SECOND LOVE IN FEBRUARY - STORGE

It is the second week of our Love in the Bible Series for the month of February. This week we will be learning about Storge Love. Remember the pronunciation is Stor-jay. It is defined as the love you find in families. It is between mother, fathers, brothers and sisters.

As with eros, this Greek term does not appear in the Bible. However, many examples of family love are found in Scripture, such as the love and mutual protection among Noah and his wife, their sons and daughters-in-law in Genesis; the love of Jacob for his sons; and the strong love the sisters Martha and Mary in the gospels had for their brother Lazarus.

The family was a vital part of ancient Jewish culture. In the Ten Commandments, God charges his people to: Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

The love of a community is also considered Storage Love.Although often dutiful it is sometimes unfeeling, however very strong none the less. Jesus seems to indicate on a number of occasions that it is a natural, carnal love that may be a hindrance to your spiritual growth. A love that may pull you towards a lesser path. That is not to say that it is not important and that it does not have a place, You should strive to a  higher love since it does exists and should be pursued at the cost of Storge if necessary.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Until next week when we discuss what we will be learning about Philia Love.

Please join in the conversation by commenting below.

Signing off…..Debbie at Care Placement Service in Westminster Colorado

www.careplacementservice.net

720-457-3078

FEBRUARY IS THE MONTH TO CELEBRATE LOVE!

This month of February is a wonderful and fitting time to start a small series about LOVE! I think I will begin with the four types of Love that are found in the Bible. Let's start with listing all four at this point.

 

1. AGAPE (NOUN FORM)

    AGAPE (VERB FORM) - Pronounced: uh-GAH-pay

 

2. STORGE - Pronounced: Stor-jay

 

3. PHILIA - Pronounced: Fill-ee

 

4. EROS - Pronounced: Air-ose

The first of the four loves is the unconditional love called Agape. Agapao as the verb that represents the divine love of God toward his Son, believers and all human beings in general. It shows the outwardly focused love that God expects believers to have for one another.

Agape in the noun form, characterizes the true and pure word of Christianity. This type of Christian love, "whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered"

- Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, "Love".
This kind of love is best expressed in Jesus's statement in John 15:13,"Greater love (Agape) has no one than this, then to lay down one's life for his friends," Really must read the John 15:9-17 to get the whole idea behind Agape Love! Didn't Jesus show us the workings of this kind of love throughout His lifetime, endlessly giving of himself to serve others and ultimately offering his as the total sacrifice for all of humanity.

Next we will look at and discuss Storge Love. Make sure that you open that email/blog and join us by talking about this with your friends.

Signing Off.........Debbie at Care Placement in Westminster, Colorado 80030 Suite C

www.careplacementservice.net

720-457-3078

A HEART OF GOLD WITH A NINJA WARRIOR SPIRIT

I hope you enjoyed our little series about how we approach our job at Care Placement Service. This, I believe, is the time to talk about the person behind this very special and unique business oriented ministry and why she does it. Well, first I must tell you that the person who is Pastor Susan is also very special and unique herself. She has a heart of gold and has a job that needs a ninja warrior spirit to do what she does. And she has been doing it since 1983!

 

When you ask her why does she do it, she takes a deep breath, reaches deep into her heart and plainly admits “Because I believe as long as there is Breath in a person there is hope to change”. And that is what she gives them first, Hope. She can help you with any other problem you might have to give you the Freedom she feels you should have to concentrate on getting that job and not worry about the other issues of your life. She can get your emergency needs met; food, clothing, furniture if that is what you need to focus on that next step in moving from poverty to a better life. She can help you with your resume if you don’t have one or just think it needs to be improved. She knows the jobs that are willing to hire you, even felons, because in her words “God doesn't make junk!” The list goes on but the bottom line is to help people who want to help themselves and to get them back to work with their lives back on track. All the while she will be right there with you representing you to new employers.

 

The most important service that Pastor Susan offers is Prayer. She runs a nonprofit Christian based company/ ministry that is open to everyone of any belief. Her Spiritual Counseling is sometimes what makes the difference though, because that's what Hope is... a Spiritual issue. It helps people to not feel so alone and of course encourages them to Hope again.

