"Not the One about Crying Over Spilt Milk" (True Celebrities Part II)

The Beginning: Follow by reading part I HERE: "When Things Go Beyond the Spirit."...Part II continues...

Fiction:

Never had I felt at such a loss as I did tonight. More so, watching the clouds fade softly into the brewing night was not helping...it only seemed sort of cliché- like something out of a newspaper...


Daily News Headline:
"Sad woman sits under the moonlight trying to undo her sorry futile state,
and just when she thinks she succeeds, she slips into a state of mortal depression."


I was sitting on the mahogany brown-toned cushioned armless chair on the veranda reading Beauty for Ashes, a novel written by Dorothy Clark. I couldn't help it; I became deeply engrossed in the nerve-wracking emotions of the character, Elizabeth Fraizer, and how she married a good-for-nothing wealthy man who believed "love" was a myth just because she felt 'safety' was more to be esteemed than 'love.' My phone rang and I sprung back into reality. My own issue had come to find me. Chinedu was the one calling after waiting for his call for eleven days. I picked up my blackberry.

"Hello Chinedu," It did not help that I was shaking in my knees.
"Temisan...we need to talk."
"I have been waiting...for eleven days, and now you need to talk?"
"I'm sorry if I made you wait."

After his apology the silence on the phone became deafening. I started hearing other sounds like crickets chirping in the nearby bush.

"I've found another woman," he blurted.

It took a while for me to absorb that statement. Oh no...my greatest fear had finally found me. I hung the phone up on him and sank to my knees. And I began to mourn over the death of our relationship...

* * * * * *
In this world, we will cry for so many different reasons. It could be for something as little as a broken dinner ware, or something as large as the death of a family member. And the tears will flow like a stream that has no end.

Today's category of true celebrities is "those who mourn:"


"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5: 4


Something New:

I learned something new and it may not be what you think. I read a document from a Church in Martinsville, and they expatiated on this verse. The word "mourn" used here in Matthew 5:4 was derived from the Greek word "Penthountes." It was the word that Greeks used when they cried over the death of a loved one, the same word they used to express Jesus weeping over Lazarus. It is sorrow deeply expressed- a desperate helpless sorrow. Note that it is used 'when someone dies.'

Something Mundane (not):

As I got into the grind of things I realized that every word Jesus used to represent these celebrities (Beatitudes) indirectly pointed back to God. When He said, "those who mourn," he was not referring to crying about the mundane things in life, like Temisan breaking up with her boyfriend for instance. This one is not about crying over spilt milk. Neither was Jesus referring to the tears that fall over broken glass or shattered dinner ware. NO! He was referring to "mourning/weeping for the DEATH of things of God...or the death of relationships between God and man." Not that God will ever die, change or fade away, it's just that we keep killing the things He has given life to...and we keep nailing His son to the cross over and over again (the Easter message). And this deserves our mourning. It is similar to the death of someone we love.


Something Deeper:

To me, "those who mourn" represent the category of people whose hearts cry because the things of God are dying and people just don't understand. Those who look at the world and try to rescue it with their tears. And yes, God has given the nations to us to recover, and some are successfully taking them back. I'm thinking of a "Mother Theresa" type of attitude here. A broken heart & a shattered spirit. The tears that fall before the action of rescue. When Jesus wept over the death of Lazarus, it was not because He did not know He would raise him from the dead...it was because of something much deeper than that. His heart was bleeding because those who wept did not know three things: He was God, He loved Lazarus passionately, and He could raise Lazarus from the dead.


Do you mourn when you see the death of the things of God? Does your heart bleed when you see the things that were once alive, but now are dead; the things that were once found, but now are lost? Then you may be one of "those who mourn," and you are blessed; you will be comforted.


Photo by Jernvotten (Flickr)

News Alert: On Friday I'll be featuring a wonderful Guest Blogger-->you don't wanna miss it...see ya!

"When Things Go Beyond the Spirit" (True Celebrities Part I)

Fiction:

I strolled to my office window and pushed the blinds apart so I could look outside. Everything seemed calm out there. But right there in the parking lot sat my BMW-645 staring right back at me with its big old headlights. Could it be beckoning for me to come back to it? "Come back to me Temisan, please come back." Of course not! It was just the fear in me speaking- the part of me that wanted to run away from my office and head back home. I wanted to run towards the elevator, go down to the first floor, and waltz through the big black doors of this huge building. I wanted to run into the receiving arms of my BMW-645.


I was afraid, so much that I almost peed in my pants. And it was all because of that email. At 7.30a.m, Mr. Rufus, the CEO of Inspiring Missions sent me an email. Thinking it was a mass email to the entire office I opened it with glee, only to find out the email was just for me.

