Evaluate your peeps!

This is our dog, Breezy...she is an outside dog. We are not inside animal kind of people =). And she was never allowed on the furniture until Caleb showed her how easy it was to jump on the couch on the back porch. Now...she owns it!
and oh the dog hair!!!! It will take me forever to clean it. She is supposed to be lying on the sheet (which is balled up with the purple popper gun on top...evidence that she might have had some help)!

Here is an example of how Breezy was brought down by the company she kept. She was living a good life, with little strife or discourse, but the first day I caught her on the couch...she knew she had messed up. And her partner in crime was no where to bail her out. Now granted...I am a softy for her and it worked to her advantage over time. But what about us? It doesn't always work out so well when we do things we know we should not but feel we can justify it because others do it too (and with us!).

It made me think...how does the company we keep effect us? How about when you notice you are constantly gossiping with someone and then feeling remorseful about it but as soon as you can you call them again...or answer quickly when they call you. Or when you drink too many adult beverages when you eat out with a certain couple and don't feel the best the next day but as soon as they invite you again you are calling a babysitter and ready to go assuring yourself you will only have one drink this time but you don't. Or you don't read your Bible because there is something on tv that all your friends are constantly talking about and you want to be able to participate in the conversation but you have to put the kids in bed because it is too racy for their eyes but you can't wait to see it with yours. Any of this sound familiar...we have all been in similar situations if we are honest to ourselves.

So what do we do? Personally...when I faced some of these challenges I caved and regretfully participated...but then I sought God like never before. And with the help of Jesus...I reacted like Joseph when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him...I FLED!!!! Eventually, with the help of Jesus and Jesus alone, I took myself out of those situations. It was hard, it was lonely, and it meant being left out and uninvited to things at first. But with Jesus I survived and even thrived in other relationships.

So in short...evaluate your peeps...they do effect your decisions whether you believe it or not!

In Him,
Kristy =)