The Gift of Giving

       I have come across a story that seems like a fairy tale but truly happened in the early 90s during the Bosnian war. It would remind you of an old fairy tale about a golden fish caught by a poor fisherman who begged to free him since he was actually a prince. When the wife of the poor fisherman was told of his experience, she asked her husband to return and make a wish to the golden fish for them to be free from poverty. Though a disaster happened later in the fairy tale, the true story I have read is in a way different since the blessings given to the family are intact.

      This true story began in the northwestern village of Jezero, before the outbreak of the Bosnian War. A father named Smajo Malkoc returned from a trip in Austria bringing with him a gift of an aquarium with two goldfish for his two teenage sons. Two years later, women and children fled but the men stayed back to resist the attack of Bosnian Serb forces. Smajo Malkoc was killed and his wife, Fehima, sneaked into the destroyed village, secretly buried his husband, and took whatever remains she could get off their belongings. Fehima took pity on the fish in the aquarium and she let them out in the nearby lake saying to herself, "This way, they might be more fortunate than us."

      Later in 1995, Fehima returned with his two sons to their home. Looking toward the lake, she glimpsed something strange on the lake and walked over to the shore to find out. She found out that the whole lake was full of shining golden fish. From then on, they started caring for and selling the goldfish, and 3 years after, the Malkoc house is one of the biggest in their village. The Malkoc family said they have enough money to quit worrying about the future. According to one of the sons, it was a special kind of gift from their father. 

       The father took the initiative of giving the gift of goldfish to his two sons, then the mother follows by giving the gift of freedom and life to the two goldfish by letting them to the lake during the war, thus, life underwater flourished and the gift of hope and new life had come to the Malkoc family after the war. Homes, stores, and coffee shops all over the region had their aquariums with goldfish from Jezero. This story is a good example of giving and receiving that the gift of love or an act of kindness, no matter how small or insignificant it may be, God blesses and uses it to accomplish and fulfill great things. "Give, and it will be given unto you" (Luke 6:38). We should not doubt that God can take whatever we offer Him and turn it into something magnificent. Amid chaos and trouble, God's grace is relentless, and his kingdom is flourishing even though life on the surface is full of trouble and strife. 

How Big is GOD?

The prophet Isaiah certainly was captivated by the greatness of God...and I am too...as He is far bigger than the limited mind can conceive...

Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
Has it not been told to you from the beginning?
   Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
   and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
   and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

"To whom will you compare me?
   or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens;
   who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
   and calls them each by name.
Because of His great power and mighty strength,
   not one of them is missing.

Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:21,22,25,26,28-31 

As I was reading these passages, I am really awed by His Greatness..amazed by all His Creations, from detailed landscapes and shaped mountains to deep oceans to large continents to the vast formation of galaxies...yes, the Creator of a big wide world,  is greater than its creation, and yet sometimes I fail to remember that He is also Bigger than life, Bigger than my sadness, Bigger than my problems.. so I have to keep on reading it again and again... try it yourself if you feel your strength is leaving you to carry and move on because HE is Bigger that He can cover me, you, the universe.. entirely!..that is.. my God.

The Three Great Men of Israel: What We Could Learn From Them

     During my attendance at a post-encounter study of the Bible, we had a short discussion about temptations. It came to my mind the irony of how these three of the many great people of God faced decisions or choices they had made. What they did and how they managed with their trials.   Joseph, the so-called the dreamer for he had dreamt of his future and interpreted the dreams of other people including that of a Pharaoh. Samson was a man of strength that had killed a lion and three thousand men. King David, who was at a young age killed a giant with his sling and through faith in God. All these men have shown great faith in God and undergone trials that could teach each one of us a lesson.

     Joseph, son of Jacob by Rachel, his favorite among his 12 children, was sold as a slave by his own brothers. He was brought to Egypt and became a trusted servant of the Minister of defense. The wife of the minister seduced him but he knew that it was wrong in the eyes of the  Lord and he ran away from her. But then he was still instigated for the crime he did not commit. He was imprisoned, interpreted dreams, and became one of the ministers of Pharaoh. When the time came for Joseph to meet his brothers again who had sold him, he forgave them and realized that it should happen to save the people of Israel from a great famine.

