Adversity: Here to Break Us or Make Us?

By Chuck Gallozzi

Difficulties are the admission tickets to the game of life. But, at times, we cannot help suspecting that life would be much more pleasant without the hassles. Is that what you think? Before answering, ponder the following.

In a world without hurdles, there are no champions; without suffering, there are no saints; without battles, there are no victories; without rain, no rainbows. Doesn’t it appear that a world that includes pain is more rewarding than one that doesn’t? Isn’t heat necessary to produce gold, pressure and polishing necessary to produce diamonds, and adversity necessary to produce character?

Here’s how Henry Ford expressed the same sentiment: “Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. We must learn that the setbacks … which we endure help us to march onward.”

Take It, Open It, Welcome It, Claim it…

Happypizza: In spite of the shadows that have fallen across the world in the past year–be they economic, political, social or even personal–I wish that you will experience the true spirit of Christmas this year–  The spirit of joy, that lives within us no matter what the circumstances or obstacles;  The spirit of giving, seeing the need of others and responding to the best of our ability; The spirit of peace, true peace that lives in our hearts and helps us meet the storms of life with calmness, knowing that God is in control; The spirit of love, sincere love that sees each of those we come in contact with as someone who is worthy to be cared for, and the spirit and Gift of Christmas which God gave to the world through Jesus–the true reason for Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday Jesus!

Note: Below is an excerpt of a Christmas greeting written by an Italian painter/monk named Fra Angelico. I think the message is as comforting and applicable for this Christmas  as I’m sure it was hundreds of years ago.

Take it…it’s yours:

“There is nothing I can give you which you have not already; but there is much, very much, which, though I cannot give it, you can take. No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in today. Take heaven: No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this precious little instant. Take peace:

“The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. There is radiance and courage in the darkness could we but see it; and to see, we have only to look. Life is so generous a giver, but we, judging its gifts by their coverings, cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remove the covering, and you will find beneath it a living splendor, woven of love, and wisdom, and power. Welcome it, greet it, and you touch the angel’s hand that brings it.

“Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, a duty, believe me, that angel’s hand is there, the gift is there, and the wonder of an overshadowing Presence. Our joys, too, be not content with them as joys. They, too, conceal diviner gifts. Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty beneath its covering, that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven. Courage, then, to claim it, that is all! But courage you have, and the knowledge that we are pilgrims wending through unknown country our way home.

“And so, at this Christmas time, I greet you, not quite as the world sends greeting, but with profound esteem and with the prayer that for you, now and forever, the day will break, and the shadow will flee away.”

—Giovanni da Fielsole (Fra Angelico) 1387-1455

Merry Christmas

Jesus’ gift of Christmas–read more…

A Legend of Gratitude

There is a legend about two angels who were sent to earth to gather up the prayers of mankind.

One was to fill his basket with their petitions and the other was to gather their expressions of thankfulness. Some time later they both went back to the heavens.

One had a basket heaped high and running over with the innumerable petitions of men. The other returned with a sad and heavy heart, for his basket was almost empty.

The thanks of men were heard rarely on earther, even though the angel had searched diligently.

Let us not forget to express our thankuflness in our prayers.

Face the Lions

A young boy is trying to make his way on horseback to a land of promise, but the boy’s entire journey seems beset with encounters with lions.

During the beginning of his journey, when lions pursue him and another nearby traveler, they end up journeying together for added safety. At another time, just as they are trying to reach the safety of a city in advance of some evildoers, and think they may not make it, another lion pursues them. This causes them to expend even more energy and strength to reach the gates of their desired haven.

Finally, the boy, exhausted from his journey, is trying to find his way on a foggy path to a place of shelter where he can sleep for the night. But he can’t see the way, and soon realizes he’s lost. And if that isn’t bad enough, he hears a lion’s growl just in front of him. That was the last straw for the boy. He didn’t care to run or hide or try to fight off the attacker this time.

“Fine, eat me!” he says. “I don’t care anymore. My life is horrible and everything goes wrong for me.” But to his surprise, the lion talks to him and asks him why he feels like his life is so horrible.

