You are different, yes, but you have a purpose

..In all the ages there never has been and never will be a man or woman just like you. You are unique and have no double. No two leaves, no two jewels, no two stars, no two lives are alike. Every life is a fresh thought from God to the world. There’s no one in the entire world who can do your work as well as you. There is a need for you. God has a plan for you. And if you don’t find and enter into God’s purpose for your life, there will be something missing from the glory that would otherwise have been there. Every jewel gleams with its own radiance, every flower distills its own fragrance, every believer has his own particular bit of Jesus’ radiance. Has God given you a different personality? He has also created a particular circle of individuals who can be reached and touched by that personality only, and you can do it as none other in all the world.

–Virgina Brandt

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 the answer……?

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.”

Click on picture below

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The Box

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Links:

The “Box Skit”

The “Box Skit–Intro and Prologue”

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!

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

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!

Two Paths

Happypizza: This article was written by a good friend of mine and I really enjoyed it. Sometimes when making a post, I try to find a picture or design something that goes along with the theme of the post. It’s a pretty time consuming process for me, especially when I get into working with photoshop. I started the pic below a few weeks ago but got kinda stuck with some “photoshop block”. So I left off for sometime hoping I would get a good concept or idea later.

Today for some reason I was feeling extra creative so I decided to give it another shot and I ended up putting together the picture below in a relatively short amount of time. I know my graphic work is not on a professional level…but I was quite happy with the final picture. I give God the credit for giving me that extra boost of creativity that helped me finish it!

Two Paths

Two Paths

I went to see a friend the other day. I passed through two sets of polished doors and ascended the building in a gleaming elevator to get to his office. A receptionist offered me a cup of gourmet coffee before ushering me into a spacious conference room, where personal mementos, souvenirs from world travels, and numerous awards competed for space on teak shelves.

My friend arrived a minute later and greeted me warmly with a winning smile, his tailored suit slightly rumpled from a long day in the office. He sighed as he sat down across from me, and his smile dropped momentarily, revealing a tired and careworn face.

“Long day?” I inquired. He nodded. It had been a long day. It seemed like every day was a long day, even weekends, especially now with the burgeoning economy and the flood of new projects coming the company’s way. Business was good and he was happy, he said, but I knew him well enough to not completely believe him.

Had I already heard that he was buying a second house? His wife was visiting friends in Rome and had been gone for over a month now, his children were studying abroad, and he had just returned from Madrid. A third car was arriving from the BMW showroom next week. An extra car would make things easier for him and his family. One less thing to argue about. There had been a lot of changes recently—a new office in a better location, a more efficient staff, a better PR manager—and there were more changes coming in his company’s management, image, and products. It takes a lot to succeed in the fast-paced world of today.

Sometimes the best things in life are the things that money can’t buy

We chatted about my recent volunteer work, a trip to a flooded province. He glanced through the pictures I showed him and commented on the beauty and simplicity of rural life.

His phone rang and…

Can You Tell Me Why Disasters?

Happypizza: My deepest and sincerest prayers and condolences go out to all those who lost loved ones and/or suffered harm, injury or any kind of loss during the recent cyclone in Myanmar and/or earthquake in China.

I’ve been carefully following the news of the two recent natural (or as some say “unnatural”) disasters in both Burma and China. It is so sad and sobering to watch as the full scope of the desolation, which tragically resulted in the loss of an untold thousands of lives, unfolds before our eyes.

It’s real to me personally as I have been to Burma before and have friends in both China and Burma—who thankfully from what I’ve heard are all safe.

I will not get into the politics of the disaster….especially considering the one in Burma where it seems the horror of the disaster is compounded by the political situation. What I do want to write about and touch on is the “God factor” of these events or “acts of God” as natural disasters are often referred too. Especially the question: How could God allow these things to happen?

It seems that natural disasters cause many to lose hope and faith in God. I find it can also, strangely enough, strengthen my faith and hope in God!

You might wonder how I could find a natural disaster to be faith-building? Well, first off it’s helpful to start with a belief in a God of Love and a belief in an afterlife—this life is definitely (and I want to emphasize this point) definitely not the end!!

In short–I believe that death for the loving is not something to dread and fear. This physical life/existence is not eternal or final and we can look forward to the eternal life/existence beyond this life! So I feel no matter how tragic the circumstances are in are in our current physical reality, those who lives have ended and who have passed on to the next are in the loving hands of their Creator and what better place can you be then that? –Maybe it was his mercy?

If you want some further reading on how one can look at tragedies and disasters in the positive–click to read this dissertation below:

“Why Disasters?”

And for a compilation on comfort read here:

“God’s Promises of Comfort and Deliverance”

One addition–not long after I watched a report of both the disasters on the international news, I came across and listened to a old song titled “Can You Tell Me Why Disasters” written and sung by an artist named “Zac Lightman”. I liked it so much that I transcribed it from my MP3 player to my computer so I could post the lyrics with this post. I think the song’s message is as hauntingly applicable for today as it was when it was written over 20 years ago.