     Samson, a Nazirite set apart from God since birth, was put under a special consecration governed by the Nazirite (meaning separated or dedicated) vow. No razor would ever be used in his head and great strength was upon him. God had apparently planned to provide Samson with unbelievable superhuman strength to be used against the Philistines. As Samson had grown, he seemed to lack the concern about Philistines' oppressive domination of Israel. Samson even tried to blend into their lustful and perverted society and married a Philistine much to the dismay of his disapproving parents. Sex is the bane of many a man and Samson didn’t resist its pull. He frequented harlots and seemed bent on following the destructive pulls of his flesh. One mistake after another-one loose woman to the next-that was the path Samson took during his twenty-year judgeship in Israel. He had been largely faithful to his Nazirite vow and at times made an effort to serve God, but his desire for Philistine women was his undoing. Unlike Joseph, he dabbles in the things around him, that later slipped him away from God's favor. He had revealed the secret of his strength to a woman he loved due to her frequent prodding. It was too late for Samson to realize his mistakes. The Philistines had gouged out his eyes, bind him in chains, fastened him to a grinding wheel in a dark prison, and made him grind grain like an ox, stepping in his own manure and continuous abuse from his captors.

      King David, had great faith in God. Fighting the giant of Philistine with a mere slingshot he killed it. He knew that God would help him to fight. David's faith in God caused him to look at the giant from a different perspective. Goliath was merely a mortal man defying an all-powerful God. David looked at the battle from God's point of view. But what made him fall?..he coveted the wife of one of his armies. He had caused the death of this man, Urriah the Hittite by putting him on the frontline to be killed. At his death, King David had his wife brought to his house and became his wife. The Lord was displeased with what he had done, so God sent Nathan to tell King David that he dishonored God in what he had done and that God would bring trouble into his household as a consequence of what he did. King David later asked for forgiveness for the things he did. Realizing what he had done David repented of his sin and asked God to restore him.

     What we could learn from these three great men?.. Run away from temptation, and make a stand against doing it as Joseph did. His life became a blessing for following God. The Egyptian Pharaoh had him as the second-in-command. He was able to save Israel and Egypt from the great famine of seven years. And one more thing, he forgave his brothers for what they had done. Joseph had thought that his brothers who sold him as slaves to Egypt were a purpose of God for a great job he would partake in saving His people.

     What we could learn from these three great men?.. Do not conform to the ways of the world. Seek the Lord's will, do the purpose you have been created for as Samson had not done. Always remember that sex or lust of the flesh is one of the primary sins that could take us down. Giving in to the desire of our flesh more than the desire to do the right thing might bring us to our own destruction, our miserable life, or a sad end.

      What we could learn from these three great men?.. Realize your mistakes as early as possible. It is better to be convicted by our own conscience rather than be convicted by other people. Heed what your brothers in Christ or elders are saying. To realize is not well enough if you haven't confessed and asked for God's grace and mercy to forgive you. As King David had done, he realized his mistakes right away as God sent a prophet to rebuke him, he asked for God's forgiveness, and he restored his faith and joy of his salvation unto God. Though David's wrongdoing as a consequence led to the chaos of his own household, God's grace and mercy were upon him. He was faithful to God, nonetheless, God had chosen David's line from whom HIS only Son would be born.
     In all of our trials/temptations, we could do as Joseph did, literally run away and do what was right. Though Samson was able to realize his mistakes and have his thoughts toward God before he died, he had lived a miserable life under his enemies. I am sure no one wanted to have a fall. There are consequences for everything that we do. For every temptation that we encounter, the decision is ours to make and it's better to say no. In all stances that we have fallen, God is there to forgive us, His grace and mercy can be counted on. King David, when rebuked by the prophet Nathan for the sin he had committed and as commanded by God, asked numerous forgiveness in the Scripture. Through it all, God had restored him but still, the consequences of what he did might be unbearable for a man without faith in God and King David was a man of faith. So, it's better to run away and keep our focus on the truth and the loving arms of God...

