tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17933507629863812082024-03-12T20:56:54.293-07:00Leticia SeviranetaLeticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-63663648441959720302023-09-20T21:54:00.002-07:002023-09-20T21:55:58.188-07:00How to Move On from Heartbreak<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>"If you're brave enough to say goodbye, </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>life will reward you with a new hello." -Paulo Coelho</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">On my previous post, we've learned why moving on is actually an act of obedience to God. It's because we serve a God who moves on, who keeps doing new things, and who has a better future beyond what you can imagine. We've learned also that learning to trust again in God is key that truly gives us the strength needed to move on. But how does move on typically look like? And what are some practical steps that we can actually take to move on from heartbreak?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHPag1NgMHGFxADDbzcHCWJoZzOCtl79iT-kweDhQMR4LISmaGX1P_ai86fzxMJN2RW_rpB6JreedS7Yxf-pK4U7Ykjr5uA1JOVaC_6fEh4Thb8BOw1yI_lt3MmcEdlpQhlOZz50yVRGogFhy0BtYRWnMkOQl7ELCXCm4HOFNpElJquIqySgsAXuZsDMS/s2049/ARS_04_17.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1537" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHPag1NgMHGFxADDbzcHCWJoZzOCtl79iT-kweDhQMR4LISmaGX1P_ai86fzxMJN2RW_rpB6JreedS7Yxf-pK4U7Ykjr5uA1JOVaC_6fEh4Thb8BOw1yI_lt3MmcEdlpQhlOZz50yVRGogFhy0BtYRWnMkOQl7ELCXCm4HOFNpElJquIqySgsAXuZsDMS/w300-h400/ARS_04_17.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Sam Madison says, "<b>Moving on is not forgetting--moving on is being able to remember without feeling awful about it</b>." If we define moving on as forgetting the past literally, then we all sign up for impossibility. Our brain isn't like computer which can instantly delete memories on a click button. So, forgetting the memories are not the goal here. Instead, when you are ready, you'll need to walk down that memory lane and try to see what has happened on a new angle, a new perspective. It's called reframing of the mind. Back then, when the incident happened, you might position yourself as a victim. It's something that happened to you, it's outside of your control. It's difficult to understand from other side's perspective at that time. But now, it has passed. You might have developed understanding over time that it simply wasn't meant to be, or that it could go worse if you continue in that relationship. Now, you can finally see it simply must happen. There's no need to regret, it's a complete acceptance. Only by seeing the memories from this future angle and a healed version of you, you'll be able to remember without feeling the hurt attached to it. That's what moving on looks like.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">But the reality usually isn't that ideal. Sometimes we need to "move on" even when we're still feeling the pain, wounds, and sorrow. It's about <b>actions precede feelings. We need to act right, even when we're still not feeling it.</b> For instance, we know that keep continuing our lives is the right thing to do. Although we feel miserable inside, we still need to push ourselves to do it. We may not feel like going to the gym, yet we do it anyway. We may not feel like going to social events, yet we do it anyway. Surely, we can also have our time of grief. Set a period of time where you can cry your heart out. Then after that, get back to your life again. Remember, heartbreak isn't the end of the world. Life needs to go on.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">David once experienced grief over the loss of his son. David's sin brought consequence that his newly born son by Bathsheba will die and Nathan delivered this verdict (2 Sam 12:14).</span></p><p class="bible" id="10_12_15" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span class="highlight_10_12_15">After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. </span><span style="text-align: initial;">D<b>avid pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. </b></span><span style="text-align: initial;"><b>The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.</b> </span><span style="text-align: initial;">On the seventh day the child died. David's attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, he wouldn't listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate." </span><span style="text-align: initial;">David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. <b>"Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead." </b></span><span style="text-align: initial;"><b>Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.</b> -2 Sam 12:15-20</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">When his son was ill, he mourned and pled to God with sorrow. He even refused to eat for seven days. However, after his son was dead, he got up, washed, put on lotions, changed his clothes, went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. He also ate after that. Strange huh? His attendants found it strange too.</span></p><p class="bible" id="10_12_21" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span class="highlight_10_12_21">His attendants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" </span><span style="text-align: initial;">He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought<b>, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' </b></span><span style="text-align: initial;"><b>But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me</b>." -2 Sam 12:21-23</span></span></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">David knew that when his child was dead, there's nothing else he could do about it. He simply accepted it. Now that's moving on. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; -2 Sam 12:24</i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>Because David decided to move on, he had the strength to comfort his wife, Bathsheba. And they could move on together and had another son, Solomon, whom God loved and would become the next king of Israel.</b> Can you imagine the story would be so much different if David didn't move on after the lost of the previous son?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjjYd0bO-IcSRRcFDDL5IJIVg6SYqfRArBT0Or1_T8fv5u_ZZ56eMKDhnZ47XYArG-SU23f_HeZo69aY4IKDIPEs75cvyHEoXiIm34INHaJdZJFpTM6OtWaAKDX3oztXjHMjYjXnYLwuPTF6QBNqi8FolptQs7tNEIeOLD3BNzTNzj5NosnfdTqAtyBWh/s2049/IMG_8965.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2049" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjjYd0bO-IcSRRcFDDL5IJIVg6SYqfRArBT0Or1_T8fv5u_ZZ56eMKDhnZ47XYArG-SU23f_HeZo69aY4IKDIPEs75cvyHEoXiIm34INHaJdZJFpTM6OtWaAKDX3oztXjHMjYjXnYLwuPTF6QBNqi8FolptQs7tNEIeOLD3BNzTNzj5NosnfdTqAtyBWh/w400-h300/IMG_8965.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>God will never leave you empty. He will replace everything you lost. If He asks you to put something down, it's because He wants you to pick up something greater. But he needs you to cooperate with him. He needs you to do your part: letting go and moving on. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">So what are the practical steps to move on?</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>1. Set a time to grief properly</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">For every loss, you need to allow yourself to grief. If we don't grief when we should, it will be accumulated inside. Someday, it will break you down because you can't handle so much accumulated pain over time. <b>The loss of a significant relationship isn't easy. Along with the loss of the person you hold dearly, you also lose the hopes and the dreams you had together. The effects multiply to many aspects of life.</b> So, cry if you want to, as much as you can. Take your time to grief but you have to set a limit as well. You shouldn't prolong the grief period until it destroys your present life. Be kind to yourself, but also remember that the grief period also needs to end.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>2. Remove memorabilia items</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">You can't delete memories, but you can delete or remove items. This might be difficult for you who are keepers of memorabilia stuffs. You feel attached to it and the stuffs represent the person and memories you've had together. That's why if you are serious in your journey of moving on, you need to muster the courage to remove the items. Otherwise, it will hinder you from moving on. Each time you'll look at the item, you'll be reminded of your lost relationship. The items also included pictures. Pictures are the hardest one to delete for me. So I delete pictures gradually over time. But I can testify that, after I delete it, it gives me a huge relief. Perhaps you'll experience that too if you remove or delete pictures and memorabilia items sooner than later.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>3. Write a letter</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Writing down your feelings and thoughts help to put the abstract into tangible thing. If you don't spill any of your feeling out, it will keep circling at the back of your mind. It certainly will drive you crazy! I wrote a letter to my former boyfriend which included how I was grateful for what we've shared together, my current feeling, and my wish for him. I couldn't sleep for 7 days straight before I did that. After I wrote down that letter, I could sleep soundly that very night. It really helps you to let go tangibly. Whether you send the letter or keep it for yourself or burn it down, it doesn't matter. The point is to put out your abstract feelings into a structured and tangible thing. Talking to someone has a certain benefit, but write it down provides structure to what is happening inside you.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>4. Talk to someone who can empathise with you</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Yes, you also need to talk it out. But make sure that the person you're sharing your grief with is the one who can empathise with you. You don't need to be told to move on straight away. You already know that. You don't need people who don't feel good when you talk about it. The truth is, grief makes people uncomfortable. Many people avoid talking about it. Only a few knew that you need just to be listened to. You don't need hundreds of advice at that time. If you don't have such people in your life, you can go to a counsellor or a professional. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>5. Dream a new dream</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">When your grieving period is over, go out to explore new things. Stay productive. <b>Dare to dream a new dream. When you focus forward, you don't have much energy and time left to reminisce the past.</b> Don't think that by having a new dream, you're kind of betraying the old one. Just like David and Bathsheba had another son, Solomon, didn't mean that they were betraying their first one. You have loved someone previously, and now you move on by loving someone else since the old one has gone. That's not betrayal. Don't feel guilty about it. I started a new business as soon as my relationship was over. I wasn't sure where it's headed at that time. Having a new dream just gives me energy to move forward literally. So can you. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXDstD7Lk-3UC5pXwLtcmyX4Nb92nKuwdPApt1r712wPysOT8edSIPhbiVOoSnAvRjTtHDjbF1js_PVi0dYoIMhkONQWx_wf_YAHzzOAJXQs9T9cryxyHz-GfQ1fOuZ6Uij59oaYudVPKCvcJxqHk8c-9jf7xSJOeDyTNnIQaubJzTI8QRRRRJvZrZ5Xf/s2049/ARS_04_43.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1537" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXDstD7Lk-3UC5pXwLtcmyX4Nb92nKuwdPApt1r712wPysOT8edSIPhbiVOoSnAvRjTtHDjbF1js_PVi0dYoIMhkONQWx_wf_YAHzzOAJXQs9T9cryxyHz-GfQ1fOuZ6Uij59oaYudVPKCvcJxqHk8c-9jf7xSJOeDyTNnIQaubJzTI8QRRRRJvZrZ5Xf/w300-h400/ARS_04_43.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>Know that your healing journey won't be linear. There will be ups and downs.</b> Some days you'll be okay. Some days the sorrow just comes back. H. Norman Wright says that <b>grief is like the waves in the ocean. When the waves come at you, don't resist it. If you resist it, you will be drown. But go along with it, and sometime later it will bring you back to the shore</b>. As the waves of sorrow comes back, go along with it. Allow yourself to feel sad for a brief time again. After that, you can continue with your life. Know that all of this process is <b>normal</b>. The main point is you keep progressing on your journey. And know that you're never alone in all of this process. God always reminds me that he's always beside me. The same God is always near to you too. Keep moving on. He'll show you a better things to come to replace what you've lost.</span></p><p class="bible" id="19_145_18" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); color: #292f33; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: center;"><span class="highlight_19_145_18"><i><span style="font-family: courier;">The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.</span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="19_145_19" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); color: #292f33; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: center;"><span class="highlight_19_145_19"><i><span style="font-family: courier;">He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.</span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="19_145_20" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); color: #292f33; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: center;"><span class="highlight_19_145_20"><i><span style="font-family: courier;">The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.</span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="19_145_21" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); color: #292f33; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: center;"><span class="highlight_19_145_21"><i><span style="font-family: courier;">My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.</span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="19_145_21" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); color: #292f33; font-size: 16px; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: center;"><span class="highlight_19_145_21"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>-Leticia Seviraneta-</i></span></p>Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-48445763909209798662023-09-18T03:52:00.009-07:002023-09-18T03:54:05.439-07:00A God Who Moves On<div style="text-align: center;"><i> <span style="font-family: courier;">"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.</span></i></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?</i><br /><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;">I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." </span></i></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;">-Isaiah 43:18-19</span></i></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Do you know that we serve a God who moves on? He is a God who doesn't dwell on the past, on His past miracles, no wonder how great it was. He always does a new thing, in a new way, more wonderful beyond our past experiences and imaginations of what our futures could be.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9onwhaoRpnzxhgNSCf0M0_Imh1psvvpbX-1vVN0pKRBJpWewO0E9xh-8XcYnBuGPOa2cn9xKoMLduf0lNtdCnvm5d1PmwgwNGqqylKKuZ25ozVhVS30oNqtZLZFyZqJFdg3XNm0TwxJcoX58MuQQq2LH45__Afqlm6gxDzCcdsOeH7hjRgxAyESo06b1/s2300/ARS_03_01.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2300" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9onwhaoRpnzxhgNSCf0M0_Imh1psvvpbX-1vVN0pKRBJpWewO0E9xh-8XcYnBuGPOa2cn9xKoMLduf0lNtdCnvm5d1PmwgwNGqqylKKuZ25ozVhVS30oNqtZLZFyZqJFdg3XNm0TwxJcoX58MuQQq2LH45__Afqlm6gxDzCcdsOeH7hjRgxAyESo06b1/w268-h400/ARS_03_01.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When God said to the Israelites through Isaiah, he began by recalling his wonderful miracles to them. <i>"<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); text-align: initial;">I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King." </span><span class="highlight_23_43_16" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); text-align: initial;">This is what the LORD says— <b>he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, </b></span><span class="highlight_23_43_17" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); text-align: initial;"><b>who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: </b></span><span class="highlight_23_43_18" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); text-align: initial;">"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. </span></i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); text-align: initial;"><i>See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isa 43:15-19)</i> Yet he continued further to forget the former things, and do not dwell in the past. This shows that there is a sense we must remember the past, in terms of God's great work on our behalf. There is also a sense in which we must forsake and forget the past, with all its discouragement and defeat, and move on to what God has for us in the future.</span></div></span><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For some of us, there are some things that keep holding us back, making us tied to the past. It could be a beautiful or even traumatic memories which keep us from living in the present. Let it go. God says, "Forget the former things, do not dwell in the past." It is a command to obey, it's not a suggestion nor even an option.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the LORD rejected Saul as King over Israel, it brought grief to Samuel. Samuel was still the one who anointed Saul as King over Israel and had seen who he was before (1 Sam 9:21) and how he turned out to be disobedient to God (1 Sam 13:9-14; 15:8-11). Surely, it brought him grief and sorrow over Saul's failure and ultimately God's rejection upon him. Samuel even cried out to the LORD all night (1 Sam 15:11) and he kept mourning for him (1 Sam 15:35). Yet this is what God said to Samuel:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>"<b>How long will you mourn for Saul</b>, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." -1 Sam 16:1 [NIV]</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>It doesn't mean that we are not allowed to mourn for our losses. It means that we should not prolong our mourning season more than it should</b>. God rebuked Samuel for mourning too long over Saul and reminded him for a new task he needed to do: to anoint a new king of Israel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>When we dwell in the past, it's impossible to make a space for a new hope, a new dream, or a new direction of life to unfold</b>. Andre Gilde, a French explorer, said "<b>Man cannot discover a new ocean unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.</b>" We need to take courage to accept the fact that the past is the past. There is nothing we can do to change it. It has passed. Step forward unto the unknown.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>When we prolong a chapter that should have been turned, a season that should be over, it's actually the same as we are disobeying God.</b> It's like saying, "I don't trust You enough to make something good out of this." <b>Our decision to trust God again will give us the strength to move on.</b> If we don't trust God, it will be very difficult. This is where recalling God's faithfulness over our lives will help in the process. <b>If you ever need to recall the past, recall His great work instead. That's how our faith will be rebuilt.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeosiMa4pyuh9hYhVmA1B-1MtaVm_TJruMWopMN1JkmaeGI-9LyoEcjseo5uDej5PON7mBER157wv4dut-jNyashElIjMOOamqQ8epUfGMWYE0Mi6pZqGZ7r2mGWHJn3MC3_465nLb2oQFmd5T1fzkJ1pIfGKMnL9V74cnhsXlVQWdC3TuQ9Z2YkQPtSkH/s2300/ARS_03_07.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2300" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeosiMa4pyuh9hYhVmA1B-1MtaVm_TJruMWopMN1JkmaeGI-9LyoEcjseo5uDej5PON7mBER157wv4dut-jNyashElIjMOOamqQ8epUfGMWYE0Mi6pZqGZ7r2mGWHJn3MC3_465nLb2oQFmd5T1fzkJ1pIfGKMnL9V74cnhsXlVQWdC3TuQ9Z2YkQPtSkH/w268-h400/ARS_03_07.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think one of the most honest and authentic man in the Scripture is David. He poured out his heart, his complains, his pains, his anguish, his sorrows all out in the book of Psalms. Yet he never failed to point back to trust God after he had done so. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? </div><div style="text-align: center;">How long will you hide your face from me?</div><div style="text-align: center;">How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have <b>sorrow in my heart</b>? How long will my enemy triumph over me?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. <b>But I trust in your unfailing love</b>; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD's praise, <b>for he has been good to me</b>. -Psalms 13:1-6 [NIV]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Learn from David. <b>He's able to move on and press forward because he remembered God's goodness in the past but also had assurance of God's unfailing love in the present, and hope in God's salvation.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wherever you are right now, <b>it is time. It is time to let go.</b> It is time to get up and take a step forward. <b>When you let go, you open the way to see God making new miracles for you, another impossible thing, streams in the wasteland of your soul. Wait and see for it.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Leticia Seviraneta-</div></span>Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-38531774080100916232023-09-17T19:13:00.007-07:002023-09-17T19:16:15.741-07:00Lay It Down<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); font-family: courier; font-size: 16px;">You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. </i></div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); font-size: 16px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: courier;">Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. </i></div></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); font-size: 16px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: courier;">- Matthew 5:4 [MSG]</i></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); color: #292f33; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbggYg906b7wQBGaHksPFXBaF1sTIZclfBOEXlRGLLWbhK4fEj5g1q__UeIGo1bbYz891bYMOABBTgzSWIez8aKR2f0nJgTlT_AQeFpHLR0kfWzs1csIUTrfH7skpbntC0fNUPXy_gl6o6ybEYWBqj8qsqCpZf0F2Um34hHkQL0bMl7FuXdpDOedwdlSN/s2300/ARS_02_33.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2300" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbggYg906b7wQBGaHksPFXBaF1sTIZclfBOEXlRGLLWbhK4fEj5g1q__UeIGo1bbYz891bYMOABBTgzSWIez8aKR2f0nJgTlT_AQeFpHLR0kfWzs1csIUTrfH7skpbntC0fNUPXy_gl6o6ybEYWBqj8qsqCpZf0F2Um34hHkQL0bMl7FuXdpDOedwdlSN/w416-h278/ARS_02_33.JPG" width="416" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><span style="font-family: courier;">We all have something most dear to us. It could be something we have worked or longed for a long time. It could be something that we can't live without. It could be a house, a smartphone, etc. And it can also be someone. We have someone whom we love dearly and we never ever want to lose. That someone can be our boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, parents, children, friend, etc. Our human hearts have amazing capacity to attach ourselves to people or things in order to gain a sense of emotional security and safety. Losing those most dear to us is pretty much the same as losing our security. No one wants to experience that. Yet, various times God chose to ask us to surrender those most dear to us, in order for us to realise who needs to matter most, God alone. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">And that's what happened to me four years ago. I had a good relationship with my first love for about 8.5 years. I was well-loved, cherished, and as you may guess, I was secure and safe in that relationship. Marriage had always been in our plan and we longed for it. We prepared and worked hard for it. But God had another plan. I have to admit that while preparing for the wedding itself, my heart grew more attached to it. It's like I had a determination to make it happen despite of many obstacles we're facing. That dream wedding had become my idol. As our wedding day came near, God whispered to me, "Lay it down." A small, gentle voice; yet it's a crystal clear for me. <b>"Lay it down.. This dream wedding of yours. It's your plan, not mine."</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">As I heard God spoke to me, I was reminded of the scene where God told Abraham to sacrifice his only and dearly beloved son, Isaac at the altar. </span></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_1" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span class="highlight_1_22_1">After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!" "Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening." </span><span style="text-align: initial;">He said, "Take your dear son Isaac <b>whom you love</b> and go to the land of Moriah. <b>Sacrifice</b> him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll point out to you." -Genesis 22:1-2 [MSG]</span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_1" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span style="text-align: initial;"><br /></span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_1" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The Bible doesn't say about how Abraham felt when he heard of that God's command. The Bible recorded that <b>Abraham simply obeyed without any delay nor hesitation. </b></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_1" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_3" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span class="highlight_1_22_3">Abraham got up <b>early in the morning</b> and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. </span><span style="text-align: initial;">On the third day he looked up and saw the place in the distance. </span><span style="text-align: initial;">Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then <b>we'll come back to you</b>." -Genesis 22:3-5 [MSG]</span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_3" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); font-size: 16px; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span style="text-align: initial;"><br /></span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_3" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Abraham acted out of obedience right on the next day, early in the morning. He went to sacrifice his son Isaac. Interestingly, he said to his servant that after going to worship, they both will come back to him. He knew he's going to kill his son up there. Here's how a burnt offering looks like: you slay an animal and burn it on the altar with fire that shall never be put out. The difference here is, it's his own son, not an animal, who will have to lie down, being slain with his own hands, and will be burnt all day long. It shows his faith that God is able to raise the dead to life (Hebrews 11:19).</span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_3" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_3" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: courier;">When Abraham was about to kill his son, God stopped him and provided a ram as substitute of his son to be sacrificed.</span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_3" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span class="highlight_1_22_12">"Don't lay a hand on that boy! Don't touch him! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God; you didn't hesitate to place your son, your dear son, on the altar for me." </span><span style="text-align: initial;">Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. -Genesis 22:12-13 [NIV]</span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span style="text-align: initial;"><br /></span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">God used this incident as a way to test Abraham's faith and he has proven that his heart still intact with God even he has received what he has longed for, which is a son.</span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); font-size: 16px; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMJFD3EueuWznWSX4RMGKrKOz391c2o8JUxth98Xwp4EzZ8D0mmp_SxcQMpi1ogkffCv-7-y99Hl9WFdT7oIe7p2eg4mbH3qEq1kKEmSsdI4-pB4E0BciC1gT2k0HOHQFrVkfcuNlwYjbDTukvGBomLZg7v2JdrVGAwXv3DHhRH6Mfk-NRzGYuS_NXCbN/s2049/IMG_8967%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1537" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMJFD3EueuWznWSX4RMGKrKOz391c2o8JUxth98Xwp4EzZ8D0mmp_SxcQMpi1ogkffCv-7-y99Hl9WFdT7oIe7p2eg4mbH3qEq1kKEmSsdI4-pB4E0BciC1gT2k0HOHQFrVkfcuNlwYjbDTukvGBomLZg7v2JdrVGAwXv3DHhRH6Mfk-NRzGYuS_NXCbN/w300-h400/IMG_8967%202.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">However, in my case, as I heard God asked me to lay down my dream wedding, I knew it was meant for good. There'll be no resurrection, no coming back. It's a pure act of putting an end to what has grasped my heart more than it should. I didn't immediately obey, but I stored that in my heart. And after that God kept showing me other things to convince that what I heard was right. One of our problems back then was his mom refused to give her blessing to us. God showed me, that <b>he actually can change her heart as easy as He turns His hands. But even if he doesn't do that, will my heart still be His alone?</b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); font-size: 16px; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I was reminded of the scene where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were about to be thrown into fire when they refused to worship the gold statue (an idol) the king has set up. They declared,</span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>"...<span style="text-align: initial;">If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. </span><span style="text-align: initial;">But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up." -Dan 3:17-18 [MSG]</span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span style="text-align: initial;"><br /></span></i></span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: courier;">God used a song titled "Even If" by MercyMe to remind me over and over again about his power to turn the table around. But even if he doesn't I should accept that and put my hope only in Him. </span></p><p class="bible" id="1_22_12" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); margin-bottom: 12px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">They say sometimes you win some</span></span></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Sometimes you lose some</span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><b>And right now, right now I'm losing bad</b></span></span></i></div><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">I've stood on this stage night after night</span></span></i></div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Reminding the broken it'll be alright</span></span></i></div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">But right now, oh right now I just can't</span></span></i></div></span></span></i></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); margin-bottom: 12px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">It's easy to sing</span></span></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">When there's nothing to bring me down</span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">But what will I say</span></span></i></div><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><b>When I'm held to the flame</b></span></span></i></div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Like I am right now</span></span></i></div></span></span></i></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); margin-bottom: 12px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><b>I know You're able and I know You can</b></span></span></i></div><i><b><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Save through the fire with Your mighty hand</span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">But even if You don't</span></span></i></div><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">My hope is You alone</span></span></i></div></span></span></b></i></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); margin-bottom: 12px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">They say it only takes a little faith</span></span></i></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">To move a mountain</span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Well good thing</span></span></i></div><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-style: italic;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">A little faith is all I have, right now</span></span></i></div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-style: italic;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">But God, <b>when You choose</b></span></span></i></div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-style: italic;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><b>To leave mountains unmovable</b></span></span></i></div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="font-style: italic;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Oh give me the strength to be able to sing</span></span></i></div></span><span jsname="YS01Ge"><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><b>It is well with my soul</b></span></span></i></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><br /></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Back then, that song<span> </span>made me cry over and over again. I couldn't stop. Because I knew deeply that's how God was showing me what I have to do. There are two other ways God convinced me to lay my plan down. And after that, I obeyed. I called the wedding off two months before the H-day. It's still a huge sacrifice and a loss for me. There are days when I still mourn over it. <b>But I trust in Him.</b> I surrender my plans, dreams, love story unto His hands. He knows better. He is the Alpha and Omega. He knows the ending. Wouldn't it better to entrust our footsteps to the One who knows the end?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihO7AD_Q4GQ0GInz6QeT0cnCpzPi9gweAp31J05URAmvJVQEPpUTNALHIyPc5zUNeCApWwOlpnvOTv4AFUgEXT44kz24jLqTsI8yPOocMb6-0XPBc8hwi0UCA2e4dsqrNVazRZFSv6T1_vqKHI6Nfq7Mlv_myrXN_d9ZfnIPhK-jaWKfHll1mtTCIEvtpH/s2049/IMG_8969%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1537" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihO7AD_Q4GQ0GInz6QeT0cnCpzPi9gweAp31J05URAmvJVQEPpUTNALHIyPc5zUNeCApWwOlpnvOTv4AFUgEXT44kz24jLqTsI8yPOocMb6-0XPBc8hwi0UCA2e4dsqrNVazRZFSv6T1_vqKHI6Nfq7Mlv_myrXN_d9ZfnIPhK-jaWKfHll1mtTCIEvtpH/w300-h400/IMG_8969%202.