Simple thought: Was I Upside-down?

Have you ever read a book that made you rethink doctrines you had accepted as fact? You start thinking, “Was my thinking upside down? Have a really been so wrong?”

For me that book has been the Misunderstood God. It’s made me rethink things that I have thought about God and being His Child. It’s made me realize that there is so much that I believed about God that was wrong. Like God gets mad when I listen to secular music (I only listen to uplifting stuff). Like I’m a bad person if I don’t spend some time in prayer and Bible study every day.

One of the things this book helped me to realize is that God loves me. He loves me to the core of my being. He never gets mad at me, He never labels me as a bad person, He doesn’t count my minutes spent in Bible time. He just loves me. We are inseparable. He’s showing me how to live inside the love that already surrounds me. He cares for me too much to withhold His love from me just because I didn’t do a checklist.

What He is showing me is that many times it is more spiritual to listen to “fun music” or watch a “fun movie” (AKA something that doesn’t mention God) Than to try to go through the motions of praising God and not truly be engaging my heart.

For me this thought has been changing my thinking and attitude. Instead of feeling guilty anytime I watch or listen to something that isn’t overtly Christian, I can find God in whatever it is I’m involved in. God uses everything in this world to express his love to us. Every example of true love ultimately can be traced back to God. So whether they wear the Christian label or not, I try to find God in the midst of it.

Relaxing into this kind of love isn’t easy, but I’m finding it so freeing. He’s starting to help me turn my thinking right-side up.        

Simple Books Giveaway

So I mentioned that I have been reading books about being simple. How would you like to win some of those books?

Here are two that I am going to giveaway to a lucky winner.

Both of these books are simple and helpful if you would like to start living simple.

Source

With short easy to read quotes and tips, this book is and excellent way to get you thinking simply.

Source

Are you tired of fixing the same old thing for dinner? Tired of it taking too long? Here is an easy cookbook with helpful tips and easy recipes. 

Want to win these two books? Here are the ways to enter. 

1. Leave a comment on this post.

For extra entries ...

2. Post about this giveaway on your blog

3. Like me on Facebook

4. Share a simpleness tip on this post. 

Happy entering!

The winner will be chosen via random.org on July 7th 

My Simple Film Adventure

I was so excited to go to film camp. I had always been interested in making films, but I had never had the chance to work on a movie set.


Then I heard about Filmmakers Academy. It’s lead by Christians who are passionate about making movies for the glory of God.

And I got to participate in their weeklong intensive course. It was hard, but so much fun. I was set designer for the Biblical part of the movie. This was challenging. Not only did I have to work with a very modern location, I also had to learn to work with the directors (some of whom would start saying two different things). If you are a decorator set design is for you. You have to envision what you want for the set and work to implement that vision. For me, it was all new and I had to learn quickly, but I did enjoy it (even if it was stressful at times).

Before

After

And for one day in June we did filming. Complete with Texas heat, bright lights, and smoke machines. I learned that day that most of filming is move the camera and lights around. Yes there is a little acting in between, but most of shooting has to do with cameras and lights.

Fun Fact: They use a lot of wooden clothespins on sets, but they call them C-47’s.

The next day was spent in editing and getting things ready for our film premiere. We also took some time to breathe after the hard day of filming the day before. 

At the premiere I was floored. All of our hard work came together to make a really good film.

I learned so much this week about film. As to where God is going to use all these tools, I don’t know. But I am so glad I got to learn and participate.

If you want to watch the film go to https://vimeo.com/44284055

Simple Sticky Notes

Dear me, I think I have too many sticky notes. I really must work on simplifying that. After being gone for a week they piled up everywhere. So I spent yesterday sorting them and making task lists.

Film camp was wonderful. I will be writing up a post on it soon. Complete with pictures and a link where you can watch the video we made for yourself. God did so many things this week. He made everything come together in some neat and fun ways. He is so good.

I hope that your day is going well. And for now, I had better get back to attacking my sticky note pile. See you again soon, Rose

Can I Simply Think?