Ms. Temisan,
It has come to my attention that you are the best at the project management for your branch. If possible, I would like to schedule a crucial meeting with you this afternoon. During this meeting, I will propose that you take over the leadership in certain areas of the branch. Please respond as soon as you can.

Thank you

R. Matthew

I reflected on the note once again. I had only been working for this company for 6 months. This was certainly beyond my spirit. God, this is all You. Thank You for bringing me to where I am today. I bless Your Name. I will be a leader, because You will provide the strength and the wisdom for me to be one.

* * * * * *

I'm writing a new series called "True Celebrities" where I plan to talk about the Beatitudes (Matthew 5)-the ones whose footsteps are carefully watched by the eyes of God.

Who are these people? They surround you. They can be found amongst the six billion, six hundred and ninety-two million, thirty thousand, two hundred and seventy-seven people of the world, and you may even be part of them. The first category of true celebrities is the "Poor in Spirit."

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Temisan's words at the end of the story depicts a certain "poorness of spirit." What does it mean to be "poor in spirit"? The Forerunner Commentary gives us an idea: "Of the two Greek words translated "poor" in the new testament, Penes designates the working poor who have little or no property (e.g. the poor widow); Ptochos signifies total dependence on others for help (e.g. poor in spirit)." They are two different things.

I thought about it some more and got it: Ptochos was what Jesus was referring to when He said "blessed are the poor in spirit." But this deficiency or poorness is not to any man, and not as a result of lack of money or property, but it is unto God. It signifies someone who knows that many things in life are not by our own strengths or prowess, but by God's grace. When you are poor in spirit, you will walk around with your head held high, but deep within you will know your success comes only from God. To be poor in spirit involves a certain incompleteness or deficiency without God. A sort of "I cannot do this myself" attitude or "this is beyond my own spirit" way of life. This category of people belong to the true celebrities list in God's book, because they give Him all the glory.

Do you often tell yourself that you are where you are right now because God is working on you? Then you must be threading on things that are beyond your spirit and bigger than yourself. Are you?

It was the Perfect Symphony:


On my last post "What if Málà Chicken was the Word of God?", I said there'd be a guest blogger this Friday. Turns out that it won't be until next week Friday after all (so get ready).

That being said, I have something very interesting for you today. You may need head-phones to hear it very clearly (it sounds great with head-phones).

This sketch is based on a post I once wrote titled: "Symphony"

Scene: I describe my experience at an orchestra, and I align this experience to having a relationship with God. I make a claim that being a "friend" of God is like a "perfect symphony" (Definition of Symphony: Harmony of sounds/agreement)




"Today, my charge is that you become someone who is in such perfect symphony with God, like the musical instruments in a 100-membered orchestra; a friend of God, not just His robot."


Have you ever been to an orchestra? Have you ever witnessed such symphony?

Video inspired by Rebecca Woodhead's Blog.


What If Málà Chicken was the Word of God?



C
hinese
: 麻辣; pinyin: málà; literally "numbing and spicy"

The aroma alone will drive you nuts such that you become eligible for admission into the nearest psych ward for your inappropriate expression of joy and rather illicit disregard for your neighbors. And what about the raw spiciness & hotness of the Habanero chili peppers carefully sliced into the layers of delicious rice? Just one slice will leave your mouth thirsting for some very cold liquid, yet burning with the desire for more.

The last time I checked, this crazy Málà Chicken dish was still my boyfriend's husband's favorite Chinese take-out, at least for now (I can still call him my bf right? It's already 3 months since we said "I Do"). Anyhow, the last time he brought it home from work, as soon as I spotted the dish of mala chicken on the coffee table I sprinted to his side to get a taste (lest I might have been forgotten behind).

* * * * *
What If?
What if Málà chicken (*insert your own favorite dish*) was the word of God? Would I have sprinted to the coffee table to get a taste of the delicious meal? Would I have sat down to inhale the sweet aroma before dipping my spoon and packing a spoonful?


What if Málà chicken (*insert your own favorite dish*) was the word of God? Would you dream about it day and night and schedule an appointment on your phone to stop by the Chinese Restaurant for lunch? Would you savor the taste until everything else around you becomes obsolete except the one thing that really mattered?

You see, Jesus once said: "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." [Matthew 4:4]

If you lived for food alone then what would your worth will be reduced to? It is nice to know that there are yet deeper things in our lives more than food. Day unto day utters secrets, and night unto night whispers mysteries. The universe itself speaks, showing us signs through volcanoes, earthquakes, whirlwinds, tornadoes, and more. The works of His hands sway in the wind and there is no language that does not understand. We were spoken into existence because of the Words that proceeded from His mouth. Therefore, our survival is also hinged on His every word: our livelihoods, families, passions, dreams, desires, goals...everything. These all hang onto the powerful thread of His words.