 

 

She is truly a remarkable person doing God’s work “Because I don’t want people to hurt anymore” she says with a tear running down her face. Her goal is to fight Poverty for the people of our fine country. And she does it so well!

Signing off.........Debbie of Care Placement Service in Westminster, Colorado

www.careplacementservice.net

THIRD STEP...EMPLOYMENT!

We have been going through a short series, trying to explain what Care Placement Service is all about. As you know, or for the new readers, we are a non-profit employment agency trying to give a HANDS UP not a hands OUT. We started talking about Hope. The first things unemployed people need is the hope that their lives will improve if they got that job or career move. Next we talked about Structure. We offer many other resources to put your life on track, but without structure your life doesn't have a working road plan. When we have finished with those, we can proceed from unemployment to Employment.


But what are Employers really looking for when going about hiring an Employee?
Here are 5 key things that need to be met.

• CAN YOU DO THE JOB/CAREER? What is your track record? Do you just think you can do the job? Are you looking for a job you just want or a job you will work hard at because you know it? It doesn't mean you can switch jobs but make sure your back skills can get you there!

• WILL YOU BE SATISFIED WITH YOUR JOB OR LEAVE IN 6 MONTHS? Most employers are looking for at least 2 years, more for there level positions. They are also interested that in that time, will you be happy enough to continue showing up and on time, continue to being productive and continue to be likable.

• ARE YOU EASY TO WORK WITH? Most Employers will not hire someone who is rude, negative, or overly sensitive…no matter how skilled you are!

• HOW ENTHUSIASTIC ARE YOU ABOUT YOUR JOB/CAREER? Employers would much rather hire an employee who is excited about coming to work and really about life itself.

• DO YOU HAVE A STRONG WORK ETHIC? With the job market as it is, you must do more than the minimum required. Employers are not looking for the employee who jumps on Facebook when they think they are not being watched.

On our website www.careplacementservice.net you will see the following:

"We believe that men that want to work should have the opportunity"

~ Abe Lincoln ~

&

"My God will meet ALL your needs (Employment) according to His

glorious riches in Christ Jesus"

~ Philippians 4:19 NIV ~

Before you go, I want to tell you about our fundraiser on Friday, January 30th between 5:00 - 7:00 pm at Subway on 80th and Sheridan. Yes, you can laugh at us behind the counter but it is for a good cause and the food is delicious! Hey, it is Friday night, who wants to cook? Come, eat and be merry while you are helping a wonderful cause, putting people back to work!


SIGNING OFF........Debbie at Care Placement Service in Westminster, Colorado

NEXT COMES STRUCTURE...

Last week I talked about Hope. That is the first thing we offer to the unemployed person looking for a job through Care Placement Service. Next we teach them Structure. This is a lost practice for a lot of people. However, it is needed in order to get to the third element which is gainful employment. 

We must remind them how to structure one’s day… to give it form or arrangement. The first lesson is that they must show up and on time! We can help them with their resumes, how to dress; what not to wear, what questions to ask in the interview, how to research a company and even $5 haircuts. This way we are assured that they will give their best to their employer.


This method I found on the study of structure begins with the understanding that aspects of any particular culture that occurs at regular and repeated occasions, such as spiritual practices, tend to take on stable forms or structure. We can see this in most modern services of worship, where the flow of the service is relatively predictable since many aspects of the service are repeated from week to week. And in many cases, for example, we can even predict with a great deal of accuracy the precise words a certain person will use in prayer. This is why many churches develop an Order of Worship to structure these recurring elements.


We should be teaching our children structure at home. They learn it in school so let's carry it on to other parts of their lives so it becomes ingrained. We, as adults must discipline ourselves that when we say yes, we follow through with the best of our ability. By honoring our words brings Integrity to our lives.


Just like structuring anything, applying it to our daily lives allows for productivity, time management, accountability, self-discipline, a sense of security, the ability to trust ourselves, and gives permission to others (i.e. an employer, boss, supervisor, etc.) to trust us as well.


