Self-Reliance

A new season of reclamation has begun.

Excerpt from Self-Reliance  -  Ralph Waldo Emerson

I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever inly rejoices me, and the heart appoints. 

If you are noble, I will love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself by hypocritical attentions. 

If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly, but humbly and truly. It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men's, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth. Does this sound harsh today? You will soon love what is dictated by your nature as well as mine, and, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last.

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What you love to think about, dream about, speak about, learn about and create about is your genius. Don't water down your natural style or contort yourself into some idealized version of who you think you should be. The impulses that come from deep within are your guide track to greatness. We want you as is. ~Marie Forleo

REST

Rest...rest...stop...rest...peace...rest...refreshing...rest...

Recently I have been impressed upon to rest. Rest. Ironically, I wasn't really sure how to do that or what exactly it meant in this particular season. So, I looked up the word "rest"... 

The word "rest" can have many meanings, but I have been led here:

In English, Rest: 
                   A bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities, 
                   freedom from activity or labor, 
                   a state of motionlessness or inactivity, 
                   peace of mind or spirit

In Greek, Anapausis: 
                              An intermission,
                              cessation of any motion,
                              business or labour;
                              rest, relaxation

The Greek form of rest - anapausis - is used in the following scripture:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.~Matthew 11:29

In our humanity, God designed us to require rest.

Rest is a form of "inactivity" that affects all other aspects of our existence. If we work too long or hard at anything, we become fatigued, worn out physically and/or mentally. And If our mental state is worn, our ability to connect with God can become challenging. We most often see the need for rest when we are overworked at our jobs. We take a vacation, and afterward, even though our body is seemingly rested and refreshed, our mind and spirit are not. We return to physically being able to continue as we did at work, but mentally we may be suffering turmoil, stress, depression, and spiritually...well...some overlook the spiritual all together at this point as they try to deal with all that they have going on in the physical/mental. 

Our intrinsic need to rest physically becomes a priority, a matter of survival. 

Mental recuperation generally follows the physical; for example, when fatigue or pain is gone we can think more clearly, respond more appropriately, cope more effectively, but spiritual recuperation does not necessarily happen as easily as the physical or the mental. I would suggest that the spiritual aspect of rest is like an interconnected, dynamic umbrella to the physical and mental, protecting our body and mind from full on burn out or even death. The most important of rests.  If your spirit is "right" (rested, at peace, refreshed), your mental and physical well-being tend to be on the right track also. To get "right" with your spirit means you need to do some soul searching and recognize where you are at with your relationship with God.

It is in the spiritual battles of life, (that oftentimes we are not even aware of) that manifest themselves as forms of physical and mental issues such as fatigue, brokenness, turmoil, etc., that God calls us to rest. 
Jesus calls to us, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Rest is essential to the well-being of our souls, the spiritual aspect of our being.

Spiritual rest is something that is connected to the mental and physical. 

When we engage in rest, we have an inner change...a refreshing. 

Rest.

Have you heard the saying, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience" ?


“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”~Jeremiah 1:5

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.~Psalm 139:13-16 

God knew us before we were born, He knew us as individuals, He had a plan for our best life even before we were formed in the physical.
And in the physical, He knew we would need to rest, and more than that, He knew we would need to rest in the spiritual. He breathed life into us, the soul, to give life to the flesh. The spiritual and the physical are intertwined. It is the spiritual rest in Him that recharges us, that gives us strength, and Life so that our physical and mental well-being can prosper.

He knows us.

Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a  man, it passes though waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'~Luke 11:24

Luke 11:24 is not referring to human beings, but rather, what I will call fallen heavenly beings, and I include it to emphasize that rest is really a spiritual act that is not only essential but it is so significant it is sought after even by the fallen. 
Rest...It is a blessing, a gift for us from a loving God. 

Blessing.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.~1 John 4:8

God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.~1 John 4:16b

Love.

When chaos, confusion, despair, weariness, depression, etc., rears its ugliness into our world, this God of Love, who cares about us, who knows us even before we were born, invites us into His presence, into His peace, into His rest. We unload our hurts, our baggage, whatever it is we are carrying that is burdening our existence and hand it over to God. Let Him deal with it and then let Him deal with you. It is not a passive act where you dump your load and wait for refreshing; rather, He invites us to take His yoke and learn from Him. This is where the rubber hits the pavement so to speak, and this is also where and why many choose to continue to carry their loads and walk away from Jesus' offer. (It is a standing offer however...never forget that.) 

Now, at this point, I need to rest. I would like to explore more what it means to take up His yoke, but in the meantime consider...

...Rest 

How Do You See Yourself

The King -

You, His Child,

A regal existence,

A foreign reality,

Learn The Way,

Embrace the Life,

Royalty

Love, Peace, Patience, Joy, Kindness, Gentleness, Goodness, Self-Control, Faithfulness

 

See yourself as the King sees you.

Leadership

²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”~Matthew 20 NIV

Leadership -  a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. ~Northouse

To be an effective leader, you must be able to look behind/below you as well as in front of/above you and extend yourself either way.  A true leader exercises strength and humility...and always remains teachable (even by the least "educated" of teachers).

