and prayer. We have looked at the numbers and the small portion of time we give God on a daily basis; especially in comparison to other things. Chances are, like me, you have become convicted about devotions and want to make it a point to spend more time in the Word and prayer from here out. Well here are some tips to help us do just that.

1) Make a commitment.
It's so easy to say "I'm going to do better at my devotions" and then the weeks go by and nothing has changed. If you want to make a change, commit to it. Tell someone else or a few people about your new resolution. Build some accountability. It would be great to even go as far as to find someone who will ask you about your progress every few days or each week. A little encouragement goes a long way.

2) Make a reading plan
There are many resources available for daily devotionals. You can find them at Christian book stores or on amazon.com or even Wal-Mart. Often a big excuse is, "I don't know where to start reading". Following a devotional will take some of the guesswork out, and help prevent the ol' random-flip-open-n- read (which I tend to be guilty of if I don't plan reading). If you don't prefer devotional books, or if you prefer doing your own reading that works too. Pick a book to read through or a topic to study out on your own. I did a 31 day study of Proverbs where I took a chapter a day for a whole month, it was one of the best studies I've done.

3) Keep a Journal
This is one of the best safeguards against blank reading. I know I often will get up and read a chapter or two and then I put my Bible down and soon forget what I read. Or I read the words on the page but that is as far as it goes and it never has a chance to reach my heart. Our verse in Joshua 1:8 says "...but thou shalt meditate therein day and night..." Not just simply read, but meditate. Keep a journal. Write down the passage you read and what spoke to you or jumped out at you from the passage. Write down a few questions about the passage to answer with further study. Try to relate what you read to some aspect of your life and record it in your journal. Just like a bar of soap, if we never apply it, it can't cleanse us. It also serves as a way of keeping some self-accountability.

4) Pick a time with the fewest distractions.
Forewarning: I said fewest. I can rarely find a time with absolutely no distractions, and if I do satan is quick to find one for me.

For me first thing in the morning works about half the time. If I'm going to do my devotions in the morning I have to do so before I get to caught up in all the other things I have to do that day. Before I go to bed works about the other half. There again though I can't wait too long or I'm so tired I either cut them short or just read with my eyes real fast and go to bed without having let the Word sink in or meditating on it. Get up 15 minutes early or go to bed 15 minutes early. It's not going to kill us to miss 15 minutes of sleep or TV; however, missing time with God will weaken our hearts and our lives.


5)  Don't just pray. Talk to God.
It's easy to throw out a quick prayer when we wake up or before we sit down to eat or even before we go to bed, but if we are only giving God a quick "Thank you for the food, thank you for the day" then we really aren't conversing with God. The Bible speaks of praying without ceasing(I Thes.5:17) and pouring our hearts out to Him(Ps. 62:8). Take time in your day to really talk to God. Share your feelings whether joy, worry, or even anger. Avoid simply venting on God, but let Him know your fears, worries, and struggles. He promises to hear and help us if we only ask. Spend some time thanking Him for what He has done and for prayers He has answered. Pray for the needs of others (James 5:16). Pray for direction and strength. God will always hear us. He is never unavailable or too busy; It's us who use those excuses.

What about you? Do you have any tips that are a help to you? I would love to hear them.

I Spend My Time How!?!

The way Stevan spends his average day:

Work(averaged out over the week) - 6hrs

Eating - 1hr


Sleeping - 6hrs


Watching Television - 1.5 hrs


On the Computer - 2.5 hrs


Socializing - 2hrs

Driving - 30 min

Personal Hygiene(i.e bathing, shaving, brushing teeth, hair, etc) - 30 min


Prayer - 8 min


Bible Reading - 5 min

Time lost to who knows what - 4hrs


I truly am ashamed of the numbers. To think that I spend time with the TV 7:1 over God, with the Computer 11:1, I even spend time keeping up with my hygiene 2:1 over keeping up with my relationship with my Savior.

I pray you crunched the numbers of your daily routine. I'm sure that if you have, chances are you have been shocked by how little time you devote to your God on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
So why do we find it so difficult to give God more than 2 minutes a day? After all, He is the one giving us each moment. We find it so easy to distract ourselves with mindless entertainment and yet we never think to take some time(apart from meals) to simply talk with God. Isn't it strange that no matter how busy we are wer are somehow always able to find time to study up on sports stats, track our favorite teams, catch up on gossip, check our e-mails and facebook,  and watch countless and Youtube videos; yet when confronted with a question like "how much time do you spend in God's Word" we are so quick to use the excuse "I'm just too busy." The scary thing is that we actually believe it. We actually convince ourselves that it is our schedule that keeps us from reading the Scriptures. Is it any wonder we so often lack direction, purpose, peace, and joy in our lives? The thing is that probably 85% of us truly do want to become better Christians and strengthen our relationship with God; but that doesn't happen without some effort. It's totally expected that if someone wants to become a doctor they have to go to school and apply themselves to learning. If you want to learn a foreign language you need to study and spend time talking, reading, and writing in that foreign language. If you want to improve your golf game, your cardio endurance, or your Sudoku skills you need to spend time practicing and working through different exercises. So if you truly want to get closer to God; if you genuinely want to become a stronger Christian you have to put in the time in prayer and Bible study.

Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
God directly commands us to meditate on the scriptures; day and night even. Why? Because God is a mean and strict God who wants to spoil our fun and bore us to death with monotonous daily reading? Absolutely not! But rather because He knows that then and only then will we be truly prosperous and successful; not by the world's standards but by His. You see we can't have peace each day if we never seek the Prince of Peace(Isa. 9:6). We can't hope to have direction if we never ask the One who designed our very existence(Ps. 139:14-16). How can we possibly find shelter and protection from the burdens of this world if we never run to our Strong Tower(Prov. 18:10). How can we find healing from our pain, addictions, and broken hearts without consulting the Healer of our brokenness(Ps. 147:3). And can we ever find the forgiveness we so desperately need each and every day without falling at the feet of our Merciful Savior(I John. 1:9).

So make today the day you vow to change. Make now your turning point. Put in the time. Make the effort. Take the steps. See the change.

Do we give time to the One who gives us time?

I was at a Bible study at Kent State Stark earlier today and the girl sharing a challenge was talking about devotions. She was talking about how much we need to be in God's word and how so often we fail to give God any time in our day. As I was sitting there allowing the full depth of this statement to sink in I began to think..."wow, I don't think people fully grasp this concept" If you take a second to really think about it, it's rather astounding. So astound with me a moment.

According to a religious survey done by the Hansen Report, of the 51% of the population that claim affiliation with Protestant churches only a meager 5% are devoted enough to their faith to attend services weekly or read their Bibles more than once or twice a month. Once or twice a MONTH! My first reaction is "what kind of a Christian only reads their Bible only once or twice a month!" But as I begin to turn to microscope of judgment upon myself I can see that though I may read my Bible more than once or twice a month the number isn't all that much higher.

Here is another tidbit to think on. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., "the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube."
They also found that in the average American home the television is on an average of 6 hours 47 minutes a day. How many minutes a day do you think the Bible is opened in the average American home? I'm sure the numbers would be shamefully low.

So what do I do with this information, Stevan?

My challenge to you is this, take a moment and think about your average day. Try to sort out your time. Figure in work, school, eating, sleeping, television, driving, grooming, computer time, and any thing else you do on a regular basis. Then figure the time spent on average in prayer and Bible reading. Allow the stats to speak for themselves.