Tip & Restaurant #3

Recently Notes of Hope focused on 10 tips to stay close to Christ, and I was giving a run down of my 10 favorite Indianapolis restaurants.  I was planning to do one a day.  Time escaped me.  Today, 12 days later, I share with you tip and restaurant #3.  These are not listed in a true top 10 manner though.

Tip #3 for Staying Closer to Christ:  Find Witnesses

Surround yourself with people ahead of you in the walk of grace who witness to their faith.  Hebrews 11 is a great faith chapter of the Bible.  It lists for us examples of people far ahead of all of us in the walk of faith. Most of the verses start out:  “By faith…” and list people whose examples we can follow.  People like: “By faith, Sarah herself received strength..” or “By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”  These examples are there for a purpose:  to spur us on. To be great witnesses, to surround us, and to lead us forward in faith and grace. 

I loved going to Sunday school at one of my churches where a man of such great, quiet faith, Tom Orr, pictured below with his wife Teri, led the class. I liked just being in the room with him when he was speaking, so I could absorb a bit of his faith and see it lived out in his speaking and in his actions.

I loved working at that camp in South Dakota, being around people of strong faith – pastors, moms, teenagers – that encompassed living in grace.  It was wonderful to take my children there every summer and surround them with people who lived out their faith.

So, search out people ahead of you in their walk with Christ.  Become friends with them.  Absorb their faith.  Ask them to mentor you.  I did that with a pastor once.  It was an amazing relationship.  It wasn’t always easy, but well worth the effort.  He mentored me for 15 years.  He stretched me and pushed me to do things I never could have imagined I could do for God: like standing up in front of people and sharing my faith!  Thank you Pastor Dick Borrud! Find a mentor.

Today, being All Saints Day, is a great day for talking about witnesses - saints in our lives - who are still with us and who have gone ahead of us.  Remember saints are forgiven sinners.  You are a saint.  There are saints all around you, and they are even living with you!  Look around at these saints, and the ones you personally know who are no longer with us, to find people who can and do encourage you on.  Thank them in person or in your prayers.  

Indianapolis Restaurant #3:  Bakersfield, 334 Massachusetts Avenue. Best guacamole ever!  Love the little tacos and different choices.  The atmosphere is upbeat and lively.  It can be a little loud for me, but remember I live alone in quiet with two cats.  The food is good and unique with a colorful presentation as shown below.