Y O U

     YOU have been my companion since I was a child in a noisy and darker place...YOU're the ONE I've been calling to save me from the wrath of my Mother... they never knew...I thought I had forgotten, but it's all coming back..maybe because of the same situation that I am going through. I was surprised to find out the reason why I had those nightmares, woke up crying calling for my father..the same nightmare haunting when I was a child..it's all coming back...they never knew...only YOU. I don't understand what is beneath. 

     Until one day, wasn't able to contain what is within..unleashing it because of anger..rage. It's a mistake, it's painful. I know I've hurt YOU, I have caused YOU pain. I left. I knew YOU never wanted me to do those things. And yet YOU never left me. YOU stay with me and I give up..it's YOUR turn now..laying all the things on what I had done, I almost lost it..the one important thing YOU have given me. 

     Now it's between YOU and me again...YOU're the only One who understands..the only One who can control me. The pain of past mistakes. The pain of losing from YOUR sight. The pain of not looking back to where I was and the memories of what YOU had done for me since I was a child. Now the nightmare is coming back...I wouldn't risk losing from YOUR sight. I am still the child YOU have known, a bit older, a bit changed for YOU. It's in YOU whom I could cry all out, I could be me. YOU know me. YOU understand. YOU love me.

Our Father..How Great is His Love

     

image credits to hallow.com

    Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom comes, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.... a line of praise for our Great Father who founded the family, who gave up His Son for us to be saved.

 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:16-17, NIV). 

     The heartbreak He had felt when He provided salvation for us. The decision of giving up His only Son to suffer the mocking of the crowd. Every lash and pain, every weight and humiliation of our sin, the agony of being alone and abandoned....the Father's heart was deeply pained. Yet to save us all, He let it be so that whenever we believe in the reason that His only Son had died for us and risen victoriously, we have a right to be His child and call Him Our Father.

     He is there looking at us, seeing how we grow...teaching us...He knows every bit of us...He understands...He is there waiting for us...

     

The Cross

'Ants are crossing through a stick leading to the water. A child noticed that the ants might get drowned, so he was shouting at them. "Hey, ants, don't go there! You might get drowned, go back!" He keeps shouting at them then came his father and said, "my son, they would not understand you. You are human, they are ants. You should be one of the ants so they would be able to understand you.' 

This short story tells us that God the Son was to be like us for us to be understood and for us to understand Him. So we could be saved just as he wanted us to be saved.

The cross where Jesus was crucified took on a new significance whereas before, the cross had been used as an instrument of torture and death in Babylon and Rome. On the cross, Jesus Christ shed His blood as God wanted to rescue us from the dominion of darkness and for Jesus to bring us into His kingdom. On the cross, we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. 

Before, we were enemies of God because of our evil behavior, but now He has reconciled us by Christ's physical body through death to present us holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusations. We have to know, understand and believe what Jesus did for us on the cross. We must humbly come to Him in faith. All our efforts are nothing but Jesus' work is everything, His work on the cross as He declared "it is finished." When it's done we receive full forgiveness of our sins.

The cross of Christ is the bridge between man and God. 

When Jesus breathe His last breath, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. For many years before Jesus' death, the most sacred place on earth had been the temple, where the presence of God dwelled behind a thick curtain. Only one person a year, the high priest, was allowed to pass by that curtain and enter the presence of God on one day, the Day of Atonement. At the death of Jesus Christ, the temple curtain ripped from top to bottom, signifying that God had opened his presence to the world through the cross of Jesus.

 " Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (NIV John 14:6)

Pleasure or Joy

Giving time to God in a solitary place is like having a date with Jesus, talking, and being with Him the whole day. The time spent is not in vain. It was confirmed to me today through my daily Bible reading this morning. It is about the joy in our hearts and the passing pleasures in our environment. Despite the storm and the loneliness, I have many reasons to be joyful. Talking to God, asking for His guidance, the faith in Him, and His assurance. I've got joy in my heart. A real joy..complete.

To share with you In the Our Daily Bread article, joy was differentiated from pleasures.

                                                                                                                        

* For a joy that will last, always put Christ first!

*Acknowledgement to Henry Bosch of Our Daily Bread

     

Mercy...Not Sacrifice

     Reading the book of Matthews, I have come across one of Jesus' statements that do have an impact on me as a Christian, "I desire mercy not sacrifice" (Matthews 9:13&12:7). Jesus said these words when He heard what the Pharisees had asked His disciples about why He was eating with the tax collectors and sinners. On another occasion, the Pharisees condemn Jesus for allowing His disciples to pick some grains on the field and eat them during the Sabbath. At first, I thought, Jesus was talking about for people to show or feeling mercy on Him than giving their sacrifices. Upon researching, I thought I was wrong and also found out that somehow I may be correct.
      In the context of what Jesus has stated, he said those words when the Pharisees had asked questions that might be caught Him unaware (as the Pharisees had thought). For that matter, Jesus answered that it is not healthy who need a doctor, it is sick. Jesus told His people to go and find out what it means that He desires mercy and not sacrifice. Jesus also cited what David did when they were hungry, eating the consecrated bread which is unlawful for them to do and yet they are innocent. In a simple explanation, what I understood from the searches I have found, Jesus doesn't need our sacrifices if it isn't done in true devotion and faith and in love. Our sacrifices meant nothing if we don't have love. It was like, we are working all day making sacrifices for our parents, kids,  or siblings and yet we are just doing it because it is our responsibility and obligation to do so but we don't have love, all our sacrifices would be in vain. We will not be happy and contented doing all these things.

    Jesus said "I desire mercy not sacrifice" because he wanted His people to do what He has done, showing mercy for the sinners, for the lost soul, and for the broken spirit. Forgiveness for those who offended us, not being judgmental to other people, being considerate, and being sensitive to the needs of our fellows are what Jesus desires for us to do. Jesus had offered His life so He could save the sinners, find the lost soul, and heal the broken spirit. All these things Jesus had done because He loves us.  Following His example, Jesus desires for us to do His work, to make sacrifices out of love. I may be true to what I had thought first, that Jesus needs to feel that we love Him than giving our sacrifices for Him. For if we do love Him, what we have done to other people, we have done it unto Him. Follow His example and our sacrifices will not be in vain.

Ease Your Loneliness

     Many people if not some are lonely. They build walls instead of bridges. That very same thing has happened to me. Trials of life and discouragement from people whom I have trusted. I stopped talking to people and go out. I have my own world then. But then I realized, I still have some that left of me and I should be happy that I have them..my kids...and truly, they are my treasures. They have kept praying for me until I decided to go back to where I have grown up as a Christian, my Church, my Christian home. 

     Being lonely is not the end of the world but a way to understand other people who are undergoing the same situation, thus, the opportunity to reach out and find encouragement for each other. Through this blog, I hope I can reach out to many people by sharing these thoughts and discover how these three actions can help to ease our loneliness.  Dave Branon of "Our Daily Bread" correlated them with verses in the Bible. 

1) Learn contentment. Read Philippians 4:10-13, then ask God to help you to depend on Him each day and to learn to be content in any situation.

     "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last, you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

2) Do good for someone. Read Hebrews 13:1-3, then look for someone in need of help. You will get rid of loneliness for both of you.

     "Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."

3) Worship with God's people. Read Hebrews 10:21-25 which emphasizes the value of worshiping with other believers, Find someone with whom you can praise God. 

     "...and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

     These actions will redirect your thinking and remind you that when you know God you are never alone. Lean on Jesus for contentment. 

