I Love that I am a Christian

I love that I am a Christian. I say this all the time, because no matter how tough it gets, no matter how impossible a situation seems, no matter how alone I feel, I can turn to Jesus Christ and by His mercy, He lightens a burden, He makes the impossible possible or reminds me that nothing is impossible for Him, and Jesus reminds me that I am never alone and He will put scriptures to my mind that encourage me, strengthen me, and build my faith. Or the Holy Spirit fills me with His power and I pray in a language only God knows, on my behalf. Or God will have a friend send me an encouraging text unexpectedly that speaks directly to the situation I'm in. I love being a Christian because I know the ending, I - along with other Christians - win. I am given a Bible that tells me the beginning and the end. I am given fellowship with the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit and with His sons and daugthers. I am given a purpose. I know why I exist and I know Who I live for. I am endued with the Power from on high. I am more than a conquerer. Death and hell no longer have power over me. Have I mentioned that I love that I am a Christian? And what I love is that I serve the only true and living God and He offers this amazing gift to everyone who will believe and receive it and follow Jesus all their lives. Yes, I love that I am a Christian. 

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

Because it's funny...

Credit goes to 2 Cows and a Chicken cartoons

My Treadmill Neighbor

I finally made it to the gym tonight for the first time this week - I celebrate all my small accomplishes. But that is not why I'm writing. Tonight, I want to tell you about what happens when your treadmill neighbor thinks that your headphones are working. I take my cellphone and my headphones in hopes to listen to my music while running. But as I begin to run and the music begins to play, I realize that the left ear piece is not working and I can hear the gym's music play in my left ear and my personal music play in my right ear and that is not fun. So I turn off my music but I keep the headphones on, don't ask why - I don't have an answer - maybe it's because it feels more private. Well, shortly after, a tall and athletic looking guy in his late 20's begins to run next to me and he also has headphones on - with just one difference - his work and I know this because every two minutes of the song he joins in the chorus line - loudly - "all my women, I'm riding with all my women." I think it's a hip hop song. This song is very long or he might have it on repeat because I am running for 30 minutes and every two minutes he belts out "all my women, I'm riding with all my women." The only time he pauses is when I take off my headphones for a couple of minutes to fix my shoelaces and the moment my headphones are in again, he begins to ride with all his women.  Next time you're at the gym and you think you're safe to sing because your neighbor is wearing her headphones - beware! I might be listening. 

A Sweet Treat for You

Here is a sweet, Italian treat for you. Yes, it is as good as it looks, my friends and I had this lovely morsel in Italy. May your weekend be filled with delicious, sweet things that satisfy your taste buds and fill your soul.  I think I will be running to the bakery tomorrow. Ciao bellas!

Dear well meaning, married for many, many years friend...

Dear well meaning, married friend who married in your teens or early 20's.  I know that you are concerned for me, scarily more than I am my for myself, that I am single in my 30's. I know you think you understand what it's like to be single in her 30's and that you can relate to me but you can't, so please don't council me, just be my friend and let's talk about makeup, food, fashion, fun stuff that happens to us, let's just fellowship. Just like I can't relate to you about you marrying before you finished high school or college and I won't ever know what it's like to have kids in her 20's, you can't ever, ever be able to relate to a never married single girl in her 30's...ever. So please STOP worrying about me because you are not helping, you're actually making a good situation bad.  As a Christian, where is your faith and why don't you believe that this is God's calling for me right now? Why must you ask me every time if I have someone? Why don't you believe the Bible that says that I'm already complete in Christ?  Why must I constantly remind you that I'm not looking for any guy at this time and that I'm enjoying my life? Why can't you just be a friend and ask me what I've been up to? You know very well your marriage is not as great as you try to make it out to be and are you forgetting what 1 Corinthians 7:28 says? That married people will have more troubles than single people? So that means that right now, you have many more problems than I do. So I should be the well meaning friend and be concerned about you. Even if perhaps I would like to get married right now, why do you expect me to wear my deep desires on my sleeve? You have your own deep desires as a married person, does that mean that someone is making you feel obligated to share them each time you see them?  I only have one problem as a single person in her 30's: the Christian society has trouble with people who aren't married by the time they're 25ish and constantly try to - in a well meaning way - make us 'older' singles feel better about ourselves by constantly reminding us that there's someone out there for us and not to worry, that one day we'll be happy when we're married - but that approach doesn't help, society needs to face reality and accept the fact that singles are now beginning to consider marriage in their 30's and 40's and they are just as happy as you are - except that they have less problems than you.  So well meaning friend, next time I see you, will you please just give me a hug and tell me you missed me and that you'd love to know where I bought my jacket, because you know it's cute? And I will ask about how your kids are doing and where you bought your awesome leather clutch and then let's talk about getting together for dinner. Thanks! 

p.s. I love you, my well meaning friend :)

I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself...