Close your eyes for a second and reflect on your yummiest favorite food. God's word is so much more aromatic...and if you soak yourself in His aroma, you're bound to have a more enriching life than food can provide. What do you think?

Tune in Check back again on Friday...UPDATE: one of my favorite bloggers will be featured on the "Guest Blogger Fridays" series NEXT WEEK (no longer tomorrow). God bless you and keep you. Amen.

How Ravaging Scandals are Disguised Under the Name of God:


What did you think when you saw that title? Did your mind travel briefly to Northwest Airlines Flight 253? Did you remember December 25th 2009, the fateful day young Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate plastic explosives on Flight 253? Or did you think about Father H's story, the German Catholic Pedophile Priest? Oh, what about Andrea Yates who drowned all her kids in the bathtub because she thought her children weren't righteous enough and were going to hell?

Well, ever since I listened in on the Verastic radio show this past Saturday and heard one of the callers saying that the recent Jos killings was as a result of people "disguising politics in the name of religion," I've been musing on his statement. People do disguise a lot of things under God's name.

Through the pages of history, men and women have disguised scandals under the name of God. In Umar's case, I found out that when he was 18 he fantasized about women & sex, and since he knew he was not ready to get married without his degree and career, he turned his focus instead to religious fantasies (Jihad fantasies)--my resource is Here.

The Bold Claim:

#We humans are prone to saying, "God sent me to do it" because rather than accept responsibilities for our actions, we believe we have someone in a supernatural place to point fingers to. He told me to do it, it was not my idea.

5 Musings on Criminals and Whether God Sent Them:

1) God's Errands are not Murder:
The God I know does not send people on errands to kill for Him or to commit atrocious acts. Instead, He sent His son to be the last sacrifice. (John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He sent His only son that whosoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life").

2) Neither God, Nor the Devil:
If you ever think about a criminal act, God did not send you, and neither did the devil! You have dominion over every action you will ever take. Yes, the devil will lay a criminal option on a platter of gold at your feet, but you will choose to say "yes" or "no." (Psalm 8:4 & 6, "What is man that You are mindful of him? You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands").

3) Not What You Think:
The problems in Nigeria (specifically Jos) are not because Muslims think they are better off than Christians (or vice-versa), but more so they are as a result of selfishness and greed in people of authority and in some Nigerians in general. Should a Muslim be in power or should a Christian be in power? These are the questions that have taken away the innocent lives of men, women, and children. It has nothing to do with their gods.

4) Did God Really Tell You?
God still speaks today, but we're often too fast to say "God told me so." God does not go against His own word. If you're Christian and you hear something that goes against what you have read in the bible, then it is not God speaking to you. It is someone else.

5) The Flesh Has Done It Again:
Every criminal act has been as a result of the tendencies of the human flesh, not because God did it or sent the criminal to do it. (Mark 14:38 "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.")

Disclaimer: I understand that there were wars in the bible where the Israelites struck the Philistines (and some others). However, when Jesus came, He said, "It is finished." He was sacrificed for my sins and your sins. No longer do you need to offer blood sacrifices. I do not believe God will send anyone to kill innocent people in our generation for His cause.

Have you ever mused on the "God sent me" statement and the problems it has caused through history?

Photo by Revival.tv

Growing Up in Filthy Places: An Emphasis


Fiction:

It is not that I wanted to grow up that way. I wanted the good life. I wanted it all: love, fame and fortune. But instead I got filth!

I remember how he used to tell me that I was the only special thing in his life. Daddy would come back home late at night, and I'd still be up waiting for his kiss on my cheeks. Oh, how I used to long for that kiss. I'd stay awake chasing the flies from my dirty face. I'd stay awake hugging Lucy, the doll who never came to life- with her one eye and half-torn neck. I'd stay awake crying because mama was in her room downing the rum like her life depended on it. Finally, papa would stroll into my room and give me my long-awaited kiss, even with the filth on his mouth from the bituminous coal mine. Yes, daddy worked those unnecessary long hours inside that filthy black hole. They were not worth it because the money was useless. In fact he smelled of rotten eggs every night. He told me it was the damp sulfur in the air which they called 'stink damp.' My older sister ran away from it all, but I was the one who stayed and endured the stench.