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.~John Quincy Adams

Role of Women - Defined

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”~Gen.2:18

Many a person has gotten too caught up in the English translation of "helper" in this verse, suggesting that women were designed to be subservient right from the beginning of creation...this is a fallacy...

The Hebrew words used in the original text are "ezer kenegdo."

ezer - "to rescue, to save," "to be strong."


"Blessed are you, Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD?
He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will tread on their heights.” Deut.33:29


"ezer"

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

This word "ezer" refers to God in every other instance in the Bible.

kenegdo - "corresponding to, counterpart to, equal to, matching," "face-to-face."

Combining the two words, "ezer kenegdo", the meaning could better be understood in the English language as "equal and complementary."

Women, in their true design, are mighty warriors, strong, helpful...

...made in the image of God

It is our heritage...
Don't ever forget it!

The Path

The path

taken

by many, yet few

appreciate

the path

traversed.

Remember...

~Memories by Faei



Memories...I seem to go there the older I become...back into time...a place of memories.

Some good, some bad...some blanked out...some I long to see and sense more clearly...

Memories.

Now, friends, read these next words carefully. Slow down and don't go jumping to conclusions regarding the day when our Master, Jesus Christ, will come back and we assemble to welcome him. Don't let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report or rumored letter from me that the day of the Master's arrival has come and gone. Don't fall for any line like that.

Before that day comes, a couple of things have to happen. First, the Apostasy. Second, the debut of the Anarchist, a real dog of Satan. He'll defy and then take over every so-called god or altar. Having cleared away the opposition, he'll then set himself up in God's Temple as "God Almighty." Don't you remember me going over all this in detail when I was with you? Are your memories that short?

You'll also remember that I told you the Anarchist is being held back until just the right time. That doesn't mean that the spirit of anarchy is not now at work. It is, secretly and underground. But the time will come when the Anarchist will no longer be held back, but will be let loose. But don't worry. The Master Jesus will be right on his heels and blow him away. The Master appears and—puff!—the Anarchist is out of there.

The Anarchist's coming is all Satan's work. All his power and signs and miracles are fake, evil sleight of hand that plays to the gallery of those who hate the truth that could save them. And since they're so obsessed with evil, God rubs their noses in it—gives them what they want. Since they refuse to trust truth, they're banished to their chosen world of lies and illusions.

Meanwhile, we've got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends—so loved by God! God picked you out as his from the very start. Think of it: included in God's original plan of salvation by the bond of faith in the living truth. This is the life of the Spirit he invited you to through the Message we delivered, in which you get in on the glory of our Master, Jesus Christ.

So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.~2 Thes 2 MSG

Remember.

Look Out for One Another

The Father watches over everyone of us. He asks us to look out for one another also. The human heart, unfortunately, is a fickle thing...wanting to do right, wanting to do wrong. Sometimes we are so protective towards others, and yet, other times we can't strike at one another quick enough...our pride is at stake. And so it goes...But the damage done when our heart strikes out against another and is extensive, requiring healing that can only be tended to by the Master Physician. Oftentimes, we cannot see the damage...symptoms of it perhaps, but only if we are paying attention...if we care. If we could actually see the damage, I imagine the majority of us would cringe in utter disgust - kind of how when we see a body that has been maimed, we draw back.

And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: “This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

~Zechariah 7:8-10

'The Wise Woman's Stone'

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. 

"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."

What is in your heart?

Strong, Yet Fragile

I didn't think much of it when it happened, but it did and here I am. What was it that led up to this event? I can barely recall. It doesn't matter now. The past is gone and I am to live in the present.
...the present...
This moment - a gift from God - the present.
I think of how quickly the moments of life fly by and how fragile we are, yet strong. Kind of like an egg; if situated properly, an egg can resist the pressure that in other circumstances would pulverize it.
...Fragile, yet strong.

                                 A flower.

A spider's web.

                                                                           

  A baby.                                                                                          

A word...

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.~Philippians 4:13

A gift...

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God~Ephesians 2:8

The present...a gift from God. The past is gone. We live in the present, we look to the future...eternity with God - the giver of life - our creator...
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.~Colossians 1:16

Do not live in the past. Live in the present. Be thankful for the gift of Life and look, with hope, to the future.

Repost June 15, 2010

Albert Einstein

Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.

~Albert Einstein

Pride...Who Knew?

Pride will eventually destroy you...Take care...

...if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

~1 Corinthians 10:12

Time-lapse photo ;)

Thyatira

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:


These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Pergamum

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Smyrna

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Ephesus

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.~Revelation 2:1-7

Hit a Wall

(Walk, walk, walk) *WALL*
(Walk, walk, walk) *WALL*
(Run, walk, jog) *WALL*
(Walk, walk, walk...)

(Walk, walk, walk...)

Have you ever experienced this?