 

Thank you, Jesus!!!                                                         Amen. Say it with me girly girls. Amen!

 

          Thank you, Father, in heaven.                                         Thank you for your promises.

Thank you, Jesus, for fulfilling your promises.            Yes, we will be still and rest in You, Father. 

                                             

My Online Shopping Experiences

I do a lot of my shopping online. Usually I'll go online already knowing what I want but sometimes I'll receive an email from my favorite brandname, offering great discounts on their items. It's rare that I'm tempted to buy just because of a sale, I like to be smart with my money but I must admit that at times I do cave in and sometimes I regret it and sometimes I'm so glad I did cave in. For example, I love my makeup brand. Their lip balm has saved my dry lips! However, I have found that their online sale items have much to be desired and I won't be buying from them again anytime soon. But I just took a chance on a two day sale from a sporting goods store and ordered the most comfortable compression pants and top. I'm wearing the set right now. It's more than what I expected and both items are 50% off with no shipping fees and I received them within 48 hours of my purchase.  Makes me want to go running outside right now in the beautiful Fall climate and breathe in the fresh air in my new, warm workout clothes.  

What a Sweet Dad!

Pic I took in Italy :)

 I came across the sweetest story on a blog today about a father wanting to keep his relationship strong with his daughter.  At first, you got the impression that the story was about a car the dad wanted when he was younger, but that was not the moral of the story. I liked his other posts, too. His writing style was simple but creative and it pulled me in.  Link to the story: Purple Camaro

If You Won't Celebrate It This Month, You're Not Alone

I don't even want to mention the name of the holiday that will be "celebrated" by many tomorrow. I am writing this particular post to Christian girly girls who may feel alone because you don't partake in this evil holiday but you know many Christians who do because they either turn a blind eye so that their their kids or they themselves don't have to feel left out of America's popular social holiday or they really just don't know the spiritual dangers of this holiday. I was on a business call today and a woman who I go to church with, who loves Jesus dearly and who hears the same preaching that I do about the evils of this holiday, said in front of about 60 people that her children will be dressing up tomorrow and that they're looking forward to the candy. Now why did she have to bring it up? She knows that many Christians don't celebrate it, but she said it anyway. She made me feel very alone but I know I'm not alone. Please don't think that I feel I'm better than her, she's actually much nicer and much more generous  than I am. But I do have an issue with being disloyal to Jesus so openly. We are reminded that Jesus is holy and He cast out demons out of people, because demons kept people in horrible bondage. Jesus came to wash away our sins and free us from its dark powers, not to have us dabble in it because it's considered acceptable, 'cute' and 'fun', oh and because it's an 'American tradition'. We are warned in the Bible not to have anything to do with spiritually unclean things, below are just a couple scriptures that I want to bring to light. There is no room for interpretation.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Ephesians 5:11

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

But test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5: 21-22

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

Never Think About Life or React When You're Tired or Discouraged

The title of this post said it all. This month, I received some discouraging news that hit me harder than I realized and then on top of it I got sick, but the illness was so subtle that I didn't realize that I was sick until this morning. I was hit with discouraging news in several areas of my life within a couple of weeks and I thought I was handling myself fine until two more bad things happened just this week and it just mentally exhausted me. And of course, because I pray to God everyday, I appealed to Him and asked Him why this was happening and then by His grace I rememberd to ask the following question: "What am I doing wrong?" God is perfect, He doesn't make mistakes and God orders all my steps. So it had to be me. Now...don't get me wrong, the discouraging things that happened in my life were not caused by me. But my reaction to them could've been better. I found myself overthinking everything and looking for meanings where there were no meanings. Instead of accepting that sometimes things just happen, I tried to analyze it all and determine if God was trying to tell me something. Instead of trusting God, I started to doubt everything because my world was shaken. But this morning I woke up and I realized something, I needed to take a step back and just have faith and stop looking for meaning in everything. I also remembered that I should never think about life when I was tired or unwell - it was a rule I applied for many years but forgot about it this month. So today, I will work on getting better physically and instead of overthinking about everything, I will just thank God for the day and have a hot cup of green tea with lemon and some medicine. Love you girly girls! I pray this encouraged you. 

