A Job for Roy–Murphy’s Law or Divine?

Times right now are hard for many people. Layoffs, foreclosures, poor health, and family breakups plague people of all ages and cause many to feel utter despair, while others exude joy and peace in spite of these adversities. My friend Roy is such a person. Even though the vicissitudes of life have kicked him a lot lately he carries a smile on his face and speaks a peaceful word to everyone.

We met last summer at the local employment office. While searching online for work I heard a melodious baritone voice make the following inquiry from a nearby computer, “Do you have a pencil I may use?”

Looking up from my computer monitor, I surveyed the room for the source of this wondrously resonant voice. Directly across from where I was seated was Roy, a slender, modestly-dressed gentleman who, like me, was out of work. This gentleman appeared to be someone well-acquainted with hard physical labor, yet he spoke as a genteel scholar with flawless grammar.

Curious, I inquired as to the type of work he was seeking. He informed me that he was searching for ministerial jobs across the southeastern U.S. Roy is a minister now, but in his former life he was a university professor and an assistant to the Governor of the State of Florida. Previously married with a fine house and furnishings, Roy now lives a simple life unfettered by most of the stuff that the rest of us have, want to have, or used to have. The uninformed observer would say that Roy was down on his luck, but Roy would never say that.

Letter To A Young Activist During Troubled Times

Face to the wind on Flickr - Photo Sharing--by Ian@NZFlickr Great inspiration for the new year (2010) Letter To A Young Activist During Troubled Times –By Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Mis estimados: Do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world right now. It is true, one has to have strong cojones and ovarios to withstand much of what passes for “good” in our culture today. Abject disregard of what the soul finds most precious and irreplaceable and the corruption of principled ideals have become, in some large societal arenas, “the new normal,” the grotesquerie of the week. It is hard to say which one of the current egregious matters has rocked people’s worlds and beliefs more. Ours is a time of almost daily jaw-dropping astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people. …You are right in your assessments. The lustre and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet … I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do not lose hope. Most particularly because, the fact is — we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement. I cannot tell you often enough that we are definitely the leaders we have been waiting for, and that we have been raised since childhood for this time precisely. …I grew up on the Great Lakes and recognize a seaworthy vessel when I see one. Regarding awakened souls, there have never been more able crafts in the waters than there are right now across the world. And they are fully provisioned and able to signal one another as never before in the history of humankind. I would like to take your hands for a moment and assure you that you are built well for these times. Despite your stints of doubt, your frustrations in arighting all that needs change right now, or even feeling you have lost the map entirely, you are not without resource, you are not alone. Look out over the prow; there are millions of boats of righteous souls on the waters with you. In your deepest bones, you have always known this is so. Even though your veneers may shiver from every wave in this stormy roil, I assure you that the long timbers composing your prow and rudder come from a greater forest. That long-grained lumber is known to withstand storms, to hold together, to hold its own, and to advance, regardless. …We have been in training for a dark time such as this, since the day we assented to come to Earth. For many decades, worldwide, souls just like us have been felled and left for dead in so many ways over and over – brought down by naiveté, by lack of love,

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(NKJV)

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.

You say…God says!!!

HappyPizza says: It has been awhile (a few weeks) since I posted something but I think sometimes a blogger must live life a bit in order to experience things to write about that will have a positive or meaningful effect on others. Sometimes I’m tempted to start writing and or posting something automatically….but I feel there should be a balance to that. This last little while, I decided to give my posting a little pause…it was good a chance to reflect and experience….I’m glad I did, I was able to muse over the purpose and benefit of my blog. So far I think it has hit the mark of what I initially intended for it to be—in short a positive and meaningful read.

Luckily for me during this period of waiting I was rewarded with a “secret stash” of inspirational quotes and stories which a friend passed on to me that are certainly worth sharing. I enjoyed them and I think they are in tandem with the theme of my blog. On a side note: at least for my blog an RSS feed is the best way to monitor posts.

Here is one of the articles I liked:

OF ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS WE HAVE TO SAY TO OURSELVES, GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER …

You say: It’s impossible.

God says: All things are possible. –(Lk.18:27)

You say: I’m too tired.

God says: I will give you rest. –(Mat.11:28-30)

You say: Nobody really loves me.

God says: I love you. –(Jn.3:16; Jn.13:34)

You say: I can’t go on.

God says: My grace is sufficient. –(2Cor.12:9; Psa.91:15)

You say: I can’t figure things out.

God says: I will direct your steps –(Pro.3:5-6)

You say: I can’t do it

God says: You can do all things. –(Phi.4:13)

You say: I’m not able.