Daddy was a brave man. Mama was a weak alcoholic. My sister was a run-away child. Why I stayed here in the stench, I do not understand. But I am growing up in filth.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In Matthew 13 Jesus talked about the parable of the wheat and the weeds. See, a farmer sowed good seeds and in the night his enemy came to plant weeds amongst the good seeds. After a while, his servants began to notice the weeds and complain. But the master told them to allow the good seeds to grow in the filth. "If you remove them now," he said, "the good ones will be taken away with the bad." So he instructed them to wait till the harvest time when all the plants were mature. At that time, the right time, one would be able to tell which ones are good and which ones aren't. Then, the servants would be authorized to bring only the good wheat into the barn and burn up all the weeds.

So you may have been wondering why you're still living in the filth of yesterday. It's because there's something precious about growing up in filth, as stupid as it may sound. If the filth is taken away from you too early, it may take away something good from you. But you're still there, in the filth, for a reason. You have to learn how to be mature, even in the rubbish. You have to learn the golden rules of life. But just endure...endure till you get there. What you want will eventually come to you... No kidding!

"If you remove them now," he said, "the good ones will be taken away with the bad."

This is a repost from April 27th 2009, only slightly revised. I still feel like there is filth in the places where I am today. Soon the harvest will come and the filth will be taken away from me. My plight is to endure until my testimony comes, a testimony that will light up the world.

Do you ever feel like you're maturing in a filthy place? If you do, then this post is for you. Over to you.

Photo by Fotogravirus

The Truth is Indubitably Not Enough: a.k.a "Truth don Die"


Photo by RedTempa


Is Truth dead?

Let me rewind. I read How To Win Points but Not Influence People yesterday. The writer had me doing a one hundred and eighty degrees spin right after. Some of the writer's points: Why do girl scouts sell cookies? It is because they want to make their quota; they're not in it to make you a better person. Truth is NOT enough. Truth is part of love, but truth by itself is not love. Sharing truth will give you points. But that's as far as it will go...

Fast forward:

Is Truth dead?


Yes, truth is dead!
No, truth will never die. Never! It will live for as long as you and I breathe in oxygen and give out carbon-dioxide to the rest of nature. It will grow grey hairs and transform from smooth to stretchy skin, but just like wisdom it will never die. Truth doesn't die, it gets passed on from one generation to another. Truth is written forever on our foreheads and cannot be permanently erased.

The Way the World Thinks:

I will shout from the rooftops, but I won't go down to the house to ask whether the people heard me right. I will preach from the podium, but I won't ask for the name of the young man who has beaten himself down so much. I will sit in the best spots, but I won't look towards the back of the room to see if a crippled man needs to sit down. I will act a movie, but I don't care about the little children watching- I want to be a Hollywood star. I will write a blog post, but I don't really care about the people reading it, I just want them to comment.

Is this love? No it isn't

Truth + Love:

Truth combined with love is what God has been offering us. We cannot just keep speaking the truth without showing love. There's a way to say the truth and portray love at the same time. Truth without love is as empty as a dark hole. There was a man in a fictional story who got beaten by road-side thieves, until blood oozed out of his skin and he lay there, half dead and half alive. A priest came by. I imagine he must have peeked at the body, but in order not to stain his priestly apparel with the half-dead man's blood, and since no one was looking, he kept walking onwards. I also imagine he was on the way to the temple. Maybe to intercede for the people. Maybe even to share the "truth." But his truth was dead because he had no love.

I want to share the truth, but it is empty without loving. I ache to spill the truth, but it is empty without sympathy. Something rises up in me when I get a revelation, a sort of supernatural high. But it is empty without showing that I know where you're coming from. It is empty without telling you I've been there before. It is empty when it seems like I'm on a pedestal that is untouched by blood. Truth + Love is God's message, not truth alone.

Truth is not dead. She just needs love to hold her hand.
For God so loved the world = Truth
That He gave His only Son = Love
(John 3:16)

Over to you. Do you think truth is the inseparable sister of love?
Have you ever heard the truth, but longed for a deeper personal connection, a loving touch?

Photo Credits: Redbubble

The Not-So-Obvious Reverse Rules for Making it to Heaven and Hell:


"I said shout hallelujah!!!"

The pastor screamed from the pulpit. Then he shook his wooden-soled shoes from one side to the other. People called his shoes "buck and wing,"- those ancient tap dance shoes of 1920. Pennies were hammered into them so that they made a loud clinking noise when he danced.

The congregation stood up. Who among the members could contain such warm excitement bursting through their veins?

"I said somebody shout hallelujah!!!" he repeated. "If you want to go to heaven, I said...if you wanna go to heaven, you better shout. Is that your neighbor still sitting? You better tell em' they gonna go to hell." Everyone began to tap dance as well. All except one young woman, she was watching from the back of the church. And she was afraid. She didn't want to go to hell so she stood up like the rest, but she sure didn't understand.