The boy goes on to expound on all the difficulties of his journey, making mention of every encounter with lions. He says that surely he must’ve had the worst life of all because everything always went so wrong. Then he asks‚ “See, don’t you now agree that my life is cursed?”

The lion responds, “No. Instead I see that your life is blessed.” Shocked, the boy asks him how, and the lion replies‚ “There was never more than one lion with you on your entire journey. And I was that lion.

“I was the one who chased you at the beginning of your journey so that you would travel with a companion. I was the one who scared away hungry animals at night, even though my growls also scared you. And when you were running for safety in the city, I was the one who chased you just when you felt like you had no more strength left.

“Through chasing you I gave you the strength to run harder than before so that your pursuers wouldn’t catch up with you. And now, when you are lost and feel at the end of your rope, I am here with you to show you the way home.”

–Excerpt taken from “Apples Of Gold, Part 1 [#3644]“

Links:

Message Channeled From Beyond: “Face the Lions”–full. Click for more…

Quotables…..

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Rock Bottom:

• God’s love hangs on even when we let go.

• When you hit bottom, that’s when you can start on your way up, with God’s help.

• Failure, like the darkness of night, may slow me down. But the dawn will come, the sun will shine again, and I will be on my way.

• As sure as the sun rises, God’s love will always be there for you.

• What looks like the end of the road is more often just a bend in the road.

• When we know that God loves us, we know that everything is going to be okay.

• If you can look beyond your problems, you will see that those dark spots are merely the shadows of bigger and better things to come.

• Failure cannot defeat the man who will try again.

• The sun rises every day, and every night the stars shine.

• It is in coming to the end of our own strength, accepting that we have weaknesses, and admitting that we need God’s help, that we find our full potential.

• If we never experienced failure, we would never appreciate success.
  

• At the bottom, there are only two possibilities: either you stay there and die, or you fight and slowly lift yourself out of the hole.

• The purpose of our existence is not to make a living, but to make a life.

• Setbacks aren’t losses, they’re opportunities–vacant lots on which to build new dreams.

• No matter how low they take you today’s mistakes can’t keep you from trying again tomorrow.

• Just as the crushing of a rose brings out it’s sweet perfume, so the difficulties of life release the sweetness within us. If we let them, they can bring out qualities such as love for others, tenderness, compassion, humility, and closeness to loved ones.

• More…

The Spark Divine

Happypizza: This was very encouraging.

At one time or another, each of us must face life’s tough, emotion-wrenching moments. We might deal with the trials of rejection, poverty, terminal illness, conflict, loneliness, unhappy partnerships, or even death. No matter what difficulties we may face, love is the universal answer to them all.

The power of love—that spark of the divine inherent in each of us—smoothes and soothes, heals and restores. We long for it in our relationships; we desire it in our lives. We admire it in others; and want to cultivate it in ourselves.

We grasp for it with both hands and, if we are wise, we give it away with both, understanding that love, like music, is a melody that lingers in the heart long after the words have been sung. Love is what helps us to feel for each other, to put ourselves into our neighbor’s places. It helps us to see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and feel with their hearts. Better yet, it teaches us to view others the way God sees them.

–Author Unknown

Searching for……?

Happypizza: Here’s a pantomime act you should watch. I enjoyed it a lot and liked the message of the sketch. You can click on the links below to see it. The caption posted with the uploaded video says:

 

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‘A Pantomime dedicated to all those that have not given up on their quest to find true love and genuine happiness.”

 

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The Box

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Links:

The “Box Skit”

The “Box Skit–Intro and Prologue”

That’s Bad, That’s good

…One day a man bought a stallion, and all of his friends said, “That’s good.” The next day the stallion ran away, and all of his friends said, “That’s bad.” Two weeks later the stallion returned with a herd of mares. His friends said, “That’s good.” The next day his son broke his shoulder when the stallion threw him off. The friends said, “That’s bad.” The next month war broke out. Because the boy was injured, he could not go to war. The friends said, “That’s good.”-Dan Millman

̒̒̒̒ ̒ all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ̓̓ ̓̓

Romans 8:28

Because God Loves Me

Happypizza: Here is a nice one! I came across this text in a book by Norman Wright called “Answer to Depression”. I thought this little segment was very encouraging.  It’s nice to be reminded that God is often not as hard on us as we are sometimes.
Cheers!

