Take My Son

This week I do not want to share of my thoughts but I want to publish this beautiful story, which author is unknown, but I am sure it will speak hips into your heart. It is a bit long but worthy every word of it. I want you to take everything so this is why I am sharing with you this:

"A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly.

He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the
famous paintings. Skip this one."

But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"

Another voice angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"

But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the

long time gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the
painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal the stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.
The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything"
Have a blessed week and think about this story.
Marcia

What do they think of me?

Many women live their life wondering what others think of her. Some go to the point of changing what they really are just to match other people’s opinion on how she should be.

Sad though that many changes are done, external and internal, but not because as a human being they will feel better like this or that but just to agree to the general opinion of society or their interacting group.

At they end of the day, many are frustrated and not fulfilled because they do not look like, behave or live as they would actually enjoy.

There is something I have learnt in my walking with God and it may be the answer or changing of attitude for those who fit in the above examples.

I do enjoy and respect other people’s opinions, suggestions, and observations about myself or about any project I might be working on but I care much more for God’s opinion on my life.

Before making any decision, before planning something, before doing any change on my interior, I wonder what is God thinking about that.

Do you know what God thinks of you? I am going to invite you to hear directly from Him:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

God is the source of all goodness in your life, He loves you and cares for you, His plans are to fulfil you - why not to give Him more ears than to criticism and words that constantly put you down?

Experience God’s plans in your life and all changes you might do will only make you whole.

What is your New Year’s Resolution?

There is a year-end tradition throughout the world, very fashionable amongst women I must say, that is to think, plan and proclaim our New Year’s Resolution.

Every month of December, we start planning the year ahead of us and many things come across our mind: a diet, a change of job position, an evening course, some handcraft, some reading, gym, to learn a new language, to visit a country, to restore broken friendships, to get married, to broaden our group of action, to quit an addiction, to do some charity work, to engage in a religious practice, and the list goes on.

I might not have mentioned a particular resolution but I guess you have identified yourself with couple of above ones.
We get so motivated to the New Year’s events, we buy new Year Planners, desk calendars, birthday notebooks, journals and diaries to host all our plans that are many and of great deal.
We look forward to the crossing of the watch into the first minutes of the New Year, mainly if 2007 was not one of the few you could count as profitable in your life.

So much excitement, so much anticipation, so much planning and the time has arrived. We jump into the New Year and guess what? We find out that already into the first hours, nothing has changed - we do not feel different.
First weeks go by and you keep on postponing the starting date for all the special tasks you have assigned yourself for.

By February, lately March, you do not look much into your diary or journal and by mid of the year; you do not even know where you kept your Year Planner. When you realize, you have forgotten to greet so many friends and relatives for their birthdays, over the past few months, either because you did not bother to look into your birthday notebook or because you did not have time to mark down such important dates after all.

The New Year fever is gone and you feel like you are back to old times. Actually, what you have not reckoned is that there was no change not even for few days because you concentrated so much in planning changes around you and you forgot to dwell in changes inside you.

How to do different this year? I propose you two courses of action:
First, take a time to reflect over what you want to do or change and seek for the motives behind such changes. I must say 90% of needs for exterior changes in my life or myself where a direct result of dissatisfaction with whom I was. So, invest in strengthening who you are, value your qualities, work on to improve the good you found in you, love yourself and then after deal with what you want to be.

Second, learn to prioritise. How much does it count to have a list of 10 New Year’s Resolution and when you get to Dec 2008, you find out you have not achieved more than 1 of them. Think about what really matters and concentrate on 2 or 3 that you can really apply all your efforts to accomplish them and such accomplishment will bring you real inner reward.

Above all, remember, you cannot conquer real achievement if you go on the strength of your arm for the Lord says: “…apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 NKJV

Start your diary, Year Planner, Desk Calendar by writing a love declaration to your Lord and invite Him to be the first in everything you plan or do from the 1st of January on.

Oh, another important attitude: forget your past – it is a New Year so why to bring all old memories to a newness of life?

NEW YEAR, NEW LIFE!

Oh yes, how many times have your heard or read this very slogan? How many times did you say it yourself but nothing has changed? Year in, year out, your problems are the same; you are the same; no excitement, no newness, no improvement!
So much so that we are living the very last days of 2008 and you don’t dare to say 2009 will be the year of your life. You said it before, you applied all your efforts for it to happen, you have used positive mind before any hard circumstances with no avail.
You tried and tried and maybe you are even thinking that happiness is not for you.
Let me tell you something: I have been there! I have lived in the world of frustration and disappointment not so much towards others but towards myself because I could not see happening what I so much wanted.
I had in mind that all conquests were always for my friends and family members and I was just surviving until I learned and realized that it was because I was trying by myself and I was not strong enough to endure the hardships of life. Thus failure was my daily bread.
Do you identify yourself with this? Do you want to know what was the turning point for a new blessed year in my life?
It happened in 1988. I discovered that the only One who can make things new and afresh is my Creature and then I committed all my plans, days, projects to His management.
Who else around you can assuredly make this promise? “ Look, I am making everything new” And then he said to me “ Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true” (Rev 21:5)
The challenge is set upon you: allow Him to take you through newness in 2009 and by the year-end you will only have victories to count for.
Remember, any change around you has to start from the inside. All the best for 2009!

