Repost of an amazing video story. If you’re feeling discouraged, worthless, depressed, self-conscious, or that others are better than you – watch this video! If you’re being/or have been bullied, teased, mocked, put down, belittled, verbally abused, slandered, verbally attacked, gossiped about, or given a difficult time — watch this!…but also seek help from a friendly and supportive source.
Shane Koyczan, the author of this video, was bullied a lot when he was a kid. So he took that pain and made this stunning video with the help of some amazingly talented people. It’s kind of breathtaking and powerful, just a warning. Also, it has a happy ending.
A beautiful song, “I Will Show You Love”, by Kendall Payne:
I will show you love like you’ve never loved before I will go the distance and back for more if you just say the word
You will come alive again and all the trying times you felt, the pain that you have suffered through, will never get the best of you You will hope in something real that won’t depend on how you feel When you call my name then I will answer, answer
I am on your side though the wind and waves beat against your faith You were on my mind when the world was made Trust in me my child, Trust in me my child
Walk out on the water where you have no control So scared to death of failure you sacrifice your soul, please let that go
You have climbed an uphill road, You have worn a heavy load You have cried through endless nights and nearly given up the fight Watched your dreams like falling stars the heartaches made you who you are Now looking back you see that I have always been there
Where you gonna hide? Where you gonna hide from Me? Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go that I can’t see?
I have heard you cry and it breaks my heart for I love you so I would never lie, this is not the end there is still a hope
“Consider our little friend here,” she began (referring to a blue jay that landed on the kitchen windowsill). “Most birds were created to fly. Being grounded for them is a limitation within their ability to fly, not the other way around.” She paused to let Mack think about her statement. “You, on the other hand, were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation, not the other way around.”
Mack nodded his head, not so much in full agreement, but more as a signal that at least he understood and was tracking. That seemed simple enough.
“Living unloved is like clipping a bird’s wings and removing its ability to fly. Not something I want for you.”
There’s the rub. He didn’t feel particularly loved at the moment.
“Mack, pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly.” She waited a moment, allowing her words to settle. “And if it’s left unresolved for very long, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place.”
(Conversation between God—“Elouisa”, and Mack)
(Excerpted from, “The Shack” –WM. Paul Young. Copyright William P. Young. Used without permission.)
…several years ago, Christmas didn’t bring the same good feelings for me. Maybe that was because I was a 20-year-old single girl who was craving a different kind of love that Christmas. I wanted someone to share it with, someone to love. That didn’t happen. Instead, I faced a string of personal problems and a lot of turmoil. I was spending Christmas near the equator, and my heart felt wintry cold.
…Then came Christmas Day. Kelly, one of my best, wackiest friends, phoned in tears. She had tried to reconcile with her boyfriend the night before, but was rejected—turned away on Christmas Eve. It was the saddest story I had heard in a long time. I tried to comfort her, but my own disappointed hopes were too strong, it seemed. What could I say? Together, we prayed over the phone, committing to God our hearts’ desires and expectations.
As I listened to Kelly thanking God despite her tears, I felt ashamed of my selfishness. Maybe true Christmas love was there all along, and I just hadn’t noticed. Had I missed it? I had been looking for happiness in a person—someone to fill my need for love. But instead, I had found so many also looking for something real—they were the lonely, the poor in spirit, the outcast, the forgotten, the dejected. It dawned on me: That’s what God’s love is really for, isn’t it? It loves the unlovely, enters a world of disappointment, and brings hope.
That December taught me that the spirit of Christmas is alive for everyone, and those who don’t see it are people like me who look in all the wrong places. Yet some folks look in the right places, with open hearts, and they do find that treasure.
Joseph and Mary were looking for a decent inn; they found an animal stable.
The Wise Men were looking for a king’s royal palace; they found a carpenter’s simple abode.
The angels were looking for people to spread the glad tidings of the newborn Savior; they found humble shepherds.
God was looking for someone to bring heaven’s love to, and He looked in the right place. He found you.
I hope that this time, we will also look in the right place and find those to bring His love to. I hope that each year we will all find Christmas.
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.”
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.
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.
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 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.**
Does God Love you? You can see it in the beautiful world He’s given you to live in. Look around. He didn’t’ have to make life so wonderful or the world so beautiful, but he did—and He did it just for you! –DB
LIGHT OF YOUR LOVE–Here is a beautiful song that was written, as if the person singing is Mary Magdalene speaking to Jesus. This is not along the lines of the “Da Vinci Code” but rather a very good representation of the pure love of Jesus. I really like this song and enjoy listening to it. I feel that it transports me to a “higher plane”.
It’s a great song to listen to if you are going through a low ebb in your life. I think it has tremendous spiritual power, energy, feeling and emotion–a real masterpiece. You can click on this link below to hear the song:
I saw how You stooped to lift a child,
Watched how You gently, kindly smiled.
That’s when I knew how much I wanted
To be part of You.
I saw how You mended broken lives
Felt how You cared and sympathized
Saw how their heartaches made You cry,
And I loved the heart of You.
And all of my hopes, my dreams, my fears,
Seem to dissolve within Your tears,
And I longed to hold You near & tell You I loved You.
And all of life’s cruel and stinging trials
Vanished before Your gentle smile.