A Lovely Espresso Moment

I loved espressos. And my favorite place to get them was at my local Starbucks.  They tasted very much like the ones I had in Italy. Today, after I left church, I headed over this same Starbucks and I had a lovely espresso moment that I wanted to share with you.
I ordered a solo espresso from the friendly barista and she responded with, "that's all you're getting?"  
I answered with a smile, "Yes, it's low on calories and it does the job." 

"But you're skinny and you look great," she kindly responded. 

"Exactly!" I said grinning. 

She pointed her forefinger at me and exclaimed, "Ha, you got me there." And then she followed up with a question, "I'm 59 years old, how do I look?" She then twirled for me. 

The woman was very beautiful and I told her this and I finished with "you look amazing." And then I high fived her and we both laughed while having a girly girl moment over an espresso. 

You are Not Alone

                                         

Dear girly girl, if you are struggling with depression and feeling very alone, I cry out to tell you that you are not alone. Your life does have meaning and you are loved greatly. Call on the name of Jesus and He will answer, no matter where you are - your room, a club, a bar, a hospital, a plane, a car, a concert. Jesus did not come looking for perfect people but for the imperfect ones who were forgotten and rejected by society and for those who feel utterly alone even though they might be known by most as a social butterfly and loved by all. Jesus knows your deepest hurts and pain so call on His name and He will help you. You know deep in your heart that no amount of dancing, drinking, beauty, perfection, perfect romance, or perfect job will fill the God-size hole in your heart. You need Jesus, because you were created for Jesus and you were created by Him. 

I know I said that I won't talk about celebrities but I just have to write a note to Shia LaBeouf because of something that he said in 2009 that struck my heart and I can't forget about it. So here goes.  Dear Shia, I understand that you said you have no idea where your insecurity comes from, "but it is like a God-sized hole" and that if you knew how to fill it you'd be on your way. Shia, I can tell you how to fill it. Call on the name of Jesus, ask Him to be your Lord, no matter how much you think you've sinned against a holy God, He will forgive you. I pray that by God's divine intervention you get this note or one similar to it. I think you will agree that no amount of fame, money, alcohol, power, women, good looks, earthly love, prestige, success will fill the God-size hole in your heart. It's because those things were never formulated by God to bring you peace and joy and fulfillment. The question is, are you willing to give up these things for the love of the God Who created you for a special purpose only you can fulfill? Jesus might have you in Hollywood for a reason but you are not meant to live a life without living for Him. Jesus is much kinder than you think, which is probably why I'm writing this to you late at night and four years later on a blog not event meant to be written for men. Take care. (I still can't believe I just wrote this but I don't regret it.)

Not My Home

                             

I see myself for what I am: A servant of God, a child of God, a daughter of a great King, a victor in Jesus. Though this body that I am in will continue to get older, someday I will have a glorified body that will not corrupt. I will see the face of Jesus, thus I am reminded that I live in a tent as Abraham and Sarah did their whole life, waiting and preparing for their eternal home. How wonderful it is to be a Christian! Our hope is eternal and the gift of eternal life is free because Jesus paid the price on the crosss for our sins. Praise the Lord, girly girl, for His wonderful works!             

