does the golden rule have no weight anymore?

One of the things I've been struggling with lately is the how to effectively do what Christ has commanded us in Matthew 10:27

"He answered, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor as yourself."

I do fine with the love the Lord with all your heart soul and mind. Well I mean, I struggle with that as do most Christians in completely surrendering my heart, mind and soul completely to Him daily.

But here's where I really struggle... I find myself really struggling with a certain person in these verses. I know that we as Christians are all human, and we all struggle with things each of us different, some of us struggle with physical things, some emotional things, and mental things. How do you love someone as yourself when though they profess to be a Christian, in their deeds, and speech seems to be far from that? Comments are made that are above the overlookable level of rudeness, there is a conceitedness that seems to run throughout their speech and a heart that is not at all inclined to serve as the Lord commanded us. I know we aren't to judge each other, but the Bible also tells us we will know each other by our fruit. So if this person shows no "fruit like qualities" what does that mean?

It's taking all of my fruit of the spirit to handle myself in a manner that is worthy of bearing fruit. I think I've picked almost all of the fruit off of my tree in order to simply be around this person. My supply of self-control is running dangerously low, and so is my patience. The question I now struggle with is do I say something to this person, call them out so to speak on the things they have done that have been hurtful or damaging? Part of me that knows that "playground rules" apply here.

When my kids come to me during the summer and tell me that Jamie hurt Bob's feelings, I say John, go tell Bob that if Jamie said something that upset him HE needs to go tell Jamie, and then Bob needs to come tell me, not you.

I know the same is true in life, but just like my kids struggle with it, I struggle with it as well. I don't like to sit back and watch friends get hurt. I also don't like being insulted and considered as abrasive and mean when I actually do point out things that are in need of correction when I do it in a loving manner. Perhaps I need to pray more about my loving manner, because when frustration creeps in my lovingness and kindness (another fruit I have a feeling will be running low on in the near future if things stay as is) I can see how things could be taken incorrectly. Hence the reason I have hesitated making too many corrective remarks. I also want to make sure I'm not pulling a log and speck situtation as well.
I need the Lord to give me wisdom in how I deal with those around me that frustrate me. When people act with such disregard for those fellow believers and nonbelivers around them I feel frustrated to be associated with them. Almost as if my efforts in showing gospel has been tainted because of their manners and actions. Uggh.. I guess I just need to ask the Lord to help me grow more self-control and patience fruit on my tree.

I survived...

I feel like I need one of those shirts that says "I survived..." Mine would say I survived my week in Computer Keyboarding and ALC!!"

Only the Lord knew what He had in store for me last week and I think I'm glad that I didn't know prior to going into the assignment or I wouldn't have agreed to it. Each day the Lord gave me a verse to help strengthen and remind me of why I was there. John 16:33 was the first verse. How applicable that verse ended up being to my whole week.
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

"For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" 2 Corinthians 4:17
This verse summed up my Friday and when the final bell rang at the end of the day, I think I was just as excited as the kids in my 7th period to get out of the class.

Highlights of my week: (note I'm being very sarcastic)
1. Having to kick the same 3 kids out of ALC all 3 days they were in there with me.
2. Getting asked out by multiple students in my class ( my favorite was the one who asked if he could take me to Costco to get pizza!) hahahaha
3. Drug deal going on outside my classroom..

Thankfully today I have travelled back to historyland and am subbing for my old master teacher. My life is much happier.

Isn't jail supposed to be torture for the inmate not the jailer?

When someone is sent to jail the idea behind it is they will learn from their lesson and then return to society changed. We all hope that change is for the better, but that is not always the case. 

The same is true of the students I was sent to "guard" in ALC today. I call it jail, the technical name is ALC. Although they were sent there because a) like 10 of them were there for all day in school suspension or b) they were a classroom disruption in their real classroom and were therefore sent to be in mine. The thing is, that being sent to ALC is not a punishment really, because all their little hoodlum friends are serving time with them. Though they are not allowed to talk they bang on the desks. So I tried to ignore them. That worked for a while until they all started banging. I then got fed up after I confiscated 1) mcdonald's egg mcmuffin 2) a cell phone 3) an ipod 4) a "wonderful" drawing of me.. (it was less than flattering) so I sent Van Gogh to the office because I'd had quite enough of him. The AP came in and then chewed them out and silence was finally restored. 

I noticed though that I seemed to be the only one really counting down the minutes until my hour of torture was over! grr.. and it's only 3rd period!!