That’s when I knew my heart’s de-sire
Was to spend my life walking in the light of Your love.
And when You held my upturned face,
Tenderly dried my tears away,
All of my past Your love erased,
And I was born anew.
Then I saw what it cost You to be free.
I wept as I watched You die for me.
That’s when I knew that I would be
Forever in love with You.
And all of my hopes, my dreams, my fears,
Seem to dissolve within Your tears,
And I longed to hold You near & tell You I loved You.
And all of life’s cruel and stinging trials
Vanished before Your gentle smile.
That’s when I knew my heart’s desire
Was to spend my life walking in the light of Your love.
And when You rose again and came to me,
I knew Your love was for all eternity,
And You would come one day and take me
To be with You.
And in that Land of no more tears,
And in that Time beyond all years,
You would embrace me, hold me near,
And tell me You loved me.
Where all of life’s cruel and stinging trials
Vanish beneath Your radiant smile,
And You fulfill my heart’s de -sire,
And I’ll be There forever
Living in the light of Your love.
Living in the light of your love,
The Land beyond all time
Living in your love, forever I’ll be there.
Did you or do you ever wish to change some feature of your face or your body? Or maybe go for thousands of dollars of expensive plastic surgery? I know I have many times. I’ve often looked at myself in the mirror and moped about all my flaws. I’ve often complained to the Lord about the way He made me. I’ve almost habitually looked at myself negatively for as long as I can remember.
Maybe looks isn’t the thing that is such a problem, maybe your personality is gruff, overbearing, to serious, severe, combative, nasty or unpleasant. Maybe you were born that way, or maybe over the years and the different choices you’ve made you’ve become like that, and people have a hard time being around you.
I’ve often read about medical studies that seem to link our spiritual and mental thoughts, with our physical health, wellbeing, and even some, that say: physically appearance can be effected by either positive or negative thoughts. So if you struggle with a physical flaw or a difficult personality, don’t give up, there is still hope. Just keep smiling, try to stay positive, and pray and ask God to help you start transforming the negative into the positive. It might even make you feel and be more attractive. Read this story that has encouraged me:
Oh yeah, and don’t stop smiling. 😀
THE MAGIC MASK
A great and powerful lord once ruled over thousands of soldiers, and with them he conquered vast domains for his own. He was wise and brave, respected and feared by all, but no one loved him. Each year as he grew more severe he grew lonelier, and his face reflected the bitterness in his greedy soul, for there were deep, ugly lines about his cruel mouth which never showed a smile, and a deep frown permanently furrowed his forehead.
It happened that in one of the cities over which he ruled there lived a beautiful girl whom he had watched for many months as she went about among the people, and he loved her and wanted to make her his wife. He decided to go and speak to her of this love. Dressing in his finest robes and placing a golden crown on his head, he looked into his mirror to see what kind of picture he would make for the beautiful girl. But he could see nothing but what would cause fear and dislike for himself–a cruel, hard face which looked even worse when he tried to smile.
Then a happy notion came to him, and he sent for a magician. “Make for me a mask of the thinnest wax so that it will follow every line of my features, but paint it with your magic paints so that it will look kind and pleasant. Fasten it upon my face so that I shall never have to take it off. Make it handsome–attractive. Use your greatest skill and I will pay any price you ask.”
“This I can do,” said the magician, “on one condition. You must keep your own face in the same lines which I paint or the mask will be ruined. One angry frown and the mask will be ruined forever, nor can I replace it.”
“I will do anything you say,” said the lord eagerly, “anything to win the admiration and love of my lady. Tell me how to keep the mask from cracking.”
“You must think kindly thoughts,” replied the magician, “and to do this you must do kindly deeds. You must make your kingdom happy rather than powerful. You must replace anger with understanding and love. Build schools for your subjects and not just prisons, hospitals and not just warships. Be gracious and courteous to all men.”
So the wonderful mask was made, and no one would have guessed that it was not the true face of the lord. Months passed, and though the mask was often in danger of ruin, the man fought hard with himself to keep it. The beautiful lady became his bride, and his subjects wondered at the miraculous change in him. They attributed it to his lovely wife, who, they said, had made him like herself.
As gentleness and thoughtfulness entered the life of this man, honesty and goodness were his also, and soon he regretted having deceived his beautiful wife with the magic mask. At last he could bear it no longer and he summoned the magician.
“Remove this false face of mine!” he cried. “Take it away! This deceiving mask that is not my true self!”
“If I do,” said the magician, “I can never make another, and you must wear your own face as long as you live.”
“Better so,” said the lord, “than to deceive one whose love and trust I have won dishonorably. Better that I should be despised by her than to go on doing what is unworthy for her sake. Take it off, I say, take it off!”
The magician took off the mask and the lord in fear and anguish sought his reflection in the glass. His eyes brightened and his lips curved into a radiant smile, for the ugly lines were gone, the frown had disappeared–and lo, his face was the exact likeness of the mask he had worn so long! And when he returned to his beloved wife she saw only the familiar features of the man she loved.
Yes, it’s an old story this legend tells: that a man’s face soon betrays what he is inside his soul, what he thinks and feels, and the thoughts of his heart. The wise and true Scripture tells us, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7), and “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). It might transform your life in more ways than you think.
Be Happy!...Be Encouraged! 