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">For some of you, this may sound absurd. What kind of God who asks you to sacrifice the one most dear to you? Well, for me, he is a God who loves you more than anyone could. A God who wants to protect you from making bad decisions in life. A God who wants to make you realise that He is enough, that He is the One who can only bring true satisfaction than anything or anyone could bring. An idol is a false god. It gives us false hope, false sense of security, but at the end it will fail to bring what it promises. Anything that you regard as important more than God is an idol. <b>And every now and then, God gently whispers to us, "Lay it down." Only when you have laid any idols down, God can truly reigns in your life.</b> His peace that doesn't depend on any circumstance will be yours. His love overflows in places in your heart where you are longing to be loved but don't get it elsewhere. He will go above and beyond, to ensure you that <b>He is enough. </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="bible" id="49_3_16" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><i><span class="highlight_49_3_16">I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, </span><span style="text-align: initial;">so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through <b>faith</b>. And I pray that you, <b>being rooted and established in love</b>, </span><span style="text-align: initial;">may have <b>power</b>, together with all the Lord's holy people, <b>to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,</b></span><span style="text-align: initial;"><b> </b></span><span class="highlight_49_3_19" style="text-align: initial;"><b>and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.</b> -Ephesians 3:16-19 [NIV]</span></i></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>-Leticia Seviraneta-</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><br /></span></span></div></span></span></div>Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-39115129382578488262022-11-25T04:26:00.006-08:002023-09-17T17:32:26.476-07:00Live With No Regret<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">"I did then what I knew how to do. Now I know better, I do better." - Maya Angelou</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoplkH8hQt1o-k88riK-cxr4ZDTksewo8ddhfb9xZ0vbOir8_hXCaqFPOHbKdgak8sxVgCNpmaPqgM1yhEmcQDTT2GXen2kV13fsqkNMSlKy_971aBmSIBDn9PtWAwtPDO8tR5EW5xqdWwzrrtFaIJootCtfcWjT4NdjWdv98GrONUtBCjDA2NUFnqw/s7790/fsp-409737.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7790" data-original-width="6232" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoplkH8hQt1o-k88riK-cxr4ZDTksewo8ddhfb9xZ0vbOir8_hXCaqFPOHbKdgak8sxVgCNpmaPqgM1yhEmcQDTT2GXen2kV13fsqkNMSlKy_971aBmSIBDn9PtWAwtPDO8tR5EW5xqdWwzrrtFaIJootCtfcWjT4NdjWdv98GrONUtBCjDA2NUFnqw/w320-h400/fsp-409737.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br />What is regret? Regret is feeling sense of loss or sorrow of what might have been, wishing we could undo decisions we made, and sometimes involves blaming ourselves for a bad outcome. Life is a series of decisions making. Surely, we don't make right decisions all the time. Or perhaps we did our best, but some external factors happened and make our plans ruined. At that time, it's normal to feel, "I wish I could turn back time," or imagining many "what ifs" scenarios.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">However, you can't live forever by dwelling in the past. No matter how strongly you regret something, it can't be undone. You can't change it. But you can change what you'll do next in the future. And that gives us a hope. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>One principle for living with no regret is this: always do your best.</b> Be it in your relationship, in your career, in your ministry, in all areas of your life. If you've done your best, even it doesn't turn out how you want it to be, you can move on with no regret. Regret often amplified for something we did wrong or didn't do. So if you keep on doing your best, doing the right things, it definitely minimises your regret moments. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>It's like a beautiful dance between doing your part and surrender to God.</b> It involves releasing the remote control of our lives and give it up to God. It's a delicate balance between knowing what we can do and what we can't control. We all love certainty, don't we? We always seek for formula in life. We want that if we do certain things, the outcome will be 100% like what we want. If we choose the right partner to marry, then the marriage will be happy ending just like the fairy tale told us. If we work hard, we will be successful. But I bet you already know that life doesn't work that way. Life is full with mountaintops and valleys. So forget the formula mindset, but work on doing what you have to do well and faithfully. Surrender the outcome to God. Even it doesn't turn out as you want it to be, trust that God will also help you to cope with that.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">A woman in an interview asked, "How can we be sure that our partner won't cheat us?" The answer is, <b>you can't. But you can be sure that even if that happens to you, you will be able to endure and handle it with God's strength.</b> I know it's not 100% certainty and assurance that we expect it to be, but isn't that comforting? <b>Knowing that you can fall in this life, but you will always have His mighty hands that will catch you? Doesn't that make you feel safe enough?</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">There is a story of three women in the Bible who lost their husbands, such significant figures who brought security in society at that time. They were Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth. Naomi lost her husband and her two sons. Orpah and Ruth were married to her sons, which made them her daughters-in-laws. When two sons of Naomi also died, Orpah and Ruth lost their husbands too. Then Naomi decided to go back to her hometown, Bethlehem. Her daughters-in-laws wanted to follow her, but she dismissed them saying that they had better chance to remarry if they went back to their home in Moab. Orpah then followed her suggestion and left to go back to her parents' home. That's the last time we heard of her in the Bible. But Ruth clung to Naomi (Ruth 1:14). She was determined to follow her wherever she goes, declaring that Naomi's people will be hers and Naomi's God will be her God (Ruth 1:16) </span></p><p class="bible" id="8_1_16" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); font-size: 16px; margin: 0.4em 2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><span class="highlight_8_1_16">"Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. </span><span style="text-align: initial;">Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." - Ruth 1:16-17 [NIV]</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lfUbAdrcQQ5TqPryVy5xgdg42tQh6z8kavXUr8w0wRDwfqP4-ZshXcc0S9cvj07SRpzWmuS9LF9epWhnQeMsRE__I-MPhgiVeC0syQzGm9cbWYug-IAJU9JavaRwfN2VybPWvTzmBgKKaMe0e9hi8SnD7ZY9k_lx5xYFtPttLr0GfFsEOQST0MdYEw/s8399/fsp-409837.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6299" data-original-width="8399" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lfUbAdrcQQ5TqPryVy5xgdg42tQh6z8kavXUr8w0wRDwfqP4-ZshXcc0S9cvj07SRpzWmuS9LF9epWhnQeMsRE__I-MPhgiVeC0syQzGm9cbWYug-IAJU9JavaRwfN2VybPWvTzmBgKKaMe0e9hi8SnD7ZY9k_lx5xYFtPttLr0GfFsEOQST0MdYEw/w400-h300/fsp-409837.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br />It was such a bold and loyal declaration. I mean, following Naomi at that time meant that Ruth released all her sense of security, her homeland, everything she's familiar with. The tragedy that happened didn't make her dwelling in grief and regret for so long. She didn't pity herself for making wrong choice of husband. Who knew that her husband would die so soon? It's definitely unplanned. <b>But she adjusted to the situations and chose to respond well. She rose up and focused on meeting Naomi's needs instead of her own sorrow.</b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I don't know where you are right now. But you can also choose to live with no regret like Ruth did. <b>If you've made mistakes in the past, now you know better, you do better. Take the lesson, forgive yourself and those who have hurt you, and move on. Accept that not everything is under your control, but you still can choose to do your best and surrender the outcome to God. Choose to live with no regret. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>"Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>nothing is lost that is born of the heart." -Basil Rathbone</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>-Leticia Seviraneta-</i></span></p>Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-41179876800068129732022-11-22T03:11:00.000-08:002022-11-22T03:11:02.715-08:00Bloom Where You Are Planted<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);"><span style="font-family: courier;">“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” - Maya Angelou</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24);"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">We often don't ask questions when good things happen to us. But yes, we ask a lot of questions when bad things happen to us. We may ask, "Why me?" We ask as if when we get complete information and full comprehension of the exact cause, or whether it can be acceptable to our minds or not, can help us to endure it better. Yes, some understandings may give more sense of it all. But does it guaranteed? No. Or can we all have the luxury of those full comprehension? Most probably no. For some, bad things happen as consequences of wrong decisions they've made. But for others, bad things are just happened. They are not at fault. It happens so suddenly, robbing them from moment of peace of their predictable lives. And if you feel that way right now, this is for you.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTM30mz11ByXf9fVer-C8yWSkoOtq8K7XDKmATd3iEzDNtn6DBHVTQJUfBYELCXZ6c8adrvLOkNClwWjiIofmaswJ0sd8PMAY6OVF_AZEm_DcTek9q2BXkOdxbd3P17B8RwOnnWJ959NkCHViTmItQfvtj5MGjnUDohgSlrHvstrQvWXT9VVFk6qzJg/s4948/r1-04591-0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4948" data-original-width="3720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTM30mz11ByXf9fVer-C8yWSkoOtq8K7XDKmATd3iEzDNtn6DBHVTQJUfBYELCXZ6c8adrvLOkNClwWjiIofmaswJ0sd8PMAY6OVF_AZEm_DcTek9q2BXkOdxbd3P17B8RwOnnWJ959NkCHViTmItQfvtj5MGjnUDohgSlrHvstrQvWXT9VVFk6qzJg/w301-h400/r1-04591-0014.JPG" width="301" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;">You are not alone. My life was shaken hard several times as well. I remember it was at 2012, 2017, and 2019. All of those years marked significant changes in my life. Bad things that happened to me back then caused me to grief and suffer. But at that same years as well, I turned it around by choosing different attitude on facing the same problems. My problems stayed, but I chose to outgrow it, to push through, to rise from the ashes. I created something beautiful out of it. For me, it's always been between the choice of being a victim, or a victor. Surely, I was in sorrow for a while. And that's normal. But I decided to not linger for too long. At that time, Jesus was my only rock and He has always been my anchor ever since. If I can testify to you today, it's really because He's always with me who enables me to be who I am today. <b>If you're a believer, that same Spirit is in you. The same power, the same miracle worker, the same heart-healer is within you.</b> And God has always been working through His people throughout the Bible. He gives us clues here and there about His purpose, His working behind-the-scene, His process, that are mostly beyond our comprehension. Yet He never leaves us in the dark completely. Let me tell you this story.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Do you remember Joseph? If you grew up in Sunday School or you attend church regularly, you may feel like you know him inside-out. Yup, he's the eleventh son of Jacob from his beloved wife, Rachel. He was his father's favourite. Genesis 37:3 says, <i>"Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him.</i>" His brothers became very jealous of him, hated him, and could not speak a kind word to him. This conflict escalated when Joseph told them his dreams which had meaning that someday they will bow down to him. So his brothers sold Joseph to Egypt as slave and told their father, Jacob, that Joseph was killed by ferocious animal. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Joseph then worked in Potiphar's house, one of Pharaoh's official in Egypt. <b>He prospered there because the Lord was with him (Gen 39:2).</b> Then he gained Potiphar's trust to manage all of his household and everything he owned. What a privilege. But his success didn't last for long. Potiphar's wife seduced him to sleep with her. Joseph refused and even flee from her presence. But she slandered him of trying to rape her and this event brought Joseph to prison. <b>Again, because the LORD was with him, Joseph gained favor in the eyes of prison warden and he became responsible to manage the prison (Gen 39:21-22)</b>. In prison, Joseph helped interpreting dreams of the cupbearer and the baker of the King of Egypt. He told the cupbearer who would soon be restored to his position to remember Joseph and helped him to get out of the prison. But the cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph, he forgot him. (Gen 40:23) Ouch! I bet we all have felt forgotten several times in our lives too. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">And two years passed.. and the Godly appointed time came. Pharaoh's need interpretation for his dreams, and the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph, he recommended Joseph to the Pharaoh. Joseph did well to interpret Pharaoh's dreams and everything happened exactly as his interpretation. Joseph even suggested a great plan to save Egypt from the upcoming disasters. Because of that, Pharaoh gave authority to Joseph to become his second in command of the whole land of Egypt. And the rest is history...</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">What I'm trying to say here is.. even Joseph, too, experienced bad things happened into his life without him doing anything wrong. And it seemed like at the beginning, his life was a series of going up-down, up-down, up-down, until he finally rose up in power and stayed there. It happened repeatedly with a long period of time. But what I love the most in his story was <b>the fact that God was always with him and caused him to prosper in everything he does. He prospered in dark moments of his life, be it as slave or even as prisoner. He simply bloomed wherever you are planted.</b> That, my friend, is what we call as <b>resilience</b>. It's an ability to comeback after any setbacks, to rise again after falling many times. And yes, in order to accomplish your God-given dreams in this life you need a high dose of that.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZDX-dkfWya7hapRF-4E7fTfuiVszhAWu4az07bSlH71LPAy5hFzOVqTVx6C8Th5wnqHlF7ijPxFSsKedhuKgLECjnhH6pdP8CE3ffW2k2MZX6pTnxIJGJt-vu3Q0crfBuzv5Knb29yWi8-slqc1c8IutUQU-EyLP9q3NSPDVD0659qNATf7GKdXTcw/s4948/r1-04586-0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4948" data-original-width="3720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZDX-dkfWya7hapRF-4E7fTfuiVszhAWu4az07bSlH71LPAy5hFzOVqTVx6C8Th5wnqHlF7ijPxFSsKedhuKgLECjnhH6pdP8CE3ffW2k2MZX6pTnxIJGJt-vu3Q0crfBuzv5Knb29yWi8-slqc1c8IutUQU-EyLP9q3NSPDVD0659qNATf7GKdXTcw/w301-h400/r1-04586-0011.JPG" width="301" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;">But before we can bloom wherever we are planted, we need to be at peace with the situation we are in right now. When bad things happen to you with no invitation and not because of your fault, you must accept that it simply must happened. <b>Our acceptance of reality even though we don't have access of full information about the whys, hows, etc is our first key before we can do anything else.</b> If we are still in shock, or in period of grieving for our loss, or in denial of such things are happening; then we are not in position yet to prosper in that circumstance. Take your time. Breathe. Process that first. Make sure you are surrounded with loved ones who simply accompany you to go through that. <b>This is a time for you to receive love, not to give. Be humble enough to receive.</b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Allow yourself to feel all of those unfolding mixed emotions one by one. I truly believe that there is a time for everything.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>"There is a time for everything ... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance," - Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 [NIV]</i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It's important to let all those emotions to flow naturally at that moment. Repressed emotions are never healthy. Many depression is caused by many repressed and unprocessed emotions in the past. So take your time to feel.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The second key in order to bloom wherever we are planted is <b>being aware of God's presence in our lives all the time.</b> You are never alone. The devil wants to believe that you are alone, but you're not. I remember that during those crying nights I've experienced, it was my most intimate moment with God too. Because, yes, there are no human beings can accompany me 24 hours that time, but God was there. Right beside me. You don't need to do much. You don't need to say a long prayer. You don't need to sing worship songs. You simply need to be aware of His presence and take comfort in that.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">The third key, <b>when you are ready, take courage to try new things.</b> Find a new mission, dream, purpose that set your heart on fire. And do it excellently. That's how you bloom wherever you are planted. It may be unplanned, but here you are. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">I'm still waiting on God with hope just like it is written in Psalms 30:11-12:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>You turned my wailing into dancing;</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><i>LORD, my God, I will praise you forever.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">If Joseph and I can, you can too. Because God is with us.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">-Leticia Seviraneta- </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p>Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-14646602113179743342020-06-14T05:14:00.002-07:002020-06-14T05:18:12.883-07:00Dating: The What, Why, and Who<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Dating. It's a word that brings more eye-rollings rather than excitement nowadays. No matter how old you are now, it's an undeniable fact that dating nowadays is not getting any easier. It supposes to be easier with the help of technology, dating apps, and so on. But in fact, the rising of online dating culture has given us a different set of challenges. In his book <i>Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less</i>, psychologist Barry Schwartz explains how having an abundance of choices, in any realm, can increase level of anxiety and depression.. not to mention wasted time. At some point, Schawrtz writes, "<b>choice no longer liberates, but debilitates.</b>" <b>People have not just more options, but too many options like fishes on the sea. That creates tendency to treat human being as more disposable, replaceable, and sadly forgettable than ever.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">So what should we do now? Should we go back to try to meet people more organically? Should we delete all those apps and condemn online dating? Or should we just give up on dating altogether? Before we jump to any conclusion, let me take you back to the origin of what dating really is, its purpose, and who you should date with. I hope that all these understandings will guide us to have better perspective and lead us better decision regarding our dating life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>What is dating? </b>Well there are lots of different views about this. Casually, it means two people who share some attractions to spend some time together, get to know each other, and have fun. But this definition is lacking of direction. When there is no clear direction, people most likely fail. <b>Dating is our process of evaluating whether or not you want to spend the rest of your life with the other person.</b> Yup.. it's a stage leading toward marriage. If marriage is out of discussion, then the whole dating processes lead no where but heartaches, break ups, and confusions. Well, I don't mean that you need to marry whomever you date. Because at the initial stage, it's still a process of assessing objectively the other person's qualities. But there still needs a goal, an objective, a purpose of commitment at the end. Otherwise, it's just a game as many people treat it and it won't get you a happy ending.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--67qUsXXmDU/XuYTDLQYkqI/AAAAAAAADCA/a1ifcWrhJuElw_7mH-Ulit4scVjUL44JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--67qUsXXmDU/XuYTDLQYkqI/AAAAAAAADCA/a1ifcWrhJuElw_7mH-Ulit4scVjUL44JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_0623.JPG" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The purpose of dating will give us reason why we date. <b>A strong why is always an anchor where you can hold any kind of relationships steady and unshakeable throughout the storms of life. A strong why will leads to security that the other person will be always around and safety is a fertile soil where healthy relationship can grow.</b> Don't date just because you don't like being lonely, you want to show off to other people that you are attractive, or because your biological clock is ticking. All these reasons, though seem so natural, is an absolute recipe that leads to dating's failures. <b>I am a believer that dating should be done from a place of abundance instead of scarcity mentality</b>. You date because you want to find a partner whom you can help to fulfil your God's given purpose together, not because you want someone to complete you or making you feel better. Look, all human beings is imperfect. An expectation for someone to complete you is too much to ask from an imperfect human being. No body is up for that task! We need to be complete and whole first in God alone, then we are able to be the giver in a relationship instead of a taker. Despite of common belief, a healthy relationship is not 50:50, it's not a half of you finding another half (read: soulmate). A healthy relationship is 100:100, it's a whole you finding another whole person to collaborate with in this long journey of life. Look, I don't mean 100 is perfection, we will look to that later on when I talk about who to date ;)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Since dating is a process of evaluation in order to decide whether you are going to marry someone or not, then you need to be equipped with what qualities to look for in a partner of life. Don't treat it like a shopping list and the person is the product. I've seen and felt personally sometimes we get too excited making list of criterias as if we are making a shopping list. The difference is the qualities that we look for, should be in us too ;) It's a double-edge sword! So first, to put it simply, what we are looking for is <b>3C's: Compatibility, Character, and Chemistry.</b> The three of them are not optional, it must be there in order for romantic relationship to flourish. Again, I remind you, it's a non-negotiable!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Many couples who have married for quite some time can witness to you how having similar life values, beliefs, goals, some common interests than merely a chemistry is so life changing. <b>You want someone with character. Not someone who is just nice, but someone who passionately pursues God and the things of God.</b> You want to be with a man or woman who posseses a deep, God-shaped character. Good people can change, as you may have heard. Without a solid relationship with God, all people are prone to change toward the bad. It's the sinful nature thing embedded in each of us. It doesn't mean a believer will never sin, but if he/she maintains strong relationship with God, he/she will rebound and get back on track after making mistakes. You want that kind of assurance. Then you want to look for someone with whom you have chemistry. Someone you enjoy hanging out with. Someone you enjoy talking to. Someone with whom you click. Someone with whom you are romantically interested with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Now here's the tricky part. You may meet someone whom you have chemistry with, but you are not compatible and some of his/her characters will need a serious attention before you proceed further. <b>Don't give in. I repeat, don't give in.</b> The downside of online dating is that they present you the photo and little bio to describe themselves [I'm discussing when they even honest about it all!] It builds your attraction toward the physical aspect first. The chemistry may be appear first, then people tend to ignore all the other aspects. It won't work. Physical aspect is the one thing that 100% guaranteed will wear off over time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>but a woman [and man too] who fears the LORD is to be praised.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I don't mean that you need to be attracted and marry someone who is ugly to you. It's a reminder not to be misled by someone because of merely their physical appearance while there is no compatibility and character. You may also meet another person who have compatibility and character, but there is no chemistry. Then voila! It's a friendship. You can't force it into romantic ones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Robert Sternberg, a member of the Psychology Department at Yale University, introduced the triangle of love. Triangle is the strongest shape found in nature. For love, a consummate love needs to have Intimacy, Passion, and Commitment.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b>Intimacy</b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b>Passion</b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b>Commitment</b></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b>Non-love</b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like#As_a_verb" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Like">Liking</a></b>/<b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Friendship">friendship</a></b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><center>
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<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerence" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Limerence"><b>Infatuated love</b></a></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><center>
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<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b>Empty love</b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><center>
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<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_(love)" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Romance (love)">Romantic love</a></b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><center>
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<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b>Companionate love</b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><center>
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<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b>Fatuous love</b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><center>
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<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><b>Consummate love</b></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); padding: 0.2em 0.4em;"><center>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sternberg describes intimacy refers to "feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness in loving relationships", passion refers to the "drives that lead to romance, physical attraction, sexual consummation, and related phenomena in loving relationships" and commitment in short-term refers to "the decision that one loves a certain other" and in long-term refers to "one's commitment to maintain that love." The shape of the triangle functions to represent the "style" of love, which may vary over the course of relationships.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">Non love</span></b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";"> The absence of any of the three types of love. No connection. Indifferent to relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">Liking/friendship</span></b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";"> This type of love is intimacy without passion or commitment. This includes friendships and acquaintances. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">Infatuated love</span></b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">: Infatuated love is passion without intimacy or commitment. This is considered "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_love" title="Puppy love"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">puppy love</span></a>" or relationships that have not become serious yet. Romantic relationships often start out as infatuated love and become romantic love as intimacy develops over time. Without developing intimacy or commitment, infatuated love may disappear suddenly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">Empty love</span></b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";"> is characterized by commitment without intimacy or passion. A stronger love may deteriorate into empty love. In an </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "courier new";"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arranged_marriage" title="Arranged marriage"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">arranged marriage</span></a></span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">, the spouses' relationship may begin as empty love and develop into another form, indicating "how empty love need not be the terminal state of a long-term relationship...[but] the beginning rather than the end".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">Romantic love</span></b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";"> This love is passionate and intimate but has no commitment. This could be considered a romantic affair or could be a one-night stand. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">Companionate love</span></b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";"> is an intimate, non-passionate type of love that is stronger than friendship because of the element of long-term commitment. "This type of love is observed in long-term marriages where passion is no longer present" but where a deep affection and commitment remain. The love ideally shared between family members is a form of companionate love, as is the love between close friends who have a </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "courier new";"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_love" title="Platonic love"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">platonic</span></a></span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";"> but strong friendship.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">Fatuous love</span></b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";"> can be exemplified by a whirlwind courtship and marriage—it has points of passion and commitment but no intimacy. An example of this is "love at first sight".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";">Consummate love</span></b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: "courier new";"> is the complete form of love, representing an ideal relationship which people strive towards. Of the seven varieties of love, consummate love is theorized to be that love associated with the "perfect couple". According to Sternberg, these couples will continue to have great sex fifteen years or more into the relationship, they cannot imagine themselves happier over the long-term with anyone else, they overcome their few difficulties gracefully, and each delight in the relationship with one other. However, Sternberg cautions that maintaining a consummate love may be even harder than achieving it. He stresses the importance of translating the components of love into action. "Without expression," he warns, "even the greatest of loves can die." Thus, consummate love may not be permanent. If passion is lost over time, it may change into companionate love. Consummate love is the most satisfying kind of adult relation because it combines all pieces of the triangle into this one type of love. It is the ideal kind of relationship. These kinds of relationships can be found over long periods of time or idealistic relationships found in movies. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sternberg's theory stated that personal relationships that have the greatest longevity and satisfaction are those in which partners are constantly working on sustaining intimacy and reinforcing commitment to each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">All of these are presented here to show you how important to have all these three components together: Compatibility, Character, and Chemistry and also Intimacy, Commitment, and Passion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The Bible doesn't speak literally about dating process, but it clearly has taught us compatibility and characters to look for in a partner for life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This is absolutely critical. You must be aligned on the most important thing in life. Because your allegiance determines your direction.<b> Difference allegiances equate to different directions. </b>If you are someone who wants to live in UK, and the other wants to live in US; it means you are in different direction. Now, some may negotiate and give in to another partner. It is important that it is done whole-heartedly. Otherwise, you will end up dragging your partner. It is not fun at all to drag somebody along, or even being dragged. Make it clear where you go in life, and make sure you are heading toward same direction. It's not just about geographic location, but your purpose in life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">A.W. Tozer wrote, <b>"The most important thing about a person is what he or she thinks about God.</b>" What you think about God inform what your values are. Your values will shape your goals. Your goals will determine where you go in life. Your allegiance determines your direction. Your mission in life determines a million little decisions you make every single day. You would like that the biggest issues of life are aligned with the person you will live the rest of your life with. With that being said, that if you are a believer, than an unbeliever will definitely out of question here. Even if someone who is a believer you need to also assess where does he/she currently walk in their faith? Does he/she merely satisfied just by going to church? Does he/she serve there? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>The great joy in marriage is linking hands with someone and running after the same goal together. Don't bind yourself together with someone who cannot converse with you about the deepest issues in life.</b> Tommy Nelson said, <i>"The loneliness of being single will not be assuaged by loneliness in a king-sized bed, laying next to someone who cannot communicate with you about the biggest issues in life. Do not settle."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>In order to find someone's real characters, you need to watch their life over a period of time.</b> You want to be able to see the why behind the decisions they make. The motivation you want to see is that they desire to please the Lord. You want to date someone who is submitted to the Lord's will. They are not perfect, but they are actively seeking him and trusting that he will make them more like him. You need to see how the other person interact with another persons whom they are not trying to impress. You need to see how they react in hard times. Pressures certainly gives way for the characters emerge inside out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I give all these advices credit to <b>Ben Stuart</b> from the book of <b>"Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age."</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-55cEX0hfD1Q/XuYTcWUd2yI/AAAAAAAADCM/voyAJQVJP6gUaErkrmJVwSzcqdW9miJhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-55cEX0hfD1Q/XuYTcWUd2yI/AAAAAAAADCM/voyAJQVJP6gUaErkrmJVwSzcqdW9miJhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_0321.JPG" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Now, understanding these may equip you further to discern and adjust your reasons to date and who to date. <b>Dating can be much easier if we have the right reason, the right direction, the right goal. Dating can also be much easier and more effective when we filter who we date.</b> Dating is difficult when we have wrong reasons and place priorities in wrong order. Filter who you go to date with. I believe it's not the method in question here. Whether you meet online or organically, you can always seek out all of these first in your conversations. <b>Make it fun but deep at the same time</b>. And when it's not there, don't force it up and keep dating that person. It will be a waste of time, energy, and emotional tank as well. <b>It's a challenging world out there, be smart! And always do it prayerfully. Trust in God's timing. </b>God is more than willing to unite his children who will be a great testimony to the world. He is interested in your love life more than you do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Cheers,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Leticia Seviraneta</i></span></div>