Psalm 148:1 - Praise the Lord!  1 Corinthians 15:51-53 - Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--  In a moment, in the twinkeling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

Speaking Up for the Unborn Girly Girls

Life is precious. The biggest argument today between those who are pro-choice and those who are pro-life is when life actually begins after a woman becomes pregnant. I don't believe that the majority of pro-choice people truly want to kill, they just don't know they're killing because of what they've been taught - they're victims too but we're all obligated to educate ourselves, especially when it's about something as important as human life. Many abortion doctors and nurses have given their life to Jesus and found grace and forgiveness in Him when their eyes were opened to the truth and praise God for that! Check out this link about one of the famous converts: Abby Johnson What's interesting is the false teaching about unborn babies is fairly new, that if you abort a child in a womb within a certain time then it's ok because it's not alive yet - this teaching is about 50 years old. But how did we decide that a baby is not alive in the womb based on its size? With technology breakthroughs, we're able to see the baby in the womb - to the day of its conception now. Look at the picture of this 9 week old unborn baby. Do we kill it because of its size? And yet millions of babies are aborted in America in the name of choice every year.  As a woman and as a former unborn baby, I want to speak up for the choice of that unborn girly girl who won't get a chance to voice her opinion because a fully grown woman says that this little unborn girly girl doesn't have a say due to her miniature size and dwelling. My dear friends, if you've committed abortion, there is forgiveness and hope and love - you are also a victim. There are support groups available. And if you're not sure what to do, remember that choosing life will always be the right thing, God will help you and will send people your way. Here's some information for you: You Are Not Alone  Just as the great and and inspiring man, Martin Luther King Jr, had a dream for rights for all people, I also have a dream for rights for all people, including those dwelling in a womb. See link to a girl who survived an abortion: Melissa Ohden: An Abortion Survivor

¹³ 
Psalm 139: 13-16
For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;^[b]Marvelous are Your works,And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You,When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.And in Your book they all were written,The days fashioned for me,When as yet there were none of them.

Body Image

                                    

You will never find me talking about celebrities since I'm not a fan of gossip magazines and I don't really follow any actresses, though you won't find me bashing them either since they are just people with the same insecurities that we all have. However, since Hollywood women have such a huge influence on how we girly girls view ourselves in the mirror, I thought this picture was worth posting: a Hollywood actress who looks healthy and beautiful and doesn't look like she's size double 00. I hope this inspires you to appreciate the woman/girl that you are when you look in the mirror. May you walk in God-confidence instead of self-confidence today. We can't trust self, since we are inconsistent but we can trust God and He is always constant. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13. Girly girl, you are gorgeous!

My Chocolate...Chocolate...

If you ask any of my friends or my family members what I love to eat they'll mention chocolate right away. It's a serious addiction and sometimes I'll go for a chocolate run in the middle of the night and I'm ever so thankful that my grocery store is open 24/seven. I'm a big milk chocolate fan but I'm also counting my calories and chocolate is loaded with them. So I found a solution that has worked wonderfully thus far. I buy organic dark chocolate with toffee and satisfy my cravings by just eating a couple of squares each day. You see, I'm not a dark chocolate fan, but I discovered that organic dark chocolate tastes better than the non-organic ones. So it's a win-win all around. Dark chocolate is healthier for me, I get my daily, delicious sweets, and I can still fit into my jeans. Now my love for caramel...well...that will be a blog for another day. I hope that you have something that brings you this kind of delicious, guilt-free joy. 

Dangers of my Imaginations

As a woman, I tend to overthink and overanalyze things. And in some cases I over imagine things and as a result I psych myself out and create imaginary problems that feel very real in my wayward heart. I write this out because I know that I am not alone. Wouldn't it be amazing to follow God's loving commandments perfectly and as a result save ourselves a lot of self-inflicted troubles? For example, what if we took God's commandment literally and we took no thought for tomorrow when it came to us worrying about things (Mark 6:34)? And what if we took every thought captive to make it obedient to Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)? If God is telling us to do these things that means He gave us the ability to do them.