     If you feel lonely and alone, feel free to talk to me. ('',)





#loneliness #alone #God #christian 

Wonderful Opportunities

Life is full of opportunities, but they say opportunity knocks once. As I am reading a lesson on Pre-encounter to an Encounter with God, opportunities are in abundance. It changes my outlook on opportunities. As long as we live, we could have these opportunities, the four wonderful opportunities that would change us ...

1) The Encounter Opportunity

This struck me the most..no matter how far we have strayed from God, we can STOP right now and TURN BACK to Him. Remember the story of the prodigal son? The son made the decision to return to his father's house looking for a second chance. (Luke 15:11-20), we can do the same thing by deciding to have an encounter with our Father God. Anyone ...ANYONE .. who desires to have an encounter with God CAN do so. God is always close to us, as close as the air we breathe."We are His offspring"(Acts 17:27-28).

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

2) The Reconciliation Opportunity

We can have true reconciliation with anyone if we recognize our sins, and our faults and ask for forgiveness. The same thing with our God, ACKNOWLEDGING our sins, REPENTANCE and ASKING for His forgiveness, and RENOUNCING all the evil we have committed. When we do this, God stretches forth His merciful hand toward us. 1 John 1:9 assures us: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness. Just like the prodigal son, seeing his fallen condition he decided to come back so as not to stay in that condition and take the risk to find a new opportunity. An opportunity to be in his father's place once again.

"I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against You. I am no longer worthy to be called Your son; make me like one of your servant men." - Luke 15:18-19

3) The Restoration Opportunity

As to how an old painting is being restored by its painter, a new set of coloring kits is being dabbed in and a time spent to bring back its natural and original beauty, God does it to His sons. All of our sins deserve punishment, but God allowed His Son Jesus Christ to take our place and pay for our sins. Just like the father in the prodigal son, he decided to restore his lost son's dignity when he came back and ask for his forgiveness. He ordered a fattened calf to be a sacrifice in honor of his son's return. 

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

4) The Provision Opportunity

As children of God, we have all the privileges that we could enjoy. God considers us His dear children, making us participants of the same riches and glory as Jesus Christ. Once, we had lost these privileges because of sin. Coming back to Him, He dresses us in the best garments, puts the best shoes on us, and gives us the ring that represents the authority we now enjoy as His children and heirs. God treats us as His beloved children.

"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." - John 1:12

In general, when there is an opportunity, there will be an encounter a new task, a new life. Opportunities would open a new door to a new beginning. Specifically, these opportunities are always available to us, life-changing opportunities, to begin with.

The New Year And New Hope

 

Image credits to commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Gate_into_Forest_Reserve._Rancho_Naturalista_-_Flickr_-_gailhampshire.jpg

"The Gate of the Year"

GOD KNOWS

- Minnie Louise Haskins (1908)

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart bestill: 

What needs our little life  

Our human life to know,  

If God hath comprehension? 

In all the dizzy strife  

Of things both high and low,  

God hideth His intention.

God knows. 

His will Is best. 

The stretch of years  

Which wind ahead, so dim  

To our imperfect vision,  

Are clear to God. 

Our fears  

Are premature; 

In Him, All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until God moves to lift the veil  

From our impatient eyes,  

When, as the sweeter features  

Of Life’s stern face we hail,  

Fair beyond all surmise  

God’s thoughts around His creatures  

Our minds shall fill. 
---------

This poem became popular and caught the attention of many people when Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) handed a copy of it to her husband, King George VI, and used it as one inspirational quote in his Christmas Broadcast in 1939. God Knows is the original title given by the author but it is popularly known as Gate of the Year.

It has also caught my attention as it was a part of our family devotion before the turns of the year.  (Using some of my devotional pieces from my subscription in  crosswalk is really a blessing, authored by different remarkable Christians who stood by their faith.) This poem is a think tank on what lights can do to move in the darkness, to see what is known, to see what lies ahead this new year..and yet the most that we can do is to sink our hands deeply to God so He would light and lead us into the path of the unknown. 
"He who trusts in the Lord will be exalted," (Proverbs 29:25) Nothing is better if we could light our path by following His words yet there is more than reading it...if we could hold on to Him knowing He wouldn't lead us astray... so whatever the struggles that we have left behind, a new hope for this new year is to keep holding on to His promises, trusting God, and let Him lead us.

