"Alainn Anam"

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it". ~Confucius

 ^"…honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 19:19

As humans we are social beings. We learn and grow through our relationships with each other as well as everything around us. Life seriously wouldn't be the same if we didn't have each other to help us through.

"Consider the following. We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others' activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others."- The Dalai Lama

Today is nationally recognized Mother's Day; but not every Mother will be honored, nor will every son or daughter be doing the honoring. Many people no longer have a Mother; others may not even have a good relationship with their Mother.

I met a young teenager recently who was one of the latter. She was only 17 years old, and the only life she knew was this miserable relationship with her Mother. Neither really knew the other, and neither either didn't want to admit that, or didn't want to try to mend things. The daughter's solution was to move out and live on her own—which if you have ever done that at such a young age, well one can only imagine how difficult that must be. But moving out only strained things more—her Mother doesn't seem interested in trying to get her daughter back, and her daughter certainly has no intentions of doing so. As I listened to such a tale from this young woman, my heart kept squeezing with pain. I had no idea what to say to her so I kept quiet. I had never experienced what she was going through—I have been fortunate to have a Mom (and family and friends) who have always been there for me. The way she told her story was in an off-handish way, as though her situation with her Mother was nothing. And this girl isn't the first to express so. I've met many others who also acted like nothing was out of the ordinary in such situations. It seems as though it is a way to block off the pain and emotions because they feel it may be easier than actually feeling what they might inside. Not only do we often fear feeling pain, but we are also often afraid to lose control of ourselves in it…

Relationships for many are no longer intimate, trustworthy, respectful, loving. They are broken, abused, pain-filled, lost… It seems that many of us are no longer looking for fulfillment wherever and however possible; it seems instead that it's 'easier' to just wall off the hurt.

I believe I wouldn't have become the woman I am today without the constant love and support from my family and friends, and I am deeply thankful for them. If I had been the girl above, I probably would have acted much the same way she did. Even though I am fortunate to have love in my life, does not mean I get to ignore the fact that there is still pain in this world. For me, I depend strongly on genuine relationships; and when I lose a relationship with someone, I create the potential to be bitter and frustrated with the rest of the world. I invite the fear that someone else will walk out of my life and leave me standing alone. Which is interesting, because I admit that I am often responsible for relationships changed; but playing the 'blame game' isn't the point. We have to change our attitudes instead, looking at ourselves and those we interact with to determine what we may learn in order to better ourselves and our world. My hurts may be very different compared to the girl's above, so why should I complain at all? (I don't mean to sound selfish either). Well, it's not for justification. For after all, no one deserves to go through pain of any kind, and yet all of us are up against something, whatever it may be.

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart". ~Kahlil Gibran

Despite what many of us in our bitter states may believe, beauty, can still exist.

What determines a 'beautiful person'? They are people who are loving, genuine, caring, and intimately sincere in who they are and in what they do. They are people who don't just ask how you are, but REALLY WANT to know how you are. They are people who won't settle for a simple answer from you; they are people who want to take the time to get to know the real you, even if, no, especially if, you are discovering that for yourself.

I am thankful for all the beautiful people in my life; the ones who have supported and encouraged me to be where I am today, the ones who have listened to me when I needed to talk to someone, the ones who visit me because they want to, the ones who really care about me and show their love and interest. These are people who don't want to just be a good friend, but actually show it.

There is one such beautiful person in my life who constantly shows her sincerity—and with everyone, not just with me. She is beautiful on the inside and out, and I see in her eyes a depth of love for those she meets that I can't even begin to accurately describe. I don't think she even knows just how beautiful she really is (or at least might ever admit to).

Every relationship should be reciprocated. Most people do things for others not seeking something in return; if you do it from your heart, you don't do it for want of anything. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't be loved in return. We all should love and deserve to be loved, no matter what our backgrounds may be. I hope you know that the most beautiful of us all is God and His love is incredible and never runs dry; and He wants to share that love with all of us…

Many times we forget to share our appreciation for those wonderful people in our lives. So to all of you shining lights out there, know that your hearts are truly appreciated. If you have such people in your life, be sure to tell them how much they mean to you. But they deserve so much more than perhaps we can show by saying a simple thank you. But, it is a step forward.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