Festive Seasons

It is just unbelievable that 2009 is around the corner! We planned so much, we worked so hard and the time went by quickly we have barely realized it.
Now the Festive Seasons are coming and plans and more plans: Family gatherings, lunch and dinners with clients and co-workers, gifts, cards, celebrations. The diary has never looked so busy as for these last days of the year!
In the midst of so many commitments and responsibilities we tend to loose track of our own needs and, without even noticing, we do everything that will please someone else.
You do not have time for your daily activities, you do not have time to organize your house, and you do not have time to do any shop for yourself. You are mostly focus on what is going on around you and at the end of each day you are so tired, stressed even not knowing why.
This might be a very dear season for you but you are not enjoying the least of it, consumed with so much formality. Stop wandering and make the most out of it.
First of all, what is really important for you, to greet this and that, to give gifts and cards or to show your family members and friends how important they are an that you care for them?
A gift may express some goodness but actions will speak louder. Why not to try something different this year?
Instead of being worn out with physical worries about gifts, cards and celebrations, keep busy with people’s needs and that might be a simple call, a letter of forgiveness, a word of encouragement, a smile, an afternoon tea with only one old friend whom you know is struggling with a problem and has no one else to confide with.
Once Jesus spoke these words to a very busy woman “Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42). Let His words echo in your heart today and make a time for those who really need you and do not forget, make a time for Jesus.

1st December - Worldwide

Year after year the 1^st of December has been instituted and celebrated as for the awareness of HIV.

Campaigns are done throughout the world to aware people of this killing disease but also to show to the HIV victims that we care for them.

However, after the first, the spur of the moment is gone and many of the supporters for this worldwide day go back to their routine not remembering any longer of this date up until a funeral is set and another friend, family member, relative is buried on its account.

This week, I want to use this space not to discuss about the disease or what has been done to prevent it,  what the latest statistics are,  but rather let me dedicate this blog to those who are fighting it directly or indirectly.

Either you are a HIV positive or someone very dear to you has got it and the pain seems to be the same. What to do to ease it or how to comfort one in such situation?

I believe, correct me if  I am wrong in that, pity is not the way. I believe that any HIV survivor needs to feel himself part of the society, part of the community, part of the family and be looked at not as someone in need but someone who can surprise with potentiality to do great things for him and for those around him.

Do not hold yourself back, do not quit your plans, do not give up on your projects or sit down and wait for the end as if it would come tomorrow. Take courage and live to the fullest you can, occupy your mind with different things, put up challenges for you, live each day.

Doctors have stated that the biggest share of a healing process is not related to the medicine applied but the positive mind of the patient who loves life.

I give you a quote from Ecclesiastes  “While there is life, there is hope” (9:4). Make of this 1^st of December 2008 an awareness day for you, be aware that you can do, you will do and it only depends on you.

In the spirit of  encouragement with all of you!

 

CHANGES...CHANGES...CHANGES

We have all, in recent days, followed quite closely political runs around the world and changes in governments. I believe I can mention the French President, the Australian Prime Minister and now the USA President which political campaigns have shaken the structure of countries and continents and awaken the mind of many for different possibilities and opportunities in life.

What made their campaign so special? They have materialized the meaning of newness, hope and perspective through their characters and proposals and all of a sudden people got so attached and identified with this perspective. They voted for them and in other words they voted for a change.

If it will take place, only time will show. If they will be able to deliver all that was thoroughly discussed and promised, we do not know; but they took people to believe they will.

Deep down we are all in search of new things, new experiences and new improvements in our life. We all appreciate what is unique and different. We all want changes.

Hence, some make options that are extreme and lead them to complete loss. Others are able to do right choices and apply themselves in particular areas of life that will bring up changes to them. They will embark in new professional careers, new adventures and health resolutions therefore being able to experience a whole new world.

All the effort is valid and again if you will overcome, only time will show. But there is a need of change inside of you that all material and emotional efforts cannot quench because you need to fill up the void that you do not even mention to your best friend or you do not want to pay attention to and acknowledge honestly that it is there.

You have changed jobs, professions, cities, your look is trendy, you are now making new friends, your partner now seems to be Mr. Right Guy but still you do not feel that you achieved the change that you so much want and need.

Take a look in this quote extracted from a powerful book of wisdom and encouragement “Forget the former things; 
do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert 
and streams in the wasteland    “ Isaiah 43:18-19.  I invite you to give a chance to the Creator of all new things to work this change in you.

Do all you can, apply your efforts in all new projects you may have but do not forget that first things come first and all changes will start by you allowing God to change what goes inside of you.