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Archive for the category “words”

04 Jul 2012

it’s all about love

We are celebrating freedom today. What is freedom about? It’s all about love.

For many years I struggled with my desire to know about God. Who was this God? How could I grasp Him at all? One day I was brought to realized – God is love – that’s the root definition of God. I still remember that moment in 2009! Everything else springs from this fact. Every other belief and doctrine is based on this truth. God doesn’t just want us to need Him, God wants us to love Him. We do not obey because of fear of breaking the rules and punishment. We give love freely because we are in love with the love with Him, and we give ourselves freely as we express this passion and love inside of us. This is our most important relationship, but is what we base all of our human relationship from.

That sounds simple, right? Don’t we all talk about love and know about love? I thought I did, but as I began to read, think and live from this new knowledge of God, I began to realize how little I knew about love. It has been the most challenging and mind-blowing concept I have ever found. It challenges me every minute of everyday to try to live this way. This is not about head knowledge – this is about true intimacy. This is how we change the world. Each of us are responsible to live this way and show others this unconditional, and unconventional, love. God gives us true freedom. He will never make us do anything. He offers this love freely and all He wants is for us to receive it and allow it to seep into every aspect of our life and living. He allows us to make the choices on how we live out our lives. It is never coerced. Never manipulated. Will we choose this narrow way? It is not an easy way to live, yet it leads to life, and life abundantly.

It calls for so much more than religion, more than being ‘right’, or following the ‘big-ten’. It is not about figuring everything out, but about letting it all go. Abandoning myself for a love I cannot understand in my human experience, but I do experience it – in spirit and in truth – and so I KNOW it’s true. I have found it, I have lived it, I cannot deny it. God is love is my truth. Now I must live that truth. It is a life which is challenging in every way. It brings us to messy, dangerous and uncomfortable places. Yet, when we really understand it – it is the only way to live. I have found obedience is the least I can do for this gift – it is truly my reasonable service, and the more I live this way and find intimacy with this great and amazing love, the less I want anything else. Nothing else can satisfy.

The truth of the words, God so loved the world, MUST change us. He gave his only son, the value of my soul, of each created soul, is found in that. We are each Beloved – just as we are. This is love and it is good!

Freedom is not cheap. The cost of our country’s freedom has been great. The cost of my personal freedom has been great. The cost of our soul’s freedom has been greater still. How I express my gratitude matters. I am so blessed and so grateful. What can this poor girl give in return? All I have are love songs – and that is why I sing my love songs, as loud as possible.

Posted in Becoming Yourself, Beliefs, beloved, Blessing, Choice, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, Gospel, Growth, Habits, Happy Holiday!, inspiration, kindness, Letting Go, Life, Love, People, Relationships, Respect, soul and spirit, strength, success, Sweet, thankfulness, Thoughts, Today, Trust, truth, Winning, words | Leave a comment

03 Jul 2012

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and when it is time to speak your truth…

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.

— Robert Frost

Posted in Becoming Yourself, Beliefs, Choice, confidence, courage, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Gospel, Gratitude, inspiration, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Patience, People, Relationships, strength, success, thankfulness, words

27 Jun 2012

the right words

I had an important job interview a couple of weeks ago (I am still waiting to hear), and at the very end of it I made a statement that I wished, immediately, I hadn’t made. It wasn’t something horrid – it was just something I wished I hadn’t revealed about myself at this point in the process, know what I mean?

For a couple of days I kept thinking about it and wondering why I even said it. Then I felt directed to open my Bible to Luke 21: 14-15 and the words of Jesus filled my heart. ‘Do not think about what you will say beforehand. Go in my Spirit and I will give you the words to say.’

I have done much preparation to follow God’s leading and I know that I a vessel willing to speak what God would have me speak, and so I relaxed…evidently that was what I was supposed to say. Whatever happens will be God’s plan unfolding – not mine. I trust that I have done what I am supposed to do, and if the job doesn’t happen, it is because it is not the right job for me.

As I wait to hear if I got this job, I am working on other parts of my faith – patince, letting go, hope, joy, peace, obedience. You know – the virtues which are the hardest ones ot master…pray for me.