My lovely friend mentioned already, brought me a lovely bouquet of flowers not too long ago, just because she had been thinking of me and felt I needed to be shown some love (she brings me flowers to reflect me—and she does this a lot too!). How beautiful is that?? Someone who took time out of her busy life to bring me some love—she saw that I needed something, and she took action. And more importantly, she WANTED to do so; she wasn't looking for anything in return. That, I believe is the difference between a friend and a GENUINE friend. We all can have friends—people we can do stuff with, talk to, etc. But there are typically only a few that we could all say that are truly a great friend—someone who takes things to the next level. Someone who sees needs in others and takes time to address them. Someone who cares about you, and really means it (like bringing you flowers just because). Someone who doesn't just say the words 'I love you', but makes those words come alive. Because anyone can speak; but taking words to the next level means a level of commitment and genuineness that often times few of us are willing to go to. For me personally, I find that while I mean well in a lot of the things I say (like the words in these Daily Breads), I still find myself not fully living the thoughts I pen…

Now, don't get me wrong. While we may see beautiful people as 'angels', or 'perfect beings', we all know even they have issues. But that's why relationships of any kind should be 50/50. It's nice to have someone see you as beautiful; but we should also take the time from our lives to see them in similar lights…"Love consists in desiring to give what is our own to another and feeling his delight as our own." ~Emmanuel Swedenborg

We can't say others should believe a certain way or think a certain way if we don't have it established in our own lives first. For example, I so often find activists that seem very passionate about what they are fighting for. But when intimately questioned about why they believe, you might find them floundering. Often times people seem to only believe things because it's easy, or that's all they have ever known (like many Christians), or have never thought to question otherwise or even realized that there may be other perspectives out there. It's easy to say what the group may feel about it as your own thoughts. But break it down, and I find more of us don't really know WHY we think or feel the way we do as individuals. We often do not take the time to figure out just what that might be to us. This doesn't make us bad or non-caring or even stupid. That doesn't really matter anyway. What should matter is being real, and that means sometimes having to ask the tough questions you all know I am so fond of.

So then, go ahead and ask yourself: do you consider yourself a genuine person? Why? When it comes to your relationships, how do you do? When it comes to your beliefs, who are you and why?

If it's not sincere in your own life, then trying to contribute sincerity to others is very difficult, if downright unfair to them.

So to conclude—it's Mother's Day. A national holiday where Hallmark probably makes a fortune in cards. But look at honoring our Moms outside of that scope. Forget the card for the moment. What is your relationship with her really like? Do you mean what you say when you say 'I love you Mom'?

If you don't have a Mom, or your relationship with her is strained like the young woman's I met is, ask yourself if you are willing to do something to change that. Showing love can often go a long way; it may take time, but it could very well be worth it when the relationship is no longer broken and filled with hurt… Besides, even if you couldn't affect the other, your life may just never be the same…

Dear readers, you ought to know by now how much I advocate for showing genuine love outside of the holiday spirits. Mother's day shouldn't just be for showing Moms appreciation. We ought to be working on our relationships with all those we encounter, every single moment of our lives. We are each important in our own ways; we lean on each other often for support and understanding, for love and trust, to learn and grow. Hey, sound familiar? Yep, God is good to lean on too. =) Even in those dark moments when we don't want to feel, and we believe no one else cares about who we are, there will always be one who does. But whoever loves God is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:3 He knows you. He wants to explore just who you are with you. Having someone who not only knows you inside and out, but WANTS to love you and be with you, well, that's both cool and scary. It can be hard to trust others, and to allow ourselves to be that vulnerable with them. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10 But love; it is a beautiful thing to behold. My beloved spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me". Song of Solomon 2:10

If you take nothing else away from these daily breads, at least take this; God is not just some invisible being stuck up in the sky. He is someone whom we can have a relationship with too; and we can apply what we experience of strong relationships to ours with Him. His love is powerful; and the best part is, no matter what, His love for each one of us will never EVER leave, fail, stop, break down, or abuse us…

God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5b

Life isn't perfect. Neither am I or even my own Mother whom I love dearly. But that's not the point--even in the midst of darkness we can find beauty; in the midst of our pain and suffering, we can look up, and see Him reaching out His hands to help us stand again.

How beautiful is that?*

But I trust in You, Lord; I say, "You are my God." Psalm 31:14

Once again find this daily bread dedicated to all the Moms out there. May you bless others and in turn be truly blessed.

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. Psalm 52:8

Let us be Alainn Anam--

Let us be a Beautiful Soul.

