By: Ellen G. White; from chapter 39 of Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2:
You suffered opposition and abuse, yet God was your source of strength. While you trusted in Him, He sustained you. In all your trials you were not permitted to be overwhelmed. How often have the heavenly angels strengthened you when desponding, by presenting vividly to your mind passages of Scripture expressing the never-failing love of God, and giving evidence that His loving-kindness changeth not! Your soul trusted in God. It was your meat and drink to do the will of your heavenly Father. At times you had a firm trust in the promises of God, and then, again, your faith would be tried to the utmost. God’s dealings seemed mysterious, yet most of the time you had the evidence that He looked upon your affliction and would not cause your burdens to be greater than you could bear. – {2T 268.4}
Through all your trials, which have never been fully revealed to others, you have had a never-failing Friend, who has said: “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” While upon the earth, He was ever touched with human woe. Although He is now ascended to His Father, and is adored by angels who quickly obey His commands, His heart, which loved, pitied, and sympathized, knows no change. It remains a heart of unchangeable tenderness still. That same Jesus was acquainted with all your trials, and did not leave you alone to struggle with temptations, battle with evil, and be finally crushed with burdens and sorrow. Through His angels He whispered to you: “‘Fear not, for I am with thee.’ ‘I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.’ I know your sorrows; I have endured them. I am acquainted with your struggles; I have experienced them. I know your temptations; I have encountered them. I have seen your tears; I also have wept. Your earthly hopes are crushed; but let the eye of faith be uplifted and penetrate the veil, and there anchor your hopes. The everlasting assurance shall be yours that you have a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” – {2T 271.1}
Your strength in God will increase while you consecrate all to Him; so that you can say with confidence: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – {2T 288.1}
Sometimes, we are afraid of what the future holds. We are usually afraid of things we don’t understand or things we can’t control. Uncertainty. It’s a scary thing. A lot of us like to feel like we are in control of something. It’s that desire to control that sometimes stops us from moving forward toward something that may bring us joy and peace. Life is complicated yet simple. Oftentimes, God has a plan for us, yet we fear moving forward or trusting in Him. The answer is simple: We should follow His lead.
The complication: Fear.
The solution: Trust and seeing how He has led us in the past.
I guess, life becomes simpler when we have greater faith. Faith can sometimes be like walking forward at an intersection in NYC with a blindfold on; the comfort, however, is that the person who is holding your hand can see the crosswalk sign and traffic.
Life is beautiful. We can’t resign ourselves and lose faith. Giving up is the easy thing to do; what takes courage is holding on and walking forward. No quitting! http://www.pinterest.com
When we decide what we want to live for, sometimes there are sacrifices. However, when we are so sure of what it is we desire, and when we know it’s greater than all other things, the cost doesn’t seem like sacrifice, eventually. Instead, it fills us with purpose beyond ourselves.
We all have our struggles. It feels, at times, that God is yanking at something I may have in my hands like a child with a stuffed animal that will not be rendered. I can say, that when we are willing enough to let God choose for us, we will never be disappointed. At times, His choice will not be our first, or we may raise an eyebrow in surprise. We may then decide we like the idea, but then, sometimes there is silence.
Life can look like it’s buffering– that is always from our perspective.
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I read an inspiring book by Dr. Tony Evans called Destiny. I have been posting quotes from it for a while. Its final chapter, called “Future,” blew my mind. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before. Instead, it was a bombshell of everything I know in a condensed, dynamite-type situation. God really spoke to me through it, and I wanted to share some of his points. I hope it touches your heart and fills you with peace and faith.
Quotes come from: Destiny, by Dr. Tony Evans, Harvest House Publishers, 2013.
[Page numbers will be in parentheses beside the quote.]
By destiny, I think of God’s purpose for our lives… it can be a blend of a lot of aspects of our lives: a calling, a job, a relationship, duty, service, love. Destiny, is not a destination, but instead you walk through it, hand-in-hand with God.