I’m prone to overthink things. I will dwell too much on things yet to be or on things outside of my control. I want to have everything straight in my mind.

But as I have started to live simply, I realize that one of the things that I have to do is think simply. Part of living simply is living in the moment. Enjoying the here and now. Plan for the future, yes. But don’t go overboard.

This one is hard for me. I’m still learning to do what is set before me and enjoy the here and now. But it is a beautiful journey. One that I look forward to continuing.

So it looks like I need to take a deep breath and enjoy this moment. And think simply about what is yet to be. 

Simple Words

The words you say have so much power. Your tone, what you say, and your attitude all have the power to hurt or heal. To lift up or leave in the dust. To make alive or to mar.

When you speak, your words have power. Use them well. Smile. Say kind things to everyone. Find ways to encourage those around you through your words.

It can make all the difference in the world. 

Simple Film Making and Other Things

By the time you read this I will be at a film camp learning how to make a movie. I am so excited. All week I’ll get to learn about filmmaking from a Christian perspective.

As for this blog I am scheduling things out for the week.

God has been teaching me a lot about simpleness lately. He’s been helping me learn how to live in His simple love. To live in the moment. Getting rid of simple stress. I would love to say that I’ve mastered living simple, but I still find myself slipping into complicated living. Thankfully I have a patient God who keeps calling me to live simply in Him.

So I’ll keep trying. I’ll try to:

Accept this simple everlasting love that God keeps lavishing on me

Do what is placed before me and enjoy it

Live in the moment

Reach out to those around me and touch them with God’s love

How about you? Are there some things in your life that you would like to simplify? If so what? 

Simple and Crazy?

Crazy! That’s how I would describe my schedule. Busy and crazy. Getting with friends, making time for family, reading that book, finishing that craft project, clean that room, work this cleaning job, and writing for four blogs.

Simple. That’s how I would describe where I am trying to go. So if my schedule is crazy, how do I approach it with simplicity?

First, I try to only plan what I can accomplish. This one I am still working on. I’m bad about overbooking myself and then having to backtrack. But I’m trying to shrink my goals to fit what I can do. That helps.

Second, I try to focus on the task at hand and enjoy the present. That takes a lot of stress out.

Third, hang on for the crazy pace of my life. To be honest, I enjoy having things to do and activities to keep me busy. So it doesn’t help to complain about the busy pace of life. Just take it in and enjoy what I get to do.

Forth, I plan down time in the midst of the busy. Even if it’s just to play a computer game, take a jog, play on the wii, or read a fun book. Planning some R & R helps get me motivated to go out and work again.

So there you have it. Some simple tips for how to make your crazy schedule a little simpler.  

Simple Lessons

It’s hard to explain all that I have learned from writing on this blog. It feel like I write a few posts and then God challenges me on those issues. It’s like He wants me to really test whether I am really living it out or just writing it just to get praise. Now I can say that it’s not me. God is the one who works in me and through me. I pray that as we continue to journey on I can share thoughts, pictures, and sayings to encourage you on your journey toward a simple life.  

Simple Reason

Sometimes I feel like I’m not accomplishing much with blogging. I put my heart and soul in a post and … there are no comments. Stats are low. No one seems to notice.

Why do I even put out all this effort anyway? I mean it’s a lot of work. Do I do it for the comments? Do I do it so I can say, “I’m a blogger?” Do I do it because I want to inflate my ego and prove I’m right? Do I do that to get people’s attention?

Sadly sometimes as I look at my low stats, few comments, and few followers, I think that if I just had a few followers, comments, or hits I would be happy. But to place value in them is to place value in the wrong things. I don’t blog for comments or followers. I blog for the glory of God and to point others to Him. If I do that then I have done well, no matter what the stats say. If I have touched one life for the better, that is good enough.

The reason I blog is simple. It’s for Him. Without Him I would give it up.

So I pray that you are blessed today. I pray that will help me to look to Him and not stats.