And as we make the turn to a new year, a face that needs and sink our hand more deeply into God's hand. Pray for one another that as we embark upon a new year, God will grant us and our family His favor. 

Unto us a Son is given, Unto us a Child was born

Who has heard the real Christmas story? It isn't the fat man in a red suit that we always know giving kids gifts on Christmas eve, it isn't some guys who are singing carol songs and handling you a small, white envelope, it isn't the shopping spree that we do during the 'ber' months making us tired and cash strapped after it...Christmas story is about a young virgin who was engaged to a carpenter and yet even though she conceived a child by the power of the Holy Spirit, the carpenter took her as his wife. It is about a couple who were told by God to go even if the woman is heavy on her pregnancy, asking for a room to stay in and to give birth. Christmas story was about a baby named Jesus, born in a manger, visited and praised by shepherds and wise men from the East. Christmas is Jesus Christ who saves His people from sin. The only begotten Son who was given to us for us to have eternal life

We don't know the exact date of His birth, but one thing is sure... once in this world a Father has given His Son to save us, a child was born in a lowly stable though he is great to give us hope in the face of uncertainty...

#Christmas #Son #God #JesusChrist

Because of Who You Are ...

image credit to morethanuseless.com

When you look into the cottony sky, the beautiful landscape of hills and mountains, the shimmering sunlight of the sea, the awesome colors of leaves and flowers, and the glittering stars of the night..you might ask..what a Great Hand has created these things... When you see and hear the different animals, when you feel the warm embrace of your kids, the loving touch of your mother, the protection of your father..you might say...what a Wonderful privilege has been given to us...

Have you asked who you are to see and feel all of these things?.. Have you been wondering that with all those trials, pain, and sufferings, you still managed to get up and be someone you dreamed of?..

Watch, hear, and think of what this song is saying...

Video Credits to the owner and Casting Crowns

This song is like a prayer..with all those things around us, those people who have hurt us, those trials that make us fall..there is One Hand that will catch us..no matter what or who we are..without Him..we're like a flower quickly fading, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind..here today and gone tomorrow. We are nothing..but because of Who God Is..we are someone..someone His...
Who am I? .. God said, You are mine. "I am yours, God, and whom shall I fear?"..what a wonderful assurance that whatever we had done, because  He is God, He loves us and will be by our side...and God's promises never change...

The Promise

These are the promises that God has given us and in turn can be our guide to love, to guide, and to say to our spouses. Love them as God loves us unconditionally.

1. He has promised He will never leave you. Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)...say:" Dear, I promised not to leave you just as God will never leave me.."
Can you say this to your spouse, and truly mean it as God means it toward you?

2. He is always thinking only the best about you. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. (Psalm 139:17-18)...say: "Dear, I am always thinking only the best about you!"
Can you say that your mind is always filled with only good thoughts about your spouse?

3. He is gentle toward you when you’re broken. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  (Psalm 147:3) ..say: "I will be gentle toward you if you're broken.."
Are you gentle toward your spouse even when he/she is angry or unlovable – which is how he/she often responds when he/she is hurt?

4. He promises nothing will ever come between the two of you. (Nothing) will be able to separate us from the love of God... (Romans 8:39) ..say: Dear, I promise nothing will ever come between the two of us.."
Are there any conditions or exceptions in your mind when it comes to loving your spouse?  Is there something in the back of your mind that he/she could do that would end it for the two of you? God holds none of those reservations about you. He has promised nothing – that includes nothing you can do – will ever come between you and God. Can you say the same to your spouse?