1. He has a plan
“‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope'” (Jeremiah 29:11)
2. He keeps His Word
Dr. Evans makes mention of how many of us do not keep New Year Resolutions, however, “There is One who has kept every resolution He has ever made. He keeps promises. He keeps His Word.” (174)
3. Your imagination can’t fathom
“He is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we could ever imagine. And He has resolved that your life is going to be a great life. It is a life filled with ‘a future and a hope.’ The surest way to live out your destiny is to fix your eyes on the unchanging faithfulness of the One who has promised that goodness and loving-kindness will follow you when you follow Him (Psalm 23:6).” (174)
4. He who holds your life is greater than all things
“Your life may hold some surprises, but I know who holds your life. And He says that you are to be of good cheer because He has already overcome it all. If He has overcome it, then you, His child and as His heir, have overcome it too.” (174)
5. Watch where you fix your gaze
“But if you keep your eyes fixed on the Lord and not on your circumstances, you will see that He who began a good work in you will also complete it.” (174)
6. It ain’t over–’til God says it’s over.
“When God says He has a plan, you know the story isn’t over.” (175)
7. He may be silent, but He is not still
“Remember some of your greatest lessons about faith and humility will be learned in the dark. These are the times when you feel so hopeless that you don’t know what in the world God is doing, how He is doing it, and why He is taking so long. God may be silent, but He is not still.” (175)
8. Seize the moment
“God says to become as productive as you possibly can where you are. Do all that is in your hand to do. Maximize everything that is set before you. Seize the moment right where you are. While waiting on God for your destiny, promote the well-being of the people around you now.” (176)
9. Stop looking at yourself, and hope will blossom
“People often lose hope because they are concerned only about themselves.” (176)
10. Things don’t happen on our watch
“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all of your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you fom all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29: 12-14)
“God knew their exile would last longer than they thought. That’s why He told them to be as productive as they could right where they were until they saw Him do what He said He would do.” (178)
11. God says He has the plan
“Rather than searching for God with all their hearts, as verse 12 tells us to do, people search for the solution to their problem or meaning in their destiny with all of their heart. They search for the wrong thing, so they don’t find it. God says He has the plan…When you find Him, you will find the plan as well because He knows what it is and wants to give it to you.” (177)
12. How to please God? Faith.
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
13. He knows where He is taking you
“Sometimes God will seem to be doing nothing. Yet, He often works invisibly–behind the scenes–by turning yesterday’s pain into tomorrow’s peace. God is asking you to take hold of His hand and never let go because He knows where He is taking you.” (178)
14. He who promised and started is faithful
“What God starts, God finishes. What God begins, God ends. What God initiates, God completes.” (178)
Any questions? The answer is: Seek Him. You will never regret it.
March was an action-packed month, where a crazy schedule became the new normal. Exams are coming quickly (they are that dark cloud hovering over us); I am still springbreakless; I am still slightly sleep deprived, but nonetheless joyful. I think April will be an exciting month filled with a lot of focus, pressure, yet filled with more rest than the preceding months gave us. We’ll see. I know it’s only March 30th. I do realize that March has 31 days (the 31st is a Monday), but hey– who has time for that? I am excited about April; so, we start celebrating today.
March, you’ve been good
–ciao amore
1] I can’t wait for spring!!
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2] Songs of the Month: (ft. Tal) Génération Goldman, vol. 2, C’est ta Chance
7] On Kidd Kraddick in the Morning (radio morning show):
Jenna Owens has been having a rough time in her romantic life. Every time she talks about it, J-si plays the Titanic violin song (when the ship is sinking). She continues to joke that she is drowning (romantically).
On March 25, 2014:
(Violin plays)
Jenna: I already drowned.
(pause and transition)
Kellie Rasberry: He’s the one that’s supposed to drown.
Got to love the romantic commentary on Kidd Kraddick in the Morning.