Whitney

"Knowing Love"

"She said she usually cried at least once each day, not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful and life was so short." ~Unknown

I often think of the lives that have appeared in my own. Some of those people have blessed and honored me by remaining, while others, for various reasons have not been able to. You wish that you could keep all those you meet that you connect with, but the truth of the matter is, you won't be able to. Some will stay, and some will move on. You may stay, and sometimes you may move on. Life is full of all kinds of change.

I often shed tears over those I have lost—either some in death, or others on to other avenues of their lives. It's never easy to lose a beautiful relationship of any kind once it's been established. 

Sometimes it hurts to love someone. Sometimes we hurt those we love. We humans are such complex creatures that way—capable of so many different things. So why then do we risk loving one another at all if we are often so disappointing? Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. The one who keeps God's commands lives in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us. 1 John 3:16-24

"Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see Life with a clearer view again." ~Alex Tan

This life of ours is full of risks to take. Sometimes we will win, and sometimes we will lose. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it's not. However we'll usually never know till we try at all; and we'll probably not get very far without risking at least a little. But such is life. 

Loving people is a huge risk. As humans we long to be loved in return and our hearts are often broken and scarred when it isn't. But again sometimes we'll get it, and sometimes we won't. Either way we may never know for sure unless we take that first step, which is often scary and intimidating…

Love can be a beautiful and harsh thing—at times it can be healing, while other times it can be downright dangerous. I can't guarantee human love is always good as I wish I could. But I will say so of God's. In terms of my own life He's been the only hope and comforting need for me to hold onto at all times. He's there even when I don't call for Him. He's there for me for both the good times and the bad. I fall down, and He's the one beside me to help me back on my feet. That's a rare thing to say of anyone. So it makes me genuinely happy knowing there is at least and always will be one kind of love out there that is always true…God's love for simple, broken, and tainted little me… I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Psalm 34:4-7

Though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not." ~C.S. Lewis

I think it is safe to say we will all love at least some point in our lives. I believe it is as natural to us as breathing. But the question is how will you love? Or rather, what will love mean to you? 

God is my Hope. It's a feeling I just know. It's a relationship I've discovered, and I firmly believe it's the real deal. As for the love between you and God, well that is something you'll have to examine for yourself. 

I pray you each find genuine love in your relationships with your friends, families and significant others. However, I caution you. We all want to feel loved, valued, and appreciated by others; yet sometimes in our rush to feel so we take the risk in order to search it out, and at the first small sign of it, jump on board. But sometimes what we think we need might not necessarily be beneficial. Sometimes what we want might not necessarily be what we truly need. This can be a tricky area, for the feelings of being loved can often 'hinder' our perceptions of our reality. When we are confronted by such moments, my advice is to attempt to ask ourselves if such love opportunities are the true kinds of love we need (is it genuine love?). Another good idea is to evaluate what genuine love really is. So therefore assess the risk factor beforehand (it also helps to procure others' opinions); try to determine whether the risk is worth taking (for not every risk or opportunity will be)--but you most certainly could explore it. 

If you choose to give out love, and receive it yourself for awhile, realize there is the unfortunate possibility that you might be disappointed at some point. If that does happen to you, (or it already has), I pray you are not embittered because of it. It is an easy thing to do, to build up walls around your heart—but as C.S. Lewis put it, it is not healthy, and it most certainly isn't something God longs for you. "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable."~C.S. Lewis

Whether you find genuine love or not, I hope and pray you do find it with our Father. God loves you unconditionally, and truly values you His creation; He alone knows your full worth and potential. And above all, He knows your heart; He can help fill it and mend it whole again. How many can say that and really mean it? 

Let go of the hurt and the scars. Let Him come into you and let His love set you free and wash you clean. Let Him show you what real Love is.* The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them…The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17-18

…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, 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, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10: 22-25

"If you find the mirror of the heart dull, the rust has not been cleared from its face." ~Rumi

"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." ~James Arthur Baldwin

"For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it." ~Ivan Panin

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:11-12

Enveloped in His Love, 

Whitney

"From Fathers to Daddys"

As we honored our Mothers during the month of May, so we honor our Fathers during the month of June.

The bond most of us hold with our mothers is usually different than that with our fathers; but they are still equally strong. Mothers usually hold the more affectionate and emotional role in our lives, while fathers usually hold the stronger more foundational role. Nothing can replace the roles of a mother and a father, and a good strong family cannot be without them. For even though mothers and fathers hold different roles in our lives, we need what they both have to give. They balance out the family atmosphere to build healthy relationships.