God says: I am able.–(2Cor.9:8 )

You say: It’s not worth it.

God says: It will be worth it.–(Rom.8:28 )

You say: I can’t forgive myself.

God says: I forgive you. –(1Jn.1:9; Rom.8:1)

You say: I can’t manage.

God says: I will supply all your needs. –(Phi.4:19)

You say: I’m afraid.

God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. –(2Tim.1:7)

You say: I’m always worried and frustrated.

God says: Cast all your cares on Me. –(1Pet.5:7)

You say: I don’t have enough faith.

God says: I’ve given everyone a measure of faith. –(Rom.12:3)

You say: I’m not smart enough.

God says: I give you wisdom. –(1Cor.1:30)

You say: I feel all alone.

God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. –(Heb.13:5)

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.”

The Guru said, Success = SPLAT ++

Here are excerpts of an encouraging article. It’s a short capsule of the very incredible story of Jean-Dominique Bauby. Also read the last anecdote about the guru and the traveler. Simple yet very meaningful.

–Happypizza

NEVER GIVE UP

French journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a massive stroke in December 1995. Twenty days later, the 43-year-old father of two awoke from a coma to discover the only muscles in his body unaffected by the stroke were those of his left eye. By blinking, he was able to make clear that although his flesh was unresponsive, his mind was unimpaired.
Through an amazing process, Bauby was soon able to communicate. A special chart was devised that listed the letters of the alphabet based on frequency of usage. As letters were pointed to, Bauby would blink to indicate his selection and thus spell out his communication.

Undaunted by his debilitating setback, Bauby continued to write.He worked daily in three-hour shifts, blinking his thoughts one letter at a time as a secretary pointed to the chart. Though the process was painfully slow, by the end of the summer of 1996, Bauby had “dictated” the text of a 137-page book. Titled “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” Bauby’s book was published in 1997. In it, he shares the experience of possessing a healthy mind that is trapped in a paralyzed body. He compares his own body to a diving bell – a mere container, providing only life support – in which his soul exists like a caged butterfly. I find Bauby’s determination to embrace life in spite of his tragic circumstance inspiring.

Winston Churchill is another leader worthy of admiration. The indomitable statesman stirred the hearts of the British during the dark days of World War II. It was Churchill’s “Never, never, never, never give up” attitude that enabled him to see beyond bombed – out buildings and smoldering rubble and envision a victorious England
Nelson Mandela possessed a determined “never give up” attitude toward life. He rose to become the leader of his nation after spending nearly half his life incarcerated. Unjust prison chains did not discourage him, nor did the stark reality of a date with death daunt him. He faced every obstacle with his goal clearly fixed in his mind, and his captors could not take from him the one thing they most sought – his freedom of thought and personal choice.The aforementioned men have one thing in common. They refused to give up on perusing a goal in spite of the fact that each encountered overwhelming and discouraging difficulties in life.

 

Which Way is Success?

Award winning cartoonist, Jules Feiffer, once presented a sketch that captures well the spirit of these men. The cartoon begins with a man encountering a guru sitting at a fork in the road:“Which way is success?” the man asks. The stoic sage points down the path to his left. The man, thrilled at the prospect of easy success, rushes off in the appropriate direction. From the distance comes a loud SPLAT! The man reappears. He is bruised and tattered. Again he asks the guru, “Which way is success?” Once again the wise man says nothing. He simply points down the path to his left. The man quickly races down the path a second time. From the distance comes a much louder SPLAT! The man returns crawling on his hands and knees. He is bloody and beaten. He yells at the guru, “Twice I have asked you about the path to success. Both times I followed your directions and both times all I have gotten is splatted!” He screams at the top of his lungs, “No more pointing, talk to me!” The wise man calmly replies, “Success is that way. It is just a little past SPLAT.”

 

Jean-Dominique Bauby was debilitated by a stroke. SPLAT!

Winston Churchill faced the ruthless Nazi war machine.SPLAT!

Nelson Mandela was beaten, imprisoned, and faced a death sentence. SPLAT!

Though each man encountered severe setbacks, they did not quit. Although they were knocked down, they refused to stay down. Although the faced tremendous odds, they rose above and overcame. They kept going, kept fighting, refused to give up, and persevered past the splats in their lives.

Faith and persistence in the face of adversity is the key to success. It doesn’t matter what obstacle you face, what disease or disability you confront, what setback you encounter. No matter how you’ve failed, or think you’ve failed, success is there for you if you’ll hang on, keep going, and continue to fight – just past what may look like failure to you.
Splat happens. Whatever shape, form or fashion it takes in your life, don’t quit.