Posted in Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Career, Change, Choice, confidence, Dreams, Faith, find art at pinterest, Happiness, Hope, inspiration, Joy, kindness, Letting Go, Life, Love, Patience, Peace, People, Prayer, Reality, soul and spirit, strength, success, thankfulness, Thoughts, Today, Trust, truth, Winning, words | Leave a comment

26 Jun 2012

our words become us

A Courageous Life

“Have courage,” we often say to one another. Courage is a spiritual virtue. The word courage comes from the Latin word cor, which means “heart. A courageous act is an act coming from the heart. A courageous word is a word arising from the heart. The heart, however, is not just the place where our emotions are located. The heart is the centre of our being, the centre of all thoughts, feelings, passions, and decisions.

When the flesh – the lived human experience – becomes word, community can develop. When we say, “Let me tell you what we saw. Come and listen to what we did. Sit down and let me explain to you what happened to us. Wait until you hear whom we met,” we call people together and make our lives into lives for others. The word brings us together and calls us into community. When the flesh becomes word, our bodies become part of a body of people.

– Henri Nouwen
http://www.henrinouwen.org/

Posted in Becoming Yourself, Beliefs, Change, Choice, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, Glory, Growth, Habits, home, inspiration, kindness, Letting Go, Life, Love, People, power, Quotes, Relationships, soul and spirit, strength, Tenderness, thankfulness, Thoughts, Today, truth, words | Leave a comment

25 Jun 2012

for the love of all elements of writing: words. paper. pen. thoughts. reading. imagination.

and I open a fresh page
paper lined with endless possibility

of meaning, of words,
of understanding, of hope,

of choices, of thoughts,
of who I am and
who I desire to be

space between words

holding it all together
in a framework of idea

I write this with ‘ink joy’ flowing
a smile on my lips
for the gold foil polka dots
and the quotes that make my heart sing –
the simple
yet so rich and complex gift
of a pen and a piece of paper…

– al
4/13/12

Posted in Blessing, create, Happiness, Imagine, inspiration, Joy, laugh, Letting Go, Life, Love, Miracles, People, Poetry, Quotes, Smile, soul and spirit, thankfulness, Thoughts, Today, Uncategorized, words | Leave a comment

22 Jun 2012

do all things with love

Yes….ALL things!
“Love the Lord with all your heart. Love your neighbor as yourself” – Jesus
Love is truly all we need.
Not love the way our world protrays it, most of the time.
A love that takes us higher and higher.
Love that brings freedom and fuels our passion and purpose.
Love that builds our world and changes hearts.
He leads us by example.
His words are life changing.
I know – it happened to me!
He loves us beyond anything we can comprehend.
Yet just a glimpse brings our souls and hearts to life, flaming the passion to give, and receive, this love.
It is real and it is available for everyone.
We are all his beloved.

Posted in Becoming Yourself, Choice, commitment, do, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Gospel, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, inspiration, kindness, Leadership, Life, Love, People, Proof, Purpose, Relationships, soul and spirit, success, thankfulness, time, Today, truth, Uncategorized, words | Leave a comment

21 Jun 2012

speaking with love

Growing into the Truth We Speak

Can we only speak when we are fully living what we are saying? If all our words had to cover all our actions, we would be doomed to permanent silence! Sometimes we are called to proclaim God’s love even when we are not yet fully able to live it. Does that mean we are hypocrites? Only when our own words no longer call us to conversion. Nobody completely lives up to his or her own ideals and visions. But by proclaiming our ideals and visions with great conviction and great humility, we may gradually grow into the truth we speak. As long as we know that our lives always will speak louder than our words, we can trust that our words will remain humble.

– Henri Nouwen
http://www.henrinouwen.org/

Posted in attitude, Becoming Yourself, Choice, commitment, compassion, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Growth, Habits, inspiration, kindness, Life, Love, nature, Patience, People, Quotes, Reality, Relationships, Thoughts, truth, words | Leave a comment

20 Jun 2012

5 Comments

words are very powerful and important

Words Colour Our Behaviour.

Words! They are all around me! I see them. I use them. Harsh words, soothing words, biting words; words that give pain and sorrow; words that give joy and pleasure. They are vital to communication. When words are spoken there are reactions, negative or positive. Either thoughts are triggered or emotions fired or actions performed. Words colour our behaviour. And how lovely it is to hear words that are calm and free from rancour and aggression. To hear words that lift the soul and leave it with renewed vigour. Such words come from always seeing the best in people and situations.