It's Official!

The final move has been completed and most of the bugs worked out of the new site. Worthy Dirt is now worthydirt.com! Head on over and check it out. I am really excited about this next step. Hope to see you over there.

- Stevan

Worthy Dirt is Moving

It has been four months since the startup of Worthy Dirt and I have learned a ton along the way. After doing lots of research, some experimenting, and really looking into my goals for the future of the site I have decided to move to Wordpress. Worthydirt.blogspot.com will become worthydirt.com. I am super excited about what the future holds. I am working on all the details and am trying to get the bugs worked out. There is a lot of design and content to prepare. As for now worthydirt.com is empty. I am hoping to have the move completed and ready to go within a couple of weeks. I will be certain to post when the final move will take place. Thank you for your support and readership this past four months, it's because of you I can move forward with hope. I'll see you over at worthydirt.com in a few weeks!

Sheetz Cinnamon Rolls

I love Sheetz. Plain and simple I'm addicted. I stop at Sheetz probably 2-3 times a week sometimes even more. The other day I tried their cinnamon rolls for the first time and I must say they are quite delicious. You can't tell in the picture but they are rather large. My mom still makes by far THE BEST cinnamon rolls ever, but I have quick easy access to the ones at Sheetz. They are only $1.99 which isn't a terrible price. Though if you have a My Sheetz card they are only $1. Grab a chocolate milk and you're in business. Just thought I would share a quick review with you all.

Lessons From a Fortune Cookie: Everybody Freeze

It's time for another "Lesson From a Fortune Cookie". I got this one the other day with my General Tso's chicken.  It reads:

"Lotus blossoms smell sweeter when you stop."

Simple and packed with truth. Okay, I have no idea what lotus blossoms smell like, but the truth of the statement still remains. How much do we miss because we rush by? Think about it. When was the last time you just froze and took in the awe and wonder of God's creation? When was the last time you stopped to think of all the blessings God has given you in the last week? When was the last time you paused to thank God for all the prayers that He has answered? Many of us have "lotus blossoms" all around us that we have never noticed because we have never stopped. A baby's laugh, a sunset, time shared with loved ones, walks in the woods, moments of true worship, a kind word at just the right time, a helping hand: the little things in life are priceless; however, because they are little they are often overlooked and forgotten.

Try New Things Because It May Just Taste Great!

You may or may not know that I am a huge fan of Chipotle (an awesome mexican restaurant here in northern Ohio, not sure if they have Chipotle where you live). I don't eat there as often as I would like because they are a little pricey for a fast-food style restaurant. You can expect to pay about seven bucks for a burrito; however, keep in mind that a burrito from Chipotle is a complete meal in itself and a rather delicious one at that. So...in light of knowing my love for Chipotle you can imagine my skepticism when a very similar restaurant opened down the street called Qdoba which I had never heard of before, although apparently they have multiple locations across northern Ohio.

More Coke

This is a video from the ministries of onetimeblind.com they have a ton of great videos and skits. I came across this one a while back and actually used re-enacted it for the youth group at my church. It's lighthearted with a good message.



Take a moment and think about the video. Are you truly thankful for what God has given you? Or are you always jealously looking around at what others have?

Thank You

This is a post from my facebook page from December of 2009. It's an old post but it still has a lot of meaning to me and every word still holds true so I wanted to share it with you.


I noticed something a while ago and I just now thought of it again so I want to share it.
Last year was a rough year for me. I battled lonliness and depression alot. One day when I was driving I started thinking of all the people that God placed into my life and as I started to thank God for them by name I realized how long of a list it was. I walked away from that moment so encouraged and feeling so thankful. It was truly an amazing moment. And I challenge you to do the same in your life. Think of all the people in your life, all the people who are a blessing to you and care for you, then thank God for them by name. You will be blessed.

I am very very thankful for the many awesome and amazing people God has put into my life. I have so many people who love me, who care about me, who I can go to for help and encouragement. This is for you.

Don't Run With Scissors? Hmm...I never thought of that.

I got an e-mail from my friend Lisa the other day and she said something that got me thinking. This is the excerpt that spawned this post. 

"I'm so thankful for God's patience with me. I've been able to see it more clearly with my students. Even with them, I feel like I am so clear on what I want them to do, It's a reminder about how God is so clear 
with us. I mean, just yesterday I had to tell a boy to stop running with scissors in the classroom and I had to tell a little girl to not hide under her desk especially during class. I was like, "Do I really have to tell you this?" But it's so awesome to think about how God deals with me everyday."

Twenty Eleven

And here we are. Another year has come and gone as the next one comes in. It's exciting. This is that time of year when everyone takes all the things they have failed to do in the past years and puts them on a to-do list for this year under that quaint term New Year's Resolution. Now I am aware that I probably sound like a bit of a cynic at this point but bear with me. New Year's resolutions have never been my thing. I have always thought that if I saw something that needed changed or a goal that needed reached I could do it anytime of the year and that the New Year wasn't enough motivation to really help much. However, I do realize that for some these resolutions are a point of change and they are able to find the necessary motivation with the dawn of a new year. So this year I have decided to set some goals. A lot has changed this past year and it is a great time to take a step back and reevaluate my life and direction. I have not finished this list yet but I will share it soon. For now I would like to share a thought I had today while doing some research. What if we set "Preventative Resolutions"? Just a thought, but it might just work. I was doing some research and I came across an an article by About.com that listed the Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions. I would like to share those and offer an example of what I mean by "Preventative Resolutions".

