Show Me How To Love

Hi

How often do we really think about how to truly love someone.  I am not just talking about love in a romantic sense, but love in every aspect of our lives.  Does it revolve all around us or is it really about the needs of the other person?  Selfless.

On monday I refered to a movie I watched over the weekend "A walk to remember".  To keep a long story short. It was about a girl (18 years old) who saw the good characteristics in a guy (also 18 years old).  She believed in him and that changed him, and made him believe in himself and made him achieve so many things.  He in return did so many things for her, things that she always wanted to do before the end of her life, but didn't quite know how to achieve/make it happen. They fell in love after while. He discovered she had leukemia and he stood by her until the end, even at a young age like that.  Their love was so deep, so pure. Somewhere during the course of the movie a minister read 1 Corinthians 13.   It made me want to read it.  I got it from The Message translation.

1Co 13:1  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
1Co 13:5  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
1Co 13:6  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
1Co 13:7  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1Co 13:8  Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
1Co 13:9  For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
1Co 13:10  but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
1Co 13:12  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1Co 13:13  So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

So, I was thinking.   Do we really always attempt to love people the way God expects us to?  Do we think of what is best for us or for them? Do we love like Jesus does?

It is something I will continously be asking myself and ask His help with. Ask Him to "Show me how to love......"

7 Not So Easy Steps

The 7 not so easy steps is about “How to be holy”, becoming more like Jesus. 

It doesn’t mean we gain a “holier-than-though attitude and lord it over others.  We just aspire to live closer to God.

Most of what I am going to share with you comes directly (quoted) form a book by Stormie Omartian called The Prayer that changes everything, The hidden power of praising God.  One of many of the books she wrote on praying. 

Worship is coming in contact with the holiness of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, and letting the beauty of His holiness rub off on you and make you beautifully holy and wonderfully whole.

When you bask in the beauty of His holiness, it wil exude (give off), a compelling radiance through you more profoundly than anything else can.  And it will be magnetically attractive to a world that longs for what you have, even though they can’t identify what it is.

How to be Holy in Seven Not-So-Easy Steps

1.       Go after it. “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).  We have to want it.  And we must want it badly enough to do whatever it takes to have it.

2.       Claim what God gave you. “Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). God has provided everything we need in order to be holy as He is holy.  Don’t let the enemy of your soul tell you that you are not perfect and because you’ve made mistakes that you can’t ever be holy.


3.       Don’t defile your body. “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.  For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:17).  We have choices, and we have to make right ones so that we don’t pollute our lives.  Value your body, because the Holy Spirit lives there.  Value your life because it is God’s instrument to see His purposes fulfilled on earth.


4.       Copy God. “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1).  Study Him.  Be in His presence as much as possible in prayer, praise, and worship.  Be fully aware of all His names and attributes so you can better understand all of who He is.


5.       Be loving and merciful.  “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering” (Collosians 3:12). If there are any two qualities that would make you more like Christ, they would be to show love and mercy towards others.  In every situation ask yourself what is the merciful, kind, humble, gentle, and patient thing to do.


6.       Stay on the path of obedience. “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.  The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others.  Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray” (Isaiah 35:8). The road is narrow, and we have to be watchful that we don’t stumble off it.  Read God’s Word and ask Him to help you follow it.  Communicate with God frequently each day in prayer and praise.


7.       Be like Jesus. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6).  In Jesus we have the perfect role model.  Study Him in the Scriputes.  Examine every word He said.  Walk with Him.  Talk with Him.  Let Him live in you and rub off on you.

Sjoe, this is a mouthful!  That was my thought when I first read it.  Doesn’t is sound wonderful though? Something to look forward to?  To grow and be more like Jesus every day?  How exciting!!!!!!!!

Are We Perfect?

My mom and I were talking about this the other night.

We tend to say that people are not perfect.  In Genesis when God created us He said that He created us in his own image.  That makes us perfect.

Gen 1:26  Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

Gen 1:31  And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

When Adam and Eve sinned it definetely made a difference to the fact that we don’t act according to the image we should, but we are still God’s perfect children.