Not that our parents are perfect. No family is perfect for that matter. Don't look to "Leave It To Beaver" for a good role model family, for indeed today there are probably more "broken" families (parents who have split up, abusive parents, or abusive kids, etc.) than families with both parents still together.

The bond I have with my mother is a close one. I can talk to her about just anything, and she shows more love to me than I most likely deserve. My mother and I do many things together like shopping, cooking, and many other "feminine" activities.

Even though I am a young lady, the things I do with my father are much different than those of my mother, like bonding over fishing, hunting, and even watching TV. Being a girl who has grown up out in the sticks, running around acting the tomboy is not at all out of the ordinary.

People say when they see me with my dad how I look like him. When I hear that, it makes me feel so proud inside. I feel that because I look like "daddy's little girl" this is just one more thing to make bond between father and his only daughter that much stronger.

I love my father, and even though to outsiders it may seem I have a closer relationship with my mother, I still have a close one with my father. We just show it in different ways, which makes sense, when after all, mothers are females, and fathers are males.

For someone like me, being born into the family that I have has been such a blessing. My parents were both believers who brought up my brother and I in the faith, giving us a good foundation to live upon both spiritually and morally. While my family is not at all perfect, (indeed we act just as weird as the next family), I love them better this way, for their faults make them real and relate-able, unlike Beaver Cleaver's family.

There is the saying, "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a daddy". Today, like Mother's Day, we set aside time nationally to celebrate our dads, pops, and fathers. We take them out to dinner, to the show, get them a "manly" gift, call them up, etc., showing them some sort of way of how much we love them. For most of us, our dads were not just the father who provides us food to eat. No, our fathers are the all-around dads who took the time to play catch with us as kids, work on cars with, go camping with, (in my case a few tea parties), and so on and on. Our dads took the time to get to know us, to nurture the love bond between father and child. They were no longer just a father. They became our dads.

But dads aren't perfect, just like mothers aren't either (no matter what they tell us). But there is one who is. God our Father. In the moments when it feels we have no father, or for many of us who have never known what it was like to have that father figure in our lives, we can know that we will ALWAYS have God. It might seem different because, well, God isn't here physically, to play ball with and eat s'mores with. But that is exactly why God gave us mothers AND fathers, so that we could grow and be nurtured physically. God shows His love for us through our parents. Through everything that surrounds us. Through every way we can think of, and in every other way we can't. God our Heavenly Father is that amazing and complex. And yet He simply loves us for us.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

God is for sure always there mentally and spiritually. He is there in the moments when we are kissed by our mother. He is there when we are hugged by our father. He is everywhere. He is both our mother and father.

Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:6

We can look at our dads as reflections of God our Father. We are disciplined by our dads, and loved by them. God does the same thing, just in a different way. Dads will do anything to protect their children. They don't want to see us get hurt, but they know that no matter what they do, many times we will be. So is the same with God. If there is anything at all that I could for sure definitely say without a doubt, it would be how much God LOVES US.

But the man who loves God is known by God. 1 Corinthians 8:3

Have you talked to your father today? And told him you loved him? Because even though we know they love us, and vice versa, it is nice to hear it aloud. There is such power in the words, I LOVE YOU. Father's Day may only be recognized for today, but really, it should be every day. We don't often realize how HUGE a role our parents play in our lives. So the least we can do is show them our love. For in everything they do, it too is done in love.

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. Hebrews 12:9-10

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Ephesians 6:1-2

If you are in the position where your father isn't really in your life, my only advice to you is this. If God our Heavenly Father loves us even if we hate Him, shouldn't we also love those who can't seem to love us? Even if it seems unfair to do so. For let me tell you my friends, love really can change people.

In closing, I would just like to say, thank you to all the dads out there—thank you for being everything to your children; we love you so much.

I would like to dedicate this daily bread to all the fathers, especially my own dad. Most of us could never have made it without you there for us.

To Timothy, my wonderful father and crazy dad, who took me on so many adventures to so many places, who took me hunting where we could spend quiet moments together, for your encouragement, protection, and love whenever I needed it, and even when I didn't. Your jokes always bring a quick smile and a laugh from me, and indeed life is never a dull moment with you around. I've certainly been blessed having someone as special as you as not just a father, but as my Daddy.*

And last but definitely not least, have you shown your love and appreciation to your Heavenly Father? How is your personal relationship with Him?