Because God Loves Me

Yeah, even you...

Because God loves me He is slow to lose patience with me.

Because God loves me He takes the circumstances of my life and uses them in a constructive way for my growth.

Because God loves me He has no need to impress me with how great and powerful He is because He is God, nor does He belittle me as His child in order to show me how important He is.

Because God loves me He is for me. He wants to see me mature and develop in His love.

Because God loves me He does not send down His wrath on every little mistake I make, of which there are many.

Because God loves me, He does not keep score of all my sins and then beat me over the head with them whenever He gets the chance.

Because God loves me He is deeply grieved when I do not walk in the ways that please Him because He sees this as evidence that I don’t trust Him and love Him as I should.

Because God loves me He rejoices when I experience His power and strength and stand up under the pressures of life for His Name’s sake.

Because God loves me He keeps on working patiently with me even when I feel like giving up and can’t see why He doesn’t give up with me, too.

Because God loves me He keeps on trusting me when at times I don’t even trust myself.

Because God loves me He never says there is no hope for me; rather, He patiently works with me, loves me and disciplines me in such a way that it is hard for me to understand the depth of His concern for me.

Because God loves me He never forsakes me even though many of my friends might. Because God loves me He stands with me when I have reached the rock bottom of despair, when I see the real me and compare that with His beauty and love. It is at a moment like this that I can really believe that God loves me.

Yes, the greatest of all gifts is God’s perfect love!

True Love…

…suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is   not puffed up;
does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.*
…God is love.**

*I Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13
**1 John 4:8b

Laugh Right Back

“He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”

– Proverbs 15:15b

* Every survival kit should include a sense of humor.

* A sense of humor reduces people & problems to their proper proportions.

* A sense of humor is a test of sanity.

* Genuine humor is always kindly & gracious. It points out the weakness of humanity, but shows no contempt & leaves no sting.

* It’s a grand person indeed who can laugh at himself with others & enjoy it as much as they do.

* A sense of humor can help you overlook the unattractive, tolerate the unpleasant, cope with the unexpected, & smile through the unbearable.

* If the World laughs at you, laugh right back—it’s as funny as you are.

* Imagination was given to a man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is.

* Good humor is the health of the soul, sadness its poison.

* A man with a sense of humor doesn’t make jokes out of life; he merely recognizes the ones that are there.

“A Merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”

—Proverbs.17:22.

Email From God

God's Email

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
RE: LIFE

Dearest One,

Hi there! This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.

I love you.

God

P.S. And, remember…

If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the “SFGTD” (Something For God To Do) folder. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not necessarily yours.

Once the matter is placed in the folder, do not worry about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life right now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don’t despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it’s like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the man or woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed their children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes they had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking “what is my purpose?” Be thankful. There are those who didn’t live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people’s bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse–you could be one of them!

Now, you go ahead and have a nice day.

–Author Unknown

God loves you!

Is Your Grasp Slipping?

Happypizza: I first read this story (below) many years ago. Since then I’ve often been reminded of it especially during tough times–always thought it had a very unique “life lesson”. Sometimes I’ve found I just have to let go, and let God have His way in life….not matter how terrifying it may seem at first. As in the story below….you might be in for a surprise!

Holding on?

Trust Him….He will hold you up!

A story is told of a man who slid down a rope into a well. He supposed the rope to be of ample length, but to his dismay when he reached the end of it he could not touch the bottom of the well with his feet. He tried to climb back up the rope but could not. In vain he gripped, struggled and clawed at the rope hoping to get back to the top but a mixture of moisture, grease and his sweaty palms made the task all but impossible. Desperate, fearful and terrified he held on for dear life. He dared not let go knowing full well he would be dashed to pieces at the bottom. Eventually he reached his limit and could hold on no more. His strength and every bit of energy he had within him was gone. He finally gave in and let the rope slip from his grasp. He fell-just three inches!