People just tend to focus on the negative side of things.  There are so many bad things happening around us that it is sometimes so difficult to see the positive things even though they are definitely there. 

I shared the following once (well actually a couple of times).

It is nice to focus on the postive things in people.  Every person has their weeknesses, but I believe that we all have a lot of good in us. If you focus on a person’s positive points it might just override the negative things that you noticed in te beginning .  Sort of like a small light that shines in a dark place and shines brighter and brighter until it finally eliminates the darkness.  Loving that person unconditionally.  It also makes a huge difference in that persons life because you will automatically react differently to that person.

Reaching Out

Today at work  a girl that started working here recently told me that she felt quite left out in the beginning as most of the people at our firm have been here for a number of years (anything from 3 up to 15 years). 

Just a few smiles, asking her how she is doing and really listening to what she replied made her feel at home eventually.

It is so important to reach out to people when we feel in our hearts that it is something that specific person has the need for. 

Two of the phrases in one of the songs that we sing in cell sometimes (Hosana in the highest, Hillsong) came to mind when she mentioned it to me.

“Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Open up my eyes to the things I’ve seen”

Hope you have a good day and may God touch each one of you in a special way

The Gift of Love

Love is always a blessing from God.  Doesn’t matter which form it comes in.  Whether it is for a pet, your family, friends, fellow children of God or any other form of love for antoher person God sends over your path.  God is love.  We are created in his image.  That makes us beings of love.

A friend once asked me how two people that are married and have not commited living a life with God can love each other so deeply?  I believe it is because we were all created with so much love and created in God’s image.

Experiencing love is a wonderful gift and blessing.  Whether it makes you happy or causes heartache.  Whether it is because of something that you are going through that hurts or someone else you love so deeply that you share their hurt.  God is always there to share the joy love brings but He also holds you very tight when you hurt.  He sees every tear that you cry and will wipe it away one day and fill us with happiness that goes beyond our comprehension.  In the meantime he sends friends and family to support you, pray for you and help you through those times. Never be afraid to ask for that support.

Don’t be afraid to love because you might get hurt in the process.  You might be missing out on one of the greatest gifts God has given us!  It is so much better having had the blessing of going through it than not having it at all. 

Wish you loads of love for today and that you may blessed with it for the rest of your lives!

Back to Basics

I had the privelage of attending a praise and worship evening last night at church.  It was amazing.  Afterwards the people shared some thoughts.  The one that stood out quite a bit was the one about going “back to the basics”.

We always refer to the heart (putting our hands physically on our hearts) when we talk about love.  Get a picture of that image in your mind before you read the rest.

1.       Why do we go to church? Because the bible says we have to?
2.       Why do we sing praise and worship songs? Because we feel an emotional high?
3.       Why do we do things for other people?  Out of obligation, because it is the right thing to
      do? 
4.       Why do we give money to the church (in any form)?  Because it is stipulated in the
      bible?
5.       When you are upset with someone what is your first reaction? To have a hefty
      conversation with them (whether in your mind or when you are with them)?

When was the last time you simply reacted and did any of the above things just out of a deep love for God and because you really feel you want to? Not because you have a sense of obligation. 

Why do something if you don’t mean it?  Think about it.  If someone is in your presence and you tell them “I love you”, they are going to know whether it comes from the heart or whether it is just lip talk.  God is always in our presence.

God wants us to be in a relationship with Him. Not just a regular relationship, but an intimate one.  If your heart is not in the right place how can you be in a intimate relationship with someone?  How can your relationship whith someone grow if you do not put everthing you’ve got into it?

We really need to get back to the basics of what God is all about.  Love, heart.

So, why not approach all of the above differently:

1.       Why do we go to church? Out of love for God deep within our hearts.
2.       Why do we sing praise and worship songs? Out of love for God deep within our hearts.
3.       Why do we do things for other people?  Out of love for God deep within our hearts.
4.       Why do we give money to the church (in any form)?  Out of love for God deep within our
      hearts
5.       When you are upset with someone what is your first reaction? Put your hand on your
      heart and ask God to channel His love.