…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. Jude 1:1-2

Honoring ALL our Fathers,

Whitney

"A New Beginning"

We all have a beginning and an end. We are born, and then eventually we will pass on from this life. It is something we cannot nor ever will escape and while the topic of our death seems a depressing one, it should not be.

For death is but simply another beginning.

Many of us lead great lives; we love everyone, support our Churches, volunteer, help the homeless, go to church, witness to others, pay tithes, etc. etc., anything to show we are "good" people by what we do. And to live this way is great; we should help were we can and love those around us. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10  

But if we truly want to be "good people", we really need to live it. We shouldn't do "good works" without having a meaningful reason behind them. What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. James 2:14-2

God didn't just create us on a whim. He had a reason, and while we may have to wait until we meet with Him to ask just what that reason was, we do know that if we were created by a powerful God, He must have done it with love in mind. For each one of us are so different, and yet "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27 If God were so loving as to create each one of us, and give us such a beautiful planet to live upon, we ought to show how much we love him back by living our lives justly so. 

God needs to be the reason behind why we do the things that we do. But not for a "get into Heaven ticket"; God doesn't measure you on your "how good you were on earth" status, but rather on whether you genuinely love Him or not. God gave us the freedom to choose how to live our lives; with or without Him. God loves us unconditionally, whether we love Him back or not. A beautiful God who invites us to spend eternity with Him once we die, again, if we want to or not. I'd say that's a pretty awesome God folks. He doesn't force us to love Him, but He loves us regardless of our choice.

Death comes to us all sooner or later, and we need to make sure our hearts are prepared for whenever the time will come. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." Matthew 25:13 (read also Matthew 25:1-13) We can show how great we are during our lives, but if spiritually we aren't ready, it won't matter that we were "good people"; spiritually we need to be prepared, so how we physically and mentally live our lives will reflect the meaning that we find spiritually; God Almighty Himself. That personal relationship with Him must be forefront in everything we do. He gave us life; now we need to show that by putting Him into what we do; this then will give all that we do or say genuine meaning. A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

When my grandmother passed away, we remembered her life by ways of a small memorial service. She was a mother/grandmother who truly did it all—a wonderful loving icon for our society. But now that she is gone, is the legacy she left behind no longer matter? Is her death truly her end? 

Jesus was in her life and legacy; He gave all that she did a beautiful meaning. And even though she is gone, the people she touched still live on and thus will carry the spirit of her embodiment on into the years to come. Jesus and all the rest of us show how death is really just another chapter in her life. She is in Heaven now, and beginning her eternal life. You can look at earth as a practice run for when she was offered the choice of God or no God. If she hadn't accepted Him here on earth, would she have when death came along? Would her heart been prepared enough to know which to accept?

Will WE ever be fully prepared? Will we always strive to be prepared? If you strive for that personal relationship here on earth today, then when the real test comes along, you will be more ready than you ever could be.

For death is but simply another beginning.*

Life; gone in an instant,

gone in the blink of an eye.

Life; cherish the moments,

they could be short or long.

Life; never waste it,

too precious to just let go.

Life; with every beginning,

there must be an end.

You never know when your moment

just might be around the bend.

Do you know where you're going

when that time comes before you,

beckoning your soul within reach?

Don't put it aside;

Don't delay--

You don't know at what time a day,

Your life just might float away.

I am Heaven-Bound.
Where will you be found?*

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

Beginning anew,

Whitney

"Why Do You Believe?" 1-22-09

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:1-5

Today I am going to ask you a very serious and personal question. I want you to be able to take this question, and examine your life with it.

So Get Ready.

A lot of people go through their lives and say they believe in God, go to Church, etc., but do they only do it for the sake of tradition, and for tradition alone?

I was born and raised in a Christian home. I went to church every Sunday, sang in the choir, and contributed to the Church plays. I thank God every moment for having been raised that way--I was a lucky individual compared to many.

But while I was a Christian, and believed Jesus died for me, I didn't really know what it meant to be saved at the time. You see, I didn't understand that the personal relationship with God was not something you just get when you become a Child of God. It was more than just going through the motions.

So I asked myself the question I shall now be asking you. And it is between you and God to figure out your answer.

Why do you believe?

