"To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation."
"The man pointed to a baker standing in his shop window at one corner of the plaza. 'When he was a child, that man wanted to travel, too. But he decided first to buy his bakery and put some money aside. When he's an old man, he's going to spend a month in Africa. He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.'"
"The old man continued, 'In the long run, what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own Personal Legends.'"
I'm currently reading The Alchemist. I'm not very far (page 31 to be exact) but it's already making me think and ponder.
Side note******The author of the book is Catholic so religion is important to him and he talks about God in the book but at the same time the book is like a fable. He talks about the Universe and "Personal Legends." So as a Christian I don't take everything he writes as something true or the way God wants things.
The first sentence I wrote..."To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation"......true? God has a plan for all of us, one specific for just you. So is that our only real obligation? Figuring out what God's plan is and then living it? It seems like a silly question if we believe God has a certain path for us. Because if he does then why wouldn't we follow it? But if you don't believe in God, then do you believe in destiny and fate? Is your obligation then finding your destiny? Or is your life what you make it and there is no such thing as fate or destiny?
For me personally, I believe we were put here for a reason. It wasn't by chance, it was by a creator; a creator named God. If He put me here and He has a plan for my life and knows me better than I know myself, then why wouldn't I want to find my purpose or path in this world? Can I be truly happy and fulfilled if I'm not living my God-given path? I don't think so......so I guess I agree with, "To realize one's destiny (or in my case God's purpose) is a person's only real obligation." If I'm not trying to realize it, then what am I living for? What other obligation do I have?
"He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.'" Is this statement true? I have a hard time with this one. Life isn't as easy as picking up and going after what you want. There's other factors that come into play like family and money and jobs and bills. I'm not saying that you can't reach your dreams but it may take longer than you'd like it to, to reach it. Maybe I'm just reading this statement the wrong way?
"The old man continued, 'In the long run, what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own Personal Legends.'"
I have to agree with this one. It's certainly not true for everyone but I think it is for a lot. We care more about what other people think of us and our dreams than about what we want.
What are your thoughts or ideas on any of these statements?
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Forgiveness is for YOU!
God gives us many gifts but one of my favorites has to be forgiveness. Let me explain........
God gives us many rules to follow and for good reason. He is teaching us to live right and justly. God's greatest gift to us was His Son, Jesus dying on the cross for OUR sins. God wanted us to be right with Him! And then to receive his forgiveness all we need to do is repent and ask. There is no sin so bad, that can't be forgiven. The key is to repent and truly turn from your sin. God knows our heart better than we know our heart and he'll know if we are "faking" it.
There is one more part to forgiveness and that's forgiving others. Matthew 6:14-16 "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." It makes sense, doesn't it?! How can you expect God to forgive you when you are holding grudges against others.....? Mark 11:25 "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
I know forgiving is NOT easy. It can be really hard to let go of the bitterness, anger, resentment, and hurt. And sometimes we don't want to let it go. We like the feeling for whatever reason. But the reason I love God's gift of forgiveness is because I don't have to hold onto those horrible feelings and I don't have to avenge the wrong done to me. Romans 12:19 (NIV) "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord."
When you forgive someone, you aren't "letting them off the hook". I think when we forgive someone we feel like we are saying it was okay whatever he or she did. But in reality you are freeing yourself from those horrible feelings of hatred, bitterness and anger. Eph 4:26-27,31 (NIV) "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold... Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."
"Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who survived a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust, said, 'Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you.'"
God gives us many rules to follow and for good reason. He is teaching us to live right and justly. God's greatest gift to us was His Son, Jesus dying on the cross for OUR sins. God wanted us to be right with Him! And then to receive his forgiveness all we need to do is repent and ask. There is no sin so bad, that can't be forgiven. The key is to repent and truly turn from your sin. God knows our heart better than we know our heart and he'll know if we are "faking" it.
There is one more part to forgiveness and that's forgiving others. Matthew 6:14-16 "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." It makes sense, doesn't it?! How can you expect God to forgive you when you are holding grudges against others.....? Mark 11:25 "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
I know forgiving is NOT easy. It can be really hard to let go of the bitterness, anger, resentment, and hurt. And sometimes we don't want to let it go. We like the feeling for whatever reason. But the reason I love God's gift of forgiveness is because I don't have to hold onto those horrible feelings and I don't have to avenge the wrong done to me. Romans 12:19 (NIV) "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord."
When you forgive someone, you aren't "letting them off the hook". I think when we forgive someone we feel like we are saying it was okay whatever he or she did. But in reality you are freeing yourself from those horrible feelings of hatred, bitterness and anger. Eph 4:26-27,31 (NIV) "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold... Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."
"Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian woman who survived a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust, said, 'Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you.'"
Forgiveness is a choice and a choice you'll have to make many times. Sometimes you'll have to make the same choice over and over again. But with God's help and praying for the other person, you'll move on and experience freedom. Forgiving someone isn't for her but for you! Don't get stuck in those ugly feelings and bad attitudes because you are only hurting yourself.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A Little Perspective
Saturday's are big college football days in the fall. Definitely something that millions of people look forward to each week. Last night in one of the most tense and exciting games (ever possibly?), Michigan beat Notre Dame with 2 seconds to go! Everyone thought N.D. had it in the bag when they scored with 30 seconds to go. There's no way, N.D. can come back now, everyone's thinking.......well.....guess again. I like football but I don't go crazy for it but I'd have to say if that was Ohio State and they lost with 2 seconds to go, I'd be pretty mad too.