Imagine how much more we can do for God, in His kingdom if we put our hearts in it.  All the other things we need to do to achieve that will automatically follow!! It will be so much easier loving other people. Everything will come naturally.

So, think about it, we need to get BACK TO BASICS.

What's The Purpose

The other night at cell we discussed a question: “When you see God face to face and you could ask him one question, what would it be?”

Must admit that I have a very curious mind, must be the analytical part of my character.  But, if there is a question in a certain context that I really don’t know the answer to, then I simply accept it.  There are certain things in life that we don’t always understand right away, but in time we might. So, at that point I couldn’t think of any specific question.

One question that I have been asking myself for a while though is: “What is the purpose of having some specific people in my life”? Will they have an impact and if so, what is it supposed to be?  How do I know? Since I didn’t always have the answer to the question and have asked it many times before I decided to accept the fact that it just happens some time and not always for a specific reason.     

The other night a friend and I were talking and she mentioned something that actually answered my question!!  This is so amazing.  Who knows, maybe I wasn’t supposed to know before.  Now I am back to square one with the question asking I suppose J.

She said that she knows people in her life that does things for her to uplift her or who does meaningful things in her life that they are not even aware of.  She doesn’t do anything for them in return, but they are still there.  So, she doesn’t necessarily have an impact on their lives but they do on hers.  That just goes to show that we don’t always know how God works.  What or who he uses to affect someone else’s life. 

Next time you are not sure why someone is part of your life just ask God to let His will be done. To guide you to do whatever He needs to accomplish in that person’s life even if you don’t understand why or how. 

 

The Contentment of Being Loved

Ever seen the affection between a parent and a child?  That look of total confidence in the child’s eyes knowing that the parent is going to take care of him, love him no matter what and the feeling of contentment within the parent knowing the child loves him unconditionally (I am not a parent myself but can only imagine what it must feel like!!).  The adoration between two people loving each other.  That unconditional love and warm feeling in your heart that you feel towards that person, believing that he is the most perfect human being that you have ever met and you would move heaven and earth to make him happy.   There is a song by Westlife I love listening to called “Catch my breath”.  A phrase in it saying “there’s a pulling in my chest when I know you’re coming round” just moves my heart every time I hear it.  Loving someone like this wonderful.  Being loved in return is even greater and gives you a deep, tremendous feeling of contentment.

Isn’t it amazing to know that the above love is only a fraction of the kind of love God feels for us.  I don’t think we can fathom the profoundness of His love for us.  I get all excited just thinking about it.

In 1 Corinthians 13 we see the importance of love.  Sometimes we think of God as just watching our every move to see where we go astray, what we do that He won’t approve of.  John 4:16 proves that wrong: “I am not distant and angry but am the complete expression of love”.  He wants to give us that love, wants us to give that love to people around us in different ways, we just have to let Him.

May you experience the magnitude of His love today and see it in all the little things around you.

With loads and loads of love in my heart

The Wonder of Music

Music must be one of the most beautiful things God created.  It can be an expression of so many things.

For example:

Exitement/Enjoyment
This weekend I had to clean my home.  (They came to fix the wall). What a mess!!!!  I even had to clean the fruit!!!  Then I decided to put on some Afrikaans music, dance and sing at the top of my lungs while cleaning.  Boy was it fun and it actually worked.  An added bonus is that it was quite a workout :-).

Connecting with God
When you praise and worship there is a connection between you and God that cannot be described.  It is so fulfilling.  It opens up a channel through which you allow God to work in you through His Holy Spirit.  To fill you.  Speak to your heart.

Finding your centre
When we are upset we need some way to channel the anger.  To step away from it and let go before it consumes us and causes a lot of damage.  Listening to musice calms your spirit.  Touches your centre of calmness.  Music is very soothing when you are tormented by negative emotions.  

1Samuel 16:14  Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. 1Sa 16:15  And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 1Sa 16:16  Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well." 1Sa 16:17  So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me." 1Sa 16:18  One of the young men answered, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him." 1Sa 16:19  Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep." 1Sa 16:20  And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 1Sa 16:21  And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 1Sa 16:22  And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight." 1Sa 16:23  And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him. 