Here are the lyrics:

Can You Tell Me Why Disasters?

Why do the innocent seem to fall for no reason?
They say the good die young,
While the guilty go along
You must believe in Love
to truly understand.

It is the same question down through the ages
if God is love how could he let this be?
How could he allow the poor to suffer
and then let the guilty go free?

Although death is not a curse for the loving–
it’s a gateway from suffering and pain
It’s the mercy of God to end their sorrow
and a chance to start over again

Can you tell me why, why, why disasters?
Why do the innocent seem to fall for no reason?
They say the good die young
while the guilty go along
You must believe in Love
to truly understand

Lyrics by Zac Waxman

Please continue to keep the victims of these disasters in your prayers. Pray that help, relief and supplies will get to those who need it desperately and that those who survived will be taken care of and comforted. Please also pray for the commendable and laudable efforts of all those involved in the relief and rehabilitation work–for their strength, courage, skill, and protection while they are helping those who were affected.

Thank God for my big nose.

Okay, here is some “positive thinking therapy!” I have a big nose….hahahahaha….. Yeah seriously, and when I was younger it really bothered me. I know it sounds stupid but it was a big deal. I mean most things about my physical appearance bothered me and I’d always get on a big bummer when I’d think about it but I won’t get into that right now…heh heh! Lets just focus on one aspect….my big nose. Now for those of you who have an even bigger nose, you might be wondering….”Hey, what the @$#% is his problem?”, “That ain’t a big nose!” If so the answer is: yes and no—depends on who you comparing it with.

For a Caucasian male it’s not that big, maybe slightly bigger than average, but I have a smaller head and narrow face so it ends being a rather prominent feature on my face.

I grew up in Asia–my parents were posted overseas a good majority of my life, and we lived mostly in South East Asia where pretty much everybody has a small or flat nose. My big nose coupled with my blondish hair and white skin was a rare and curious spectacle.

It often happened when I would meet someone for the first time (in S.E.A.) that I would invariably get questions and fascinated inquiries about the size, length and what-have-you about my nose. So I kind of grew too loath my big nose and all the unwanted attention it brought.

Thankfully though I got to the point where I stopped thinking about it and I’ve kinda learned to accept my nose the way God gave it to me. Since I’ve gotten over that hurdle I’ll go a step further and honestly say “Thank God for my big nose”. Phew, what a milestone in my life….heheheh…now let’s get down to the reasons to be thankful for a big nose. Impossible, you might think, but I’m sure I can come up with something.

Here are a few cool things about my large proboscis.

I’m thankful for my big nose because……

• It makes everyone with a small or flat nose envious…hahahaha–cool huh?
• Due to its size it makes for a good stroking location when I’m nervous or in an awkward situation
• It can make one helluva blow, when snorting out impurities, and that always feels good, rather manly I would say
• I can breathe , inhale, and snort in copious amounts of air and that always feels nice…can’t imagine what it would be like to have pinhole nostrils
• Sneezing is awesome with a big nose, when it “blows–it really blows!”
• I know there is no scientific proof but I’m sure a big nose helps me have a better sense of smell, I mean I can sample a lot more air in one go than someone with a small snout
• It’s a great identifier, ie: I’m the tall guy with a big nose, can’t miss me
• My nose can become an instrument of pleasure when
• Even though it’s big, thank God it doesn’t block my eyesight
• I can use it for eye exercise, esp. for focusing on near objects
• It’s the first part of me to enter a room
• Shades and glasses sit well on it with no danger of falling off or sliding down
• I think it has real “character”….even though that’s hard to explain–”how?”
• And it’s not as big as some others I’ve seen
• It serves as a warning sensor when my face is getting to close to something
• It has helped me perfect the sidewards French kiss
• It draws static attention to me, which–if handle correctly–can be positive attention
• As long I’m comfortable with it, as I found in S.E.A., it’s a great conversation topic or even a way to break the ice…..ie: “Hahaha, how cute, you think I’m a sacred white elephant”….etc

So all that to say, “Thank God for my big nose!” I’d like to add that having a big nose is not always a bad thing for you ladies. There are many ladies I know with big noses that are really hot and those with noses that are slightly more hooked can be pretty hot too! Anyhow that’s just my personal opinion. Lastly, to all those with big noses, both guys and girls I encourage you to: Hold up that big nose proudly and show the world what you’ve got.

If you have a big nose or you can think of anything else to be thankful for or helpful info in regards to a big nose–feel free to comment! Show the world that you can still have it “big and beautiful”.

And if you have a flat nose–I pity you……hahahahaha

One giant nose--Mr Mehmet Ozyurek

Did God make a mistake?

Here is a link to a longer article on my blog that spells out, in rather humorous terms, the absurd and sometimes contradictory way God often works His wonders in our lives. So you thought God was a stuffy old being that usually hung out in a religious building…..hahahahah, you suck! –JK. Read more to find out! Remember: to hell with the “proper way”!

http://thehappypill.wordpress.com/did-god-make-a-mistake/

Click on the link above.