* * * * * * * * * * *

After writing "Do You Want to Be With Me?" I got some very interesting comments that spiked up my interest. One of my dearest commenters openly spoke about how it is the fear of "not going to hell" that keeps many Christians on their toes. Funny enough (and not coincidentally) on Saturday, I and hubby read Matthew 5:17 where Jesus said (and I paraphrase),

"Do not think that I came to destroy the law because it will definitely be fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the commandments of the law, and teaches others to do so, will be the LEAST in the kingdom of heaven."

In that brief moment I had a light-bulb moment. What did Jesus mean when He said, "whoever breaks one of these commandments will be LEAST in the kingdom of heaven?" Does that mean that person may still make heaven? If your answer is "yes," then you're right. Yes, the person may still make heaven because making heaven is not about "not-breaking-the-rules."

The Way the World Thinks:
"If I can just be a good person, not break any rules, I'll make it to heaven. If I break one rule I'll go to hell."

The Reverse Rule to Make It to Heaven:
There is only one way to make it, and that is by believing that Jesus is the son of God, accepting that He died for your sins as your Saviour, and walking in God's ways. Now, the catch is if you really believe in the line above, you will automatically find yourself doing things that you never imagined you'd do--like not breaking the rules. You'd suddenly find yourself on a quest to show God's love to others, to perform good deeds, and to be your brother's keeper. No one would need to tell you, you will automatically begin to fulfill the "Law." If you love God, you will naturally try your very best not to sin or go in the opposite direction from His love. And you won't be doing it only because you're trying to escape the flames of hell.

The Bold Claim:
My claim today is that "it is not what you do that will take you to heaven." Many people have such gargantuan fear of hell that they eventually feel forced to claim to be Christians and they do so-called Christian activities so that they don't go to hell. But don't be deceived, it is not what you claim say or do that makes you a Christian. It is what is in your heart. Jesus did not come to make you obey some rules that will take you to heaven, He came that we should have abundant life, peace, joy, the breaking of the chains that once held us bound, and to return our DOMINION back to us...because the devil has blinded our eyes so that we don't see the power we have. That's why He said if you break the law, you will be the "least" in the kingdom, not that you won't make it. If you've sinned, you will not go to hell because you sinned, but because you failed to accept God's words for your life. God never planned for Lucifer to be flung out of heaven, it was his choice. In the same way, God hasn't planned for you to go to hell because you're a sinner, but it is a simple choice. You have the chance to get saved, you really do.

The reverse rule for going to heaven is to fall in love with God so MUCH that you start acting like you're in heaven already. The reverse rule for going to heaven is not to live your whole life trying to avoid hell. There's more to life than that. God bless you as you get inspired to seek His heart and not merely to avoid hell.

Have you ever been afraid of going to hell?
How many times have you avoided doing something because you thought it will take you to hell? Tell me.

Please Retweet and Share this post on Facebook :)

Photo by Polyvore

I Don't Know, My Wife Told Me to Stand Here:


I read this in my email this morning, it was so hilarious that I had to blog it. Enjoy:

Men and women on earth die and go to heaven.

God comes and says: -

"I want the men to form two queues, one line for the men who had control over their women, and the other one for the men who were controlled by their women. Also, I want all the women to go away so that no man and woman can talk."

Next time God comes back, the women are gone, and there are two lines.

The line for the men who were controlled by their women is 100 miles long, and in the line of men who had control over their women there is only one man.

God gets mad and says, "You men should be ashamed of yourselves. I created in you my image, and you were all controlled by your mates. Look at the only one of my sons who stood up and made me proud. Learn from him!"

"Tell them, my son, how did you manage to be the only one in this line?"

The man replies, "I don't know, my wife told me to stand here." :) :)

Please Retweet and share on Facebook, it's worth making people laugh.

Enter the Cozy Road to the 21st Century, or the Road to the Past:


Fiction

The talk of the town on a Sunday night was that twenty-six year old Moyola had gone mad.

She is one of my closest friends, and we literally grew up together in the same estate. I hadn't seen her since Thursday night when we went to buy suya* from the mallam down the street. The rumor was spreading like wild fire. At the market place, where I was trying to get some tomatoes, the town women were talking and laughing about Moyola's new madness.

So I decided to walk down the road to her house, which was only a stone throw away from the market place. I hadn't walked too far when I saw her. She was sitting under a tent by the roadside, right in front of her house. I looked inside the tent, and there she was. She was wearing a loin cloth, a long strip of cloth wound around her waist and in between her legs. A loose tunic was hung over the loin cloth. It was gathered up in a bunch around her shoulders, and also tucked in at the waist with a leather belt. The rest of it flowed gracefully towards her feet. Two alabaster flasks lay at her feet; they were filled to the brim with oil.