Upliftment
Music can be very uplifting.  You can also inspire others to worship God.  Thanking God through praise and worship helps you focus on the positive things that God has done for you instead of how you are feeling at that moment.  

Psa 150:6  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!   Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  

Romance
We all know that music can create such a romantic atmosphere.  Especially in what we nowadays call “chick flicks”.  Guess what, I am sure it is just as romantic for you guys as for the ladies :-).  When I watched “A walk to remember” over the weekend some of the songs were so beautiful. It created a wonderful atmosphere.  Off course it made me sob like a baby during the sad parts, but is was still a great movie and would not have been the same without the music. These are but to name a few of the great joys of music.  This wonderful gift from God. (I know it is a little late in the day), but may you al have music in your hearts today!!!
    
Loads of love and blessings

The Mercy of Touch

Hi there

Did you know that research indicated that people who are touched in a meaningful way have a strong possibility of a longer life expectancy than those who don’t?

I was very fortunate to grow up in a family where there was (still is) always lots of hugs and kisses and the words “I love you” was said a lot.  When we would have a family get together my Dad would always jokingly say “Ah weer lekker tyd vir vry vandag”.  We always laughed at him but deep inside we knew how much it meant to him. He never had that growing up.

We all want some kind of touch in our lives.  Whether it is a hug, a kiss on the cheek, a pat on the back, an arm around a friends shoulder or even a kind word that touches someone’s heart.  We all need it.

When Jesus touched the man with leprosy it changed his life and his heart.  Jesus didn’t care about the fact that the man was seen as “unclean” and that it was against the law in those days to touch an “unclean” person or that He would be seen as “unclean” Himself.  He could have just healed the man by saying the words, but instead He touched  him. He knew that it was what the man needed.

 How can we reach out to people around us?  How can we touch them and change their lives?

 I would like to share the verse below with you as it has new meaning to me since I read it last night.  I pray this verse on everyone who reads this e-mail.  May you all be blessed and touched by it.

Ephesians 3:14-20
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the believers, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Lovies
Yollie

Smile much?

Hi all you gorgeous people

 I am sure you've all heard from quite a number of different sources that it either takes more muscles to smile than to frown or the other way around.  Some people also speculate that there is a fixed number of muscles each person has.  Guess what?  It differs from person to person and also the amount of muscles each one uses for a smile is not the same. Each of us smile in a different way or degree.  What is someone else’s smirk might be your smile.....

Last week at cel I mentioned to Cecily that my face hurt.  Just in front of my ears above the upper jaw.

 I did some research about smiling on the internet.  There is a website that I love using when I want to figure out how something works: http://www.howstuffworks.com/.  On the health section it explains that there are more or less 43 facial muscles.  It exits from the brain and emerges from your skull just in front of the ears.  From there it splits to the different areas on your face.  Won't bore you with the medical jargon :-).  Had to go read up on some of the terms myself.

That would be the explanation for my face hurting in that exact spot!  Now isn't that a whole new set of muscles in your body that you would rather have hurting? There are so many reasons why smiling is good for you.  Below I mention only a few of them.  Won't go into detail on each one otherwise this a going to stretch out to be a very long e-mail.  It is however very good to read if you have the time (some of it is quite hilarious).  The site I got this section from is: www.longevity.about.com/od/lifelongbeauty/tp/smiling.htm.  Very interesting and funny!!!  After all how can you have an e-mail about smiling and not smile about it?

- Smiling makes you attractive
- Smiling changes your mood (warms your heart)

- Smiling is contagious

- Smiling reduces stress

- Smiling boosts your immune system

- Smiling lowers your blood pressure (I actually tried this one out, and my blood pressure 
  dropped with 13 points!)

- Smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers and serotonin

- Smiling lifts the face and makes you look younger

- Smiling makes you seem successful

- Smiling helps you to stay positive

So, let’s all get rid of the pain, become attractive, get that face-lift and feel better altogether!!!!

Excercise those muscles

Tons and tons of smiles for your today and forever :-)