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-->Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-31636231043268969592020-06-03T09:16:00.002-07:002020-06-03T09:18:00.098-07:00Singleness Is Not A Curse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-f0Ym8xCpE/XtfL_syLmXI/AAAAAAAADAI/b2mfMUjLgy0mkLZK6BHieJ0KVHkt5063QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/99AAE76D-47BC-4BB4-92F3-42CDFE39C582-650-00000076141DA003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-f0Ym8xCpE/XtfL_syLmXI/AAAAAAAADAI/b2mfMUjLgy0mkLZK6BHieJ0KVHkt5063QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/99AAE76D-47BC-4BB4-92F3-42CDFE39C582-650-00000076141DA003.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">After spending my twenties in a long-term relationship, I am being single again at 30. It's actually a whole new world for me. It feels like I become a newborn baby who navigates a strange new world in front of me. You know like many dating apps emerged and how many people rely on that to meet with their potentials and also experience the frustrations caused by it and so on. I will talk about this topic on later post but not in this one ;) I learn to be content with my 'extended' period of singleness. Hereby I would like to share about what helps me to be content as single at 30s, with no prospects seen, having my own purpose of life already set. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What is about being single nowadays? When we hear someone is single, we tend to refer to their marital status. We define a single person is an unmarried person. But somehow when we only define singleness in regard of our marital status, it gives a sense of incompleteness, as if single people means they are lacking of something or someone in their lives. Some says that singleness is just a season, it will pass when we finally meet someone right and get married. That also treats singleness as a merely transition phase that people want to get over with as soon as possible. All of these common perception of singleness are simply not true. They have created so many discontentments and miseries among "single" people. Let me show you what singleness really means, its purpose, and how to navigate it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Ben Stuart defines single as a mean for devotion. God has ordained a season of singleness for every human being on the planet. Singleness does not exist simply as an extended adolescence, a pursuit of career ambition, or a preparatory phase for marriage. Rather, <b>God has ordained the unique freedoms of single life not for distractions or ambitions, but for devotion to him.</b></span></div>
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<span class="highlight_46_7_7" style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others. </i></span></span><i style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51); color: #292f33; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span class="highlight_46_7_8">I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me." - 1 Corinthians 7:7-8 [MSG]</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Singleness is not a curse, it's actually a gift.</b> It's a gift of season where you can have a single devotion to the Lord, undistracted with many responsibilities that marriage life brings. Now it doesn't mean that married people can't be devoted to the Lord, it simply means they have more challenges regarding managing their time and focus since marriage also brings more responsibilities and time constraints.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span class="highlight_46_7_32">"I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you're unmarried, you're free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. </span>Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God. I'm trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions." -1 Corinthians 7:32-35 [MSG]</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Our society tends to make marriage as the ultimate goal for every "normal" people. So many people has devoted their time in this pursuit of finding "the one" for them to marry, and each failure in relationships bring so many heartaches, loneliness, and desperations. But here, Paul stated that actually being married or not is your personal choice. He stated bluntly about the pros and cons of being married and single. But take note that singleness only serves God's great purpose when it is being used to be God's holy instrument to expand God's kingdom on earth. Singleness filled with selfishness, laziness, personal ambitions, etc is certainly not the one that is being encouraged by Paul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"If a man has a woman friend to whom he is loyal but never intended to marry, having decided to serve God as a "single," and then changes his mind, deciding he should marry her, he should go ahead and marry. It's no sin; it's not even a "step down" from celibacy, as some say. On the other hand, if a man is comfortable in his decision for a single life in service to God and it's entirely his own conviction and not imposed on him by others, he ought to stick with it." - 1 Corinthians 7:36-37 [MSG]</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>In the eyes of God, married and single people are alike. There is no higher or lesser status. Both can be used greatly to serve the Lord. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Sometimes the most loving gift God can give us right now is singleness.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span class="highlight_46_7_38">Marriage is spiritually and morally right and not inferior to singleness in any way, although as I indicated earlier, because of the times we live in, I do have pastoral reasons for encouraging singleness. </span>A wife must stay with her husband as long as he lives. If he dies, she is free to marry anyone she chooses. She will, of course, want to marry a believer and have the blessing of the Master <span class="highlight_46_7_40">By now you know that I think she'll be better off staying single. The Master, in my opinion, thinks so, too. -1 Corinthians 7:38-40 [MSG]</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Paul did not say that one season is better than another. <b>Each season, marriage or singleness, has their own purpose.</b> And on the whole passage of 1 Corinthians 7 he actually emphasized that <b>while singleness, dating, and marriage are important, they are not the main story line of your life.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I genuinely believe that God cares deeply about your love life and marriage. He even can number the hair stands in your head! How couldn't he care about selecting the right partner for marriage? God does care more than even you do! After all, the institution of marriage is God's good idea! But while important, it's not the most important thing in life. God has much bigger purpose than that. God has established his kingdom through his Son, Jesus Christ. He is currently populating this kingdom with foolish, weak, despised, broken people. Messy people like you and me. He is calling us put of the darkness we have lived in. He is cleaning us off and setting us apart for himself. Adopting us to his family and inviting us into his mission. <b>This is</b> <b>the great story of the Bible. It is primarily a story not of relationship with a spouse but of relationship with our King!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Why do I point you toward relationship with God in a post talking about singleness? Because <b>it's impossible to be content being single in this life when we aren't connected to our source of life, God! </b>Being single in a culture that worships dating and marital status can easily make us feel alone and lonely. As I said earlier, our society makes single people feel as if they are incomplete before they get married. Some even prouder when they have married yet get divorced rather than never get married in life. But </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">God's main agenda is for saving the world. Whether you are single or married, you can still do that. The period of time where you're not married or dating gives you more opportunity and help you to focus in on what matters most to God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #292f33;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">So <b>leverage this season for the glory of God.</b> Here are some steps you can maximise your singleness and navigate it regardless of your age now.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="color: #292f33;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><b>1. Find your life purpose in God</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">My dream is actually to become pre-marital counsellor. Of course when you have such a dream, you need to get married first and plus you need to have a great marriage! So undeniably, I kind of feel that my life is being postponed for indefinite period of time. What should I do now? For many of you too, maybe marriage is part of your dream. That's what makes this singleness season is uncomfortable. Yet again.. God has a purpose bigger than your dream. It is for a reason if you are still single. Find that other purpose. For now, I can help others who are single in how to navigate their lives, how to select the right partner to marry, and how to accomplish their God's given purpose. So even I am still single, does not mean that I can't work for God! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Finding your God's given purpose is crucial because it is the one thing that will excites, energises you, and keep you productive in this season. It will repel all boredom, loneliness, frustations. Guaranteed!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>2. Invest in the Next Generation</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I believe that <b>unselfish people are the most joyful people on earth. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It's easy to make life is all about us. When will I get married? When will I succeed? When will my dream comes true? But the self-centered life never works to bring true happiness. It only leads to dissatisfactions and disappointment when it's not happening right now.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Regardless of your age, in pursuit of God, do not neglect the great work of imparting the truths of God to the next generation. <b>Players need coaches. Young men and women need mentors. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>3. Cultivate Deep Friendships</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">No man is an island. When God told Adam it is not good for him to be alone, it is far deeper than just a need to get married. It also refers to how human being needs a community in order to flourish. <b>An unmarried man with meaningful friendships are still able to flourish in his life. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nowadays we are more connected through technology, but at the same time we are more disconnected emotionally. It's getting harder to cultivate deeper friendships with so many distractions around. Deep friendships take time to grow. The majority of us don't have the patience for that now!<b> Surround yourself with likeminded people who will encourage your growth in God.</b> It's very vital! There will be times when we get discouraged in our singleness, we will need the support from people who will keep us on the right track. Conversely, when we surround ourselves with wrong people, it's hard to maintain our joy in singleness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><b>"Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." -Proverbs 11:14 [KJV]</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><b>4. Grow in Character</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><b>The best gift you can ever give in a relationship is a healthy you. </b>In any kind of relationships, whether in friendship, business, family, dating or marriage, great character is an asset that can make relationship enjoyable and thriving. Singleness is a great chance to grow all the Godly characters before entering marriage. There is no magic in altar. No one changes simply because they put on wedding ring! So you may want to develop Godly characters now since it takes process and a lot of practice :) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">There are some crucial characters that I am developing and keep on learning such as: </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>- Learn to apologise and forgive </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">People will eventually make mistakes or disappoint you because no body is perfect. You need to be able to apologise and also extend forgiveness for others. I'm sure this quality is also needed for future spouse to make a thriving marriage ahead.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><b>- Learn to be content in all circumstance</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">Life includes its ups and downs. It always helps being with people who can stay positive during facing life challenges, not complaining or being grumpy or bitter in it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><b>- Learn to be humble and good listener</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">A good communication is a vital key in all relationships. In order to understand someone who is obviously different than us (because no one is our exact clone!) we'll need humility to learn and understand from others' point of view. It requires us to listen more emphatically before we talk. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1o-HMdD6h3Q/XtfMtG1jlNI/AAAAAAAADAc/dXlzxJQ8DEQ6wKHe7PU1zAHvVeH02xzWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/BEA1AD96-E1C4-42BE-AB52-E7978BFDF37C-650-000000761EEF0630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1o-HMdD6h3Q/XtfMtG1jlNI/AAAAAAAADAc/dXlzxJQ8DEQ6wKHe7PU1zAHvVeH02xzWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/BEA1AD96-E1C4-42BE-AB52-E7978BFDF37C-650-000000761EEF0630.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">I guess when we are so busy to grow our own characters, we are less thinking about how lonely singleness is :D So many to do right?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><b>Be the person you're looking for is looking for.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);"><b>Singleness is not a season to be hated, it's a season to be embraced, thankful for, and maximized for the glory of God. It's not a curse, it's a gift. </b>God has his perfect timing for everyone. Don't bother about age, cultural pressure, societal norms, what others think and say etc. <b>Find your true contentment in the Lord and get productive to do his agenda on this earth. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">Cheers,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">Leticia Seviraneta</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(41, 47, 51);">Flowers by springwaltzfloral</span></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-50787296707444735302019-11-22T23:30:00.000-08:002019-11-22T23:54:54.026-08:00Dream Again<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>When one dream dies, dream another dream. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I remember growing up back then I read this quote: <i>"Life is like a ball being dribbled. Sometimes it goes up, but sometimes it goes down. But remember: <b>the harder you fall, the higher you will bounce."</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I've embraced that words ever since. When I went through failure, I would remember it world be a drive for me to make a better comeback. As my previous dream for a wedding and marriage has died, I've learned to...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Trust again.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Hope again. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Dream again.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I still choose to trust that my God is faithful. It is us, as human being, who are faithless. I believe that <b>we often miss God's purpose in our lives because we don't trust in God enough to do it. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Faith is the only thing that pleases God the most. It shows that we believe in Him as our only God, believe in His power to do the impossible, and believe in His timing is perfect no matter how long it takes.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I welcome my whole new season of waiting upon God's next promises upon my life. He said clearly to me, "<b>Wait and see.</b>" Many years before, I used to wait upon the "when" will I marry ... but now the challenge of my faith has been elevated to the "who" and "when" will I marry. It's another level of waiting. It's another season of stretching faith to Him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">When a woman hasn't known yet her purpose or vision, perhaps it would be easier for her to jump and follow a man's vision that has been offered to her (if he has one!) Yet for a woman who has already known her specific purpose like me, it provides another challenge to meet with a man who's vision is aligned and matched with all other factors involved. Deep down I sincerely believe that such Godly man I'm waiting for only God can provide. He must has been groomed by God alone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">So what can I do? I will wait. I will wait well ... I will wait and trust in God's faithfulness. At the end I will see his promises to pass. I don't know about you and your relationship with God. But what makes me so trusting in Him, is actually a gift. Only God who works within us to enable us to believe. And such faith only grows as we feed on His Words and put it into practice.<b> Sometimes we wait to have a great faith first before we act. But actually it is through our doing first, that the faith has a chance to grow. </b>Whenever God has promised or assigned you on something, just do it. Let your faith grows along with your action. Throughout the Scripture God has proven again and again to many generations that He is a faithful God who always carry out His promises.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9 [NKJV]</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tables, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." -Habakkuk 2:2-3 [NKJV]</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>The waiting may be long, the waiting may be hard. But love the Promiser more than his promises.</b> Love God more than the things that you long for. By only then, it will make the waiting season becomes fruitful. In my current waiting period, I learn to be content for more time I can use to read His Words, more books about many topics I haven't touched before, more people to talk with. <b>I choose to grow and make this season as productive and as beautiful as possible.</b> I choose to dream another dream. Not because I abandon the first dream, but it's a detour. Not because I don't want to marry, but because I want to wait well. Sometimes I still ask God, "How long should I wait?" But you know he'll never answer such question specifically. So I guess, I have no other option unless to learn to be content no matter what. And yes.. I enjoy it. Sincerely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"But godliness with contentment is great gain." -1 Corinthians 6:6</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">You also may have longings in your heart, waiting for it to become true. Yes that longing itself may be a good cause. But God wants to show you more. God wants you to surrender your heart and trust completely into His hands. <b>For there is no safer place to keep your heart rather than in Him. </b>Humans may fail you, hurt you, disappoint you. Only God alone who can truly satisfy. Enjoy God more than your longings. At the right time, God is more than able to make it happen. And when it comes true, it won't be based on your strength, but His goodness. You have nothing to give credit to you, only a gratitude offering to God. <b>So yes, when one dream dies, dream another dream. When the unexpected happens, readjust your life. And after that, </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Trust again.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Hope again. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Dream again.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -Ephesians 3:20-21 [NKJV]</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>-Leticia Seviraneta</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos from Magnolia Rouge</i></span>Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-68277738784210511162016-01-12T03:57:00.001-08:002019-11-18T05:34:26.195-08:00The Art of Balance<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Hi! It's been really a long time for not writing on this blog. It's hard to pull out ourselves over doing things that we have been not doing for so long haha.. but here I am! Yeay! I'm writing again! :D </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k6RCBut2Nb8/XdKbKInrupI/AAAAAAAACQI/o5jAmobtg_EZQkP9R00JM_WHD_RVQAqlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Letitia_portraits0105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k6RCBut2Nb8/XdKbKInrupI/AAAAAAAACQI/o5jAmobtg_EZQkP9R00JM_WHD_RVQAqlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Letitia_portraits0105.jpg" width="292" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Today I would like to discuss about balance. Yes, whether we realize it or not, balance is the key essentials of life. We have learned balance since we're a toddler. We learned how to balance our feet so that we are able to stand, walk, and then finally run. Losing out balance will make us stumble to the front of fall to the back. From this simple experience, we can define <b>balance</b> as <b>an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.</b> Balance can also be defined as <b>a condition where things are in correct proportion.</b> So the key word related to balance is always talking about proportion and allocation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As we growing up, maintaining balance in every aspect of our lives have grown to become much more challenging. There are a lot of factors that can easily make us losing our balance. Okay we might not struggling whether we can stand on our feet steadily as we were back then, but we might struggling to maintain balance between work, relationship, time, ministry, and so on. It is very easy to have a tendency to be consumed only in a few aspects in our lives. We can end up so drawn on our work and building up our career that we neglect our family and friends. We allocate too much time at work rather than on relationship. We may think after we gain this amount of money and afford that kind of lifestyle, we would have time then to spend with our family. "After I achieve ..., then I will ..." "I am not such a multi-tasking person" on and on. These excuses are reasonable and seems common in our lives. There is nothing weird saying those statements. But the consequences of uneven allocation of focus in our lives are real. Have you ever discovered that after few years passed by from our Senior High School's graduation day, you end up being a completely stranger to your 'ex' best buddies? Or have you ever discovered that your eating habits eventually make you overweight? We cannot deny that balance is important. Then the next question will be: How can we maintain or regain our balance?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">A ballerina is the one who practice maintaining their body's balance on her entire life. She learned to dance in her toes since little til the end. She practices over and over again to do more complex movement while remaining steady all the way. On her practice, there will be moment when she can run off balance too. But <b>it's not about never falling off, but how to get back to the balance and learn not to fall off again.</b> The same principle goes too in our lives. We can never be perfectly balance ALL the time. But we can wake up and learn to regain the balance we once had. That's why it is an art. It is a journey that we must embrace bravely. So, are you ready to regain your balance your balance? Here are the steps:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>#1 Order your priorities</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F19Jbi2PVbI/XdKcddi9giI/AAAAAAAACQc/nN5oKk2OxbMS9RV_eUGGjlb89KECCd3JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Letitia_portraits0083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F19Jbi2PVbI/XdKcddi9giI/AAAAAAAACQc/nN5oKk2OxbMS9RV_eUGGjlb89KECCd3JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Letitia_portraits0083.jpg" width="292" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Patrick Lencioni once said, <b>"If everything is important, then nothing is." </b>Imagine you receive an invitation to an exclusive party. On the invitation, it is written your name as their VVIP guest. How would you feel? Perhaps we will be flattered because we are on the important guests' list. But imagine if all of the invited guests has their own VVIP's invitations as well and they are basically everyone! Would you still feel important? Surely not. <b>If everybody is a VVIP, then no one is. If everything is important to you, then perhaps nothing is truly important. </b>So, order your priorities! <b>Priority means a thing that is regarded as MORE IMPORTANT than the other.</b> In your daily life, which one is more important? You can name A vs B, C vs D, and so on. You will face many situations where you should choose. But as you keep practicing on making the right priorities, it will be more easily for the days to come. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Our life starts to lose balance when we place our activities on the WRONG ORDER.</b> For example: Pray vs Work. Do you pray first then do your work or do you work first and pray later when in need? In our natural eyes, somethings we may think that praying = doing nothing. But the truth is, as spoken by Oswald Chambers, <b>prayer does not equip us for the greater works, prayer is the greater work.</b> It is through prayer that we involve our supernatural God to work into our natural situations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear and to be healed of their sickness. But Jesus <b>often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.</b>" -Luke 5:15-16</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Jesus did not wait until his busyness fade or when the crowds leave him alone to make time for him to pray. He withdrew from the crowd intentionally and left the busyness for a moment to pray. <b>Jesus knew exactly that his praying time is more important that even a good thing called as ministry.</b> If you are too busy to pray, then you are to busy! If you feel praying is important now, withdraw for a while and simply say a prayer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In regarding making decision for life-time partner, you can consider: Wealth vs Character, Look vs Spirituality, Life's goals vs Your Goals, and so on. Make a list of all the choices you have and you will be able to see clearly which one is truly more important than the others. Do accordingly to the order which you know deeply is right without any excuse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>#2 Value your time</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">"</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Time is the most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back in your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give to someone is your time." -Rick Warren</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do."-Ephesians 5:16-18 [NLT]</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>We won't master balance in any area of our lives before we master our time.</b> Learn to value your time. Don't waste it for something that will not last long. On average, we spend most of our time at work. What do we do at our work? <b>Don't just work to spend the day nor just to earn the money, but work wholeheartedly giving your best so that your working time, too, will be meaningful.</b> If you really don't enjoy your job, please do change your line of work. Don't get stuck and waste another huge amount of time doing job that doesn't even make you excited. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">If you spend most of our time being lazy, then it's time for you to wake up! Lift up your body from your bed and start your day early. <b>Be bold in starting new things that you long to do. Live in a such a way that you will not regret someday.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>#3 Value your relationship</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Any kind of relationship is like plants. It needs to be watered regularly with communication and quality time. We can be a stranger to our ex-best buddies if we don't maintain our communication with them. <b>If we don't put attention to our relationship, we will start to grow apart from one another. </b>Value the relationship with your parents, spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend,and friends. Don't ever take your relationship for granted. <b>Just because we even meet with them everyday, does not guarantee that we know him/her more.</b>If we stop listening and communicating with them, the relationship will eventually die. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>God designed humans to live in community.</b> God said that it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). We need one another to grow to become a better person. Of course, being with another human sometimes make conflict unavoidable. But only through those inflictions, as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17). <b>We as humans are tend to be happy when we have people whom we enjoy to be with. We are never really very happy when we feel lonely. It is just not how we are wired.</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>#4 Value your money</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:21</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Some people value their money so much that they keep it for themselves only. If they have to spend it, they spend it for their needs, their wants, and just for them. If we spend our money so much in branded stuffs, it is observable that our heart too is on those stuffs. If we spend our money on gadgets, our heart is for the gadgets. There is nothing wrong with buying things for ourselves. But again, <b>we will start to lose balance in money when we overdo the concept of our money just for our own pleasure.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">To balance our financial style, we simply can do the opposite. It is <b>TAKING vs GIVING.</b> We receive our salary, but we also have portions to give generously to others. I<b>f we give money to someone, our heart too goes to that person. It means we value them, we do care for them.</b> And instead we end up being poorer, we will end up being richer in heart and eventually in the real world. <i>God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped." - Proverbs 11:24-25 [MSG]</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I love how Eugene Peterson paraphrase the proverbs. It emphasizes how true it is that those who give will eventually enlarge also many areas in their lives. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>We are never become the owner of our money even if we work hard to earn it. We are a steward of the money whom God has entrusted to us.</b> If our employer gives us salary, that is from God. If our parents give us allowance, that is from God. There is no money that ever comes on our own and that means we are not supposed to spend it recklessly. Make a budget on how you will spend your money. Balance in financial style comes from knowing first what God wants you to do with it. Remember, we are just a steward and never be the owner of money itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I earnestly hope that we all can run together to bounce back from failure in many areas of our lives. If you have lost your balance, as I had too many times, let's bounce back and go back on track to live productively for God! Good luck!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Blessings,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Leticia Seviraneta</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Photos by Amelia Soegijono Photo</i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-41359066672854913122014-08-12T01:29:00.000-07:002019-11-22T23:53:56.031-08:00Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Walking with God is not a guarantee that we won't face tragedy in life. I've testified how people who minister to God faithfully also lose their spouse and children at once. When such things happen, </span><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">some people commented, "This can't be happened to believer..." For those people, I actually want to say, "Why not?" We see.. some of Christians have mindset that by faith in Jesus everything is going to be fine. No disease will struck us, no disaster will attack us, we will live a blessed live, then we can add: 'coz we are blessed to be a blessing.. or other Christian's favorite quotes. But over thousands of years, the Bible does testify many "good people" experience "bad things". But before we discuss it any further, let's agree what we define as "good people". The world defines good people as people who do good things in general. They don't commit crime, they live a normal life. The Christians often define good people as people who love Jesus, live out for Jesus, and do some ministry here and there. Although in God's eyes, He doesn't determine someone is good or not in terms of what they do, but this writing will stick to the Christian's definition of "good people" for now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">God praised Job in front of Satan: "<b><i>Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.</i></b>" [Job 1:8, NIV] But as Satan asked to shake everything Job had to prove his theory that Job would certainly curse God afterwards, God allowed him to do that. And yes, within one day, Job lost all of his sons and daughters, the sheep and the servants, the camels and all of his wealth. But Job responded it well in verse 21 he said, "<b><i>Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.</i></b>" And I like the note in verse 22: <b><i>In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Paul, the apostle who wrote most of the letters in New Testament, the early church builders and missionary of Christ's gospel, <b>suffered</b>. <i><b>"Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." [2 Corinthians 11:23-28, NIV]</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of us, <b>suffered</b>. Isaiah prophesied about him, <i><b>"He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem." [Isaiah 53:3, NIV]</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>"He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." [Isaiah 53:7]</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>"He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth." [Isaiah 53:9, NIV]</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>"Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities." [Isa 53:11, NIV]</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>We are familiar with the phrase of "from glory to glory", but what kind of glory are we expecting to?</b> When life turns out not as we expected them to, we don't like that kind of 'glory', do we? But the Bible testifies many of the saints and even Jesus, went through the "glory of pain". </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>We don't like God's glory plan -not if it involves our suffering.</b> Not if it involves waiting for God and wondering if he's ever going to act. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">If life is a puzzle, we can say to this part of life, "I don't like this piece of puzzle. It's not what I have planned. It's not comfortable nor pleasing. I don't understand." So do I. <b>I don't understand that kind of glory either.</b> But what I do know is, <b><span style="font-size: medium;">God loves to work in our weakness. He can use us when we are strong, but he uses us MORE when we are weak.</span></b> Because through our weakness, everyone will know that if we can do great things out of it, <b><span style="font-size: medium;">this must be of God</span></b>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It is important that our faith is based on the true character of God, and not in the circumstances. <b><span style="font-size: medium;">God never promises us a life free of pain, but he promises us to walk with us through the pain.</span></b> <i><b>"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." [Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV]</b></i> <b>Yes, there is a cost of following Jesus, but there would be a greater cost not to follow Jesus.</b> Tragedy and pain happens. Why? Because we are living in the fallen world. Death is inevitable part of life. The world is not our permanent home, we are here only for a while. We are longing for the day when we meet again with Jesus face to face, the day when we will be home safely to our Father. By then, God will wipe away every tears and pain. But before that happens to us, let us embrace God's way in our lives. <b><span style="font-size: medium;">God doesn't work with formula</span></b>: good people will certainly receive always good things nor bad people will certainly receive always bad things. No. God's ways are unpredictable. I guess that's what makes him God after all. His ways are higher than ours. But what we can predict is <b>his love and goodness will always be constant in our lives.</b> Even we don't see it through the lens of circumstances now, we can see it through the lens of faith. David saw it. He wrote in Psalm 23:6, <b><i>"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>So, why do bad things happen to good people?</b> I hope I can wrap out this writing neatly with a perfect bow (beautiful ending). But truly the answer is <b>I don't know.</b> <b>God works in a mysterious way. God doesn't give us answers of everything. </b>If he does, we won't need faith anymore. Pete Wilson once said, <i>"Somehow, mysteriously, when we receive the love of Jesus into our lives through suffering; when we decide to <b>choose</b> that love and <b>share</b> it, we keep suffering from the last word in our lives."</i> <b>Suffering produces such an opportunity to experience the love of Jesus in a very unique way.</b> The beautiful side in Peters' story is when the church [not spiritual organization, but the people within the church] be there for him through the sorrow. They initiatively poured out their hands, support, and love at the most painful moment. <b><span style="font-size: medium;">It was the time when the church is not merely a place we attend to every Sunday, but becomes a true community of support.</span></b> Yes it didn't change the fact, but it touches the hearts of many with fingerprints of Jesus' love everywhere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Matt Chandler once said, "<i>There is a difference between trust and understanding. Trust is what we need when we don't have understanding.</i>" So when bad things happen to good people, it's definitely not a place to understand, but to trust. Trust in the God who loves you, always be with you, never leaves you nor forsakes you. <b>Trust grows not through convenience of life, but through the glory of pain.</b> Trust in what God is doing in your life. Because <b>all that matters in this life is not when everything goes as we plan it to be, but the journey of knowing our true God. </b></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Blessings,</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Leticia Seviraneta</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos from: Magnolia Rouge</i></span></div>
Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-19074491129788241982014-05-02T08:58:00.000-07:002019-11-18T19:24:39.658-08:00Be Content<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The reason I wrote this is not because I have mastered in being content in everything. But in opposite, I would like to share my struggling with contentment issue and what I have learned so far. I am too, still growing in this contentment area. But what encourages me the most is, as I learned the truth about God's words and applied it in my life, my world has started to achieve its balance again. I do not struggle as much as before anymore. And I hope you can experience the same :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q3d7sGdxxps/U2O8hXK9P0I/AAAAAAAACDg/Cpj8uRo_WrA/s1600/flare3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q3d7sGdxxps/U2O8hXK9P0I/AAAAAAAACDg/Cpj8uRo_WrA/s1600/flare3.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">So this is what I am struggling about. I love flare skirts. I always love wearing dresses and skirts. But these months lately, I love them even more. I also love many colours. Mostly I love pastel colours such as blue, pink, yellow, mint green, and even white, grey, many more. So I found that one flare skirt with one colour <b>was not enough</b>. I started to order another skirt with the same model with another colour on and on [one day if I have taken pictures for all of it I will show you here and I bet it will be beautiful pictures :D] I kept reasoning with myself how 'useful' are all my flare skirts. I like it first because it suits my body figure. I have small waist but long torso. So wearing flare skirt (which its waits usually about 5 cm above belly button), can cover up both of my strength and weakness. It enhances the look of my small waist, but also shortened my torso so that my feet looks longer (better if I wear high heels). I also reasoned that flare skirt looks modest. So I can wear it when I teach the class, I can feel 'beautiful' without having to display too much of my skin. Those are good reasons, right? But God knocked on my heart and reveal the real truth inside me. This is not just a matter of I love to buy flare skirts, but this is a matter of discontentment and always finding what I have not enough (whoa..)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">For information, I spend a lot to buy flare skirts. But I never spend more than I earn (which made another reason to reduce my guilty feeling about buying more flare skirts haha). But God showed me this: <b><span style="font-size: large;">"Although you can buy it, doesn't mean you have to."</span></b> Which is a very good principle that can be applied anywhere in our lives. Hey, although you can do sin, doesn't mean you have to sin. Although you can spend more time in playing game, doesn't mean that you have to play all the time. God is showing that <b><span style="font-size: large;">the real power is not releasing our abilities in any way we can, but the real power in self-control.</span></b> Like people who are strong is not people who show their anger to anyone they meet. The true strong people instead are those who can withhold their anger and still able to speak in gentle tone. That is self-control. That is <b>gentleness, power under reserve.</b> So my problem is the lack of control which take roots on <b>discontentment</b>. <b>I never feel enough. I always want more</b>. And biblically saying, <b>that is my flesh which is at work</b>. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QgYypxiP9T0/U2O8h73NJZI/AAAAAAAACDs/EwPQ-8i4FDg/s1600/flare1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QgYypxiP9T0/U2O8h73NJZI/AAAAAAAACDs/EwPQ-8i4FDg/s1600/flare1.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">You perhaps think, "Why are you taking this so seriously? C'mon it's just buying skirts.." No, I'm telling the truth God spoke to me. When I was 'on high' to buy flare skirts, I spent a lot of time searching on instagram for good skirt makers, I compared the prices, I consulted the materials (I even became smarter regarding clothing materials now), and many more. It has became distraction for me. It was time consuming and I can say also 'brain' consuming. For these few months, I constantly think about this. Some of you may don't understand why do I so obsessed with flare skirts, but just look at this discontentment issue generally. I believe each of us face it in different form. We perhaps have different struggle but the roots is still about discontentment. Some of us perhaps are discontent about their family situation, financially, and relationally. God wants us <b>to be content in <span style="font-size: large;">everything</span>.</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vnWww04fyY8/U2O8mAXmSyI/AAAAAAAACD8/14ClMWHxbiQ/s1600/flare5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vnWww04fyY8/U2O8mAXmSyI/AAAAAAAACD8/14ClMWHxbiQ/s1600/flare5.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Apostle Paul said how he has learned to be content no matter what his situation is. <i>"I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern of me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for <b>I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned <span style="font-size: large;">the secret of being content </span>in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. <span style="font-size: large;">I can do all this through God who gives me strength.</span></b>" -Philippians 4:10-13 [NIV]</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">How do I know that the root of my problem is discontentment? Because <b><span style="font-size: large;">being discontent is feeling that we don't have enough.</span></b> We don't have enough clothings to wear on, we don't have enough money, our families are not good enough, our achievements are not outstanding enough, and so on. <b><span style="font-size: large;">So to be content is deciding to feel that we have enough right here right now.</span></b> <b>It is a matter of shifting our focus on what we already have rather than what we don't have. We are rich when we can be thankful for our present situation, but we will always be poor when we keep feeling as if we are lacking of anything.</b> Paul had mastered contentment because he decided to be content wherever he was and whatever he had. Knowing this truth, I learn to be content in what I already have. <b>Have the courage to say to yourself, "What I have is enough."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In 1 Timothy 6, Paul was writing to Timothy regarding the love of money. There were some people who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. Then Paul continued, <i>"But <b>godliness with contentment is great gain.</b> <b>For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. </b>Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." -1 Timothy 6:6-10 [NIV]</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Paul said, <b><span style="font-size: large;">"Godliness + contentment = great gain [abundant gain]"</span></b> I believe Paul was saying this because <b><span style="font-size: large;">if our walk with God doesn't accompanied by contentment, our heart can easily be distracted with worldly things.</span></b> For example, I spent some money for flare skirts. And since, <b><i>"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,</i></b>" (Matthew 6:21) then as I buy a lot of flare skirts, it became an indication that some parts of my hearts were in flare skirts. For some, it can be the money you have spent for your hobbies. Something we like, but we don't need. Something we feel like we don't have enough (If we want to be honest with ourselves, we can know what it is..) That is why, I realise the importance of nurturing contentment in my life. I know contentment while enhance my productivity as God's ambassador on earth. <b>My mind becomes no longer occupied on worldly things, but on things for God's Kingdom.</b> Imagine if each of God's children do the same! The Kingdom of God will be shown greatly through our lives :D</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xpNnkNqY2-8/U2O8lC_yjSI/AAAAAAAACD0/3PyTG6ezaGI/s1600/flare6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xpNnkNqY2-8/U2O8lC_yjSI/AAAAAAAACD0/3PyTG6ezaGI/s1600/flare6.jpg" width="161" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>I learn to be content not just regarding what I have on my closet. But I learn to be content on the <span style="font-size: large;">season</span> where I am in now.</b> <b>The season of waiting.</b> Building marriage and family has become a longing for many years in my heart. I was kind of expecting it. I don't want to be in a rush to it, but I also don't want to wait for too long neither. I have learned and prepared myself for marriage and family life for years. But God showed me that perhaps I can enter that season about three years from now. #deepsigh When I found out that plan, I was a bit of paralysed. I thought, "Then what am I going to do these three years? Is there anything I can still prepare?" But God gave me such a huge comfort. <b>This singleness season is such a blessing from him that perhaps one day I am going to miss.</b> It's really an opportunity where I can serve God freely without distractions and responsibilities which housewives and mothers have. So I learn to embrace it anyway. No matter how long I should wait, I need to be content. And I am sure, three years from now, I will become more mature woman to serve my future family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">So that's my story. What about you? Are you having discontentment in any area of our lives? <b><span style="font-size: large;">Thank him for everything you now have and what you are now going through.</span></b> <b>It is just for a season. It will pass. For how long I do not know. And I learn to not care either about the timing.</b> Why? Because <b>God is always with me right here, right now, and for the future to come.</b> As long as he accompanies me, all things will be well. I pray that your lives will be filled with contentment so that we can be more focused on Him as our source of contentment and not on worldly things or even other human beings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"<b>And God is able to make all grace</b> (every favor and earthly blessing) <b>come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need to be self-sufficient </b>(possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation)." -2 Corinthians 9:8 [AMP]</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Being content is the very key to continuous happiness.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>When Paul and Silas were in prison, they prayed and sang. It isn't troubles that make saints, but their response to troubles </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Everything about which we are tempted to complain may be the very instrument whereby the Potter intends to shape His clay into the image of His Son -Elisabeth Elliot</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>God knows very well what happens to people when they are caught up in envy. What God really intends for us is that we would be content with who we are and what we have. Content with Him -Ron Mehl</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>When Christ becomes our central focus, contentment replaces our anxiety as well as our fears and insecurities -Charles Swindoll</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Love and Blessings,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>Leticia Seviraneta</b></i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-5253249062884376902014-04-28T01:37:00.000-07:002019-11-18T05:43:06.140-08:00He Holds Our World in His Hands<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As a common human being, it's easy for us to be worry for our future. We worry how can we meet up our daily needs, we worry for our health, we worry for our future spouse who haven't showed up until now, we worry for danger surround us as news broadcast it everyday, and many more. Yes, worry perhaps is inevitable in our lives. Yet when we allow worry to be permanent resident of our hearts, we allow it to cripple our faith and blur our eyes with fear. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Someone says that <b>worry means that we are praying to the wrong God.</b> Our loving God</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> surely doesn't want his children to live in worry and fear. He wants us to be victorious over all of concerns in this world. Why? Because he holds our world in his hands. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He knows you before you were born and he also knows your future. So chill out and take a deep breath. <b>Your future is safe in his hands.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"For thus says the LORD: When <b>seventy years</b> are completed for Babylon, <b>I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place</b>. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, <b>plans for welfare</b> and not for evil, to give you <b>a future and a hope.</b> <b>Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,</b> declares the LORD, and <b>I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you,</b> declares the LORD, and <b>I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.</b>" -Jeremiah 29:9-14 [ESV]</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In this passage, God gave Israelites assurance and comfort in Babylon. Many people lost their hope when they were far away from their promised land. But God assured them that their exile in Babylon would only last for 70 years. After that, they would return to the promised land. God did not plan their exile for evil. If you read the context, God had sent his prophets to warn the Israelites to repent from their sins over and over again. Their exile was part of the consequence of their generational sins. But even in their transgression, God still have mercy on them and promised that "this too will end." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Isaiah foretold that, <i>"I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but for for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty." (Isaiah 45:13)</i> What is so interesting is Isaiah made this prophecy 150 years before Cyrus was born, 180 years before Cyrus performed any of this feats, and 80 years before the Jews were taken into exile. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">And yes 180 years later, it was recorded in Ezra 1:1 that King Cyrus of Persia whose heart was stirred by the LORD to allow the exiles to return to Jerusalem and even rebuild the temple!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">God knows the future. That is why it is easy for him to predict someone who even has not even born yet to become tools to achieve his purpose. He knows all the decisions you even have not made yet. And yes, he is more than able to guide you to walk in his plans. What a comfort! <b>We need not to worry of worry of tomorrow, because God has been there already!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I like Israel Houghton song, titled "You Hold My World". The lyric goes below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Take my heart</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Lord will you take my heart</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>As I surrender to your will</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>I confess You are my righteousness</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>And until you move me I'll be still</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>And know that you are God</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>You hold my world in Your hands</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>You hold my world in Your hands</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>And I am amazed at Your love</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>I am amazed that You love me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>You hold my world in Your hands</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>You hold my world in Your hands</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>And I'm not afraid my world is safe</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>In Your hands oh</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>In Your hands</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Take my life </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Lord will You take my life</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>You are the reason that I live</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>I believe You have forgiven me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>And by Your grace I will forgive</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>And know that You are God</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>And know that You are God</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Isn't it amazing to know such a beautiful truth knowing that God already hold our world and future in his hands? We are not left alone in facing all of our problems on earth. We have him. We have God. And not just a merely 'god' but God of all created things. He is King of all kings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>In order for us to defeat worry in our lives, we need a constant reminder which says, "<span style="font-size: large;">God is in control</span>". </b>I was reminded about this truth about God as I made cross-stitch [a counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture]. I made cross-stitch based on the pattern given. So what I must do was simply follow the pattern, count the stitches before I stitch, change the thread with other colour as shown by the pattern. I realised that was exactly how God works in our lives. <b>God has a beautiful plan (pattern) for each of our lives. All we have to do is to follow His guidance step by step.</b> We don't have to figure out all things ahead today. Because mostly God's magnificent plan will overwhelm us. <b>He is gracious enough to let us handle what we can handle for now.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It takes patience and perseverance to allow stitches formed clearer picture. There were times and I got bored moreover when I stitch the dark threads. It's like the moment in our lives when we feel uncertain. But again, we must re-focus to the divine pattern and keep walking not. If we stop now, the picture will be still unfinished.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As I continued stitching, I often committed lots of miscounting the stitches. So often I found that what I had stitched and the original pattern were not exactly the same. I needed to improvise to keep up with the original pattern and hope that my miscounted stitches would not affect much on the pattern. But as you can see, when finally I had finished all the stitches, the beautiful pattern had transformed into beautiful embroidery. You won't notice anymore the mistakes I had made. So does our lives. We often make mistakes and deviate from God's original plan for us. But it doesn't matter that much as we always come back to him and continue walking in his path. Many of us are so afraid of making mistakes that we never take a step of faith. When God lead us on certain direction, we doubt that it is from God. We demand God to give us complete picture on what is ahead of us so that we have no doubt anymore. But when we do have all of God's plans unfold one time, we won't need him anymore to walk with us. We won't need faith anymore. And that is not what God wants. <b>He doesn't only want to take you from here to your destiny, but he wants us to enjoy the walk with him, grow in faith and trust to him. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD do not abandon those who search for you." -Psalm 9:10 [NLT]</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>We can learn to trust God more as we know him more. Our level of trust in God will be in harmony with our knowledge about him. </b>We say someone is <b>trustworthy</b> because he has shown his strong character constantly over time. He has proven that what he says, he will do. Our God deserves our 100% trust because for thousands of years throughout the Scripture, God has shown faithfully from generation to generation how faithful he is. What he says, he will do. So we can hold him at his words.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" -Numbers 23:19 [NLT]</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Today, it is time for us <b>to redirect our thoughts to pray to the right God and place completely our trust in the Lord.</b> When each time worry comes to settle down in our hearts, attack it with words of faith through prayer. Instead of worrying, say instead, "I know this problems trouble me and I admit that I am worry. But I don't want to stay in anxiety any longer. I trust you Lord that you are in control. May you comfort my heart and let my heart remain in peace." For many of us, it takes discipline to change our habit to worry. We need to be discipline to guard our minds so it will only be filled with good things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"Don't worry</b> about <b>anything</b>; instead, <b><span style="font-size: large;">pray</span></b> about <b><span style="font-size: large;">everything</span></b>. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience <b>God's peace</b>, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. <b>Fix you thought</b> on what is <b>true</b>, and <b>honorable</b>, and <b>right</b>, and <b>pure</b>, and <b>lovely</b>, and <b>admirable</b>. Think about things that are <b>excellent</b> and <b>worthy of praise</b>." -Phillipians 4:6-8 [NLT]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength -carrying two days at once. Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." -Corrie ten Boom</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"The more you pray, the less you'll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You'll feel more patient and less pressured." -Rick Warren</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"Quit questioning God and start trusting Him!" -Joel Osteen</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"You cannot expect victory and plan for defeat." -Joel Osteen</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"My greatest comfort is knowing that God is in control." -Andry Panjaitan</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blessings,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>Leticia Seviraneta</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos by Angga Permana Photo</i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-63427064695108944102014-03-10T10:54:00.003-07:002019-11-19T15:48:03.126-08:00First Thing First<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">One of my favourite TV Reality Show is Master Chef US. I love seeing people cook passionately as they pursue their dreams. After watching it, I was inspired to learn cooking by myself as well haha.. I started to watch some Youtube videos about the basics in cooking. What I love most is what Gordon Ramsay said in one of the episode of his Ultimate Cooking Course: "When you cut your ingredients, use your three-fingers-rule to hold it and start to cut it slowly. <b>Don't worry about the speed. If you get the basic right, speed will come along.</b>"</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6IhllfdLqws/Ux35vR1sxVI/AAAAAAAAB_w/qzADInqtXdA/s1600/knifeskills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6IhllfdLqws/Ux35vR1sxVI/AAAAAAAAB_w/qzADInqtXdA/s1600/knifeskills.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It is kind of reminding me about the basic of piano when I learned it few years ago. When I started to play piano, all I wanted was to learn new song every week. I disliked practicing for fingering (which is not in a form of song). It consisted of a lot of repetition of tones that are close in its position to strengthen your fingers. All great piano players started with that since they were very young. But what I wanted was skipping that part and learning difficult songs right away. As you may guess, it didn't work well. I might be able to play the song, but not as good as people who has more refined techniques and strong fingers. I think most of us who has a nature of being impatient struggle with this kind of stuff in many areas of life. We don't want spend a lot of time to learn about the basics, all we want is to to the advanced stuff so that we can be cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This happened also in church life. You may hear, "All we want is to get married, don't tell us to join pre-marital classes to be fed up with lots of theories. We want to just do it and let it flow. We love each other. We can get married NOW." Or you may also hear, "I can preach! I know lots of stuff in the Bible. I can preach NOW." Woww.. such impatience can really lead us to disaster! Why? Because it is like building a tall building without a strong foundation. It just cannot be. Even if it stand tall by now, it is only a matter of time, when trouble hits, it will be destroyed. Imagine if we start to cut the ingredients as if we are a Master Chef when we have zero experience with the knife. We tried to cut it as fast as we can just like what we watch in TV. We don't want to cut it slow like a snail. We ignore the bla-bla-bla rules of how to cut properly and all we think about is the speed. We may cut our finger accidentally as a result. Imagine, if we enter marriage without enough knowledge and skills about how to build a great marriage. Many failed marriages around us should make us think that marriage is not easy. There were things that they did that make their marriages failed. And there must be also things that we can do to make it work. How can we know? When we learn from those who has a great marriage! And the more we learn before it, the better preparation and the stronger we have to move ahead. As another example, imagine if we preach just out of knowledge without enough good practical example and character that we have lived in our own life. People will see our double-life and soon they will not listen anymore to our teaching. Why? Because people will respect what they see more than what they hear from us. So, if this is not the time for us to appear in front of public, call it a preparation phase to build our character, which will be our foundation in our future ministry.