"Moyola, what is wrong with you? What are you doing?"

"Shalom Anu. Shavua Tov."**

"What? Is this your new way of speaking to people? Have you gone mad?"

"You don't get it, do you?" she asked me with tears in her eyes. "I have chosen to live the way the women in the bible did. This is my new lifestyle. I want to feel the way they did when God spoke to them. I want to dress like them, walk like them, and talk like them. Anu, please let me be."

* * * * * * * * *

The Road to the Past:
A lot of Christians are still living in the times when the Israelites had to fight with swords and spears. The days of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Deborah, Ruth, and Esther. What we don't understand is that even as God was with them in those days, He is with us now in the 21st century. Rather than walk the same paths that the men of old did, we need to enter the cozy road to the 21st century.

"...of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred... (1 Chronicles 12:32)
The Road to the Present:
When you read your bible, do you see Moses parting the red sea or do you interpret your own red sea as a 21st century "challenge" that you have to overcome? Do you see Esther being chosen as queen, or do you see yourself selected above your peers? The occurrences in the bible are not meant to remain in the past. There is a requirement for us to translate those experiences into our 21st century experiences. We are the "sons of Isaachar" of our own generation, and we need to have an understanding of our own current events. People think the bible is boring, but it is the most exciting thing when you're able to apply it to your life right now.

How do you interpret the bible when you read it? Do you get stuck in the past or do you relate God's Word to today's events? What are your thoughts?

*Suya = roasted skewered meat
**Shalom = peace (Hebrew)
**Shavua Tov = wishing someone a good week (Hebrew)

Photo by Redbubble

Do You Want To Be With Me? Top 3 Reasons Why We Follow Through, NOT!!!


"You and I are funny characters. We often plot graphs that we don't analyze. We draw maps we don't follow. We make goals we don't act upon. We even fall in love, but do not keep loving forever"- Personal Quote ©Lightherlamp



If you want to be with me, you have to follow through with every word you say. And I, all I really want is you, for you to stick around, to see you every day...but you have to follow through- Gavin Degraw.

The first few months of a romance are incredible. Yes, every couple that falls in love does almost everything right in those first few months. It is considered to be the "honeymoon" stage, the phase where blushes never cease and frowns hardly appear. Everything feels right. No regrets. And then comes the aftermath- the human tendency kicks in, and then we don't want to "follow through" anymore. And then life becomes hard. We become human again.

The Twist
If you want to go with God's love, you have to follow through with every word you say. Just like many lovers remember the first day they fell in love and this memory triggers them to "follow through," you must also remember the reasons you first fell in love with God. You must remember your stones...the stones you picked up from the middle of the river while God opened up a path for you to cross over. You must remember that you are not like everyone else, that you see things differently and you have had a different experience. You must pick up where you left off, and you must follow through.


Top 3 Reasons Why You Don't Follow Through:

1) You Lack Understanding
Whenever anyone speaks profound stuff about God, you are amazed, but you don't stop to really understand the message. So after a while, the memory of the message is drowned. (Seed sown by the wayside and birds eat them--Matthew 4 & 19). Understanding is not meant just for others, it is meant for you. You are supposed to understand the deepest things about God. It is not such a mystery that can't be revealed.

2) You Lack the Strength or Courage
#1 is not the problem. You understand what's going on, but simply cannot find the strength to implement it. So yes, you get all excited, but only temporarily. When you're faced with the real task you shrink away from the opportunity (seed sown on stony ground with not very much soil (Matthew 13: 5 & 21). You need to find the strength and courage because they are right there inside you.

3) You are Blinded by Lies
This one is because of the media and various news resources you have at your finger tips. Lies. It is not your fault, the lies are supposed to be there to test you. So you peek into the bible and then peek into your TV and Magazines, and you choose the latter over the former. A book called "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsch is one of such lies. It hides under the cover of an innocent sheep, but the details inside are filled with lies. Lies about what God's responses are to His children, answers that obviously have no relationship with God's true words (Seed sown among thorns that choke the plant--Matthew 13:7 & 22). Be careful what you read, if it's not God's word don't let anyone tell you it is. Or else, you won't follow through with the truth.

If you want to be with me, you have to follow through with every word you say.

Do you WANT to follow through but find yourself doing otherwise?
Is it too hard to follow through?
Is it easier said than done?

Photos by RedBubble & Google

The Oasis of The Seas: A Safe Haven?


"Man, in his most intelligent stature, will always try to re-create a safe haven away from the usual"- ©Lightherlamp.

