I am inspired by faith, motherhood, self-discovery, marketing, sports and most things that challenge my thinking.

Don't you just LOVE it when you get great customer service??? Rarely do I answer my cell phone when I don't recognize the number, but I answered this morning and I received a call from the Children's Ministry at the church I've been attending. The nice lady was calling to ask my about my daughter's experience during Sunday services and she also asked for and feedback for improvement of their services. I was highly impressed - the highlight of my day!

I think I like this church. One thing I didn't mention previously is that they have an awesome Children's Ministry and Children's Church that your child can attend while you are in the adult service. My daughter was so excited to tell me what she learnd - she even had homework! I have to say that she was most impressed that they offered snacks and juice...she's 8, what can I say?

This week, the pastor dug deeper into the Book of James, Chapter 1:12-18. He talked about character:

Character: the collection of thoughts and habits that either define or discredit who you are

When God tests us or when we are faced with temptation, it is our character that determines how we handle the issue. As people, we have to PLAN not to sin. The pastor drove home the fact that we all have a place in which we are for sale and that we have to work to build our character to overcome temptation. We should practice saying 'NO.'

The pastor made a comment about people who are 'spouting the Word' vs. 'living the Word.' I chuckled - I know a few people like that.

I'd also like to think that I'm a good judge of character...sometimes not!

Have you ever been in church and felt that the sermon was customized specifically for you and your current situation??? I felt that way today, on this first Sunday of the New Year. Since the back half of last year, I've been visiting churches in the area in an attempt to find a church home. I think that the church I attended today may be a good fit. The pastor is an amazing expositor of the Bible and he's more of a teacher as opposed to a 'hooping and hollering' preacher! I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with 'hooping and hollering' because it brings some much needed entertainment at times!

At any rate, the pastor based his sermon (the first of a new series) on James 1:1-4 and it focused on "Getting Back to Biblical Basics" by learning to handle trouble. He explained the differences between being tested vs. tempted. He also spoke about the Greek word 'peirasmos' which refers to trials and temptations that all people are faced with.

Moral of the story: Whether tested or tempted, we are responsible for our conduct. Simple, right? No so much! When we are tested, God shows us our limitations, its not always easy to do the right thing!

I'm looking forward to further Biblical exegesis of the Book of James.