People tell us the rights and wrongs to life, and we believe them because we know they speak true. We know? How do we know? How do you know? Why do you know?

There are probably a million answers, and they are all probably right. I won't sit here and tell you what your answer is, because only you and God will know that. But I do want to tell you that someday we shall all pass from this earth, and be judged by God. That right here and now we need to set our lives right. No longer should it be because that's what we do, or that's the way we have always done it. No, we need to do it because it is right in our lives, our hearts, and our very souls.

If I were a perfect stranger, and I walked up to you on the street, and I asked you why you believed in God, what would you say to me? And if you asked me, what would I say? People have been faced with this question, even though most of us probably have not. Or if we have, we still lived to talk about it. But if we truly were put to that test, with our lives hanging in the balance, would our answer show who we are deep down inside? Would it truly be the truth of our relationship with our Father?

We can all show people that we live perfect lives, but, that's not the point. We go around and tell people that we do this, this and this, and never do we do that, and never even know why we do or don't. So the Bible says what to do and not to do. Okay, so then why was the Bible written? Did you ever stop to think that there is more to all those rules and letters and such than meets the eye? That's where we are going wrong. We get caught up in how we need to live our lives, and forget why we need to live it that way.

You see, it's not about the name, the label of being a Christian. People think that Christian is a higher title given to the 'better' people. Over time we have completely lost the true meaning of the word. We don't even know who we are anymore. We say we live by certain standards, but we don't know why we live by them. We try so hard to save the lost, but it seems that we are lost just as much as the rest of the world, and that in order to save the others, we need to first help right ourselves. Jesus spoke a lot on this topic with the Pharisees. He told them that they were so caught up in sticking to the Law, that no longer were they living the way they were originally meant to live--they had forgotten the true meaning of their existence.

In Luke chapter 18 verses 9-14 it says,

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Our relationship is sparked to be on a deeper level with God. If you were to die tomorrow, be sure you know that you die knowing what you are dying for--and why.*

Get it right, get it deep, get it real.

Whitney

"Where Will You Cast Your Cares?" 11-21-08

143 Trouble and distress have come upon me,
but your commands are my delight.
144 Your statutes are forever right;
give me understanding that I may live. Psalms 119:143-144

Sometimes when I have had a particular trying day, I feel like everything is against me. It is in these moments that a voice calls out to me. It is in these moments that I am reminded of the one whom I can go to and lay out all my fears and cares.

At the foot of the Cross.

God has created us in His image, and knows who we are. He knows all of our fears, our joys, and our very hearts. He knows are thoughts, what pressures we will soon be dealing with, and what troubles we have faced. He knows are past, present, and future. He knows all of these things not only because He made each one of us, but because He once walked in our shoes.

God sent His Son to our world to be a Man. But He didn't just miraculously appear among the people, He came into this world just like all of us do: He was born as a baby. A helpless babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and loved by His mother and father. He even had siblings. He walked the life we all walk, except He came as a sinless Man.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:10-12

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:16-18

Jesus can therefore empathize with everything that is going on in our lives. Need someone to talk to who will understand you? Try talking to God. He endured the harshest situations one can imagine. He was beaten and killed upon a cross. He was ridiculed by the people, and hated by the Pharisees. He was tempted by Satan, and sold out by His friends. All of these and so much more He went through. Think you have it bad? Think again.

But Jesus is the only one who deeply and truly understands you. Just because He may have endured worse than you, He would never say, "Oh come on! I had it worse off; at least you didn't die on a cross! So buck up you sissy!" Oh no. He will say instead, "Come, my child. Come into my arms, and cast your cares upon me. I am here for you, and I shower you with my love for you."

Still doubting? Go ahead and have that conversation with Him, and you will see. A burden will lift from your shoulders, and you will feel free like you never felt before.*

For further reading, read Luke chapters 2-24.

Come to Me, all who are weary
And I will give you rest
Come to Me, all who are weary
And I will give you rest

Lay your head down on My shoulders
Be still my child, rest a while

I'll quiet you with My love
Rejoice over you with My song
I'll quiet you with My love
Rejoice over you with My song

Come to Me, all who are weary
And take My yoke upon you
Come to Me, all who are weary
My burden is easy and light

Lay your head down on My shoulders
Be still my child, rest a while

Quiet You With My Love by Rebecca St. James

Let's cast all our cares upon Jesus, because He will give us rest!
Whitney

"Let's Get Personal" 4-20-08

It means a lot to be a Christian. It's not just a word, and it's more than just going to Church or youth group. It's more than just memorizing bible verses.

Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with Christ. Without Jesus in our lives, Christianity may as well as just be an empty word.

So what should we be doing to maintain that personal relationship? Going to Church to fellowship with our fellow Christians is certainly good and nurturing. So is reading the Bible. We could sing, dance, pray. All of theses are good and help us grow.

But it all comes down to the personal part.

Think of personal relationships you have with people. Does it not involve a dialogue between you and another? It involves passionate listening and understanding, really getting involved with the person, and so much more. Such it is with Jesus.

So I urge each of us to not just be a Christian, but to live the full meaning of it.

A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:28-29

As in the verse above, don't just be a Christian on the outside; be one on the inside.*

Who is your best friend?
Whitney

The Inward and Outward Appearance - 3/14/08

In the book of Ruth, let's focus on love, devotion, and trust, as well as the effects of a good role model (or the Inward and Outward Appearance).

Ruth impressed me by her love and faithfulness towards her mother-in-law Naomi in the first Chapter. We see this more in the following Chapters. Naomi loved Ruth as though she were her own daughter; she wanted what was best for Ruth. So she gave her advice, such as how to gain favor from Naomi's kinsman Boaz. And how does Ruth respond to this? "I will do whatever you say". She was willing to submit to Naomi's advice, because her mother-in-law knew best; they were Naomi's people, and they had certain ways of doing things that often differed from her own. To get right down to it, Ruth had a lot of love for Naomi, putting all her trust in her.

One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do." "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. Ruth 3:1-6

Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working..... Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed." So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law. Ruth 2:19-23

It is interesting to me to see the noted line "And she lived with her mother-in-law." Perhaps this little line was added to further establish the relationship between Naomi and Ruth.

Now let's see about the qualities of Ruth.

Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband——how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Ruth 2:11

(Also read Ruth 3:10-13)

Boaz, who we meet in the second chapter, is struck right away by the good qualities of Ruth. Everyone spoke very highly of her. This makes her even more of a good role-model; she not only had good qualities, she lived them too.....

This is how people tend to measure other people: by first impressions. What we see from a person, in physical appearance and by the way they act, forms what we think of them. Of course we ought to get to know them more, for one encounter is never enough to fully understand someone.

But you see, if we judge others this way, others will judge you this way. As Christians, we should live a Christ-centered life, both in our appearance and by our actions. People are constantly watching; let us shine Christ's love and compassionate qualities. Ruth did, and became an inspiration for those around her. She was spoken of highly, respected, and loved despite her being a foreigner. Her first impression was a good one, but instead of just ending it there, she made it a point to practice it all the days of her life.*

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7b

Will your actions reflect your heart for the Lord?

Whitney

The Essence of Time - 3/7/08

Time. This word seems to govern our lives, guiding everything we do. Don't you ever feel like you are tired of it?

We can get so caught up in our everyday lives, that we often do not take TIME to have a personal moment with God. When I say personal moment, I mean devotions, praying, talking with Him, worshiping, just having a quiet moment with Him. Do you feel this is happening to you?

Let's delve into the Topic of Time. Let's check out Ecclesiates Chapter 3.

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,
     and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
     a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
     a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
     a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
     a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
     a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
     a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
     a time for war and a time for peace.

What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Whatever is has already been,
     and what will be has been before;
     and God will call the past to account.
And I saw something else under the sun:
     In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
     in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
I thought in my heart,
     "God will bring to judgment
     both the righteous and the wicked,
     for there will be a time for every activity,
     a time for every deed."

I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?" So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? Ecclesiastes 3

This is pretty clear. Time is nothing but a word; in a sense, it and everything else is meaningless; it should never govern our lives. There is a time for everything; including personal moments with Him. So next time you think you don't have TIME for all that you have to do in your busy life, remember that TIME is not how you should measure anything; didn't Jesus make TIME for His disciples, the lame and hurt, the children? He didn't see that His life was too busy. Let's get rid of the word TIME in the negative sense and remember this: we are only here for one life; thus, let us not waste moments on moments that should not be wasted upon. Remember Ecclesiates Chapter 3. TIME does not need to be a bad thing; let's use it wisely, efficiently, and in a positive light, just like Jesus did.*

Not worrying about TIME,
Whitney