Something caught my eye last night and made it glow and flicker in the darkness of the room. Fact: The "Oasis of the Seas" is currently the world's largest cruise ship, larger than several small towns in America >> *lightbulbmoment.*

Some catchy things about this huge ship: it has a promenade where people can buy anything from cupcakes to gold chains, the best specialty restaurants you can ever dream of (Giovanni's Table, Chops Grille, Solarium Bistro), pizza parlors, Karaoke bars, a central park (150 Central Park-a neighborhood with a huge walkway), a boardwalk (I love boardwalks), and every other thing a city needs for its people to survive.

Guess what? I think we're talking about another kind of "Tower of Babel" thing going on here! A philosophy where people get tired of conflicts and paradoxes, so they try to re-create a peaceful society where they can migrate to. This ship weighs 222,000 tons & sits over 8500 people, and it was created to look like a city. I bet the people on board don't even realize that they are floating on water.

The Way the World Thinks:
We can recreate. We can design robots, make clones do the job and handle our affairs. We can utilize stem cells and use them to create perfection. We can choose the best traits and put them in our children: blue eyes, good skin, great hair. We can surgically increase our heights. We have no limits. We have no barriers. "Not even God can sink this ship"-creator of the Titanic.

The Ugly Truth:
There is no utopia here on earth, no "ideal community." There is no place for perfection. But sometimes we pretend. We pretend there is no God. We pretend that we are our own creators, and that we can do whatever we want to do. Creating and designing the Oasis of the Seas was not a bad idea, neither was the tower of Babel...or the Titanic. But it is in the "mind-set" of people wherein lies the problem, the idea that "We don't need God." We are sensible enough. The idea that we can create a safe haven where God cannot reach. That we are, indeed, both the Potter and the Clay.
"Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven You are there
If I make my bed in hell, behold You are there
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me"
Psalm 139

Have you ever thought about running away from the world? Is it too much for you to handle? Admittedly, sometimes I wanna get away from it all. But wherever I go, God finds me...and He brings me back to Him. Does He bring you back to Him too? Away from the world's pretentious perfection into His own tried & tested perfection?

Your Take. Let's hear it :)

(oh, my comments on previous posts disappeared when I changed my domain to www.lightherlamp.com. I heard they'll come back soon) *Hugs*

Photo by RedBubble


"Blue Jeans": A Different Kind of "Hand Me Downs"!


Yes, I actually smell my clothes...

Only when they are brand new, that is. I inhale deeply as though breathing in the layers of fabric. You know the smell, right? I can't describe it, it's just... "new-ness." And then there's also the part about removing the price tags. I get overjoyed at the simple task of tearing off price tags. The ritualistic act shows that the item is now mine, and no longer the store's. Oh blue jeans, the smell of new blue jeans. How I love that smell!

I've never met anyone who desperately wanted a pair of "hand-me-downs." But one of my sisters is the one to ask if any clothing item is missing. She's the sister to query when you can't find your pair of jeans. It's her suitcase you search when you think a T-shirt has indeed been stolen. The sister who searches everybody's closet just because she loves hand-me-downs (maybe?). I'm the first child so I don't know how it feels to wear my older sister's clothes. What kind of feelings do "hand-me-downs" invoke? Would I have felt better on a sad day if I wore my older sister's blue jeans? More responsible, domineering, sharp? I really don't know.

* * *

The Proposal:

Today, I propose a different kind of "hand-me-downs" to you. The kind we ought to wear. The necessary kind.

* Do you remember how Elisha (the apprentice) desperately asked Elijah (his master) for a double portion of what he had? Elisha knew that he needed it. His master was obviously loaded with divine weaponry. Elijah had a significant relationship with God, and Elisha wanted to be doubly so. It wasn't offensive for him to get some "hand-me-downs." A double portion of hand-me-downs in this case!

Hand It Down To Me:

* Do you know what? We exist for each other. Sometimes it is our pride that prevents us from getting those hand-me-downs. When we see people who are doing what we badly want to do, we don't want to ask them how they did it. Why? Because we don't want to seem desperate. But the truth is, we all need it. Most times we need someone to look up to. Most times, we need someone to teach us. To guide us in the right path. We need the Holy Spirit.

"And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." 2 Kings 2:9

Have you ever had to beg for "hand-me-downs?" Or did you hate them while growing up? Do you know that this walk of life literally involves passing down of techniques and life lessons? Hand-me-downs???

Photo by Redbubble


One in the Midst of Six Billion, Seven Hundred and Six Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Three Thousand, and One Hundred and Fifty Two Faces:

That's the population of the world today.

One day, the world will stand still.

It will be just you standing in a pile of your own ideas. One in six billion faces. There will be no story to tell, no fairy tale. There will be no epic, neither will there be any poetry. There will be no major hero, for at some point we will all become heroes. There will be no Science fiction, neither will there be a fantasy flick. No action movie or an adventure series. No animation either, because it will be as real as it gets. No drama, musical, thriller, or even romance. It will be just you, as one face in the midst of 6 billion faces.

