Proverbs 18:21

THE TONGUE HAS THE POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH. PROVERBS 18:21

WORDS ARE LIKE FUEL.

THEY EMPOWER. 

THEY UPLIFT.

THEY SPARK A FLAME. 

THEY KILL.

THEY DESTROY.

SPEAK LIFE TODAY ... AND WHEN YOU DO, USE THE RIGHT TONE. 

6 Months

Half of the year went by so quickly! A lot of fun, adventurous, exciting, lovely, and life-changing things happened. Praise God for change!

Looking forward to the next six months. No matter what happens, faith says God is good all the time!

LOVE.

Love always protects, 

always trusts, 

always hopes, 

always perseveres. 

No One

The minute someone fails to meet your expectations, take a deep breath and say, "She is NOT perfect."

I adamantly thought that I do not seek perfection in people. I thought I was rather patient, kind, and gentle... But when I carefully observed the way I thought about my mistakes and people's, I totally contradict myself.

Are you hard on yourself when you make mistakes?
Are you hard on OTHER people when they make mistakes?
Do you impose your standards on other people, hoping they get on with the "program"?
Do you think negatively when people disappoint your expectations?

Well, there you go.

Perfection nullifies your need for grace. 

Patience.

It doesn't come naturally to us. Ever since we were born, when we cry, when we feel uncomfortable, or when we're hungry, we were given our needs and wants as soon as possible. We were used to that kind of response and as we matured, that egotistic or narcissist tendency hasn't really left us completely. There's a lot of undoing when it comes to waiting. All eyes are not on us anymore. We need to simply wait for our turn. But when we're in the process of doing so, we create a certain standard or an expectation which reality needs to pattern it from.

What a struggle, huh?

Life, change, dreams, ... they all go through a process... And in the moment of waiting, we're really not left pitiful in an island, hoping that some ship comes by to save the day (well, if that's how you view it, then that's a different story)... God has prepared something for us already but He won't give it to us prematurely. He really wants to change US more than to speed up the process. 

When the Israelites were in the desert, they complained more than appreciated. They wanted to go back to Egypt because they didn't like their food, it was taking forever, and the travel package they signed up for was quite a disappointment - they didn't even like their tour guide either. They grumbled in their tents and it was not a pleasant trip to the land of milk and honey. But don't you think that the complaining spirit is exactly what He needs to eradicate from us? God knows us. We can't fool Him. He knows our tendencies, our weaknesses, and our struggles. And just as Max Lucado says, "Jesus loves you, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus," I believe that He wants to change the way we view life, our situation, ourselves, and people in light of His teachings. He wants to remove anything that gets in the way of an encounter with Him. But this is not a formula, don't get me wrong. Just cause we're in that zone, doesn't mean we've got God all figured out.  “His ways are higher than our ways” and we definitely will not get that all worked out. But take heart, in this moment of waiting, don’t go chasing after what’s not in front of you. Fix your eyes on Jesus, get busy, and fill yourself with His presence so that you won’t feel like you’re just stuck in an island.

Smile!

Reminders

What do you do when you experience the most painful thing in your life?

What do you do when you feel your heart is crushed and ripped to the very core?

What do you do when there is no one else to talk to or turn to?

What do you do when you know that you can't fast forward but just let the time pass?

What do you do when you have no one to fight against but yourself?

What do you do when you have thoughts running crazy miles and you just want to cry?

You wait. You pray. You choose happiness. You go to happiness. You pause. You pray again. 

It wasn't the easiest time in my life. But it was the most beautiful encounter I had with God. His leading and the sensitivity of my heart to hear His voice made me know that He was for me. At one point, I didn't want the pain to end because I felt Him the closest. I also learned that the most crucial decision lies within myself; I had to choose to fight against sulking, staying stuck, or being immobile. By the grace of God and the Holy Spirit, I fought through and stayed focus.

The past is gone. But I will remember His goodness and His faithfulness and that's all the past will only serve.