Scars of Life

Some years ago,
On a hot summer day
In South Florida ,
A little boy decided to go
For a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.

In a hurry to dive into
The cool water,
He ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.
He flew into the water,

Not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together.
In utter fear,
He ran toward the water,

Yelling to his son as loudly
As he could.
Hearing his voice,
The little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn

To swim to his father.
It was too late.
Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock,
The father grabbed his little boy by the arms
Just as the alligator
Snatched his legs…

That began an incredible
Tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father,
But the father was much
Too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams,
Raced from his truck,
Took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital,
The little boy survived.
His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack
Of the animal.

And, on his arms,
Were deep scratches
Where his father’s fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort
To hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter
Who interviewed the boy
After the trauma,
Asked if he would
Show him his scars.

The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter,
‘But look at my arms.
I have great scars
On my arms, too.
I have them because
My Dad wouldn’t let go.’

You and I can identify
With that little boy.
We have scars, too.
No, not from an alligator,

But the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars
Are unsightly and have
Caused us deep regret.

But, some wounds,
My friend,
Are because GOD has refused
To let go.

In the midst of your struggle, He’s been there
Holding on to you…
The Scripture teaches that
GOD loves you.

You are a Child of GOD.
He wants to protect you
And
Provide for you in every way.But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life
Is filled with peril -

And we forget
That the enemy is waiting
To attack.
That’s when the tug-of-war begins – and if you have

The scars of His love
On your arms,
Be very, very grateful.
He did not and will not ever let you go.

GOD has blessed you,
So that you
Can be
A blessing to others.
You just never know
Where
A person is in his/her life

And
What they are going through. Never judge another
person’s scars,
Because you don’t know
How they got them…

Also,
It is so important that
We are not selfish,
To receive the blessings

Someone needs to know that GOD loves them,
And you love them, too-
Enough to not let them go.
Always
Tell Your Family
And Friends
How Much

You Love Them!!! I just did!!

~unknown author~

Optimism

If I should try to say anew the creed of the optimist, I should say something like this: “I believein God, I believe in man, I believe in the power of the spirit. I believe it is a sacred duty toencourage ourselves and others; to hold the tongue from any unhappy word against God’s world,because no man has any right to complain of a universe which God made good, and whichthousands of men have striven to keep good. I believe we should so act that we may draw nearerand more near the age when no man shall live at his ease while another suffers.” These are thearticles of my faith, and there is yet another on which all depends—to[76] bear this faith aboveevery tempest which overfloods it, and to make it a principle in disaster and through affliction.Optimism is the harmony between man’s spirit and the spirit of God pronouncing His worksgood.

~ Helen Keller

Download ebook: http://www.scribd.com/doc/58581486/Optimism-by-Helen-Keller

Excerpts from “The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment” by Eckhart Tolle:

“The light is too painful for someone who wants to remain in darkness.” p.104

“…the stronger the ego (unconsciousness), the more distant you are from your true nature.” p.107

“Nothing that was real ever died, only names, forms, and illusions.” p.124

“On the level of form, you share mortality and the precariousness of existence. On the level of Being, you share eternal, radiant life. These are the two aspects of compassion. In compassion, the seemingly opposite feelings of sadness and joy merge into one and become transmuted into a deep inner peace. This is the peace of God. It is one of the most noble feelings that humans are capable of, and it has great healing and transformative power. But true compassion, as I have just described it, is as yet rare. To have deep empathy for the suffering of another being certainly requires a high degree of consciousness but represents only one side of compassion. It is not complete. True compassion goes beyond empathy or sympathy. It does not happen until sadness merges with joy, the joy of Being beyond form, the joy of eternal life.” p.128

“Remember: Just as you cannot fight the darkness, so you cannot fight unconsciousness. If you try to do so, the polar opposites will become strengthened and more deeply entrenched. You will become identified with one of the polarities, you will create an “enemy,” and so be drawn into unconsciousness yourself. Raise awareness by disseminating information, or at the most, practice passive resistance. But make sure that you carry no resistance within, no hatred, no negativity. “Love your enemies,” said Jesus, which, of course, means “have no enemies.” Once you get involved in working on the level of effect, it is all too easy to lose yourself in it. Stay alert and very, very present. The causal level needs to remain your primary focus, the teaching of enlightenment your main purpose, and peace your most precious gift to the world.” p.128

“Since resistance is inseparable from the mind, relinquishment of resistance – surrender – is the end of the mind as your master, the impostor pretending to be “you,” the false god. All judgment and all negativity dissolve. The realm of Being, which had been obscured by the mind, then opens up. Suddenly, a great stillness arises within you, an unfathomable sense of peace. And within that peace, there is great joy. And within that joy, there is love. And at the innermost core, there is the sacred, the immeasurable, That which cannot be named.” p.140

