Different, With 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

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!

It Didn’t Come To Stay….

A wise woman once said “I have always been encouraged by the words “And it came to pass.” When I am upset by troubles, I go to the Word of God, and I never get far before I read “It came to pass.”–an old English phrase meaning “it happened” or “next” or “once upon a time” But I read that phrase and interpret it literally, “Thank God that the storms of life didn’t come to “stay” but that it came to…”pass” –it passed over, came and left.

I found that in my “storms” of discouragement and despair I just had to carry on faithfully. And as I did, these things came to pass, and I was brought through them. The storms did not always end when I wished them to. I had to go through the beatings and the thrashings many times, but God always gave me the grace, and afterwards brought me through, comforted me, healed me, kept me and rewarded me—It didn’t come to stay—it came to pass!

So next time you are weathering a storm or you are facing one of those test of endurance—tell yourself that it hasn’t come to stay but it has come, and will definitely pass!

Here for additional reading

Feel good when things are good?

Here is something that I read a few days ago that was so inspiring and uplifting. I’m not exactly sure where it originally comes from, since a friend sent it to me, but the message was very well put. You know how sometimes you can read something and it’s will be just what you need at the time, or help you see things in a new light, or even give you some good advice to a problem you’ve been struggling with, well this kinda did that. Optimism is a great thing but courage to stay optimistic in a difficult time is extremely admirable.

“It is relatively easy to feel grateful when good things are happening and life is going the way we want it to. Even then, we often take things for granted. It feels so good to take a moment to express our appreciation to other people, to life.

A much greater challenge is to get in touch with gratitude when we are going through a difficult time, or life is not going the way we think it should. At these times, we are more likely to be feeling hurt, confused, or resentful. There have been times in my life when I felt more like shaking my fist at the universe, wondering why it was dealing me such a cruel blow.

It’s interesting‚ though, that after going through a difficult time, in retrospect we can often see that there was something important and necessary about that experience. We may not arrive at this perspective until months or even years later, but eventually we can see that there was some important lesson learned, a deepening of our wisdom, an awakening, or perhaps a new door that opened in our life as a result of events that seemed negative at the time.

For example, the loss of a job may have led us to spiritual or emotional healing. The ending of a relationship may give us the opportunity to discover that we need time alone‚ or it may pave the way for a more satisfying partnership. At that point, we may begin to feel grateful that life unfolded as it did.”

If You Were Going Crazy?

Someone once asked, “What would you do if you thought you were going crazy?”

The reply came, “I’d go out and find someone less fortunate to serve!” Life just seems to make a lot more sense when you’re helping someone who has more problems than you do. And it’s somehow reassuring to be the one helping another person up rather than being helped up yourself. For instance, when you pass a man sitting on the sidewalk who has no legs and you put a dollar in his cup and take a pencil, you walk away thinking, “My life’s not so bad after all!”

 (Excerpts from “Making Things Right”—By Paul Faulkner)

What would you do if you knew you were losing your mind?

 

One ship sails east and another west

While the selfsame breezes blow

‘Tis the set of the sail and not the gale

That bids them where to go.

As the winds of the air are the ways of fate

As we voyage along through life,

‘Tis the set of the soul that decides our goal

And not the storm and the strife

–By Ella Wheeler Wilcox

 

Behind the Outside

Warning this post might exceed your comfort zones of sentimentalism and cheesiness but do understand that this was written from the depths of my heart at a particularly dark moment in time. –You’ve been warned.

–HappyPizza

 

Behind this simple face
Lies a depth you cannot see

Behind these silent eyes
Lies a unique perspective

Behind these appearing wrinkles
Lies memories rich and diverse

Behind these furrowed brow lines
Lies a willingness to understand

Behind these guarded lips
Lies an unsung heartsong

Behind this imperfect body
Lies a heart that wants to reach out

Behind this frail outer casing
Lies a spirit of strength

Behind this clumsy demeanor
Lies a loyalty that’s sincere

Behind these varied complexities
Lies a shatter of forgotten dreams

Behind this hearts locked chamber
Lies past heartbreaks overcomed

Behind this mediocre impression
Lies a sparkle of compassion

Behind this ordinary life
Lies a friendship that can last forever.

–HappyPizza (29/05/2006)