But here's where the story changes up a bit. A friend of mine has a boyfriend who is 1) a huge football fan and then 2) a huge N.D fan. So when they lost last night, she thought for sure he'd be mad. But when she turns around he's smiling........huh?!
He was talking to his uncle who had just went to a funeral for someone who had committed suicide. In the last couple months/years the uncle had been to more than enough funerals. Also 9.11 was the next day. He had told his nephew that things needed to be put into perspective. It was just football.
Just before I started writing this post I was reading our local paper. I'm not one to read the paper but today is a special day so I bought one. There were different 9.11 stories and stories from around the world and I have to say, a lot of it is depressing. The 9.11 stories hit home and I began thinking "What if" or "How hard-How sad" and so on.
Most of the news that is talked about is sad, depressing, negative and so on. That's one reason I had started this blog-so much sadness in the news. I didn't think I could take much more. I just wanted to close the paper and move on and then I remembered what my friend told me today.....Needing to Put Things in Perspective.....
Life is anything but easy and relaxed. If you aren't personally going through hard times, it's easy to forget that others are. But that's just it! Others are and they need our help. Our prayers. Our support, love and encouragement. Don't let the little or insignficant things in life, get you bent out of shape. Don't stir up trouble when there's enough as it is.
Our country will forever be changed but we still live in the most wonderful country there is! Let's not take it for granted.
But here's where the story changes up a bit. A friend of mine has a boyfriend who is 1) a huge football fan and then 2) a huge N.D fan. So when they lost last night, she thought for sure he'd be mad. But when she turns around he's smiling........huh?!
He was talking to his uncle who had just went to a funeral for someone who had committed suicide. In the last couple months/years the uncle had been to more than enough funerals. Also 9.11 was the next day. He had told his nephew that things needed to be put into perspective. It was just football.
Just before I started writing this post I was reading our local paper. I'm not one to read the paper but today is a special day so I bought one. There were different 9.11 stories and stories from around the world and I have to say, a lot of it is depressing. The 9.11 stories hit home and I began thinking "What if" or "How hard-How sad" and so on.
Most of the news that is talked about is sad, depressing, negative and so on. That's one reason I had started this blog-so much sadness in the news. I didn't think I could take much more. I just wanted to close the paper and move on and then I remembered what my friend told me today.....Needing to Put Things in Perspective.....
Life is anything but easy and relaxed. If you aren't personally going through hard times, it's easy to forget that others are. But that's just it! Others are and they need our help. Our prayers. Our support, love and encouragement. Don't let the little or insignficant things in life, get you bent out of shape. Don't stir up trouble when there's enough as it is.
Our country will forever be changed but we still live in the most wonderful country there is! Let's not take it for granted.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
God's View
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1Timothy 6:17-19
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." and " For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." 1 Timothy 6:6-7, 10
I firmly believe that the Bible is God's Word to us and that God inspired the writers. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) I don't take His Words lightly. They encourage me, inspire me, teach me and convict me.
In our world today it is so easy to get caught up in materialism and needing more stuff. I was that way......until I started going to church and reading God's Word. Until I started seeing things God's way. His word reminds us that we came into this world with nothing, not even clothes. We were naked. And when we leave this world we won't be taking anything with us. So why do we keep obtaining things? Why do we keep trying to have more and more instead of giving more and more? We won't lay up treasures for ourselves in Heaven by being selfish, but by doing good deeds and being generous and willing to share.
Money or wealth won't get us to Heaven or answer all our problems. You can't count on always having money but you can count on our Heavenly God to be there. He can answer all your problems. Maybe not the way you would like but he won't leave you or forsake you. "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5)
Part II
Have you ever thought about why we are here? What's the world about? Were we an accident or did a Creator make us. (Obviously you know what I believe) If we are here by accident than what's the purpose of life? What do we have to live for? Is life just about taking care of your children, cooking dinner, running errands, having drinks with the girls......If there's no God than does that mean you don't have hope? I have hope b/c I know there's a loving, compassionate, caring God looking out for me. I know I can turn to Him when I need Him and I will be comforted and encouraged.
Friday, September 2, 2011
World Changing Idea
The two greatest commandments in the Bible are:
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (This is the first and the greatest commandment)
- Love your neighbor as yourself
When you want something you go out and get it, right....? When you're hungry you get something to eat. Whatever YOU need, you get for yourself. You would never let YOU, not receive something you need and sometimes even things you want.
We are so quick to meet our own needs but we hesitant when other's need our help. Or we don't give as much as we are able to. It's not our responsibility. We're only suppose to take care of ourselves. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and I have to watch out for myself or no one will. We see these attitudes a lot in this world.
But what IF, we stopped looking at other people and started SEEING them. What if we started LOVING them like we love ourselves. Because we all know we love "me." The human race is selfish and greedy and thinks me a whole lot. I'm not saying there's not good people out there and that we don't help BUT we can't deny that if we all LOVED our NEIGHBOR as ourselves than this world would be in a much better place. And by neighbor I don't mean the person living beside your house or apartment. I mean the WHOLE WORLD. Every person, every country, every continent. No one is forgotten.
Does anyone else see how amazing this concept is? That if we met other people's needs as quickly as our own needs, then this world wouldn't be suffering so much. There wouldn't be as much violence and war. There'd be much more love and compassion and kindness. I could go for that!
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