 

“As far as the unconscious majority of humans is concerned, the way of the cross is still the only way. It is a complete reversal. It means that the worst thing in your life, your cross, turns into the best thing that ever happened to you, by forcing you into surrender, into “death,” forcing you to become as nothing, to become as God – because God, too, is no-thing” (formless). p.141

 

“Enlightenment through suffering – the way of the cross – means to be forced into the kingdom of heaven kicking and screaming. You finally surrender because you can’ t stand the pain anymore, but the pain could go on for a long time until this happens. Enlightenment consciously chosen means to relinquish your attachment to past and future and to make the Now the main focus of your life. It means choosing to dwell in the state of presence rather than in time. It means saying yes to what is. You then don’t need pain anymore.” p.141

 

Unconsciousness “will only awaken through further suffering… foreseen by some seers… described, among other places, in the Book of Revelation or Apocalypse… This suffering is inflicted not by God but by humans on themselves and on each other as well as by certain defensive measures that the Earth, which is a living, intelligent organism, is going to take to protect herself from the onslaught of human madness. However, there is a growing number of humans alive today whose consciousness is sufficiently evolved not to need any more suffering before the realization of enlightenment. You may be one of them.” p.141

May You Be Blessed

May you be blessed with all things good.
May your joys, like the stars at night, be too numerous to count.
May your victories be more abundant than all the grains of sand
on all the beaches on all the oceans in all the world.
May lack and struggle only serve to make you stronger
and may beauty, order and abundance be your constant companions.
May every pathway you choose lead to
that which is pure and good and lovely.
May every doubt and fear be replaced by a deep abiding trust
as you behold evidence of a Higher Power all around you.
And when there is only darkness and the storms of life are closing in…
May the light at the core of your being illuminate the world.
May you always be aware you are loved beyond measure
and may you be willing to love unconditionally in return.
May you always feel protected and cradled in the arms of God,
like the cherished child you are.
And when you are tempted to judge,
may you be reminded that we are all one
and that every thought you think reverberates across the universe,
touching everyone and everything.
And when you are tempted to hold back,
may you remember that love flows best when it flows freely…
and it is in giving that we receive the greatest gift.
May you always have music and laughter
and may a rainbow follow every storm.
May gladness wash away every disappointment,
may joy dissolve every sorrow…and may love ease every pain.
May every wound bring wisdom and every trial bring triumph
and with each passing day may you live more abundantly
than the day before.
May you be blessed.
And may others be blessed by you.
This is my heartfelt wish for you.
May you be blessed.

Copyright Simple Truths, LLC. All rights reserved and reprinted with permission.

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The Ten Commandments

1) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.

2) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

3) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

4) Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

5) You shall not kill.

6) You shall not commit adultery.

7) You shall not steal.

8) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

9) You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

10) You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Ten_Commandments

serenity in my quiet place

it’s amazing and i’m grateful to know that the most special person in my heart is the one leading my way closer to God.. i thought my world has turned upside down. i’m stuck in the middle of nowhere as if every good thing has become impossible to achieve. i just realized i almost forgot stick to the cliche, “count your blessings”, which most optimistic people advice to hopeless individuals. it’s easier said than done but it’s worth practicing. timely enough, i received an SMS that goes:

“The happiest people don’t have everything they want. They make the most out of what they already have. Misery starts when a person looks at the 10% missing and overlooks the 90% blessing. We all have our share of blessings. Some get them fast. Some wait for a long time. What’s important is it comes at a time we most need it. God knows best and He will give the best in His time.”

i may have nothing or i may be rejected a million times but it’s not a reason for me to shut myself off to the world. i believe all things happen for a purpose. someday somehow, i will be an instrument of love  for others. at the moment, i have my family to take care of. this is my chance to share my blessings and show love in return. while some people find happiness from material possessions, experiences or successful career, i find fulfillment from sharing blessings to others and my relationships with people who care and whom i care. praying and listening to inspirational songs or audio books help me gain strength and make me inspired to achieve my dreams.

life on earth may appear hell since many people are suffering because of deception, greed and other forms of evil. indeed, it’s possible to experience heaven if we live by Jesus’ teachings and preachings and allow God to dwell in us because otherwise somebody else will. Nothing is too late for those who are willing to make decisions and take appropriate actions.  He is powerful enough to overcome what we call ungodly entities. We just need to prepare ourselves for this to happen. It doesn’t matter how great our effort is as long as there is initiative and determination.

what a small but wonderful world. i never imagined life could be better until i found what it takes to want to live and be alive…