Here we go…

Ordinary Shepherds, Extraordinary Message

Luke 2:8-18 gives the account of the shepherds tending to their sheep the night that Jesus was born.
These shepherds were undoubtedly ordinary people. They were not wise scholars, religious leaders, or prophets, but lowly shepherds. Yet one night while these ordinary shepherds were tending to their flocks an angel appeared and told them the amazing news that the long promised Messiah has been born.
Have you ever stopped and wondered, why them? Why did God choose to personally send the angel of the Lord to tell these men the incredible news? And not only did the angel tell them the news but also where to find the Christ child Himself, such privileged information.

Too Busy

I ran across this comic today and had to laugh. It holds a lot of humor but yet so much truth. Just think about the classic excuse of "I'm just too busy". I'm sure those words have come out of your mouth on many occasions. But what does that term really mean? For me I use the words, "I'm just too busy" or "I'm so busy right now" or "I haven't had time for anything lately" probably a dozen times a week. In part it's true, I am busy; but it isn't really a valid excuse all the time. I talked about this in the post I Spend My Time How?!. Think about the last time you used that excuse. What did you use that excuse for?

Snowmen, Snowballs, Snow Forts, and um...Snow

So here we are eleven days into December and I am finally giving into the fact that it is freezing outside and the snow isn't going anywhere soon. I don't mind the snow it's just the prolonged months of frigid cold that bother me. But alas, even I can get excited about the cold fluffy stuff. Aside from getting it all in your shoes, tracking it into your house and car, scraping it off of your cars, and slipping around in it on the road, there are some things I do really enjoy about the snow. So here are five things that I want to do in the snow this winter. If I can I will try to post pictures or videos as I accomplish each one.

I'm Back

So I'm sure you are wondering why I've been off the grid for almost a month. I apologize for the silence and lack of posts. To use the age old excuse "I've been busy" seems cliche; however I'm not sure of a better way to put it. Somewhere between job shifts and 70 hr work weeks through December as well as gettinng ready to launch a new Young Adult ministry at my church Blogging kinda got pushed to the back. But, alas, I am making a valiant effort to get back into the blogging groove. I currently have no Wireless internet and am posting from my phone so I apologize for formatting mishaps. I am still really excited about the future of this site and I look forward to being able to further meet the needs of you readers who give purpose to my sometimes extensive rants. I hope to be back to at least two posts a week soon.

Signed,
The guy who writes the blogposts

Friends Can Make You or Break You Part III

Applying it to your life

James 1:23-25 “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Simply reading this post and laying it aside is not going to benefit you; simply reading the Bible and then laying it aside is not going to benefit you. You need to apply it to your life. Here are some questions designed to give you insight into your own life and friendships. Be honest with yourself. Write your answers down and think about them for a few minutes.

• Do you have any friends like Jonathan?
• Can you name a friend who you can talk to about your relationship with God?
• When you are discouraged or upset who do you talk to?
• Do they point you to God?
• Would people view you as a friend like Jonathan?
• Can your friends count on you for encouragement?
• When a friend comes to you with a problem do you point them to God?
• Do you have any friends like Jonadab?
• Do you have friends that encourage sin, bad attitudes, or rebellion?
• When you are around certain friends does your attitude change for the worse?
• If you could see through God’s eyes would you be pleased with the way you act around your friends?
• Would anyone consider you a Jonadab?
• Do you criticize those whose moral standards are higher than your own?

Proverbs 13:20 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

I encourage you to find a Jonathan, a friend that will draw you closer to God. I also encourage to find someone you can be a Jonathon to. I also encourage you to re-consider any friendships you have with any Jonadabs. We have to live in the world and many of our friends and relatives are of the world, but we have to be careful not to become influenced by the world. It is something we have to constantly be aware of because if we are not on guard then the next thing you know we are succumbing to peer pressure. Oh, and regardless what you think, peer pressure is not just an adolescent thing. Peer pressure affects all age groups and transcends all social classes. It sounds harsh, but just look back at Proverbs 13:20 "...but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."

Friends Can Make You or Break You Part II

II Samuel 13:1-20 "And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her." 

At this point in the story we see that Amnon had a problem, a sin problem. We see Amnon do what most of us do when we have something bothering us, he went to talk to his friend. Here is where things get out of hand.

"But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man. And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand. So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand. Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him. And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone."

Friends Can Make You or Break You Part I

In this three part series I want to take the time to talk about friendships. Over the course of our lifetime we make many friends...well at least most of us do. Many of these friendships mold and shape our own personalities and standards. We can't overlook the powerful influence our friends have on us and we have on our friends. In this study we are going to look at two accounts of friendship in the Bible one a good friendship and one a not so good one. So let's look at the first one.

Jonathan and David

I Samuel 18:1-4 “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”

Here we see Jonathan giving David his garments, now this may not make much sense to you but keep in mind that Jonathan was King Saul’s son and the next heir to the throne. David, however, was chosen by God to be the next king. By giving David his robe, bow, and girdle Jonathan was signifying that he was giving his right to the throne to David. Jonathan acknowledged that God had chosen David and he did not want to stand in the way. If God had chosen David he was willing to step down and let David take the throne.

From this passage we see a deep sense of loyalty that Jonathan had to David and to God. 

Why Don't We Invite People to Church?

I ran across this video on Godtube.com and wanted to share it. It's a short simple video that I think communicates simple truth.



So what am I afraid will happen if I share the Gospel? Why do I so often ignore the command given to me? Why do I fail to be Jesus' hands and feet? Jesus has entrusted me with the responsibility of continuing the work He started. Why don't I do my part more than once a year? Let's stop letting the enemy keep us silent.

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