Many times have I encountered this type of senario in my life. I head in a direction that I believe I should go and I hit a "wall" - an obstacle that prevents me from continuing in the same direction...at least for the time being. This theme of being obstructed from a free flow of existence has resurfaced in my life recently. I am not so frustrated when this happens these days, in fact, ever since 9-11 occurred, I console myself with the firm belief that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. (For example, all those people who were late to work that day because of one obstacle or another had their lives spared.) And with God's hand on my life, I know it is for my good.
Next time you hit a wall, don't get discouraged. It is there for a reason...it may take a little soul searching to discover that reason, if you discover the reason...and if you don't, trust God.
Remember the story of Balaam's donkey?
How about Paul? "This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you." 
There are many examples of God working in people's lives, gently leading them to a better place/situation. And we will get there...with perseverance. Even if we turn the another way trying to skirt the wall, God will still goes before us and prepare the way, and He will still be our rear guard if we ask Him. With God all things are possible. The thing to remember is that we need Him...wall or no wall...we need Him. Perhaps that is the reason the wall is there in the first place...to remind us, we need Him.

Fireflies and Stars

Last night, as I walked the dog, I was mesmerized by the twinkling in the sky and in the fields. I was torn as to which to gaze upon. The air was sweet and warm, still fresh from spring - not yet mature as summer - beautiful all the same. The fireflies that sparkled through the fields were bright and new to the earthly evening, but the stars that shone their light were (are) ancient in comparison...Steadfast, their light shines.

New and old, steadfast and wavering, fresh and mature. It would seem that 'comparison' was the theme of my night.

Do you compare for the sake of tearing down or do you compare for the sake of understanding and thus building up?

16"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17" 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions." ~Matthew 11

It is kind of an odd question, but really, when you think about it, many of us compare ourselves or things/others only to impose our perceived self-sense of superiority, which is destructive in nature. In the scripture mentioned above, Jesus is commenting on the state of the generation at the time and the inconsistency of their thinking...Ironically, that generation and our generation can be compared in the same way. We too are inconsistent in our thinking and understanding of God's Truth. And like the generation of old, we are challenged by Jesus' words to abandon our cynicism and skepticism and have faith in Him. We are challenged to leave the comfort of cocooning ourselves with arrogance and humble ourselves, gain truth and understanding, and to live with faith in Him....and build each other up.

Tear down...build up....But wisdom is proved right by her actions.

Have You Seen God?

There are many new things revealing themselves as life swirls like a gentle wind around my being. There are new prayer warriors, new paths, new realities, new strengths, new resolve, new momentum, new sensing, new peace, new...

 I am realizing that all of this newness is part of my deepening awareness of God in all.  In my walk with God, my heart longs to know Him. I love the line in Avatar: "I see you." It is what we all long for...to be seen...to be known...but more than that...to be loved. And we are...by God. The more I learn about God, the more He reveals to me, the better I know Him, the deeper in love I fall with Him.

 He continues to pursue me...and I am so thankful that He does. I need Him...more than the air I breathe, I need Jesus. And I am learning that day by day...and I am learning how to love Him back. He sees me with eyes like no other. My desire is to see Him.  Is it possible?

 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.~Isaiah 43:19

 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.~3 John 1:11


Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.~Matthew 5:8

Sabbath - A Short Note

'Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.' ~Leviticus 26:2

Do you set apart a day in the week for Sabbath? A day away from cell phones, iPods, iPads, Blackberries, TV, the computer, work, and any other distraction from rest and worship? It doesn't necessarily have to be Sunday, but in a week, you should always have a Sabbath for your own good - spiritually, mentally, and physically. Back in Jesus' day, and according to Jewish law, resting on the Sabbath was to be taken very seriously, almost to the point of absurdity by some.

In our culture today, the concept of Sabbath can be very difficult to fathom weekly because we are so interconnected. Within seconds, we know the latest happenings locally and around the world, and we immediately can begin to determine the impact of whatever is going on, how it will affect us, and plan our participation.

Look at the quake in Haiti for example: Years gone by, the news of what happened in Haiti would have taken days or even weeks to reach us and though we may have felt for the people there, we probably would have carried on with our lives and let those closest to the action take care of things. Today, we hear the news of something like the quake in Haiti and we immediately share it, mobilize funds and/or ourselves to engage in action to help. This is not a bad thing per se, but I believe it is this interconnectedness, in part, that sabotages the practice of Sabbath in our day.

I like to define my faith as being a "relationship with Jesus surpassing religion." And just as religion can be an idol to many, interconnectedness can also be an idol.

Interconnectedness can and has been utilized for great good, but it also has become an god of sort to the current generation...How it takes away from observing Sabbath is by keeping us always connected to the world and distracted from connecting with God. How many people do you know check their Facebook, blog, Twitter, MySpace, e-mail everyday? Every hour? (And yes, I am preaching to myself here.) Even on the day that is set aside for God,  there are moments stolen here and there to check in on things through the World Wide Web...you know, just to see how everyone is doing and check in letting the world know you are having a great Sabbath...

Now, I am not saying that you should be closing yourself into a cocoon on the Sabbath. I am just pointing out that some of us are neglecting a very important gift from God and in the process, denying God our attention and denying our whole self from being blessed to the core. It is a practice that teaches us to slow down and focus on what is really important - our relationship with God.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, ~Heb 4:9-11a