You Got Ticket to Da Gun?

As most of you know, Mary Jane and I adopted 5 children from Brazil a little over a year and a half ago. When we first got the kids they couldn't speak a word of English. They only spoke Portuguese. They acted different then us, they thought different then us... they were just different. But over the last year and a half they have been around us and now they act just like us! It's funny... they joke around like us, they are sarcastic like us, they tease like us, they dress like us they are speaking pretty darn good English ... heck, they ARE us! All it took was them being around us for just a short amount of time. In fact today Diogo, our 7 year old, walked up to me in the kitchen and said (with a thick accent), "Daddy, you got ticket to da gun?" I said, "what?" he said, "you got ticket to da gun?" And then I looked and Robert (our 3 year old) was standing behind him flexing his muscles! It was hilarious. Here they were trying to ask me if i had tickets to "the gun show." This is clearly an American saying. They are from Brazil and have just learned to speak English and yet they are joking around and using terms we use.

The point is this: It's the same with you. You will become like who you hang around. You'll act like, joke around like, speak like, and think just like those you associate with. I Corinthians 15:33 (Amp) says, "Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionship and associations corrupt good manners, morals and character." No matter how strong of a person you are, you will become like the people you surround yourself with. So take a look at those closest to you. Are they living for Christ? Are they striving to be closer to God? Are they living a Godly lifestyle? If not, you need to make a change. I'm not saying to isolate yourself from unbelievers. Because that's why we're still on this planet... to minister to the lost. But what I am saying is this, "surround yourself with people who will help you be a better you." People who challenge you to be more like Jesus! It's that simple. Because if not... you'll start to be just like them. And believe me... "that's a gun show you don't want tickets for!"