What Makes a Christian Any Different From Anybody Else?

What makes a Christian Any Different From Anybody Else?

I love the joy nature brings to me. I love the way the breeze sweeps the hair off my shoulders as I meditate on the flowers as they dance with the tall blades of grass. At that moment and time, I am not a part of this mortal world. Instead, I am a friend to the tulips and daisies as we lay imbedded in a soft, green field of comfort. There are no interruptions or disasters to be bothered with. There is no time to rush me as quick as yesterday and tomorrow come to an end. I can feel the presence of the subtle wind as it draws near my face in love and kindness. I can breath. I am finally free of worries. I begin to think of the flowers. Their confidence inspires me to be a better person. Someone that is strong for each day. I wish I were like them. They are lovely and beautiful. They have been created with perfection and detail. They are a masterpiece created by an adored artist. Is it possible that God, Himself, has created these flowers to resemble his very creation of His children? To present themselves with simplicity and grace. Though they are rooted in the dirt, they must trust in God to give them the proper nutrients for their kind so that they are able to grow a strong stem to confide from. Their trust reminds me of the Faith that we, too, must have as Christians. God expects us to believe in His Word. Have faith in His love for us. Without the faith and trust of the guidance of God, our petals will turn brown. We will begin to die as quick as death comes knocking at our door. To be a Christian requires us to live as Jesus did. We must live in acceptance of harsh times. We must learn to grow from our struggles. We must have patience like the wind and be humble like the flowers. I am not better than any one. But, I am one with God. I pray that the only difference seen in me from someone else‘s eyes, who has yet to grab hold of God’s hand, is the light of His presence inside me. That is my only claim of difference. And I, for one, am going to let Him shine as bright as day in hope that someone may turn to Him for guidance and support.
-Crissie Ponder

*I wrote this for an online article contest for a scholarship application back in 2007.  I re-read it today and thought I would share it with you.  :)

Let's Breathe, Live, and Have Thanks...

 "For I am just the clay on the potter’s wheel. I am messy and hard to handle. But when I am finally centered, I will grow to be something beautiful."  - Crissie 

Yes, if you are wondering.... I totally made that bowl!!!!  Go, me!  I am very proud of it!  ;-)

Hello, everyone!  I was looking through some of my old writings I've done in the past... and thought that I would share them.  Feel free to enjoy or not... this is an old journal entry from 2006 (not edited):

"wow. i feel so confused right now. it's awkward to say but i think i'm confused of all my confusion, as weird as that may sound. i'm at a point in my life where i'm choosing which doors to open. i'm afraid to open the wrong door. what if it's not the right one or what if i make a mistake and cause a conflict in mine or someone else's path through life. as i have lived these past days i feel like i have learned so much about "life" and the importance of realization. does anyone just take the time to enjoy each breath they take? the other day i stood in the front of the store at work, i watched this little old man walking down the isle with his walker. i watched and interested my time in this man on how he took his time to get to where he was going. i know it seemed about five minutes went passed as he made his way to get what he needed and when he finally got there, he actually took some time to get what he needed and didn't rush. as i watched him walk to the front i caught a glimpse in his eyes and they were the sweetest eyes and most gentle smile i have ever seen. time just stopped and there were no worries, there was just me and this little old man standing there with smiles on our faces. and now that i think of it i just wonder how life would be if everyone had a walker...even for just a day. i think that people would actually begin to enjoy what they have and know where they came from and what they had to go through to get there. and maybe people would take the time to just stand outside for a fraction of the day and breath. close their eyes and smell the fresh air and feel the wind against their cheeks as their hair blows in the wind. if only everyone could appreciate the beautiful gift of life God has given and just take it in and enjoy the great masterpiece of life and be thankful, then i think that satisfaction would then be in the air.
i guess what this all comes down to is that i don't want to get so carried away with life's traffic that i forget all the special things that i should take advantage of. i should enjoy it and cherish it like there's no tomorrow. which is very important as i remember the other day helping this elderly woman at the store get some cokes. i remember everything about her. she had on this old floral dress that looked worn but elegant. she was shorter than me and i remember her not having any teeth and i just thought that was the most precious looking woman ever. but as i began to speak with her i actually got to know her and her life situation. she had explained to me how she had just finished up buying a birthday gift for her grandchild. she was so kind as she told me how she didn't exactly have the money to buy this stuff for them but she still did because she loved the joy it brought to them and to herself as well. as i stood and spoke to her about it, i mentioned that it's a very thoughtful thing for her in her position and i'm sure that they will one day appreciate everything that she has given to them as well as her love. which at this point lead her to explain to me the situation she was in. she had recently been diagnosed with a deadly disease and she wasn't getting any better and she just wanted to do all she could to be able to spend time with her family and really cherish the moments. at that time she began to cry and i was in tears as well and i walked around the counter and gave her a hug. that hug was the best hug that i have ever gotten. as she squeezed me and cried, i could just feel her pain and worry. i tried to comfort her by letting her know that God will take care of everything and he will make sure everything is perfect when that time comes and although it may not seem like it at the time but i'm sure in his eyes and his wonderful mind he knows that everything will work out to be fine.
when i left work that night i couldn't believe the change that woman gave me for the better. she made me think about how delicate life can be and how everyone should take advantage of what they have before it's too late. that's why i believe that everyone should just take some time out of the their busy days and just breath and feel each inhalation and exhalation...and just breath." -6-4-06.