One day, you will choose your own path. You will choose your own destiny.

Being different is often a taboo. We often want to roll with the crowds and be seen amongst the the best, and it isn't such a bad thing either...sometimes anyway. But your existence is only an individual experience and not 6 billion individuals' experiences wrapped in one.

This year, you are going to make a lot of choices, really hard ones. Not because a prophet told me so or a pastor said it, no. A lot of us will have to make very difficult choices, and we will have to do it either God's way or the world's way. As it is, the world consists of six billion, seven hundred and six million, nine hundred and ninety-three thousand, and one hundred and fifty two people.

The world seems to have the majority vote on your life. The world and its lovely fashion sense, intercontinental exotic foods, and multicultural exposures; the world and its seven wonders, kings, Queens, and Presidents...the world and its chosen way of life.

Don't be lost in a sea of six billion faces. If you were given the opportunity to make a choice, would you be unique or would you go with the crowd? If you were given 6 billion dollars, would you share it with 6 billion people, or would you find your niche? Tell me. Let's hear it.

(Thought I'd repost this: Original Post is titled: "One in a Billion Faces.")

Have a wonderful day ahead everyone. God bless you.

Ps: Photo by Redbubble

Soccer Brawl, Unfamiliar Players:


Team Players:
a) Frustration (Team F)
b) Depression (Team D)

At this point, team F is winning. A player from team F is running speedily towards the goal post. Oh no, team D players are losing their mind.

Commentator:

"Yes, Yes! A flash of pure inspiration, we've not seen this move since 1970's world cup when Pelé & Rivelino scored 3–1 in favor of Brazil. Look out, look out! Stealing like a thief in the night. Yes, a gift from the gods, he always has been. A magisterial hit! Like Deja Vu, it's happening all over again. Fifa World Cup player of the year? My goodness! This is incredible! He is running towards the gold. And there he goes again, as fast as a hyena. And...and...YES, yes...it's a GOAL!!! Team Frustration has won, and Team Depression is defeated."

* * *

"It is better for one to have been frustrated than to have entered into the deadly grasp of depression"
#Personal Quote #Observation

You see, there's something I have to tell ya--->in life there's just no avoiding frustration. It will come and sit pretty on your doorstep like a lost child looking for a home. And then it will smile at you, until you give in to its smile. And when you finally decide to open your door, it will barge into your home and possibly take over. It will fall like heavy rain, and ruin the crops you've planted. Yes, it will visit you on those days when the sun refuses to rise. Bad-hair days and days when you feel like screaming. Shoe-kicking days and days when your efforts get mindlessly shoved under a pile of garbage. Days when a letter comes in the mail and you have to succumb to its treachery. Or other days when no one seems to agree with you, maybe except the oxygen in your lungs.

On such days, what should you do? You should vent all you want and even throw a tantrum in your room! But there's just one thing you must make sure you never do: never let your frustration give way to depression. Because you have a choice.

The Choice:
Yes, you have a choice. You will always come out of a frustrated moment. There's always a come-back. A return of the Jedi. There's always a light-bulb moment, an "AHA, I can do this again" moment. But I can't promise the same for depression. Depression is like a disease that slowly sucks the life out of you. Causes you to feel alone and useless to the world, when in reality you are the exact opposite...you are a star the world is waiting to see.

Why choose frustration over depression?

There is nothing new under the sun:
"That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun...it has already been in ancient times before us," (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11) ~ someone has been through what you're experiencing, and they won. They won the battle, so you will win too.

We are not immune to the rain:
"...He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust..." (Matthew 5:45) ~ we aren't promised a life with no rain, but we have the power to stop the storm.

We won't always have it our way/the results may not show up on time:
"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olives may fail, and the fields yield no fruit...yet, I will rejoice in the Lord," (Habakkuk 3:17) ~but you still can rejoice! As long as you have breath. And as long as there's still potential. To be depressed is to be lied to.

We are never alone:
"Where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there...If I say, "surely the darkness shall fall on me, even the night shall be a night about me," (Psalm 139)~ God is always there, no matter what you go through, no matter where you make your bed.

I've had my own share of frustrations, times when I've waited for answers and they never came. But I've learned that frustration must never lead to depression. Instead frustration can be a dream-builder, if you fail once you can think of better strategies. But depression on the other hand is a dream-destroyer, vision-killer, and image-eraser.

Do you have any lessons to share about your frustrated moments? Have you had any bad-hair days that turned good in the end? Let's hear it!

Photo by Google.