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">So, </span><b style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">first thing first.</b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><b style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Build the foundation of everything in your life, before you build anything.</b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We have known that foundation is so important. Now, what does a strong foundation look like? The Bible always points Jesus Christ as the foundation of everything. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"For by him all things are created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." -Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV).</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." -Psalm 18:2 (NIV)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We have seen many people tend to rush in building their dreams with least preparation or wrong foundation. For example,many people enter marriage with weak motives such as, "Because my age is already 29." Many don't realise that such weak motives can create cracks on the building of marriage they are going to build. The most common question which is being asked by psychologist when they face problematic couple is, <b>"Why did you marry at the first place?"</b> Weak motives are weak foundation and no wonder the road will get bumpier in days to come. So, <b>first thing first. Find the WHY before you make every huge decision in life. And make the WHY become your strong statement so that each time you are tempted to give up in the middle, you can go back and be strengthened with it.</b> If you ask me why will I choose to marry, I will give this answers:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1. Because I want to build a Godly marriage, family, and home. A marriage that will glorify God and become blessing for others. A marriage that will inspire others to love their spouse in the way God wants it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2. Because I trust completely in my partner and together we can build a stronger partnership for ministry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">3. Because I want to grow more in Christ-like characters. <b>I fully aware that marriage will become the toughest school of character in life, yet it will also be the most rewarding.</b> <b>I realise that in order to make a great marriage, I have to die to self.</b> I have to say goodbye to my ego, I have to serve, sacrifice, and prioritising spouse and others to bring harmony at home and glory to God. I also aware that marriage comes with a huge responsibility. I honestly feel that I haven't ready yet to do it now and I manage to focus on keep building my character as foundation later on so that once I enter marriage I am already a fully grown woman (cannot be perfect for sure!) and mature in Christ so I will be more equipped to be Godly wife and mother.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">These reasons may sound so ideal. But as we have discussed before, we need to set up the WHY so strong at the very beginning so that when we are tempted to give up, we can re-focus again and gain strength for long haul. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Your marriage, your dreams in the end are not about YOU. It's all about JESUS.</b> The question is not: "How can my marriage makes me happy? How can my dreams make me happy?" But instead, <b>"How can God's name be glorified through my marriage and dreams?"</b> Many do whatever it takes to reach their success in life, but do we do whatever it takes to please God in every area of our lives? <b>First thing first. Behind everything you do, aim for pleasing God in every step of it. </b>Thereby, we won't be confused of taking the wrong steps where God clearly won't guide us to do. If our role are as husbands and wives, aim to be the best spouse we could ever be. If our role are businessmen, aim to be the successful one while maintaining integrity in the eyes of God. In everything ... do as if unto the LORD. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"Whatever you do, work it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." -Colossians 3:23-24 [NIV]</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">When we have build strong foundation and aim for pleasing the Lord in everything we do, this doesn't mean that we are immune from calamities, suffering, and failure in the eyes of the world. The fact that we live in a fallen world will keep being our background of our daily lives. We will be different from the majority who do things in worldly ways. We may be considered weird, odd, 'holy', conventional, and many others. We may be even mocked or get into trouble simply because we are different from them. That's why we need to keep back on trusting the Lord day by day. <b>First thing first.</b> The whole journey of life is not about how many people you please. It is not how many achievements you get from the world. It is not about how much money you earn. <b>It is a constant journey of trusting the Lord from the beginning until the end.</b> Do we believe that the Lord will protect us from any harm? Do we believe that if I refuse to do things in worldly ways, God will reward me? Do we believe that God's peace will abide in us in spite of our circumstances? Do we believe that God will provide for whatever we need? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">"For in the righteousness of God is revealed <b>from faith to faith</b>; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ptnVoX9HNF0/XdKhTyGSeRI/AAAAAAAACSA/3V9LsFrX5R04z2nmER9QymCf9ABcrnRwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Letty2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ptnVoX9HNF0/XdKhTyGSeRI/AAAAAAAACSA/3V9LsFrX5R04z2nmER9QymCf9ABcrnRwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Letty2.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Our whole journey of live began with faith in God and will end with faith also. Steadfast on your faith in God. Believe that God is good no matter what. Because with such strong and steady faith, we can conquer every suffering of the world and every attacks from the enemy.</b> Of course, it doesn't make any sense to our logic to believe the goodness of God when everything in our lives go from bad to worse. I have to admit that it is difficult. You know what I did when I face difficulties in life? I poured out my heart to God. My sorrow, my complaints, everything. I am honest with the Lord. I will tell Him when it is painful. I will cry. I live as a normal human being when facing difficulties. But after that, I will come back in track. I will seek what is God's will for me at that moment. I will find my refuge back in His faithfulness which has been proven for thousands of years in the Scripture. I learn to be grateful and to praise Him even though it is hard. And I believe, by then I grew. I grew stronger in my faith with the Lord and more intimate with Him. King David, a man after God's own heart, wrote so many complaints to God in the book of Psalms. But I like his attitude after delivering those complaints, he would go back to praise God and declared his trust on Him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span class="text Ps-22-1" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;">"My God, my God, <b>why</b> have you forsaken me?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-22-1" style="position: relative;"><b>Why</b> are you so far<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14206B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span> from saving me,</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text Ps-22-1" style="font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;">so far from my cries of anguish?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-22-2" style="position: relative;">by night,<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14207E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></span> but I find no rest.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Ps-22-3" id="en-NIV-14208" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text Ps-22-3" style="font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;">you are the one Israel praises.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>In you our ancestors put their trust;</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-22-4" style="position: relative;">they trusted and you delivered them.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Ps-22-5" id="en-NIV-14210" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>To you they cried out<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14210I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></span> and were saved;</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text Ps-22-5" style="font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;">in you they trusted<span class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14210J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></span> and were not put to shame." </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span class="text Ps-22-5" style="font-size: 16px; position: relative; text-align: start;"><i>-Psalm 22:1-5 [NIV]</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 1.05em;"><b>There is nothing please God more than we trust Him.</b> <b>Trust will lead to obedience to His Word </b>(because we trust that His Words will be a great recipe to solve ALL of our problems even it doesn't happen in our time, but His time!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><span style="font-size: 1.05em;">First thing first. Build such a strong foundation in our lives although it will require us to have a long preparation. Do everything </span><span style="font-size: 17px;">as if unto the Lord and make it a purpose for us to pursue. And trust God's faithfulness and goodness no matter what. By then, we will grow strong in the Lord and live a life in a way that will give a meaning to God and others.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Love,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Leticia Seviraneta</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos by Angga Permana Photo</i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-59922864726434984012014-01-04T03:07:00.001-08:002019-11-18T08:43:29.361-08:00Grace Isn't Just A Word<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Hi! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! I have spent days to find some meaning to this year's Christmas. Would it be any different than the previous years or would it be just the same? I don't know. I guess our attitude regarding Christmas is the one thing that makes it meaningful or not. I did have some Christmas dinners with different group of friends, exchanged gifts, and even became a bridesmaid for a good friend of mine. It seemed a 'busy' month but at last I managed to spend some time for the birthday boy, Jesus :) I wonder what I need to know more about him. We spend a lot of time to know our boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse. But do we have the same intention to spend time to know our beloved God? I don't want to spend this year's Christmas with full of activities but miss the 'main thing'. So yes I spent time with Him through His Words. You may have heard about this before, I even thought I have known it already. But the unique part about God is you never arrived in knowing Him. There is always more. And here is what I find.. G R A C E isn't just a word. Grace isn't just some kind of doctrine of theology. Grace is not an abstract concept that we find it hard to understand. Grace is a person, and his name is Jesus. We serve a God who is full of grace and truth.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67ts5rjY_KI/XdLJBJWVbHI/AAAAAAAACSc/H0JolJvMOx4RfW70-HFzqAV7UnsFIX6EQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/r1-04589-0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1204" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67ts5rjY_KI/XdLJBJWVbHI/AAAAAAAACSc/H0JolJvMOx4RfW70-HFzqAV7UnsFIX6EQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/r1-04589-0001.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We may come from different background of belief. Some people believe that they serve an angry God who set rules that they have to obey and punish if they disobey them. These people can become legalistic (they try to follow all the rules as many as they can and look down on those who disobey the rules) or on the other extreme side they can live in constant fear of "not good enough". But the truth is, none of us can live perfectly, only Jesus can. So in effort to be flawless, we become helpless because we fail often. "Relationship" with God becomes an obligation or lists of things to do to make him "happy". But I want to present to you the Good News. I hope the truth may engraved in your heart deeply. Because it will set you free :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>1. God hates sin, but loves the sinners.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I beg your pardon? Do you say it correctly? How can it be? Yes, we as human, when we dislike what a person do, we also dislike the person. When your friend constantly lying to you, you immediately dislike him as a whole person. So this concept might be weird according to our human nature. <b>How can we hate what he does to us but at the same time love for who he is?? But that's our loving and just God. <span style="font-size: large;">God is holy.</span> That's why he can't stand with sin. But <span style="font-size: large;">God is also love</span>. He is full of love to all human being who also are sinners.</b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">God is not mad at you.</span></b> If you ever have confessed that you are sinners, you can't save yourself, and declared how you need Jesus as Savior for your life, God sees you now in the light of Jesus. At the cross, God's wrath to all sins of mankind have been poured out to Jesus and at the same time, His righteousness has been given to those who believed, believes, and will believe in Him! Now, that's why we call Gospel as <b>"Good News"</b> because it really is a Good News! Call it as a beautiful exchange! This is what's being described on the song sung by Hillsong, "Beautiful Exchange."</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>You were near, Though I was distant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Disillusioned I was lost and insecure</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">You were waiting at the door, Then I let You in</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Trading Your life, For my offenses</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">For my redemption, You carried all the blame</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Breaking the curse, Of our condition</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Perfection took our place</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">When only love</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Could make a way</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">You gave Your life</span></i></span></div>
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In a beautiful exchange</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">My burden erase, my life forgiven</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">There is nothing, that could take this love away</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">My only desire, and sole ambition</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Is to love You just the same</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">When only love</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Could make a way</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">You gave Your life</span></i></span></div>
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In a beautiful exchange</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">When only love</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Could break these chains</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">You gave Your life </span></i></span></div>
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In a beautiful exchange</div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Holy are You God</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Holy is Your name</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 23px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">With everything I've got</span></span></div>
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My heart will sing how I love You</div>
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<b>2. Nothing that you do could ever make Him love you more nor love you less.</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lj-hMGj3kwM/XdLJUry79cI/AAAAAAAACSo/LfVGDEPLmh4-pP9VDB2Vl6TRMqFAEvxdACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/r1-04589-0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1204" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lj-hMGj3kwM/XdLJUry79cI/AAAAAAAACSo/LfVGDEPLmh4-pP9VDB2Vl6TRMqFAEvxdACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/r1-04589-0011.JPG" width="300" /></a>Another weird truth, huh? To grasp this truth, put your feet on a shoes of parents. This is exactly the heart of parents (normally) to their children. They love their children no matter what. Even though their children messed up, no matter how deep their children fall into certain addiction, no matter how their children keeps making troubles wherever they go, they still love them. <b>They love their children too much until they will feel pain whenever their children do so. They love them but at the same time deep down they wish that their children will stop doing those things that will eventually destroy their lives. </b>The same thing goes to children who do everything good for their parents. Their parents may be proud of them, but that doesn't change the level of their love to them. I<b>t will always be 100% unconditional love, because the fact that they are their children.</b> Okay, some parents may not be like that. Because parents are human with flaws. But our God is certainly not human. <b>He is God, He is the perfect loving Father.</b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">You can be sure of His love to you will never change. </span></b></div>
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You know, I feel my life feels so much lighter when I believe deeply how much my Father loves me no matter what. It encourages me all the more to do good things as a testimony for others to know Him as well. I don't do good things to earn His favor, as many 'religions' emphasise. No, <b>God is already pleased with me because of what Jesus has done at the Cross. And knowing it's all because of Jesus, gives me no reason to boast.</b> It's not because of my goodness, it's not because of what I've done. Because in human effort, I will never achieve the 'good enough' or even I feel I am good enough, that will be a lie. </div>
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<b>3. God is faithful, even when we are faithless.</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHGQEXQN6wk/XdLJfubmESI/AAAAAAAACSs/z4L4gIICnu4kxTkNVVrWKI2P4SKYD6YQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Letty21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHGQEXQN6wk/XdLJfubmESI/AAAAAAAACSs/z4L4gIICnu4kxTkNVVrWKI2P4SKYD6YQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Letty21.jpg" width="266" /></a>Human's relationships are fragile. We cannot stand of betrayal, disrespectful attitude, and so on. We will choose not to be engaged in those kind of relationships because it brings a lot of pain. But our God is not like that. <b>Although we keep rejecting Him, we keep disobeying Him, He is still faithful. He waits for us to come back, to repent with all of our hearts. <span style="font-size: large;">He is a God of covenant.</span></b> Covenant is an agreement on ancient times in which the people who involved in it cannot break the vows they have spoken. If they break it, the penalty will be death. <b><span style="font-size: large;">God is a God who will bring out what He has promised</span></b>. When He gave His covenant to mankind first to Abraham, and then to the nation that came out from Him, the Israelites; He will carry it to pass. Even when the Israelites kept disobeying Him, He promised that one day He will embrace them back. The time will come when Israelites will know that He is and always be their only true God. He even used Hosea to describe the love He feels to Israelites. <b><span style="font-size: large;">God still loves you and waits for you to come back.</span></b> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Remember, He loves you but not your sins, because He knows it will eventually destroy you. </b></span></div>
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By realising the depth of His love for us, how can we reject such kind of great love? The way God has done for us through Jesus is what we call as "Grace". <b>Grace is a gift to the undeserving ones</b>. It's a good thing if we realise that we don't deserve it, because it makes us qualified to be receiver of His grace. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>I believe it's not the fear of the consequences which can change us, but the love and acceptance of God of the way we are. </b></span>It's not a matter of "If you don't believe in Jesus, you will burn in hell", but <b>"Hey, do you know how much God loves you? How much He has done for you at the cross? Come to Him and He will fill all your needs of love perfectly with His perfect love. Sure, you don't deserve that. But God comes to the undeserving ones, so you fit the description!"</b> <b>The heaven isn't just a place we go after we die, but the heaven is here and now on earth when we abide in His love daily and see the world as God sees it. </b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Christianity is not a religion.</span></b> It is not about going to church every Sunday. <b><span style="font-size: large;">But your very own relationship with your Savior, Jesus Christ. </span></b>It happens daily, every moment you awake, every minute you spend. It gives you a purpose in life. It fills the emptiness of your heart that can never be replaced by human being. Human may disappoint you for there is no perfect one. <b><span style="font-size: large;">But God will never disappoint nor leave you nor stop loving you, because He is a perfect God with a perfect love.</span></b> He can't deny how much He loves you and nothing can ever change that. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Grace isn't just a word, it is a person, named, Jesus Christ.</b></span></div>
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Your faith can only grow as strong as the knowledge of your God. Here are some Bible verses to know more about Him :)</div>
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<i>"The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." -Psalm 103:8</i></div>
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<i>"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?" -Numbers 23:19</i></div>
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<i>"For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath." -Deuteronomy 4:31</i></div>
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<i>"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea," -Psalm 46:1-2</i></div>
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<i>"For this is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end." -Psalm 48:14</i></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zt3TUnA2lMw/XdLKELm_p8I/AAAAAAAACTE/j4z8QFUiRz0urs-QPaydney12UKdURAYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/r1-04585-0000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1204" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zt3TUnA2lMw/XdLKELm_p8I/AAAAAAAACTE/j4z8QFUiRz0urs-QPaydney12UKdURAYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/r1-04585-0000.JPG" width="300" /></a><i>"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LOrd." -Romans 8:38-39</i></div>
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<i>"God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." -1 Cor 1:9</i></div>
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<i>"...God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." -1 John 4:16</i></div>
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Happy enjoying His love for you!</div>
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Blessings,</div>
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<i>Leticia Seviraneta</i></div>
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<i>Photos by Angga Permana Photo</i></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-11001505406514687632013-11-23T23:38:00.005-08:002019-11-18T08:55:06.254-08:00The Right Person<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18G0NIaMpBE/XdLKrWdb3bI/AAAAAAAACTM/13eenFXcvfEeXUkJS6gvnANoI8CaP1EjACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Letitia_portraits0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18G0NIaMpBE/XdLKrWdb3bI/AAAAAAAACTM/13eenFXcvfEeXUkJS6gvnANoI8CaP1EjACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Letitia_portraits0026.jpg" width="292" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">There is a proverb once says, "Show me your friends, I will show you your future." Wow.. that's deep you know. I mean.. is it really you can tell more about me or furthermore my future just by seeing who my friends are? Yup.. we may not realise it, but the people surrounds us most of the time influence us more than we can imagine. The way they talk will much or less influence the way we talk too. What they think is right somehow will give influence in what we think as right too. If a friend who may not live with you and spend time with you let's say about three times a week will shape your future, how much more do you think your partner of life (spouse) will eventually influence you? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I have been thinking lately about how much our boyfriend/girlfriend can start influencing us in many ways. I've felt that and I've seen that happens to other couple as well. I heard a mother says, "I do not have to know my son's girlfriend. I need only to see what change she has made into my son's life." It sounds harsh at first, but as I think about it more, I find a hidden wisdom there. Yup, a mother knows exactly that a partner will so much influence her son. She has experienced itself in her marriage by the way! The simplest way to know whether his son's girlfriend will do good for her son in the future is by seeing whether her son grow in character and behaviour after dating with the girl. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSBwDzZtSh4/XdLLsXvE14I/AAAAAAAACTY/mM571BDbOvE_zX5deLa958381U9KHxNcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSBwDzZtSh4/XdLLsXvE14I/AAAAAAAACTY/mM571BDbOvE_zX5deLa958381U9KHxNcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna1.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">When we are in love, many people say that we will be blind. We cannot see our partner's flaws so clearly because we are under the spell called "love". In contrast, our parents and good friends, can see much more clearly and objectively. Me, as a young woman, of course, there is so much energy to rebel and prove that they are wrong and my judgment is right. But reality has convicted me that most of the time, <b>they are right, and I have to learn so much more.</b> What an attitude! Yup, <b>it's a process falling down to your knees and put to death to our young ego and truly seeks what God really wants for us in regard of romantic relationship.</b> <i><b>His will, not ours. His best plan, not our plan. </b></i>So that makes me pondering what are the qualities for the right person to be with for the rest of our lives? Of course, I'm not referring to the perfect person which never exists. So we are talking about a person whose both strength and weakness can make our ship of love sail against all kinds of storm of life. Here are some of the qualities of the right person:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>1. The right person will make you grow deeper in your relationship with God</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This is the first and most important quality that our partner should have. The world often reverse the order in knowing someone to: <b>body -> soul -> spirit.</b> When we see hollywood movie, they all define the process of love backwards: <b>one night stand -> knowing who you slept with -> I don't care what your believe system is as long as we are in love.</b> We can see clearly that when we prioritise physical intimacy ahead of spiritual intimacy, our judgment will be clouded under the spell of 'love' or perhaps 'lust'. We can't see the purpose of the relationship objectively anymore. "I know he has different belief with me, but we are in love. He promises to come to church when we get married." If we are doing the order backwards, we are cooking with a recipe of disasters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">God wants there is a unity in <b>spirit --> soul --> body</b>. There should be a common in regard of our faith. <b>Does he/she believe that Jesus Christ is their personal saviour? Does he/she live out their faith? Does he/she has a desire to grow, to serve, and to learn God's Word? </b>Because many will admit as Christians, but many are doing that for lips service, or they might be in a baby stage of growth. They still need some time to grow. <b>Their life will show whether their faith is genuine or not.</b> We don't want to be judgmental regarding people's spirituality, but we are doing this to assess our compability in spiritual area with our potential partner. <b>Be honest with your own eyes. You get what you see now. When you are in doubt, pray to the Lord, and ask what He wants for you and obey Him.</b> The unity of body (sex) is preserved for marriage only. <b>Outside of marriage, sex can only lead to misery</b>: unwanted pregnancy, sexual diseases, heartache, and many more. <b>The best time to control our sexual desire is now, when we are still single. When we can't control it when we are unmarried, we won't be able to control it when we are married either.</b> It's just the way our body works. Pray for God's grace to enable you to do so. <b>Because the best way to follow God's way, is to use God's strength and our decision to be willing to obey Him :)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>2. The right person will challenge you to grow to be a better person inside and out</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This is the one the mother referring to previously. If her son gets worse in behaviour, in his speech, etc, there is no doubt for her that her son's girlfriend has influenced him. We may not realise that we have changed in a certain way, but those who live with us and seeing us continually will do. They see what we cannot see. When parents are pointing out something that they disagree with, our response should be to humble ourselves and listen although it's hard. <b>They give us a precious hint of what should be changed in our characters and behaviour. </b>I dislike being treated with full of correction at first, but as I grow, I realise what my parents do is a </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">favor. I mean, <b>it is better for them to correct me now, rather than my (for example) mother-in-law to do so! Or it can be it is better to be embarrassed in front our our own parents rather than someone outside correct us more harshly.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>The right person, will simply make you a better person. </b>If you always late before, he/she will challenge you to be on time. If you are lacking of patience, he/she will help you to be more patient. A good relationship will be as iron sharpens iron.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." -Proverbs 27:17 [NIV]</b></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It may get uncomfortable for us, but if we are willing to grow in character, the process will go less painful and it will get easier by time. Real love is tough, you may have heard. <b>Tough love is defined as an expression when someone treats other person he loves sternly with the intent of helping him in the long run. </b>If we don't want to make our partner uncomfortable in the process of growing their characters, we are actually letting them get into some difficulties in the future (same like parents' love to their children.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>3. The right person accepts you as you are, readily forgive your flaws in advance, but also encourage you to be all that you can be in the future</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Jesus accepts us the way we are. He forgives once and for all of our sins at the cross. He knows we will sin again, but he has always been ready to forgive us on and on. But Jesus doesn't stop there. He challenges you too to grow so that you can fulfil His wonderful plans for you. <b>He loves you too much to let you stay the same either. </b>If we are still sinning as if we never know Him, we cannot fulfil His destiny for us. So he has shown us what real love is. There will be moment when we accept people. We also ready to forgive our partner's flaws. But he right partner will see our potential, on what we can be in the future. And he/she will always encourage you to fulfil it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">After reading this, you may think, "Is there any person who is like that? It seems to good to be true." Oh yes, there is! Not many, but there is :) <b>It always starts with faith.</b> Do you believe that God is so good and He won't forget to give you the right partner? But we ourselves, need to grow first. <b>Be the one you're looking for is looking for. </b>When you want your partner to possess all these qualities, grow so that you may have it also. <b>Be the right person first. The right person will attract the right person.</b> And here's a little secret: <b>after married, your spouse IS the right person!</b> No matter how awful you start your marriage, keep in mind, <b>the person you made vow with at the altar, IS and ALWAYS BE the right person.</b> It keeps our lives from unnecessary regret and close the door for another adventure of love when we have got married. <b>Treat your spouse "as if" he/she is the right person, have faith in what God can do in human's hearts, and one day (yes there will be some time.. and you need to have faith!) he/she will completely become the right person</b>. Yes of course it will be easier if we choose carefully from the early beginning, it gives us a better start!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>So, are you the person you are looking for is looking for?</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Blessings,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Leticia Seviraneta</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos by Amelia Soegijono Photo & Luna De Mare Photography</i></span></div>
Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-55608174638591605302013-10-06T07:28:00.000-07:002019-11-18T09:04:33.668-08:00Rich Man and Poor Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1X4RRHXIAXg/XdLN-sTYvQI/AAAAAAAACUE/iuw68DMFOvEQIA5HHZLY_RUaLijH4e8WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Letitia_portraits0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1X4RRHXIAXg/XdLN-sTYvQI/AAAAAAAACUE/iuw68DMFOvEQIA5HHZLY_RUaLijH4e8WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Letitia_portraits0052.jpg" width="292" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Money ... is something that so familiar with our lives. We work to earn money so that we can buy food and drinks, stuffs, houses, and live a good quality of life. What's interesting here is the "good" quality of life can be different from one man to another. Here I divided people into three categories regarding how they interpret their quality of life. For the first category of people, money is their everything. They think money as the solution of most problems in their lives. More money is equal to better quality of life; more money, more happiness. But for another, money doesn't have such a big value in their lives. Some may have already have a plenty of them, they spend it without thinking too much, but somehow still feel hollow inside. For them, more money doesn't equal to more happiness. But they can't figure out what's the better equation to replace that. And here we come to the third category of person: they are those who may not have plenty of money, but they can be content with what they have. They work, of course (we are not discussing about lazy or idle people). They have enough to pay the bills, they live a simple lifestyle (not a poor life) to match with their income. But the most important thing is they are content. Now, we have seen three categories, which one do you think really is a rich person? And which one is the poor person?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I think you understand what I am trying to say. <b>Rich and poor ... at last aren't determined on how much money we have.</b> Why is that so? <b>It's simply because of true wealth talks more about our hearts' attitude rather than the amount of our possessions.</b> People with lots of money but never satisfied, always wanting something more and more, can't be said as a rich person. They can't be content with what they have no matter how much it is. This discontentment will lead them to endless pursuit like running on a treadmill but going nowhere. Their lives can be either full of jealousy of what other have and craving for what they have or their lives perhaps are too busy to work to earn more and more money. The poor attitude will think that, "If I have more money, I will be happier." But at last, we know that when they already have more money, they always want more. Meanwhile, people with lack of money can also have the "never say enough" mentality. So both people (whether those who have lots of money and those who lacks of money) are actually poor. If people who can never say enough are categorized as poor people, who are then the rich people? Yes, the answer is clear enough.. <b>the rich people are those who can be content with what they have</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>"I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can dpoeverything through Christ who gives me strength." </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>-Philippians 4:12-13 [NLT]</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Paul,has experienced both having plenty of money and lack of money. But he has <b>mastered</b> and <b>trained</b> himself to be content in either situation. That's truly a rich person. But a rich person doesn't stop there.. <b>not only they do content with whatever they have, but they also love to give.</b> Now, that's really something!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>"The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped." </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>-Proverbs 11:24-25 [MSG]</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>People who are truly givers are the rich one. People who dislike giving are the poor one.</b> <b>God loves to bless the givers! Why? Because He knows His blessing will be poured out to others in need. </b>It won't stuck with that person for too long. His love will be spread out and finally His name will be glorified. Do you know why the Dead Sea is called so? The dead sea has only one major water source: The Jordan River. It flows from the Jordan River and ends on the Dead Sea. There are no outlet streams which can make the water flow into the larger seas. With 33.7% salinity, which makes it the world's saltiest bodies of water, the Dead Sea gives a harsh environment in which animals can't flourish. There is no life in the Dead Sea. The same thing will happen to our heart. When we don't give to others, we make our condition of heart grows hard. It makes us becoming more insensitive, uncompassionate, cold, bitter, hollow inside. As time goes by, we can still be alive but not really 'alive'. You know.. it's kind of seeing a person with no spirit that can makes others' day happier because of his/her presence. Just as Robert Frost once said, <i><b>"There never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate."</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODQ8vhykybo/XdLOgkfkgFI/AAAAAAAACUQ/a5gPHI2PrIg0tJmRfQid8xUUyTTVTUnxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Letitia_portraits0025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODQ8vhykybo/XdLOgkfkgFI/AAAAAAAACUQ/a5gPHI2PrIg0tJmRfQid8xUUyTTVTUnxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Letitia_portraits0025.jpg" width="292" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>"You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It s more blessed to give than to receive.'" -Acts 20:34-35 [NIV]</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>The issue of money is ALWAYS the issue of heart. Our attitude of money is always a good guidance of where are the location of our hearts. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Luke 12:34 [NIV] </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Giving is a way to protect our hearts for not too attach to money and stuffs. It keeps our focus on God. It's an act of faith to God. Knowing that he will always provide. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>"Once I was young and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread." </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>-Psalm 37:25 [NLT]</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Now let's get a more complete picture of what Jesus was really saying by reading further Luke 12:13-34. When you read the passage, Jesus gave us a clue that we will have two bank accounts in our lives. The first one is our <b>earthly bank accounts</b>, the second one is our <b>heavenly bank accounts</b>. We can accumulate wealth as many as we can on this earth, but when we don't give, our heavenly account is still zero toward the end of our life. That's what Jesus described as "not rich toward God". <b>We can be rich in front of humans' eyes, but if we don't give, we may be poor in God's eyes.</b> Which one is more important? The opinions of people or the opinion of God? The temporary living on earth or the everlasting living on Heaven? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Then Jesus continued to teach the disciple not to worry. <b><i>Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" (Luke 12:22-26)</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QrQmvr4b50g/XdLOvhqhhQI/AAAAAAAACUY/HX9Woy0VsbI6kG-cY_vRBt6PVSQZhUhywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Letitia_portraits0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QrQmvr4b50g/XdLOvhqhhQI/AAAAAAAACUY/HX9Woy0VsbI6kG-cY_vRBt6PVSQZhUhywCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Letitia_portraits0031.jpg" width="292" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This us leads us to a more complete tremendous truth: <b>The issue of MONEY is always the issue of HEART. And the issue of heart is always the issue of TRUST.</b> <b>It's not merely about "having to give because God say so" but it's a matter of trusting God for every aspects of our lives. </b>Do we dare to trust God's goodness that he will never abandon us? He knows what we need. He nurtures the birds and the flowers, and we are much more worth than that! We are God's children. As good parents, we will always try hard to fulfil our children's needs. How much more God will do that for us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" -Hebrews 13:5 [ESV]</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Are you struggling to buy the property that you want but sees is so unaffordable? <b>Trust God.</b> Do your part in working smart and God will provide for you. Are you struggling to even pay the monthly bills? <b>Trust God.</b> Be content with what you have and give to others in need. Those who care for others will always be taken care by God. Adjust your lifestyle so that the spending will be less than your income. Make a financial plan. <b>But always ... start with be content with what you have now.</b> Do you have plenty of money but finding it's never enough? <b>Trust God</b>. Dedicate your money for Kingdom's work. Give it to people in need.. people who may can't pay you back. Bless those who are in God's field to spread God's words. Bless others generously, then you may find the true happiness you don't feel now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Give not for to be given back, give with a cheerful heart. You are rich, because you are a giver. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Be happy with what you have and are, be generous with both, and you won't have to hunt for happiness -William E. Gladstone</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tries to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really deeply cares -Debi Mazar</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blessings,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Leticia Seviraneta</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos by Amelia Soegijono Photo</i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-43510724088979703972013-09-11T22:12:00.000-07:002019-11-18T09:12:33.783-08:00The Fatherhood Principle<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The Fatherhood Principle is a book written by Myles Munroe which is dedicated specifically to men but women can also benefit a lot from learning this. Throughout the book, Myles addressed fundamental issues regarding <b>the purpose of fatherhood, the role of men, and fulfilling the calling as father</b>. I have been blessed a lot from learning this and cannot help not to share it. So, here is what I have learned and hopefully we together can apply it in our family to bring such a great impact to the world :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">First, I would like to share the facts and impacts of children who has no figure of father in their lives:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1. Children who was being raised without father have 5 times probability to become poor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2. Babies mortality rate who were born by an unmarried mother is 1,8 times higher than married mother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">3. Teenagers who were raised without father has bigger probability to be involved in crime and got into prison than those who were raised in a family with father and mother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">4. Teenagers are having higher risk to get into drugs addiction without father's supervision.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">5. Teenagers who were raised by single mother has higher risk to engage pre-marital sex.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">6. Living with a single parent has doubled the risk of children to suffer from physical and emotional underdevelopment rather than those who live with both parents.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">These facts has shown how important it is the presence and role of father in shaping their children's future. But the problems that we face in our society is many men don't know their purpose and the meaning of becoming a father. Inside of all men there is a potential to become a father. God wants every boy grows up to become a father. Having children on our own may automatically make us receive the title of "Father" but what is that all? What is really the meaning of being a father?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The word "father" in Hebrew comes from the word "ab". "Abba" means "papa". In Greek, the word "father" is "pater". There are definitions of ab and pater, such as:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">- Source</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">- Preserver</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">- Guardian</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">- Supporter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">- Pioneer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">- Protector</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">These definitions will direct us to the purpose of men that we have been looking for. From them, we can draw the principles of fatherhood such as:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>1. Man as the source of seeds.</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Man is the source of sperms (seeds). He is the source of human's life, while woman is the incubator of life. Woman gives life to the man's seeds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>2. Man as preserver of fruits.</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As the seeds have been planted, the seeds will grow into a tree that bear fruits. Man as a father is responsible to preserve the fruit. Fruits in the end will yield to new seed. Father is the preserver. That gives a glimpse of purpose of man for not to spread his seeds wherever he likes. Because <b>as a responsible man, he needs to be responsible of his seeds and preserve it and its fruits </b>(you know what I mean hehe)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>3. Man as the source of woman.</b> </span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCGE1igptK4/XdLP4k370ZI/AAAAAAAACUs/idJt1oLgWSk3PNFUmgiuCmEVipwzx-TRACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna%2B6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCGE1igptK4/XdLP4k370ZI/AAAAAAAACUs/idJt1oLgWSk3PNFUmgiuCmEVipwzx-TRACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna%2B6.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1 Cor 11:8-9 says, "<i>For man did not come from woman, but woman from </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><i>man; neither man was created for woman, but woman for man.</i>" Woman is man's glory. <b>Man is responsible for whatever that comes out of him</b>. <b>Woman was created out of man so that man is responsible to woman and how he treats her.</b> If you are a young man who have a romantic relationship with young woman, you need to honor her, just like you want others to honor your own daughter. It is inappropriate to force her to do sex before marriage. When a woman goes out with a man, she needs to feel protected physically, emotionally, and spiritually.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>4. Man is designed to protect his fruits</b>. It is the exact reason why God gave men physical strength. <b>Men have heavier and bigger bone's structure than women's bone structure not to struck women but to protect them.</b> There are so many men who struck and curse their wives and think that by doing so they have become true man. They are not true man; they are liar and foolish people who don't know the very purpose they were created for. This kind of men can be dangerous because <b>when they don't know their purpose, violence is inevitable.</b> <b>The safest place of woman should be in her husband's embrace.</b> When a woman is not safe in her husband's embrace, then she is in a trouble. If a man hates his own wife, he hates himself (Ephesians 5:25-33). <i>"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."</i> -Mark 10:7-9 Woman is a part of man. A man who struck and curse himself can be regarded as a crazy man. Fatherhood is an amazing responsibility because you are the ancestor of all that come out fro you and you have to protect all of them. A father means a protector.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>5. Man determines what kind of descendants and their qualities he will have.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YIfECN0kh7U/XdLQLRHKnaI/AAAAAAAACU4/rSHw5jyRCCMb4WP4JBUWJADsi7NNYbwMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna%2B8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YIfECN0kh7U/XdLQLRHKnaI/AAAAAAAACU4/rSHw5jyRCCMb4WP4JBUWJADsi7NNYbwMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna%2B8.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Have you ever heard the old saying that says, "Like father, like son"? Whether you like it or not, the qualities of man will be passed through to his descendants, either good qualities or bad ones. As a woman who considers marriage, you need to ensure your man's characters and qualities. There are some men who seem to have good fruits, but he is in disguise to trick you. If you don't want certain qualities of the man being passed to your children, then perhaps it's a 'red light' to proceed your relationship into the next phase.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">For men, you also need to be careful regarding what kind of soil that you will use to plant your seeds. Your seeds can be good, but if the soil is lacking of nutrition, you will have certainly an unhealthy tree in the end. A good seed cannot be planted wherever you like. The quality of your woman will also influence the quality of the fruits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>6. Man nurtures his descendants. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The fatherhood principle is nurturing. Men are responsible to guarantee safety, food, and the development of his seeds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>7. Man teaches his descendants.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Now we come to a very important role of a father ... teaching. Most people think that teaching is the role of a mother who is most likely at home. But God designed men to be the teacher, not women. He gave Adam knowledge in order for Adam to give it to Eve and their future children. Women can teach but still the source of the teaching needs to come from the father. Even when the father isn't present at home, women can still teach their children with the father's authority. For example, instead of saying, "I said you should not go home late beyond 6 pm," you can say, "Your daddy sad that you should not go home late beyond 6 pm." It gives a clue to children that even though their father is not there, they can feel his authority at home. And they know that their father and mother are one. It gives a clue for them to respect both.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>It is a father's responsibility to train their children to walk in the ways of God. It's not Sunday School's teacher's responsibility, nor your pastor's.</b> Of course it will be difficult to lead a child in Godly ways when the father does not know God's words or does not know God Himself very much. <b>You cannot lead people where you haven't been there either.</b> It takes a willingness to learn and grow so that you will be in a position to teach your own children about God's ways.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Men are the foundation of home.</b> <b>As husbands, men are the foundation of marriage. As fathers, men are the foundation of family. As shepherds, men are foundation of ministry.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>We all know that the strength of a building truly depends on the strength of its foundation.</b> It takes a strong character and willingness to sacrifice daily to be a strong foundation. Foundation is invisible. There are so many roles of men at home that may not be recognized by the society or even wives, but have such a tremendous impact. <b>Men as foundation will bear all responsibilities and do whatever it takes to keep the family united. Men are the super glue that makes their whole family sticks together. </b>They don't brag about how much they do for their family. A carpenter doesn't brag about how many furnitures he has made throughout his life, because it's simply his job to do that. The same thing here, men don't need to brag about how much he has worked hard to bring the bread to the table, how much he has helped to do housework, and so on simply because it is their job and responsibility to do so. <b>Foundation focuses on it's strength and endurance, but keep being invisible.</b> When you have a foundation that is so strong, you will not need to worry about problems that may come because it will not tear the building of home down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Men are not only functioned as a foundation, but as an anchor for their families.</b> An anchor is something that is dependable, something that gives <b>stability</b> and <b>safety</b>. <b>It makes your whole family feel at rest knowing that you are there and they can depend on you in everything. The anchor of men can only be tested its strength when the storms come.</b> <b>We can't see the strength of men before we have seen them in the midst of troubles of life.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7G12fltTKCE/UjFKkOx8QaI/AAAAAAAAB3I/39gw6bMPbh4/s1600/196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7G12fltTKCE/UjFKkOx8QaI/AAAAAAAAB3I/39gw6bMPbh4/s400/196.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." - 1 Cor 10:13</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">When we are facing problems that we feel bigger than our strength, know that it is a lie. <b>God will never allow a test that is bigger from your strength.</b> If it is bigger than others, then perhaps your capacity of anchor is stronger than them. <b>The more tests you have overcome, the stronger you become. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The storm will inevitably come in our life. But take heart, <i>"because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:3-4</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>For women, choose a man who has been tested through difficult times and endure it well. Don't rely on an anchor who hasn't been tested in the midst of storm.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>There is no vision being legitimated until that vision is being tested. When you have made a declaration of vision, you will be tested in accordance to it.</b> For example, if a man declares, "I will not have pre-marital sex before I got married," don't be surprised if suddenly his ex-es, other women can come to him again. If a man declares, "I will start up a business!" what will happen next will be obstacles to test the vision. Remember Peter? He said, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and death." but the next thing that happen was he denied Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Do you know what it takes to make a sword? The Greek and Romans used iron to make the swords which they will use for war. They would use iron and put it on fire so that it became so hot in order to look whether there are black spots on it or not. The black spots would appear when the molecules lack of density; the black spots simply show areas that are still mushy. When the black spots were founded, they would place the hot sword on a steel foundation and started hammering them. They would keep hammering the mushy areas until the molecules compacted and they would not see the black spots again. Then, they would put the hot sword into cold water so that the iron can be hardened. After that, they will put the sword on fire again to look whether there are still black spots again or not. If they still found it, they will repeat the process again -fire, hammering, cold water- until the black spots completely being removed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">When the sword has passed all the complete process, a soldier can be sure that it won't break in the midst of war where the life of a soldier will depend on the sword. This is the same process God uses to test us. To forge means to test weakness to ensuring strength. God doesn't need to forge to find our black spots, he can simply see directly into us. He knows our weakness, our habits, unhealthy relationship, and things we hid from others. He knows everything about us. But this forging process is for our own good. <b>He allows us to get through obstacles and tests so that you can recognize what hinders you from your life and learn to remove it. Each time we endure a problem in our life, a few of black spots are being removed from us. The more problems you overcome, the more black spots are being removed.</b> When all the black spots are completely being removed God can use you as His sword. He can use you as an example, <i><b>"This is the man who defend for My purpose. I have no fear that he will break in the midst of war."</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">So many christians "break" in the midst of obstacles simply because they haven't been in the fire too long. They have not endured the hammering process long enough. They still have many black spots that make their swords become weak. <b>The whole process will be going throughout our entire life. After we have passed one test, there will come another. God will never stop shaping you to become like Him.</b> Because He knows that your true fulfilment of life can only be come true when you follow Him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Remember that <b>it will be too late to test an anchor when the storm has come. It will be late to test a sword in the midst of war.</b> Make sure you become a man who has been tested and endured well, and if you are a woman, make sure you choose a man who has been tested through difficult times to become your life-long partner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>I once asked Billy, "What does actually turn a boy to a man?" Billy simply answers, "Problems."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>An anchor, no matter how strong it is, isn't useful when it has no strong rock to being attached on. That strong rock is Jesus Christ.</b></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> All these qualities of men can only grow when men meets and depends on His creator. <b>Jesus will teach you how to be a true warrior for your marriage and family. Men support his family, but Jesus supports the men.</b> Isn't it awesome? The burden of responsibility becomes so much lighter because men are not alone. He has Jesus to rely on. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_F_hPI1NmTg/XdLQ2YChZ7I/AAAAAAAACVE/_m4oJqqNiTgmg_ZCQ3OKREPT8qO0xf7mwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna%2B9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_F_hPI1NmTg/XdLQ2YChZ7I/AAAAAAAACVE/_m4oJqqNiTgmg_ZCQ3OKREPT8qO0xf7mwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna%2B9.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>A man who completely depends on God, is dependable. You can see his ups and downs, and being confident that he will get up again, for He relies on God's power. </b>He will keep his family safe and united no matter how, because he has seen his Father do so, God never leaves him no matter what. If you are a man, <b>it is never too late to pursue your original design to be source, preserver, protector, and teacher for your marriage and family.</b> Keep growing in Jesus! Be determined to endure all trials and keep your faith up in His power to make all things happen. If you are a woman, remember these are the qualities that you long for. <b>Don't settle for the less. Don't settle for the good enough, wait patiently for the best of God.</b> As you grow in God, He is growing a man also for you. It takes only a time before you two can meet and build His kingdom on earth, a Godly family. Keep growing and pursuing Him, your ultimate lover. <b>Be determined to be the best helper a man can ever found in this planet!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Love and blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>Leticia Seviraneta</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos by Baby Axioo and Luna De Mare Photo</i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-28053373895710218642013-08-24T02:20:00.000-07:002019-11-18T17:35:32.195-08:00The Beauty of Submission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Have you ever thought why do married couple get divorced? How can a relationship that started so sweet and romantic turns into bitter and painful? How do they get from where they were to where they are now? What went wrong? Is there any way to prevent that happen to us? We see, it is hard to find a harmonious and long-lasting marriage these days. The celebrity whose movies we often watch may already have three marriages and they are going to divorce their current spouse. Most of the people are eager to find "the right one" and when they find their spouse isn't "the-right-one-should-be", they find an excuse to break the vow they made on their wedding day. Life has become an endless search for "the other half" and will not find rest until they find one. Reasons for divorce are also varying from unnegotiable differences, unfaithfulness, dishonesty, domestic violence, lack of money, no more love, and many more. I am not going to discuss whether we should or should not divorce out of these various reasons. What I would like to address in this post is to show us the picture of marriage as God has designed it to be. I know the world gives us many examples that is so different than what I want to reveal to you. But could it be the world's way simply does not work so that they end up mostly in heartbreak and divorce? If we want a different result from most of marriages around, we need to take a different role model, a marriage that is designed by God and not human. Before we make any decision that will change our entire life regarding marriage, whether entering marriage or getting out of it, let us move backward and see marriage as God sees it :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Marriage ... in God's eyes is very special. <b>God LOVES marriage. </b>Jesus even made His first miracle, turning water into wine, in a wedding party just to save the party so that it would not ruin. The Bible started with marriage between Adam and Eve, and also will end with a great wedding banquet in heaven. Marriage is very dear to God's heart because it is the kind of relationship that reflects His love to human the most. Jesus consider us, sinful human, as bride while He is the groom. So man plays the role of Jesus while the woman plays the role as the church in a marriage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I don't know whether you are familiar with the Bible passage below or not. Some people think that the Bible is boring, but I'd love to help to show you God's heart through this passage. So please bear with me and learn to read it slowly :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church -for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery -but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>-Ephesians 5:21-33</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Why do I include a long passage here? It's because many people take only part of it but seldom see the whole picture. I found men who demand his wife to respect and submit to him because he is the head of the family. He can use Ephesians 5:22 which says, "<i>Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord</i>" or Ephesians 5:33b which says, "<i>...and the wife must respect her husband.</i>" But the question is, "Is it really what God want?" Nope. The verse before Eph 5:22 clearly says, "<i><b>Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.</b></i>" How can we submit to one another? What is it look like? How can the head of family submit to his wife?? Let us look at verse 25, "<b><i>Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..</i></b>" How does Christ shows love to us (the church)? By dying for us. He sacrificed himself for us. When Paul said, "Husbands, love your wives .." he used the word 'agapao' for 'love'. Agape is the form of love from God to human. Agape is unconditional and sacrificial! Men are called to love with the highest form of love to their wives! Amazing :D And what an interesting connection with what Jesus once said, "<i>In this world the kings and great men lord it over them; yet they are called 'friends of the people.' But among you it will be different. <b>Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.</b>" (Luke 22:25-26, NLT)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">So, what the "head" in the family should do? <b>To serve.</b> The best way to go up is to go down. <b>The best way to lead is to serve.</b> That's what Jesus was saying. He even gave us example though washing His disciples' feet (John 13:1-16). In those days, washing feet is a job of the lowest of the lowest slave who cannot do anything else in the house! There was no way to be heard that a person in upper social hierarchy washed the feet of persons with lower social hierarchy! Jesus turned around the whole system. If we want to lead, serve. <b>Don't call ourselves as the head of family when serving is the least thing we would want to do for our family members. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Marriage in God's eyes is our place to practice servanthood. Marriage can only work when what we prioritise the most is "How can I serve my spouse better?" and not "What can you do for me?". </b>It is so important that we should not allow one day even passes without considering how to make our spouse's life happier and easier. Imagine when both husband and wife serve one another daily like this! I bet there is no need divorce between marriage couple anymore. But of course, it won't be easy. It takes us to die for ourselves to serve others. It takes us to let our ego and pride die which makes the only way for love to grow and live. But I never get bored saying this: <b>hard does not mean impossible. It is possible as long as we are willing. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>The world's way of marriage turns into failure with one main general cause: because one or both of the couple use marriage as a place for them "to take" and not "to give".</b> They focuses on, "What can I get" rather than "What can I give". Can you give me love, enough money to cover expenses, attention, faithfulness, security knowing that I am no longer single?" How about we think the other way around? Let's ask ourselves, <b><i>"Can I give you love as God loves you? Can I commit to serve you all the days of my life?</i></b>" <b>If we are not ready to serve, then we are actually not ready for marriage. That makes marriage is only for mature persons.</b> Maturity is not defined by our age. Many people get married because the age says so. But we can find 40-years old person who only think about themselves only. <b>Maturity is when we are able to think others more than ourselves, bear the responsibility and willing to sacrifice ego for greater cause (long-lasting and enjoyable marriage, for example.)</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ryo_ZrF_Z98/XdNGuH50iVI/AAAAAAAACVw/L1q9vrHhQ5wE-ygIyTJ54Vc5YxD2BU_WQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna%2B12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ryo_ZrF_Z98/XdNGuH50iVI/AAAAAAAACVw/L1q9vrHhQ5wE-ygIyTJ54Vc5YxD2BU_WQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna%2B12.jpg" width="293" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Love is <b>not enough</b> to be a strong foundation of marriage. Moreover lust of sex will be much weaker foundation for marriage. <b>Great marriage isn't just happen. It requires hard work. Our career is a work, but our relationship within marriage is the greater and more important work.</b> A neglect of its importance can cause us a great heartache and sad ending as most people have. Submit to one another. <b>Submission isn't the sign of the weak, but the strong. Strong is the man who can put down their ego for the greater cause, happiness of both.</b> I believe we don't have to experience bad marriage as people do. There is a HOPE! What a good news! But we need to start and work on it with a different way, <b>God's way</b>. Would you like to embrace His way and make it your own too?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">*this writing is inspired from Ian Vail's teaching :D Thank you Ian!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blessings,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Leticia Seviraneta</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos by Amelia Soegijono and Luna De Mare Photography</i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-13381564924274948022013-08-09T06:33:00.002-07:002019-11-18T17:43:55.832-08:00Blessings in Disguise<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As I observed people in the crowd, I found people in their various seasons of life. Some are teenagers who were going with their peers, some are young parents with their babies, some are families who were looking for a place to have a lunch, and so on. They are in completely different ages and seasons of life which later on lead to different priorities. For teenagers, their social life may mean the whole world. Their friends are everything. Hanging out with friends can make them feel cool and secure. For young parents, their babies are the attention grabber of their new life. They can't do whatever they want without being interrupted by the babies' needs. What about my world? Well, my role now in my home is as a young adult daughter with parents. It is quite challenging when we are in the age that society defines us as mature while we still need to submit to authority of our parents at many points in our lives. The culture I live in has a normal standard that a daughter lives their parents only when she gets married. Living alone when you haven't got married for our typical parents can be regarded as dangerous. Moreover when our generation's purity standard is in pitifully rate. So in sum, I feel stuck. I feel like I can't be free as I supposed to be on my age. I can't have a place to stay on my own, I can't fully decide everything major without permission from parents. To ignore their prohibitions will be regarded as an act of disrespect according to them. But my view has changed when one incident came into my life ... and here I want to share what I find regarding obedience to parents.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gljWmtaKmE4/XdNHjB7aBFI/AAAAAAAACWA/yK99eqjk7kQ5wMdDpjZLAOQakJISwYjEACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna%2B13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gljWmtaKmE4/XdNHjB7aBFI/AAAAAAAACWA/yK99eqjk7kQ5wMdDpjZLAOQakJISwYjEACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna%2B13.jpg" width="293" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Parents ... can be real enemy but can also be our true friends. </b>It can be real enemy because they are mostly opposed your wants and current values in many areas of life. <b>They are the one who can say, "No!" when everybody surrounds us shout, "Yes!" They are those who loves us but sometimes cannot express it the way it should be.</b> Parents are still human you know.. In my culture, parents who can say, "I love you," everyday to their children are completely rare. They perhaps express their love on their provision of daily needs and protection. Please do highlight the word "protection" before! The willingness to protect us can be actualized in the forms of prohibitions, rules, and restraints. If you are young, you know that way is totally ineffective. More rules will only make young people gets more rebellious either in their hearts or actions. So, conflict between parents and children are totally unavoidable. There will always be difference of points of view, miscommunication, misunderstandings, and so on. Our language of love may be different from theirs. But on the opposite sites, parents are totally our true friends. Why do I think so? It's because <b>they are those who will be on our side even when the whole world leave us out.</b> They will always be there in our toughest moments of life. Friends do come and go, but parents ... will always forever be parents. They stick with us no matter what.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Apart from understanding this, I still find myself struggling with submission at times. Love ... seems natural for parents to children. But for children to love parents? It takes what I call: <b>REAL MATURITY</b>! We can see that we are accustomed to receive since we were being born to this earth. We receive milk, food, education, compassion, attention, gifts, and uncountable things to be mentioned. It would be unnatural for us to love because love demands us to take position as a giver unconditionally. That unconditional part sounds hard, does it? Parents' love are unconditional. They love us no matter what.. simply because we are their flesh and blood, their children. <b>Keep a note that 'love' does not always go along with 'like'.</b> There are a lot of our characters and behaviours which they may don't like. But no matter how many they are, they don't change our parents' love to us. That's how amazing their love is! They can tell out the world about all your weakness and even pissed off with you, but at the same time they also can't stop thinking and worrying about you [Okay, I do realise that not all parents are the same. But what I convey here is the truth in general which I see through my very own eyes :D) Back to my main point, so how can we love our parents unconditionally? And how can we submit to them more easily?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>We are not love producers. Only God, who is love (1 John 4:8),can produce the wellspring of love within us. It takes us to catch His heart regarding honoring and obeying our parents and let Him work within us to will to do so. Realise that love is a decision, not a feeling.</b> Like is a feeling. <b>Love is the compassion you decide to give no matter how you feel.</b> And that's lift up love to entirely a higher standard! It is completely a decision to keep caring and loving no matter they 'deserve' it or not. <b>I have learned that it is through loving the things I don't like is where my character grows.</b> When my parents asked me to do things I dislike, it takes a decision to obey as an expression of love to them. Since I was not a very good girl back then in this area of obedience, it is common that I am still treated as a disobedient girl most of the time. Parents can say many discouraging words that do not motivate us to express love further. I used to be discouraged because of such response. But as I grow now, I know that it should never hinder my very intention to express love to them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">What we don't realise is, parents' heart have many pains caused by others in this world. It is not easy for them to receive love as love and be gratitude because of it instantly. For some, it takes continuous actions of love for years to make them believe that they are loved. Now we get into very important point here: <b>our love is not love until the receiver feels loved.</b> We may argue that we have done this and that but unless our receiver of love feels loved, that means nothing. <b>It really takes ... patience to be a lover. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." - 1 Corintians 13:4[NIV]</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In its origin language, "<b>love</b>" here is using the word "<b>agape</b>" which is the highest form of love from God to men. Unconditional and sacrificial love. And it becomes more interesting when "<b>patient</b>" in its original language is "<b>makrothumeo</b>" which means long-suffering, to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles, offenses and injuries of others, not to lose heart, slow to anger, slow to punish. A double WOW! Love is not that simple. Even the word patient lost its deep significance to describe what love really is. <b>Love is a gift that can only be given by a real mature person.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As now I am growing as a young adult, I need to lift up my standard in my relationship with my parents. It is no longer about me as a spoil little princess who receive anything she wants and demanding love and attention from them, but me as young adult seeks to love, honor, respect, and serve them as my gratitude for raising me up this far. It's not an obligation, but the way to express my gratitude to them. And through the ups and downs in my journey of learning to love my parents, I have learned that <b>parents do feel loved the most when they feel respected.</b> <b>Respect is being actualised through obedience.</b> Of course, it doesn't make us to be like a robot who needs to do everything they want, but it is very very very (when I repeat it three times it means verrryy important) important to convey our opinions in respectable manner and neutral tone. Through my experience, <b>it really sadden them a lot when you speak rudely to them. </b></span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vY2_JwvHg-8/XdNIlZD9_GI/AAAAAAAACWg/CSdmCHjDsgciGuQTkOXY17rcc-uk76x2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna%2B16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vY2_JwvHg-8/XdNIlZD9_GI/AAAAAAAACWg/CSdmCHjDsgciGuQTkOXY17rcc-uk76x2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna%2B16.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>We will never can feel how hard it is being a mom/dad before being one. But trying to feel what it's like on their shoes will help us a lot to change our attitude to them.</b> Prohibition can be translated as, "I am worrying about you when you do this and that.." So we need to ensure that worry-producer factor is being resolved. For example, when parents say, "You are not allowed to come home above 10 pm!" They are actually worrying about many crimes during late night especially when you are a girl and alone outside. They will feel safer when you go home earlier. Respect their feelings. Go home earlier will not make an end to our world anyway :) Our friends, if they are really good, will understand about that. <b>For every prohibition, there will always be a reason behind it. They may cannot communicate it clearly, but try to understand even it doesn't make sense to our logic.</b> <b>It takes faith to obey your parents just like it takes faith to obey our God. We have to believe first that they will always think for our own good. </b>If they have to change their mind, trust that God will do it in His time. <b>It is never be our job to change them. Our job is to provide a safe environment to allow the required changes to happen through continuous love and respect.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Last but not least, for me, <b>parents are blessings in disguise from the Lord.</b> There are so many blessings hidden behind their words and actions that we may don't like. We can only receive those blessings when we walk in obedience and faith day by day. There are so many things that I am glad I obeyed my parents back then and protected me from unnecessary hurts. <b>God has given our parents for a reason. Embrace them the way they are as they have embraced you since you were in the womb. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>Proverbs 10:1</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother."</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>Proverbs 13:1</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>"Wise children take their parents' advice, but whoever makes fun of wisdom won't listen to correction."</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>Leticia Seviraneta</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos by Angga Permana and Luna De Mare Photography</i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-73165062490347696782013-06-19T23:30:00.002-07:002019-11-18T17:50:21.727-08:00The "Say Hi" Friend<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NSAC2ZixUsM/XdNJNDaqzFI/AAAAAAAACWo/79ehSZnPIa807LjWJ3zDX-NaxuR3XNR6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ap1_9309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NSAC2ZixUsM/XdNJNDaqzFI/AAAAAAAACWo/79ehSZnPIa807LjWJ3zDX-NaxuR3XNR6ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/ap1_9309.JPG" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">When I was in high school until college, I had lots of "say hi" friends. Why do I call them "say hi" friends? Because all that we do was just saying "Hi" each time we passed by. It seemed like I knew so many people yet in fact I knew so little about them. I may only remember their faces without name! As I grew up, I feel kind of tired having lots of "say hi" friends. Why? Maybe because deep in my heart I long for an intimate friendship. Most of my 'friends' during my study years are 'gone'. No contact, no meeting. Each has their own path of lives. I even wonder how can be those who used to be close (not the "say hi" friends) are not close at all by now. It is like time and lack of maintenance in a relationship really separate people. Now, I have tendency to be more selective with whom I spend my time with. Not because I am arrogant or picky. But because I really want to use my time for a long term relationship, with people who will be my forever friends and not just momentary one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>It is being said that friends do come and go, but a true friend is the one who comes and never leave.</b> I really believe that if a friendship is for true, no matter how distance separates us, we will always have a way to find one another. We will make time to maintain the relationship. Most of us are surprised when we already get so far from our used-to-be close friends. We expect that without investment of time to catch up with one another we can always be close. But the fact doesn't prove that to be true. Far from it, <b>with no investment of time, friendship dies!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Jesus regards us as His friend. <i>"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. From now on I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you."</i> <i>(John 15:13-15)</i> And of course <b>for Him, you are so much more than a "say hi" friend. You don't die for a "say hi" friend, but you may be willing to die for your very good friend.</b> I guess that perspective separates people whom we spend time with different categories such as: true friend, just friends, and "say hi" friends. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>1. "Say hi" Friends</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Our relationship with God sometimes stay in level of "say hi" friendship. We may stop by during the day or before we eat to say, "Hi" to Him. We have a fixed prayer on everything such as, "Thank you God for this food. Bless this food so it can be free from anything that can harm our body. In Jesus name we've prayed, amen!" On and on. We pray the same prayer. Or maybe we call on God when we are only in need. When we face problem, we immediately call on Him, "God, help me!" So let's have a check on our own friendship with God. Is He a "say hi" friend to you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">All of us will go through this phase first before going to another. If we find God trustworthy, we will be willing to advance our friendship with God to another phase. The same thing goes with our relationship with fellow humans. I<b>f we find they are trustworthy, don't keep them in "say hi" friends box, pursue them so that you may develop deeper friendship with them.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>2. Just Friends</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This is level of friendship where we exchange names and a little bit of general information about each other's lives. You may know their name, family, job, interests, likes or dislikes, etc. You may even often spend time with them for fun. But it stops there. You don't encourage one another to achieve goals in life, there is no depth intimacy, and so on. Sometimes we treat God as "just friends" too! "Jesus, here is what you should know and what you can interfere in my life. But in this area, let me control it in my own way." It's a half-surrender relationship. <b>It may be fun at some point, but it goes no where. It makes us stuck in our spiritual growth.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>3. True Friend</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>When Jesus called us as His friend, He meant it for the true friend.</b> Why? <b>He entrusted His secrets to you.</b> He knew you can be trusted with the knowledge of His Kingdom and about his very heart for people. <b>He has called you to be a vessel of love to share His love to the world.</b> That is a huge secret! And also a huge responsibility. <b>God longs to have an intimate relationship with you, a communication between the two of you and not just one side communication. He wants to spend time with you.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We have seen that <b>friendship grows through the investment of time. When we don't spend time much with Jesus, no wonder we feel Him so far away.</b> We cannot treat Him as a "say hi" friend and expect true friendship will emerge. Start prioritizing time with Jesus that will not be bothered with other activities. Say no to all activities that will interupt your time with Jesus. We will always make time for those whom we regard as important. <b>Job is good, ministry is good. But your time with God is the best of all.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Another element of a true friend that must exist is the trust you share with him/her. You absolutely can trust Jesus for all your secrets. He does not merely keep it, but H<b>e can guide you to overcome the sins that keep you in bondage. Trust Him. When you do what He commands, you allow Him to give the solution of your problems.</b> When it is so hard to forgive people who offend you, but you know Jesus command you to forgive, and you do it anyway, you will reap the sweet harvest of peace afterward. Of course it will not be easy. Therefore it really takes <b>TRUST</b> in Him. When your father command you to jump from the second floor and promise that he will catch you, it is no longer depend on his power to make it work but <b>your trust in him that will make it succeed. </b>God is like a very good Father who will not harm you. If He commands one thing, He is trying to save you from more horrible consequences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>"Faith don't come in a bushel basket. It comes one step at a time. Decide to trust Him for one little thing today, and before you know it, you find out He's so trustworthy you be putting your whole life in His hands." -Lynn Austin</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Trust takes time to grow.</b> <b>The very reason we experience broken trust in this world is because we give it too soon to untrustworthy people.</b> It takes both time and trustworthy character before we can give trust to someone else. You don't need to doubt on God about this. He is the expert of it! He even cannot lie! <i>"God is not a human that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19)</i> But on human being, test their character first before you give trust to somebody. See what they do with little stuff. Does lying seem okay with them? [Even lying for good] Do they keep their promise? Do they prioritise friendship with you? Don't give portions of your heart to those who are unreliable to treasure it. Allow some time and open your eyes to see straight into their hearts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Just like having so many "say hi" friends eventually makes me tired, <b>our spiritual life may be dry too when we treat our supposed-to-be True Friend as "say hi" friends. </b>We will get bored with shallow relationships. <b>Go deeper in your relationship with God.</b> Do you find it hard to understand your Bible? Start reading, googling its background, and search for what He wants for you. Do you find it is hard to find time to have quiet time? Wake up earlier or schedule some time later that is unnegotiable with other activities. <b>Guard your friendship with God with all your might. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Friendship may start effortless. </b>You know someone when he is your classmate back then and it happened that you were in the same group study as him. B<b>ut our friendship with God started with a very high price, His blood at the cross.</b> <b>Treasure it. He did not start it easy, so it is so worth catching up on regular basis. </b>Value each of your friendship too with others. Invest your time more on your true friends, and if you find them can build you up, leverage their level from "say hi" or "just friend" to true friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Have a truly fulfilling friendship with God and others!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Leticia Seviraneta</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Photos by Angga Permana Photo</i></span><br />
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-75491108054740795412013-05-30T00:23:00.001-07:002019-11-18T17:55:57.407-08:00When Hope Calls<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This writing is specially dedicated to Aiirene who requested me to write something about hope again :) Hi Aiirene! I was wondering what should I write about hope. So I start to type and here it goes ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I went to Christian school since Junior High until Senior High. The name of the school is "Faith, Hope, and Love". In Indonesians, we call it "Iman, Pengharapan, dan Kasih" or known well with its acronym "IPeKa." It was a good Christian school where I met some Godly friends who led me to Jesus and grew in my faith. But up until the graduation, I didn't know what faith, hope, and love really mean. Let's imagine that you are standing on stage of Miss Indonesia 2013 and the jury asks you, "According to you, what is the difference between faith, hope, and love?" Ding.. dong.. We may start to think.. "Hmm.. I never think of that question before.." These three are known well as three pillars of Christianity but we can be a Christian for so long not knowing what exactly they are. That's what happened to me. I can search for the theological definitions easily. But unless those definitions touch my heart and change my life, it will be only merely beautiful ordered words. One day, I went into a Christian store and saw a simple wall decoration with this writing on it:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>"Faith makes a closed door to be opened.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>Love makes an opened door stays opened."</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">That writing really went into my heart!! Finally, it made sense to me. I noted it and keep remembering it until now. The Bible says, <i>"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)</i> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Although Paul described love as the greatest, I believe these three complements one another. Faith in Jesus Christ is the beginning which leads us to trust Him in every areas of our lives. <b>Faith helps us to believe the impossible is possible in God's hands.</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Faith gives birth to hope. A hope that has no basic of faith in Jesus is a wishful thinking. For a hope to be anchored so strongly it must be rooted in faith in Jesus again. Jesus came to the world to give us a hope of reconciliation to Father from sins. <b>He is our hope.</b> <i>"And hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." (Romans 5:5) </i>God's love is the reason why we have such an endless hope. And God's love is what makes us too to love others. God did not just merely come to introduce faith, hope, and love; but he wants us to share this good news to others. Because <b>faith, hope, and love refers to one in common.. the very person of Jesus Christ</b>. These three becomes one in Jesus Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I hope that this doesn't confuse you. I've just revealed what faith, hope, and love has been applied in my personal life. They are all talking about Jesus Christ.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CS8s4eXRAvE/XdNK5e2hpsI/AAAAAAAACXU/GoomuoP_Ih88qGEkJEZTHTI6HCqb3EoqACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ap1_9348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CS8s4eXRAvE/XdNK5e2hpsI/AAAAAAAACXU/GoomuoP_Ih88qGEkJEZTHTI6HCqb3EoqACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/ap1_9348.JPG" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">So.. let's back to hope again ;) How can we maintain such an endless hope in our life? Hope of deliverance instead how impossible our circumstances are, hope when we are in despair, hope when will our dreams come true, and many more. Well, <b>hope is the anchor for our ships of life. It keeps our life safe and sound as the storm in life comes. </b>Not alike many other people who is easily swept away when the storm comes, our anchor of hope keeps our lives steady and peaceful no matter what. Do you remember when Jesus fell asleep when the storm came on the lake of Galilee?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"Suddenly <b>a furious storm</b> came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But <b>Jesus was sleeping</b>. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown! He replied, <b>"You of little faith, why are you so afraid?</b>" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I have a picture of the lake of Galilee. You can see how perfectly peaceful the water. When I went there, it's hard to imagine such a furious storm had ever come on it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This story shows us that <b>when Jesus is in your boat (ship) of life, you can rest in full assurance that your life is under His control.</b> You can remain in peace and not easily respond to the storm based on your fear, anxiety, and worry. <b>God is more than able to make any kind of storm in your life calm.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Of course, in order to defeat our natural emotion is not as easy as flipping our hands. <b>It takes a daily decision to surrender your remote control of life to God.</b> It's an honest acknowledgement that <i><b>we don't see the light of hope in this situation, but we believe that God will show it to us in His time.</b></i> And we hold fast to our faith and that's how we can keep seeing the opened door ahead. It's okay to say, "It's hard, Lord!" but don't forget to keep proclaiming, "But You can make it possible."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The very reason why I have such a peaceful life is because I have surrendered my life to Jesus. My dreams, my financial condition, my family, my love story, my activities, my everything. I know deep inside my heart that my God is a very good God and whatever He gives will be the best for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Billy once illustrated the unopened door as the elevator door which is closed for a momentary. <b>We may see it now as a closed door, a dead-end, a hopeless state. But it's actually just a matter of time, God will open the elevator door and deliver us to our destination.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>When you are placed in difficult circumstance with difficult people, it is a season for you to grow in your faith, hope, love, and character.</b> <b>We are most likely pray for a change outside rather than a change inside of us. We pray for deliverance instead of growth. </b>That's not what God intend to do when He is training His children to be mature. <b>He is so into maturity process rather than momentary happy life. </b>Trust and surrender to God in molding you into a beautiful vessel in this season. <b>We always came up with a better character when we respond right during hard times.</b> Let's admit it, we cannot grow with no problems in life. And any organism who doesn't grow anymore is basically dead! <b>When we stop growing, we start dying!</b> Hey, God does not want you to die! He wants you to grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, to become more like Him each day. Knowing this purpose will set you at the right perspective and help you in nurturing the hope in your heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I want to close this writing with a quote that is very dear to my heart. <b>"People with hope can dance without music."</b> I believe that is the happiest person ever alive! We don't need the circumstance or people we are upset with to change first before we can enjoy our life. <b>Hope always begins far before the reality match with it. That's why it is being described as "seeing the unseen opened door". </b>Your level of hope will keep you strong and steady no matter hard life can be. <b>And Jesus is always be our hope.</b> When everything seems gone wild outside of your control, always RUN to Him. He is your Prince of Peace. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"Peace I live with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." -John 14:27</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." -Philippians 1:6</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Have a hopeful life! :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blessings, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Leticia Seviraneta</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Photos by Angga Permana Photo</span></i></div>
Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-69342789613331103202013-05-20T23:58:00.000-07:002019-11-18T18:00:10.180-08:00True Love<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6qOaSivkT0/XdNMEFbBSmI/AAAAAAAACX0/p5I8Ly4ECvAhwTsG8RutPEjdGsoRxH3xgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna%2B18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6qOaSivkT0/XdNMEFbBSmI/AAAAAAAACX0/p5I8Ly4ECvAhwTsG8RutPEjdGsoRxH3xgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna%2B18.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">When I ask people what is true love, they will reply with various kinds of answers. Some people may not believe in it, some people believe but they still have not experienced it. Some has lowered their standard regarding of their love story because the ideal so-called 'true love' is too good to be true. Some wait for the mr/mrs right because they believe that will be the moment they will experience true love. So they hop in one relationship to another to seek the one meant to be for them. I'm not an expert of love. But this writing, I'm going to share my definition of true love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>True love has one source, God</b>. God IS love (1 John 4:8). In Him, we can find what is true love and what is true love in actions. I find it is impossible to try to define true love apart from this truth. God has shown us what love is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In Rome 5:8, Paul described it so beautifully: "<b><i>But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.</i></b>" <b>True love sacrifices even to the point of death for someone who may not deserve it. </b>We don't deserve that kind of love from our God, but He gave it to us. He has shown us what it truly means to love someone. <b>Love is giving ... your very own for the sake of your beloved. It's always comes from within and not because of what others have done for you. </b>Otherwise, it will be a business transaction, no longer a 'love'.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVPg634hKlc/XdNL1x2AllI/AAAAAAAACXw/wkkclvXFN0wKoH8BYt-698Gi25Svm74RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/luna%2B17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVPg634hKlc/XdNL1x2AllI/AAAAAAAACXw/wkkclvXFN0wKoH8BYt-698Gi25Svm74RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/luna%2B17.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Yes, true love nowadays is rare. Maybe because many people refuse to believe on its existence. Even if they do believe, they believe it for the wrong reasons and motive. <b>True love is not when you find the right one for you.</b> It's unrealistic to depend entirely on someone who can make your life happy. If we see it closer, it's a bit of selfish, isn't it? If we strive for this definition of true love, we will always fail. We will end up in jumping from one relationship to another, leaving more scars in our hearts. <b>True love is also not when everything is perfect.</b> No one is perfect. Therefore there will be flaws in your partner, obstacles in your relationships. Parents' approval, emotional baggage, difference in characters, habits, and preferences may be obstacles that you have to face together. True love isn't free from these problems, but it always find a way out and endure the hard seasons of life together. I know it sounds so idealistic. But <b>it really takes two people who are committed to each other through the good and bad to make love lasts. Only a love that has persevered and conquered many obstacles in life can be called true love.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>The whole point in loving someone is sacrifice</b>. Will you sacrifice your preference in watching movies that you like and watch his/her preference? Will you sacrifice your time to be with him/her? Will you sacrifice your money to satisfy him/her? Will you sacrifice your ego to apologize to reconcile with him/her? You can see that the standard of true love is so high that we find it is very difficult to achieve the perfect score. Yes, it's difficult. Therefore we really need to connect with the Source of love itself and draw love supply from Him. <b>Only people who has satisfying relationship with God can satisfy his/her partner of life. Only people who feel loved all the time by God can love their partner all the time.</b> If you feel that your relationship with God is not right or you 'feel' distant [I emphasize the word 'feel' because it is always us who feel that God is distant, but actually He is always with us], then <b>it is wiser to build your relationship with God first before you start with someone</b>. How can you do that? Spend time with Him. Pray and spend time to read His words and let it works in your heart. Too many people settle in their relationship with God. They think they have it enough. Keep Him involved in everydays of your life and let Him fill you with His abundant love. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>I find that the partner who is ready in a committed relationship is the one who doesn't need a partner anymore.</b> Why? Because God is their partner. They find Him sufficient. An earthly partner will be an addition to their wholeness in God. Don't let human being fill your loneliness in life. <b>Go to God</b>. <b>True love is given to those who are mature enough to sacrifice and love the God's gift of partner.</b> You don't expect partner who has so and so qualities while you don't have it either. <b>Grow yourself first. Make it a purpose that you will give the very best version of you once you meet him/her.</b> Make them feel blessed when they have a partner who love the Lord with all of their hearts, minds, and souls. Make them proud when they have a partner with mature characters, responsible, committed, honest, discipline, and strive for growth in life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>True love is a gift from God. It happens when you REST in Him and not frantically seek potential partner of life.</b> Some argue that we need to pray and work to find him/her. Some argue that we need only to pray and wait. So which one is right? I believe it is <b>both</b> in the right proportion. We don't expect that we can only pray and really do nothing in our home and hope God will send him/her right at our door. But we also are not frantically seek him/her as if it really depends on our own effort. Do you get what I mean? <b>It is a beautiful balance between praying, developing pure friendships with opposite sex, and waiting.</b> I highlight "pure friendships" because most of people do not intend for friendship. They intend for dating. It's really a different stage. The very sign whether you are developing pure friendships or dating him/her is asking yourself, "Will you still be friend with him/her when they have boyfriend/girlfriend?" I find that most people who intend for dating draws their presence from their opposite sex 'friend' when they commit relationship with other. There is also none of physical contact that can send different signals when it is in pure friendship stage. Don't rush in to "dating stage". Take time to really know him/her. Don't let the flings or the 'feeling' of love blind you from defining the truth.</span><br />
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</b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>I believe that as a woman, my part is to wait and not to seek. My part is to develop Godly woman qualities that will be a gift to my future partner. My part is to preserve dignity and not tossing my feelings and bodies easily to men who may not committed for long term relationship.</b> There is no space for trial and error for me. I wait for 21 years and not get into relationship until God shows me the right time has comes. <b>I don't wait idly but productively doing things for His Kingdom.</b> And in spite of many ugly realities around, I preserve my faith that my God, the Source of love, is the best Author of love story. <b>He really writes a beautiful love story for those who give the pen for Him. Surrender your love story in full of faith.</b> Don't expect less because the world around you give you bad examples. <b>Expect more in God</b>. <b>When it comes to your love story, aim high.</b> Get ready to make a lot sacrifices but also get ready to reap the beautiful fruits of it in the end. <b>Choose a partner who has been tested through difficult times. Someone ... who is worthy of you. Someone who fights for you. And wait patiently for God's timing to make His wonderful plans unfold.</b> I can ensure you, it will be <b>worth the wait.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Leticia Seviraneta </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: courier new, courier, monospace;"><i>Photos by Luna De Mare Photography</i></span></div>
Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-69147111772523739812013-04-14T05:22:00.001-07:002019-11-18T18:24:57.809-08:00From A Father's Heart<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Father and daughter relationship is one of the most beautiful gift to human being. Our God himself is always take a position as a Father and embrace us as His daughters. A daughter is safe when her father fulfils his calling by protecting and loving her with all of his might. Sadly, we know that in reality it doesn't always happen. We have seen a relationship where father and daughter don't communicate so much because he is busy with his occupation or think that it is her mother's job to nurture the children. We have seen a father who emotionally and physically abuses his daughter. We have seen a father who abandons her daughter. If you don't have the gift of father and daughter relationship as it suppose to be, then I want to encourage you to embrace your loving Father in heaven. His love is more than enough to heal your wound, disappointment, and hunger for father's love. It is important because without our Father's love in heaven, we will eventually become limp in the area of love and also may not have a healthy self image. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Hereby, I would like to give a father's letter to his daughter. It is made by Ps. Philip Wagner, the one who has become a true father to his daughter. I know that most of us may not have this kind of earthly 'ideal' father, so I am deeply convinced that his letter will share a bit of real father's heart for you. Take this letter as what our Father in heaven would like you to know. He always wants the best for you. He always wants to protect you. Nothing sadden him most then when you make wrong decision for your partner of life. May it blesses you all :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>January 12, 2009</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Dear Paris,</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pN6nvEN-Tik/XdNRD9nUghI/AAAAAAAACYY/SVVdhYEcni0T1Mqa_tOJF-a76AdriF9uwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/jose%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1104" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pN6nvEN-Tik/XdNRD9nUghI/AAAAAAAACYY/SVVdhYEcni0T1Mqa_tOJF-a76AdriF9uwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/jose%2B2.jpg" width="235" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Today is your mother's and my 24th anniversary.</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWKUqueCon0/UWqcl0rL-uI/AAAAAAAABws/nfjMqvGMVrY/s1600/young-girl5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><i></i></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Those are kind of rare these days. Many times, relationships just don't make for a marriage that will last that long. Sometimes people stay married that long, but they just kind of endure it and don't really enjoy it like they once did.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>My wish for you is that you enjoy a loving relationship and have a marriage that will last.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>After having been married 24 years and helping hundreds of others in their relationships, I believe it has a lot to do with who you choose to give your heart to. A father wants the best in life for his daughter, and I'm no different.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>You once said in a video message that when you got married, you wanted a man like me. You may not need someone like me (although I loved hearing that), but I do hope you end up choosing someone to give your heart to who will be a great match for you. As a dad, I would say to choose someone who is good enough for you, someone who is worthy of you. Ultimately, this is your choice ... no one can make it for you. Others can only hope that you guard your heart above all else. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>I've given similar advice to thousands of others but I thought I'd share it with you on this special day in a more personal way. My advice to you, as your daddy, is to find someone who is:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>1. A Christ-follower.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>This should be the number-one thing. I'm not talking about picking someone who says he is a Christian; we've met many people like that. I'm not talking about someone who knows a lot of Scripture or has been a church member; there are plenty of people who do those things who may not make a very good spouse. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>I'm talking about <b>a young man who has a genuine love for God.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Find <b>someone whose faith inspires you to believe more and live with a higher focus, a person who wants to honor Jesus Christ in how he lives and in the choices he makes.</b></i></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">This kind of faith will cause the person you choose to look for direction from a <b>Source</b> beyond his own thoughts and feelings. He will be compelled to be <b>a servant</b> at times when others focus on themselves; he <b>will forgive </b>when others want to hold on to little disagreements; and he will try to <b>trust God</b> when others just do it their own way. He will <b>look to God's Word for guidance </b>and <b>will be accountable to God for his choices</b>.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>I've seen some people compromise on this number-one quality and regret later because it affects so many other areas.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>2. Respectful</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>A person who respects you <b>will think about your feelings and desires before taking action and making decisions. </b>He will make decisions that demonstrate that he genuinely honors you.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Respect changes everything about how we talk to each other, how we work through differences and how we arrive at our ultimate decisions.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>He will respect God's plan for your life. He will never encourage you or support you in disregarding what's best for your life.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Respect causes us to be kind in way that others are not. It affects how we speak about each other to others and how we approach life together.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>3. Protective</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>This does not mean that he is defensive. He is protective. To me, this means <b>he is considerate of you</b>. In our world today, it's easy to be self-focused. When the pressure is on, we tend to take care of our own needs first. A person who is protective will think of you before himself.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>He will protect you physically from harm and from his own desires that would put you at risk.</b> To young people this includes pregnancy and disease, but it also means meeting your physical needs in everyday life.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>He will protect you emotionally by stepping up in times when you may need that extra sensitivity.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>He will protect you spiritually by keeping a watchful eye over temptations and distractions.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>He will protect your relationships,</b> conducting his relationship with you in a way that does not jeopardize the other relationships that are important to you. He will not be competitive or unnecessarily jealous, forcing you to choose him in order to feel more important.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>Love inspires someone to care for others enough to protect them.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>4. A Man with Vision</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>A person with vision has <b>ambition with purpose.</b> A person with vision has <b>direction</b>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><b>Some people may have goals, but vision takes you somewhere.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Most young boys have big dreams. Some young men have interesting ideas about ways to make money. But ultimately you will probably want a man that is focused on "making a life," not just "making a living," someone who wants to make a difference in the world,</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-RVazjULLs/XdNRyO9_SAI/AAAAAAAACYo/LNDf-gc63X4hj3dLWZkQfAFP3UW8NPOJACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/jose%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1099" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-RVazjULLs/XdNRyO9_SAI/AAAAAAAACYo/LNDf-gc63X4hj3dLWZkQfAFP3UW8NPOJACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/jose%2B4.jpg" width="292" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poKoX1qEmQc/UWqcvwwEG5I/AAAAAAAABxE/gOwwH3dc2Ec/s1600/young-girl4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><i></i></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Vision brings <b>confidence</b>, confidence brings <b>strength</b> and strength brings <b>greater vision</b>. (Confidence is a quality that brings so much to a relationship, because it allows us to deal with situations that come up by focusing on those situations alone -not on our own hidden needs that subtly affect every conversation.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Well, these are a few important qualities ... Maybe you can stuck this note away somewhere and let it speak to your heart in the months and years ahead. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>My wish for you is to enjoy love in its greatest form.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Love, </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>When it comes to men, please do aim high. </b></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">Photos by Jose Villa</i></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-26965203496192735422013-02-28T21:59:00.000-08:002019-11-18T18:28:34.829-08:007 Secrets of a Long and Satisfying Marriage<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">his article was made </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">by Rebecca Barlow Jordan and I found it inspires a lot in knowing the key of successful marriage. Learn before you do. I am a believer that marriage is a lifetime learning journey. But if we don't realise it as it actually is, we will face so many difficulties ahead. So, enjoy the article and grow together :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">After four decades of marriage, my husband and I could probably sum up the secret of a long and satisfying marriage in three words: God’s amazing grace. Regardless of how long you’ve been married, I’ve listed some additional secrets below that might be helpful. No, these secrets are not necessarily <em>our </em>secrets, though we’ve tried to incorporate them into our marriage relationship. Like you, we’re still learning. But as marriage enrichment leaders through the years we’ve had the privilege of working with many couples. And in his ministry position, my husband has had the opportunity to counsel and help numerous couples.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What makes a marriage flourish? This list is not exhaustive, but here are seven secrets of a long and satisfying marriage that we’ve observed through the years: (If you’ve been married over 20 years, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes a marriage last. You can do so at the end of this blog).</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1. Build your marriage on the right spiritual foundation, with Christ as the center.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This includes a <b>respect</b> for each other and <b>submission</b> to God. <b>Couples with mutual faith and spiritual goals who</b> <b>pray together do tend to stay together </b>(<a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/wzznlzdsnfnbdjsybwqmtbktdzbjvqqjfgdtllyvfvvjwfl_idzmhgzdmddz.html">Ephesians 5:21</a>, NASB). <em>But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you </em>(<a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/spbsrlbksjstbpkdtcfhztwzbltpvffpjmbzrrdvjvvpcjm_idzmhgzdmddz.html">Matthew 6:33</a>, NKJV).</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">2. Seek to understand and appreciate the God-given differences and uniqueness of your spouse.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Couples can spend a lifetime of fruitless, unhappy years trying to change each other to mirror their own personalities instead of celebrating and being grateful for their differences. Men and women <em>are</em>different. In addition, <b>your spouse’s strengths (that you might call irritations) may be the very tool God wants to use to compliment your weakness in that area</b>. <em>You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex</em>(<a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/amstksmptbtnmlpwnyzgvnrvmsnldzzlbhmvkkwdbddlymm_idzmhgzdmddz.html">Psalm 139:12-14</a>, NLT). <b>Love does cover a multitude of flaws! </b>(<a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/ylmblcsgbmbnsvgznfrtpnypscnvqrrvmkspllzqmqqvfsq_idzmhgzdmddz.html">I Peter 4:8</a>, NASB).</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">3. Draw the right conclusions about the things that happen to you and your marriage.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Recognize the lies, “It will always be this way;” “Things will never change;” or “I married the wrong person,” and make a mutual commitment to work on difficult issues that may arise. <em>Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life</em> (<a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/jrrqrfbmqsqwbnmdwthkzwczbfwnjhhnsvbzrrdjsjjntbv_idzmhgzdmddz.html">Psalm 139:23-24</a>, NLT). <a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/akhtksmptbtnmlpwnyzgvnrvmsnldzzlbhmvkkwdbddlyms_idzmhgzdmddz.html">Romans 8:28</a> is another great principle to help you keep the right perspective.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">4. Continually practice communication that includes talking–and listening–with a genuine effort to understand.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Practicing “fast-food” communication helps. Think about talking with your spouse like the cashiers do on the microphone when you’re in line at a fast-food restaurant. They repeat your order back to you until they (hopefully) get it right. <a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/qgnpwhmfpnptmdfbtvqrjtyjmhtdsqqdngmjwwbsnssdvww_idzmhgzdmddz.html">James 1:19</a> is a great rule of thumb. <b>Taking the time to truly understand your mate by “drawing out” their thoughts </b>takes it a step further: <em>Counsel in the heart of man [woman] is like deep water, But a man [woman] of understanding will draw it out </em>(<a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/vhpjvmfgjrjnfygtnkbzqndqfmnypbbyrhfqvvtprppykvh_idzmhgzdmddz.html">Proverbs 20:5</a>, NKJV).</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">5. Become a life-long a student of your spouse, including learning and “speaking” their love language.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In Gary Chapman’s book, <a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/xrbjvsdbjgjtdcbmtplqntkndstchllcgrdnvvmhghhcpvs_idzmhgzdmddz.html" target="_blank"><em>The Five Love Languages</em></a>, he shares five ways that all of us best “receive” love: words of affirmation, acts of service, physical touch, quality time, and gifts. It’s a fascinating, but rewarding task to discover what your spouse’s love language really is. Chapman’s book is now available in paperback, and if you are interested, you can find it <a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/bgcclbpqcdcypzqtyjkmsyvspbyzfkkzdgpslltfdffzjlz_idzmhgzdmddz.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I have a few other helpful marriage books listed on my <a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/gnclynctlwldcmthdkqpjdsjcndmgqqmwrcjyyhgwggmkgy_idzmhgzdmddz.html" target="_blank">resource </a>page, but there are tons more available. Keep in mind that relationships are hurt, not helped, if you base this “love language” on an “I-will-if-you-will” or an “I won’t if you don’t,” basis. <b>Love chooses to give, even when the giving may seem one-sided at times.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Most couples will occasionally “hit the wall.” That happened to us fifteen years into our marriage. This often happens to a runner about halfway through his race. That’s the point where his body is feeling the pressure of the race, and he must make a decision: to quit or to get a second wind and keep on going to finish. Same thing in a marriage. At that point, don’t hesitate to get help from a trusted counselor. We all come into marriage with baggage. Sometimes we need help “unpacking” it. Determine that the benefits are worth the work. Marriage is built on commitment, through the good times–and the bad. It’s not based on feelings or emotions. <em>Love is patient…love never fails</em> (<a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/cqcjdqtljhjftmlnfgrzkfvktqfmprrmhctkddnphppmgpl_idzmhgzdmddz.html">I Corinthians 13:4, 8</a>, NIV). And <b>forgiveness—and grace—are essentials to a growing relationship.</b></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">7. Have fun together.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Divert daily; withdraw weekly; abandon annually–these were the challenges we heard from a pastor friend early on in our marriage. Take time to get away and nurture the relationship God gave you. No money? Cheap dates with your spouse are plentiful. Be creative, and make it a priority to have fun. <b>Laughter is not only a great healer. It’s also great way to nourish a growing marriage.</b> <em>A merry heart does good, like medicine</em> (<a href="http://www.crosswalkmail.com/omlrzmtlrfrdtqlvdkgncdsctmdqjggqfwtczzvjfjjqkjr_idzmhgzdmddz.html">Proverbs 17:22</a>, NKJV).</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Would You Share Your Secrets for a Long and Satisfying Marriage?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">These seven secrets are not exhaustive. God’s Word offers many practical principles and blueprints for this most sacred relationship. How about sharing the secrets of your marriage? I know others would benefit by your comments. If you’ve been married at least 20 years, what are some secrets you can share with us? What are the things that have helped make your marriage strong?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Photos by WeareOrigami and Luna De Mare Photo</i></span></div>
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Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1793350762986381208.post-72718067313485679442013-02-17T08:54:00.000-08:002019-11-18T18:31:20.879-08:00The Winter Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I am living in country where it has no four seasons. There are no spring, summer, autumn, nor winter. In my country (Indonesia), we have only two seasons: dry season and rainy season. Most of Indonesians dislike the peak of dry season where the weather gets very hot (around 33 degrees of Celcius). Okay, I know that means "nothing" to those who lives in four seasons country, because on summer their average temperature can be between 41-57 degrees of Celcius. But for Indonesians, 33 degrees is hot. Especially living in busy city like Jakarta with its traffic jam, walking under the sun is the least favorable option for the citizens. We desperately long for a cooler weather and get addicted with air conditioner in every room. That is why Indonesians also has greater interest to travel to cooler country or perhaps certain country during the winter time. We long to see SNOW! For us, it is exciting! But as I have observed, the people who live in four seasons country may not see winter season as an enjoyable one. In contrast to Indonesians, they may much prefer summer than winter. Winter is dreary, the sun sets earlier, the city gets more quiet because people prefer to stay within their warm home, the road gets more slippery so that people have to be more careful in driving, and many more. Isn't that interesting? For some, winter is fun, while for some others winter is dreary!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Isn't our life's approach similar to the seasons that happen in where we live to? Although each of us may have different preference regarding our favourite season, I would like to share my illustration from the general point of view. Let us assume that summer is associated when things in our life are running well. Then winter is associated when things are not as smooth as we planned it to or even bad things are really happening in our life such as disaster, "big" problems that seem impossible to solve, etc. Most of people love when summer season is happening. Life seems so free from its problems, they can do what they want to do, have fun, and "enjoy" life. But <b>as certain as the season changes, so does the season of our lives will change.</b> Your summer time perhaps was in your childhood. As you grow up as teenager you started to face that your parents have to divorce, your school friends dislike you, and life seems so "dark". No dream, no hope. Or maybe your summer is your single life back then. The season changed as you entered marriage life with "wrong" man. You cannot stop wishing how you would make a better decision back then which is not choosing him as your life partner. The point is, either it is because of your mistake or others' decision in your life, your season of life will change. <b>Summer is not for forever, neither winter is for the end of time. Joy does not last forever, neither sorrow is meant for the end of time.</b> Knowing this seasons of life and anticipating its changes is a wisdom. If you embrace this wisdom, you may be better prepared to face the winter time. <b>Just because the winter is cold doesn't mean you have to become a cold person too.</b> I know that the heaviness of problems you are facing offer many chances to let you become one. But again, I want to encourage you to embrace the wisdom and anticipate the change in your life well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I know exactly that winter time can really be awful. Your car can be all covered by snow and ice which takes a lot of effort to remove it. You can get flu. Even waking up in the morning requires high level of determination. But try to imagine this.. In the midst of the coldness that your body is difficult to bear, you start to sip and holding on your hot chocolate. Hmm.. I bet that the hot chocolate will taste so much better than when you drink it in summer. What I want to show you is, yes problems in your life can really make your life seems bad. It can even make you feel helpless, desperate, tired, worry, angry, and so on. Yes, it can also make you sick, either mentally or physically. <b>But realise that only in this "winter" season, you can allow some works God has to do inside of you.</b> <b>It is the only season where the smallest act of kindness such as a simple smile given to you can mean the world to you.</b> Just a feeling that someone cares for you will influence your soul so much. It is the season where you can see who your friends really are. And as odd as it seems, <b>it is a season where your friends can turn to strangers, and strangers turn to friends. </b>It is a fragile moment where if you open your heart enough, you can allow some "strangers" to be the extension hands of God and touch your heart. <b>There is still a beauty in winter time. It depends on how you choose to see it.</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3INlny_FBP0/USEHuE6ggpI/AAAAAAAABtY/czldFhqvZ-c/s1600/winter4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3INlny_FBP0/USEHuE6ggpI/AAAAAAAABtY/czldFhqvZ-c/s400/winter4.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Believe that God will not allow winter time in your life for no reason. If He allows you to face difficult circumstances, He has a purpose for you.</b> You may be bored with these words. But I cannot tell other truth besides this. There once a girl who has just went home after serving the Lord in the church. She was practicing choir until late at night. When she had almost arrived at her home, some guys approached her and almost rape her. She wasn't being raped at that night. But she could feel the disgust brim over her mind knowing that she has been sexually abused. After that happened, she took a bath again and again. The water from the shower washed her crying face. In her heart she kept screaming, "Why Lord? Why Lord?" She didn't do anything bad. She had just SERVING the Lord. Why would God allow such thing to happen? She didn't find the answer until 20 years later her ministry came to reach the women who became victims of rape. At first she started to reach one woman, the woman lashed out her saying, "You don't know how it feels!" Now she realise why would God allow that horrible night 20 years ago to happen. She confidently said to the victim, "I do. I know how it feels. Although I wasn't being raped fully but all the condemnation and disgust feeling was the same as yours." I will never forget the lesson here. <b>God will make you so strong at the broken places in your life so that you should minister to others out of that hidden strength.</b> God may allow you have a background of alcoholic and drug users so that one day you can reach those who are just the same as you used to be. I am not saying if you never be in their position God can never use you. I am saying that <b>God can use all things that happen in your life (including bad things) to serve a greater purpose in others' life. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"You intended to harm me, but <b>God intended it all for good.</b> He brought me to this position so <b>I could save the lives of many people.</b>" -Genesis 50:20</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"And we know that in <b>ALL</b> things God works for the <b>good</b> of <b>those who love him</b>, who have been called according to <b>his purpose</b>." -Romans 8:28</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>"<b>He has made everything beautiful in its time.</b> He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." -Ecclesiastes 3:11</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E_swtlPRgZQ/USEHr0BmIXI/AAAAAAAABtQ/bQCFU0D6VQY/s1600/winter3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E_swtlPRgZQ/USEHr0BmIXI/AAAAAAAABtQ/bQCFU0D6VQY/s640/winter3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zEa3vamuBSw/USEH7nGWj9I/AAAAAAAABtw/ldap5Ton3zI/s1600/snowdrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zEa3vamuBSw/USEH7nGWj9I/AAAAAAAABtw/ldap5Ton3zI/s400/snowdrop.jpg" width="259" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Winter is not always bad. The thick ice can be used for ice skating. You can spend more time with your family at home or read your untouched books so far. You can make snowballs, ski, etc. <b>There is a beauty in every winter.</b> It may be hidden, so you need to use your eyes of faith to see it. In the midst of the plants that run dry during winter, there is one type of flower grows in it. It is snowdrop flower. Snowdrops symbolize <b>new beginnings</b> and <b>hope</b> because they typically bloom at the end of winter and announce the approach to spring. Growing close to the ground, they also represent death. <b>In winter time, your character is being purified. That will require the death of "self". No more selfishness, no more "I" in everything. </b>You try to see things as God sees it, treat people as God wants them to be treated, and even consider them more important than your needs (not being a martyr of course). <b>And out of the death of "self" is actually the beginning of hope.</b> Snowdrops are beautiful not just physically but because of the message they bring. <b>There is a hope in the midst of your heavy problems. Do not let the light of hope diminish in your life. </b>Pray to God, ask Him what He wants to teach you in this season. Keep believing that this winter time won't last forever. And as you keep trusting in the goodness of the Lord, keep praising and giving thanks to Him, the spring is approaching you. The hope will announce its coming. And you may no longer realise that the season of your life has changed simply because you are <b>embracing</b> the beauty of your winter time. Don't wait for things to be better first to be thankful, start with today and your life will change! <b>Life is not about waiting the storm out there to pass, but to get out and dancing in the rain</b> :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless" -Chester W. Nimitz</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>"A little more persistence, a little more effort and what seems hopeless failure may turn to glorious success" -Elbert Hubbard</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Blessings,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Leticia Seviraneta</span></div>
Leticia Seviranetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04163130975986504663noreply@blogger.com0