Hebrews 12:11 states "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

Structure is everywhere. It is in the words I have written. It is in the building of your homes and offices. It is in our families. It is in our relationship with God.

None of this is negative; it is just the phenomenon of social interaction among people. We tend to respond to cues that are familiar and recognizable, and those cues signal to us far more than simply what the words themselves say. They evoke a whole range of thought or feeling or experience, simply because they are familiar and repeated. We can even make jokes about the familiarity of some of these forms. In our prayer time with Pastor Susan, we know as soon as the Psalm is read, she will pray us out to start our day. Like clockwork, it works. It is the structure of 8:00 am prayer time that effects the whole day in a positive light.


"Let all things be done decently and in order" NKJV 1 Corinthians 14:40

 

Signing off...Debbie at Care Placement Service in Westminster, Colorado 

WE START OFF WITH HOPE...

Hope is what we start off offering at Care Placement Service because it is so important. Life gets us down, it is hope that brings us up. As humans, we need hope. We can’t live without it. It is the lifeblood to our spiritual survival. Hope is the only thing that saves us from the trenches of life. This is the start of the job search process.

As Christians we were given hope when Christ died on the Cross and resurrected from the grave. Our lives were redeemed from hopelessness, not just in heaven but also here on earth. Our hope is in God that can do the impossible in our lives. Many times we forget this in our everyday life especially when things seem to be spiraling downward.

What are you hoping for? If you are struggling with your finances, do you have hope that they will turn for the better? Do you have hope your body will heal from the illness you may cope with? Do you have hope that your family situation can improve to a loving one? Do you hope for God to do amazing things in your children’s lives?

Well some call it “grace”. That God would come to us at our worst and gently whisper hope in our lives. It is a beautiful concept. The type that just makes you want to cry at the simple beauty of it.  In our most dire moments, when our failures have outweighed our triumphs, when sadness has seem to overcome any joy left in us, we need Hope! And in those times I truly believe that God sends the least expected people and circumstances into our lives to reinvigorate our spirits and remind us how good life really is.

We here at Care Placement Service wish that everyone remember that feeling of hope today. If you hear children laughing in the streets, or even in your home, notice the sky a bit brighter, enjoy the snow flakes or just have a gut feeling that maybe, just maybe things are finally starting to turn around for us all.

"And Jesus said to him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."

King James Mark 9:23

Signing off...Debbie at Care Placement Service in Westminster, Colorado

What sort of New Year’s Resolution should You make this year?

The practice of making New Year’s resolutions goes back over 3,000 years to the ancient Babylonians. There is just something about the start of a new year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31 and January 1. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if you determine to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should you make?

Our plans may or may not be God’s plans. If we want to be successful with any New Year’s resolution, we must seek God’s will first. With his strength we might lose weight, eat better, or even become better stewards of our finances. What does God want for our lives? When he convicts, he also equips us to follow through with his plan. When we know we are following his plan, not ours, then we have more strength to stick to it. It allows God to work with us way before our usual January 3rd quitting time.

However, we must ask ourselves. Why do we only make resolutions about weight, exercise, and money?

God would be honored if we made spiritual resolutions also. How about resolving to reading a scripture from the Bible every day, getting involved with your ministry at your church, share your faith with your friends, then make a step of faith so big that only God can make it happen. Resolve to represent in your life that everyone can see it no matter what the cost.

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength”. If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it. If a resolution is not God honoring and/or is not in agreement in God’s Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution.

So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should we make? Here are some suggestions:

(1) Pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) in regards to what resolutions, if any,      he would have you make.

 (2) Pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you.

 (3) Rely on God’s strength to help you.

 (4) Find an accountability partner who will help you and encourage you.

 (5) Don’t become discouraged with occasional failures; instead, allow them to             motivate you further.

 (6) Don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory.

“Let’s then go out to Him and resolve to bear the insult and abuse that he endured.”  Hebrews 13:13 

Signing off for this year...Debbie from Care Placement Service in Westminster, Colorado