Open Up the Heavens

I used to pray because it was a religious thing for me, I felt like something bad would happen to me if I didn't pray to Jesus. Thankfully, I serve a merciful God and He still heard my prayers because they were sincere. My attitude on prayer has changed and now I pray because I want to be with the Lord and I know that I need Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to keep my soul fed and to keep my eyes focused on Jesus daily. Prayer is an eternal gift from God. So how do we pray? The key thing in prayer is sincerity and having faith. You can pray while in your car, sitting at home, hanging out with friends, while you're sad, while you're in a meeting and you're worried. You can fall on your knees in your prayer closet - whether it be your home, your office, your conference room, or anywhere you can pray out loud. At work, I close myself in a small 'drop-in' office and I pray to God. I have a conversation with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I can go directly to the Father in the name of Jesus. Prayer is asking for help, or thanking God for what He's done or for what He's going to do, prayer is asking for help on behalf of another person, prayer is praising God, prayer is asking for forgiveness for our sins. Sometimes I pray out loud and sometimes in my mind, sometimes lying on my bed, sometimes sitting on my couch. Though there is something about praying on my knees that reminds me who I am and Who God is. Sometimes I pray in the Spirit and sometimes I pray in English. Some prayers are just three words 'Help me, Lord!' or 'Thank You, Lord!' and sometimes they are 20 minutes or an hour long. And if you feel like God won't hear you because you messed up, then you're wrong. We've all messed up and that's why Jesus died on the cross so that His blood can cover our sins, that's why we have grace. I'm not saying to keep on sinning, I'm saying to ask God for forgiveness and in His power live a holy life because you love Jesus, God convicts but he does not condemn His children. God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good. If you want to learn more about prayer, listen to pastors Cymbala and Dilena from Brooklyn Tabernacle online. My pastor likes to say that the only kind of problem we have is a prayer problem. Did you know that I pray about this blog? How can I expect for it to be effective without the Holy Spirit working through it? I must decrease so that Jesus can increase. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

God Answers Prayers!

I have a personal testimony about a recent prayer I made. I petitioned God and asked Him to help a friend of mine get a new job, because she was just not getting hits from any of the employers where she submitted her applications, and she was looking for a job in a different state. So one night I was praying and asking God to help me when I felt like I needed to pray for my friend. I asked God to open doors for her and to wow us!  The next day she received calls from two employers and both offered to fly her in and pay for her lodging for the second interviews and then after all the interviews were completed she got the job offer from the company she truly wanted to work for (though the other employer was interested in her, too). Boy, we were wowed!! Jesus is good to us and hears our prayers because He specializes in miracles. Not only that but the employer who hired her is going to get an extremely talented professional so it's a win win. I wanted to thank God for His kindness and for wowing us! Thank you, Jesus! 

Share the Love of Jesus

The love of Jesus is very powerful. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ then you know how good He is and how merciful He is towards each and every one of us. My dear friends, share the good news with your girlfriends, with your neighbors, with those you sit next to on the plane, or in a car, or on the subway or on the bus or at work. Don't worry about what you'll say, let the Holy Spirit lead you but always be ready. May the Holy Spirit give you boldness. I was asked on the plane the other day why I thought Christianity is dying in Europe and the only thing I could say was that many people lost the personal relationship with Jesus Christ and only viewed Christianity as a religion. I didn't know that I was going to give that answer. So how does one keep a strong relationship with Jesus? We take the time to read the Bible, I recommend focusing on the New Testament scriptures, acknowledging that we need to be fed daily and so we take the time to pray each day - not some memorized, scripted prayer, but a sincere prayer from the heart, and getting plugged in a local, Bible-based church.  If we do this the Lord will show us how to come closer and closer to Him each day. It is Jesus who gives us the strength to do this, that is why you found yourself on this blog reading this message :).

Don't Follow Your Heart

Ever receive the advice to "follow your heart?" I hear this advice given to heroines in romance movies when they are not able to decide which man they should choose to be with. But the Bible says, in Jeremiah 17:9, that "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Kind of scary, right? Jesus says to follow Him when making big - or small - decisions. My heart has fooled me several times when I listened to its leading. I think I will not follow my heart but will follow Jesus, He has yet to disappoint me. 

Friend Forever

One of my favorite songs right now is called 'All My Hope' by Hillsong. One of the lyrics that stand out today to me from that song is 'friend forever', and 'friend' is referred to Jesus in this song. I think that it's amazing that the God of the universe, the Holy God, the Lord of lords wants to be my friend and that he actually is my friend. Not only is He the only way to the Father but He is also my friend. What amazing fellowship we're given in God. He truly is our everything, this is why I can say that I am never, ever alone and mean it 100% at all times without any hesitation. It means that I can come to Him at anytime and tell Him how I feel, ask for His help, take the time to praise Him and thank Him, or just sit and bask in His presence. My dear friend, God is gracious and He wants to spend time with you, too. Remove all the religious stuff from your heart that deceives you into thinking that you're not good enough to come to Him or you didn't do enough works. You are not saved by works but by grace, because the Bible reminds us that no one is righteous except God. The only thing that makes you righteous - if you are a follower of Jesus Christ - is the blood of Jesus that washed away all your sins. So go to Him, tell Him how you feel. He is a lot kinder than we realize. Here is the link to the song: All My Hope. 

