From time to time, I like to have people over for dinner & to make a nice meal. My goal is to have some nice fellowship time, to relax and enjoy their company. My goal isn’t to impress them with any cooking skill – if I was doing that, we’d probably need to take them to a nice restaurant. I’m not trying to present a pristine house that is as well kept as a museum or mausoleum. I’m also not trying to make my family seem like they’re people different than who they really are. My goal is simply to have some great fellowship & hopefully the food won’t be a disastrous distraction 🙂
Sometimes in life, I have to be careful to think about my goals & I find that I ask myself some important questions from time to time:
- what is my motivation? Am I behaving based on an insecurity or a false perception?
- what do I really want? Image can sometimes be an elusive adventure into empty froth
- what is God saying in the midst of all of this? Am I pursuing the results of God’s presence or Their actual presence?
I like it in 2 Cor 5:9 where Paul says that he makes it his goal to please Christ – sounds like a noble & good goal to me 🙂
sarah bowling 
I was recently faced with some really challenging question s….and ask those question s in the correct mind frame. I came up with some easy answers and would have saved much time and heart ache…doing it the correct way first time. Thanks for the reminder
Thanks for sharing about sharing because sometimes when you wnat “down-time” or alone time, but obeying the call to further assemble is a tough decision, but usually grateful for following through with the fellowship. Bravo for being real and exposing yourself to others and vice versa. Smile
Sarah, you are spot on.