Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Get your thinking caps on!

Hello and welcome to my blog today! I am glad you are here, now I am going to put you to work!

I am currently working on a session titled Being Real and It's about time. I need your help! I am going to post a bunch of questions and if you would give your feedback, opinions, and comments I would love it!

What makes God real to you?

Are you real with God?

What keeps you from being real with God?

How real can you be?

What issue(s) is it hard to be real about?

Can we be too real?

Have you ever been too real?

Do you feel being real is biblical?

Why do we fear being real?

What makes things real to you?

Do you want to be real?

Can something fake/temporary make us feel better?

Thank you so much for your help with this. You are all so encouraging, and uplifting to me and I am enjoying being a part of your lives!

8 comments:

Krista said...

I LOVE your blog picture! Why can't I have a cool page? LOL B/c I'm bloggy challenged, that's why.

Being real. Hmmm, I might as well be real. He knows all, sees all and understands all. Is God real to me? Yes! I may be able to wear a mask (though that doesn't make me proud, but in an effort to be REAL, it's the truth)around other people to hide my thoughts or my struggles, but with God, there's no need and I know that He understands me. Being real with Him keeps me on track (or least from getting off track too much or for too long). I can say anything to Him and He is not surprised; He just gently corrects me and reels me back in.

Being real,
Krista

TAMI said...

If you'll forgive me for not exactly playing by the rules, I recently wrote a post on my Trees & Thorns blog about God telling me "It must be real" that might be of interest to you. Here it is.
http://treesandthorns.blogspot.com/2008/07/pastors-blog.html

I haven't been around here long enough to know exactly what you mean when you say you're "working on a session", but I'm hoping it's something you'll share.

Kimberly said...

Wow! Lots of good questions!

I love when people are real, and so I do strive to be real myself. I learn the most from those who are willing to be honest about their struggles and how the Lord is able to help them overcome in those areas. Some may think that appearing to have it all together makes them more appealing, but the truth is, "perfect" people can be pretty intimidating. :)

I think that being able to be real takes being comfortable with knowing that God loves you no matter what and that you don't have to impress anyone. His opinion is the one that really matters, and since His love cannot be lost, it is safe to be real with Him. I still struggle so often with worrying about what others think and with questioning how He can love me the way that He does, so I am still working on truly being real. But I so much want to be!

Okay....that was long and rambling!
Blessings!
Keeping it real,
K :)

Faith said...

Wow....I love all these questions!
Well, GOd is the ONLY one I can be totally real with. Although my husband is a close 2nd.
I love how I can be my whole self, the real me, with my Lord and Savior and NOTHING surprises, shocks or mordifies Him!!
He loves me just the way I am. It helps me to be real with other people too. I can be real at my church too and for years I couldn't be (in a former church...a long story). With some Christians it is easier being real than with others but I find that over time I have learned to just be me. The best place to start is with the Lord! He loves us unconditionally. I have rambled and now have forgotten your other questions!

On Purpose said...

You know what amazes me? That God can create SO many beautiful daughters who are so passionate about chasing after His heart!

You women are awesome...thanks for all this "real" stuff!

TAMI said...

Nichole ~

Your ministry/speaking website is beautiful - love the simplicity of it. You have my appreciation and applause for a message of "REAL" in all things. All those people out there pretending to be their 'someday more perfect selves' (count me on the "guilty offender" role call) are making it harder on the rest of us (count me in here, too). I've been "cautioned strongly" by other pastors to "keep a lid" on my authenticity - and while I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND what they mean (because we are to be TAKING CARE of God's sheep, not burdening them or causing them to stumble), I also believe that God has gifted me with a willingness - and a strength, of sorts - to be authentic and that is PART OF my ministry. I assume you could make a similar statement.

It'll be interesting to see how our paths might continue alongside each other. Please know that I'm willing to be REAL with you on any topic - even on being real. However, I find that REAL - on the deepest levels - is often exhausting, thus sometimes making it the HARDER THING, so your patience would likely be required in the process.

I'm eager to learn more about you and your ministry. Blogging is SO MUCH MORE than I expected it to be when I started back in March. The Lord has used it to bless, heal, stretch me and more.

In His grip,
~ Tami

(Tried "replying" to your comment on my Trees & Thorns blog, but it didn't go through, so I'm leaving this rather extend reply here).

Runner Mom said...

Hey! I decided to cut and paste some of your questions to ponder! My answers are very simple:). Thanks for putting these questions in my little head tonight!
Love ya,
Susan

What makes God real to you? His unconditional love. The fact that He loved us so much, that he sent His one and only son to die for us so we could live with Him forever.

Are you real with God? I try to be--He sees through me, so I might as well be upfront with Him! You can't hide from your Redeemer!

How real can you be? I can be on my face and hands real!!

What issue(s) is it hard to be real about? My pride.

Can we be too real? With God? No. With others? They might be a bit overwhelmed with our transparency! The longer you know someone, the "more real" you will be to them.

Do you feel being real is biblical? Yes. But there were so many stories in the Bible of characters who were not real--and look at what happened to them!

Why do we fear being real? I think we fear being vulnerable(sp?)to others.

Do you want to be real? Oh, yes! But God is going to have to help me every step of the way.

Kay Martin said...

What makes God real to you?

Are you real with God?

What keeps you from being real with God?

How real can you be?

What issue(s) is it hard to be real about?

Can we be too real?

Have you ever been too real?

Do you feel being real is biblical?
Oh, yes. When I think of many of the heroes the Bible is quite open in showing Abraham lying at his wife's risk...son Isaac does same thing; and Joseph is a show off; and the list goes on and on. Yet repentant these were God's greatest. I have hope when I see the "real" men and women.
Why do we fear being real? Sometimes I have been brutally handled by spiritual leadership when I was real. Now, I believe God has worked His mercy in me and He can trust me to be real. No longer do I resent whatever reaction that "reality" generates. If you jump in the "real" world you have to be willing to be loving and kind with whatever the reactions may be.

What makes things real to you?There is a discernment I have when someone in being unreal, fake, socially acceptable, politically correct....on .... on.. & on.

Do you want to be real?Transparent and velvet rabbit worn down real!

Can something fake/temporary make us feel better? Oh, sure, why else would we continue to engage in such destructive behavior?

Great questions and right up my alley. Keep it up ... 'cause you are real.