5. He delights in you, quiets you with His love, and sings over you. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)...say: "Dear, I delight in you, quiet you with my love, and sing over you.."
Can you delight in your spouse and rejoice over him/her, simply because of who he/she is – one who is loved by his Heavenly Father and by you? Think about the joy and comfort you have, knowing God feels that way about you. Now, what would it add to your spouse’s life if he/she knew you truly delighted in him/her?

As I am typing all these, I am thinking if I could do that, and thinking if he could do that. Easier said than done, but with a determination to save my long ailing marriage and with God beside me, I pray that it's all done. I am holding on to what God said..what He has joined together, let no man separate. It is my decision to love him even before we got married, still, do when things get rough. Maybe he didn't know that even with his imperfections I have love.
God has taught me many things, the hard way. Nobody knows. I may be seen as strong but it is because I have God and He is with me since the time I was born. I never questioned God for everything He has done, it is because God has given us..me..something ..a gift.. to conquer it all, to serve our purpose.
I assure you guys, God will never give us what we cannot bear and it is the other way around, God has given us those trials because He knew we could surpass it through the gift, the skills He has given us. I just do hope to inspire everyone who reads it...(",) May God bless you...

Acknowledgment to http://www.crosswalk.com

Meet Me In The Stairwell

I stumbled upon a blogsite (clinicallyclueless.blogspot) and found this youtube slideshow and the notes about the 911 tragedy. As the slides roll on, it is as if God is talking to whoever watches, hears, and reads it...

'MEET ME IN THE STAIRWELL'

("I WAS THERE") 

You say you will never forget where you were 

when you heard the news on September 11, 2001. 

Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke-filled room 

with a man who called his wife to say 'Good-Bye.' 

I held his fingers steady as he dialed. 

I gave him the peace to say,
Honey, I am not going to make it, 

but it is OK...
I am ready to go.

'I was with his wife when he called 

as she fed breakfast to their children. 

I held her up as she tried to understand his words 

and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor
when a woman cried out to Me for help. 

'I have been knocking on the door of your heart
for 50 years!'
I said. 'Of course, I will show you the way home
- only believe in Me now.'
I was at the base of the building with the Priest
ministering to the injured and devastated souls.
I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven.
He heard my voice and answered.
I was on all four of those planes,
in every seat, with every prayer.
I was with the crew as they were overtaken.
I was in the very hearts of the believers there,
comforting and assuring them
that their faith has saved them.
I was in Texas, Virginia, California, Michigan, and Afghanistan.
I was standing next to you
when you heard the terrible news.
Did you sense Me?
I want you to know that I saw every face.
I knew every name - though not all know Me.
Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor.
Some sought Me with their last breath.
Some couldn't hear Me calling to them
through the smoke and flames;
'Come to Me... this way... take my hand.'
Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.
But, I was there.
I did not place you in the Tower that day.
You may not know why, but I do.
However, if you were;
there in that explosive moment in time,
would you have reached for Me?
Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you.
But someday your journey will end.
And I will be there for you as well.
Seek Me now while I may be found.
Then, at any moment, you know you are ready to go.'
I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

~God~

Copyright©2002 Stacey Randall

ANALYSIS...

       
       The writer's tone of the song is nostalgic of that particular event, depicting every situation a person in there can be. The writer nostalgic as it may seem, characterized himself as our God who would be meeting the people in their dire situation only if they have heard of Him what to do and where was the safest place to be if at the last minute of their lives they would call upon Him if they are ready to meet Him on the stairways of heaven and to assure those who had believed that He will surely meet them after this chaos.
    The mood of the song is somewhat sad as one can remember that fatal and horrific day, many lives who have been lost, families looking for their loved ones hoping they are still alive, and people can imagine what transpired what happened in the last minute of their lives.

           The message of the song is fair and clear when one knows he would surely die at that moment, we call our loved ones back home, readying ourselves for what could happen and/or call on to God if they could be spared and hope to live or be just ready to meet Him at the stairwell of Heaven.

    If that same situation comes, I do hope I am ready to meet Him at the stairwell.