Discretion of a Lady

About six or seven years ago, while getting myself pampered at a spa, I read an article that changed my life. It was meant to be a simple beauty tip for the modern woman; the author eloquently stated that women these days did not use enough discretion when it came to their beautifying regiments.  For example, the author felt that if you were going to do a green facial mask at night you should never let your husband see you in that rather unattractive state. She advised for us to use discretion and to try to let the men in our lives think that our beauty was effortless to help keep the romance alive. She went on to say that this is what most of the women did in the 1950's and 1960's and she felt that we as women in the 21st century needed to be a little bit more that way if we wanted to be treated like ladies. Though I did not have a husband, I put the advice into practice in my own way and made sure to never talk about my beauty tricks in front of my guy friends or men I was involved with romantically, and this quickly became a lifetime habit. This habit also helped me to remember to use better discretion in other parts of my life and I believe the reason this advice was so effective was because it reflected God's truth. "As a ring of gold in a swine's snout so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion." Proverbs 11:22

Riding a Bike in the Breeze

I took a bike ride for the first time in a long time over the weekend with a friend. We rode all over my local park and the nearby streets that were decorated by old trees fully dressed in rich, bright green foliage. It was such an enjoyment to ride a bike with the warm sun rays warming my skin, the slight breeze touching my face, and the pleasant aroma of flowers filling my senses.  I loved the simple joys of life. 

Talking to Yourself

If you're looking to be fed by some good, balanced, honest, non-condemning, on point preaching, I highly recommend checking out the sermons by pastors Jim Cymbala and Tim Dilena from Brooklyn Tabernacle church.  If you are suffering with depression or you just can't shake a sad feeling, I suggest you listen to the sermon titled "Talking to Yourself", here's the link: Brooklyn Tabernacle Sermons. I hope and pray you are blessed and rejuvenated by these sermons. 

Thy Kingdom Come

The Colosseum - where thousands of Christians were raveged by lions for Roman entertainment

When I think about all of the sad things that happen in this world, I feel overwhelmed. When I think about the little boys and girls who are forced into sex slavery, my heart breaks and all I want to do is cry and pray for them. When I think about all the Christians around the world that are being thrown into hard core prisons just for running Bible studies, sadness grips my heart. When I see just how raunchy the so called PG-13 movies and TV shows have become, I turn off my television in disgust and disappointment. Things just keep getting worse and worse these days. But when I turn my eyes to Jesus and remember that this world is temporary and that it has an end date, my hope is restored and I long for the day when Jesus will reign and there will be justice on the earth and there will be no more children being abused, and people will be able to praise God in public without fear, and we will not have to worry what we watch on TV, because sin will no longer reign. So when I focus on Jesus, I am reminded that even today there are children being saved and delivered from human traffickers (see ProjectRescue.com), and that if there are persecuted Christians that means people are being saved (see Persecution.com), and that I don't have to watch those dirty Hollywood shows and there are alternatives (see Genesis Code - great movie on Netflix). To have hope, I must remember to look at the big picture. As Christians, we know what happens in the end...WE WIN! This life is tough, but it's temporary and one day we'll be in eternity with Jesus. It's all about perspective. God is waiting to call us home after the last person has turned to Jesus. Jesus, come quickly! Revelation 22:20

Tiramisu in Italy

Earlier this month I traveled to Italy for nine days and visited three popular cities. In each city I tried Italian dishes that I did not like the taste of in the US. I tried gnocchis, a dish I normally try to avoid but absolutely loved its authentic version. I tried cannolis, spaghetti with tomato sauce, and of course tiramisu and I found that Italian food tastes much better in Italy. As a result, I gained a new appreciation for Italian food. Though you won't see me ordering tiramisu in America, I will definitely try one when I go back for a visit to Italy.