Remember, success is just a little past splat!

All Occurs For a Reason…….

“All occurs for a reason”, such a beautiful phrase but also seems to be one of the hardest phrase to personally believe or accept when facing difficulty, lost, and disappointment. To be honest I’ve been going through some personal heartbreaks of late, that are too personal to post here, but what I can say is that it’s been a bit like one of your worst fears coming upon you and then not really knowing whether it’s here to stay or it will pass, but all the while waiting in agonizing limbo.

It’s been a real struggling. Sometimes it’s hard—no, almost impossible, to keep on going, taking that next step to make it through the day. I feel at the best of times I’m just running through the motions–a zombie, sorta. Though I’ve heard that “there is always a light at the end of every tunnel” or “the darkest hour is just before dawn” it just doesn’t always look or seem that way in reality.

I think that if it weren’t for the love and mercy of God and His angels of comfort, and the promises in His Word—which gives me the faith and hope to meet these challenges, I’d just be overwhelmed by the weight, the negativity, and despair of it all. Now I don’t want this blog post to spread despair and hopelessness to you. I’m pretty sure that everybody has enough troubles of their own without needing to wade through someone else’s private negativity. So that’s why I wanted to post these beautiful lyrics that really put some interesting perspectives to disappointments and nonsensical occurrences. I mean if you look at troubles in the positive, the way the lyrics below bring out; it certainly takes the edge off the monsters of despair and hopelessness which try to undermine your happiness, faith, and sanity.

If you are going through any personal tragedy in your life right now, I totally feel for you especially after battling myself through some recent long and lonely trials. If sorrow, injury, loneliness, loss, heartbreak, tragedy, death, sickness, confusion, hopelessness, suffering, deprivation, or anyone of the myriad of difficulties of life are crushing down on you and threatening to take everything good away from you—don’t’ give up hope. There is Someone who cares for you and loves you–Jesus, the greatest and most wonderful, loving spirit of light, who loves you more than anyone else in the whole word can and will help you if you need Him. Call out to Him and He will answer you. Trust me He is there in your darkest night. Keep hope alive. Don’t give up the fight. I hope this poem below will encourage you in some special way. You can also listen to a the song at this link:

Rhyme of Life.mp3–Net Radio

Rhyme Of Life Lyrics

If every thought that came to mind came true,
What kind of world would it be?
If every promise sworn by man was kept,
What would divine words mean to me?

If every chance to succeed had gone my way,
What personality would I have today?
If my first romance had granted me life’s every passion,
Would I have ever crossed your way?

Looking through the book of my life,
Turning pages of passing years,
I see a perfect rhyme throughout my life line.
Through the good times I hold dear,
And through my heartaches, through my tears,
My life has moved in time to the Creator of the design.

If every kiss had promised something more,
Would I have ever felt let down?
If my every desire had ended in satisfaction,
Would I still be satisfied now?

If my every dream had become reality,
What would I be dreaming of today?
If every wish I’d wished had come to be,
Would I be happier today?

I take from life all it has to give, given by the One for whom I live.
All occurs for a reason,
And for this reason I live a life that was given to me to give.
Through the good times I hold dear,
And through my heartaches, through my tears,
My life has moved in time to the Creator of the design.
Music & lyrics: Andrew V., Katrina L.

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

 

Follow On

Follow On–this song was running through my head the other day. The lyrics are simple but whenever I think about the words or sing it, it kinda gives me a hopeful, uplifting feeling. I heard it when I was younger and it has always stuck with me don’t ask me why!

Follow on and the sun will rise to meet you
Follow on through the dark and through the rain
Build a bridge of broken dreams
And set your ship asail again
One more step, one more hour follow on

–For every midnight dark and cold
There’s a sunrise and a promise of new hope
And so in every broken heart
Lie the pieces that can make a brand new start
Give the dawn a chance to -rise
Let a new love wipe the tears from your eyes

Follow on and the sun will rise to meet you
Follow on through the dark and through the rain
Build a bridge of broken dreams
And set your ship a’sail again
One more step, one more hour follow on

–And though today’s tears fall like rain
Tomorrow’s rainbow will paint the sky again
When sorrow makes you want to die
Let God’s loving hand fashion a new life
Why let bitterness take -hold?
When love can heal our hearts
And help us face the road to

Follow on and the sun will rise to meet you
Follow on through the dark and through the rain
Build a bridge of broken dreams
And set your ship a’sail again
One more step, one more hour follow -on

–Micah Teddy