8] weheartit.com
9] MEN vs. BOYS tumblr.com
MINDY KALING on the difference between dating men and boys, from Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
“Men know what they want. Men make concrete plans. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress that isn’t on the floor. Men tip generously. Men buy new shampoo instead of adding water to a nearly empty bottle of shampoo. Men go to the dentist. Men make reservations. Men go in for a kiss without giving you some long preamble about how they’re thinking of kissing you.[…] Men know what they want, and they don’t let you in on their inner monologue, and that is scary.” (pg. 307)
“Boys are adorable. Boys trail off on their sentences in an appealing way. Boys bring a knapsack to work. Boys get haircuts from their roommate, who ‘totally knows how to cut hair.’ Boys can pack up their whole life in a duffle bag and move to Brooklyn for a gig if they need to. Boys have ‘gigs.’ Boys are broke. And when they do have money they spend it on a trip to Colorado to see a music festival. Boys don’t know how to adjust their conversation when they’re talking to their friends or to your parents. They put your parents on the same level as their peers and roll their eyes when your dad makes a terrible pun. Boys let your parents pay for dinner when you all go out. It’s assumed.” (pg. 307-308)
I loved the way she finished the chapter:
“So I’m into men now, even though they can be frightening. I want a schedule-keeping, waking-up-early, wallet carrying, non-Velcro-shoe-wearing man. I don’t care if he has more traditionally ‘men problems’ like having to take prescription drugs for cholesterol or hair loss. I can handle it. I’m grown-up too.” (pg.312)
I like Mindy Kaling’s perspective. She is on point with her analysis and humor.
From Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, by Ellen G. White
“If you go from the truth you will never know real happiness; you will be miserable indeed. Heaven is worth making any and every sacrifice for.” – {2T 225.2}
“Dedicate yourself unreservedly to the Lord, and it will not then be difficult to serve Him.” {2T 225.1}
“I wish to entreat of you to seek God while He invites you to come to Him that you may have life.”– {2T 222.3}
“There’s something romantic about a full moon against the backdrop of a darkened sky. But if you recall from your science classes, the moon has no light of its own. […] When we look at the moon, we see the brilliant reflection of the even more brilliant sun. The radiant moon does no work on its own.[…] Whenever only part of the moon is lit up, Earth is blocking the sun’s glory. Friend, what are you allowing to get in the way of God’s glory and reduce your ability to be a full reflection of Him?”
I thought I would actually write something; a short note perhaps. The semester is ending. Time is just running like sand between our fingers. It feels like we are on a car that is on fire heading toward a finish line that is actually made of caution tape.
Life has been very blessed. I have been so blessed by those around me. Spring has kind of arrived (we have snow in the forecast for Tues. & Wed.). Now that it’s sunny outside, I need to shut my curtains and pretend it’s still nasty out, so I won’t just start walking around the city like a crazy wanderer. I will seriously say, “I will go out and walk for 15 minutes.” Those 15 min. turn into a nice turn on Hudson street, and a two hour walk down to Battery Park or something.
The weather is making it hard to stay indoors, so maybe I should enjoy the last snow flurries and get over myself.
Floating around in my head are flowers, page numbers to read, colorful skirts, sunshine, that Safe Haven movie by Nicholas Sparks that I saw over Christmas break (This is what happens when you watch one movie a year [especially if it’s a Nicholas Sparks production]), clients and their stories, my friendly pigeons living by my window who have mysteriously gone on vacation now that it’s warmer, etc.
Anyway, the week begins. Time to get busy. Once I start, there is no stopping until next Sabbath.
Don’t forget to look up at the blue skies (and sometimes you will see a cool building top or something you never noticed before); if it snows, do a little dance (in the snow, of course); if you spot a flower, thank God for its beauty; if you meet someone broken, let them hold your hand; if you come across your reflection, make sure you see who you want to be.
“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” Khalil Gibran
Here is a beautiful song, I randomly came across. I thought it was simply lovely.
MINDY GLEDHILL -ALL ABOUT YOUR HEART
/My imagination sees you
Like a painting by Van Gogh
Starry nights and bright sunflowers
Follow you where you may go
Oh, I’ve loved you from the start
In every single way
And more each passing day
You are brighter than the stars
Believe me when I say
It’s not about your scars
It’s all about your heart
You’re a butterfly held captive
Small and safe in your cocoon
Go on you can take your time
Time is said to heal all wounds/
GABRIELA YARELIZ 