Love...Кохання...Amore...Любов...Liebe...Upendo...사랑...Amour...Agape...אהבה...愛...ความรัก...Mīlestība...حب...स्नेह...愛

Love...Кохання...Amore...Любов...Liebe...Upendo...사랑...Amour...Agape...אהבה...愛...   ความรัก...Mīlestība...حب...स्नेह...愛
Love, what a beautiful word. There are so many different ways to love, so many different types of love.  I loved and love much in my life, I love my family and my friends deeply. I love God with all that there is in me. I love life and what it has to offer. I love the smell of flowers and coffee. I love traveling and learning languages. I love spending time with friends and spending time with my Lord. I love to write to you, my unspoken friend, and I hope these little pieces of notes encourage and uplift you. I think, as a Christian, I love more because God is love and He dwells in me and so I am equipped with great power to forgive and to be more understanding towards people. What a privilege it is to love fully. Love, the love of Christ, completes a person, that is why I am complete right now as I am and where I am in my life. Be encouraged and love fully, for it is a gift from God and know that He loves you so very much. There is faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Vacation

                                              (Photo taken in Florence, Italy)

I just recently flew back from Italy. I loved my time there and now have new memorable moments. I think vacation is so important. Whether we go to another country or just hang out at a local beach for a couple of days, we should all take a rest from the norm and recharge. I learn something new each time I take a break from work. I hope that you get a chance to get away and renew your mind, body, and soul.   Ciao!

Anxiety versus Peace

In Philippians 4:6 we are instructed to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let [our] requests be made known to God."
Wow! Isn't that amazing? God wants us to come with our worries and our anxieties. Right now I have something that I am anxious about in my heart and I continue to bring it to God and as I do, peace envelops me. Which is consistent with Philippians 4:7 verse that states, "and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." I serve an amazing God who promises to guard my heart and my mind with His peace. I want to know more about Him. I want to come closer to Him. May God, Jesus Christ, give you this gift of peace. Jesus loves you, my friend. The Bible is written with riches beyond your imagination, don't be afraid of it and give it a try for yourself. Ask God to help you see Him through this incredible book. 

The Joy of Running

What is it about running that lights up my mood? I am getting ready to go to the gym for a nice run and I am already excited and I just have to share with you.  The whole experience is fun for me each and every time, whether I am running on the beach or on the tredmill.  I hope that you have something today that brings you this simple kind of joy.

Strange and True and Wonderful

Truth is stranger than fiction. Truth is also better than fiction. Truth doesn't always make sense, but it is the real thing and it is liberating. The truth of Jesus Christ is so simple that most of us miss it even when it is revealed to us by Jesus Himself. The love of Jesus is pure and generous, it's full of grace and goodness and peace but because we don't understand it we allow ourselves to be fooled by fictitious thoughts of fear and stress that is not of God. Jesus does not say that when we come to him He will give us confusion or hurt or pain, he promises to freely give us rest and peace and unspeakable joy in a confusing, hurting and painful world. He sits at the mercy seat and offers us the free gift of the Holy Spirit. We have not because we ask not because we fool ourselves with fiction...now that's strange.

If I Could Help One

Today, if I may help one person with my thoughts put into words - even for a day - it is enough for me. Tomorrow, I want to do it again...in the name of Jesus

When the Sun Was Hidden

                                       

I was on a business trip a couple of weeks ago and my hotel window had the view of the open sky. I was very tired after a long day in meetings and decided to sit on my bed and stare out the window to decompress while it was still daylight out. I wanted to sit quietly and meditate on the Lord. I had no words for God, I just wanted to soak in His love. As I sat there and stared out the window the sun kept getting hid by large clouds and then because it was a windy day, the clouds would move and the sun would appear again and this cycle continued for a while. Sometimes I would see the sun in its full glory and my whole hotel room would brighten up and lift my mood and sometimes the clouds would hide the sun and it would get dark in my room again but I knew the sun was there behind the clouds even if I was not able to see it. It was the same way with God, just because we sometimes didn't see Him working in our lives, it didn't mean He was not there shining His light upon us. Did you know that the sun rays were stronger on cloudy days than on sunny days? God was constant, just like the sun. Our Father in heaven promised to never leave us nor forsake us, His rays of love were always over us even in the darkest days of our lives. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the boys, girls, men and women forced into modern day slavery (human trafficking) and for all those impacted by the Boston bombings. You were not and will not be forgotten.