"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

Sunday, June 22

The Reluctance

0 comments Posted by Joyce G. at Sunday, June 22, 2014

I totally hate coming back home after being away from it. It is such a great way of dealing with the many things that are coming your way, incessantly that you just want to get away from all the madness sometimes.

Life as it is should be one that is simple and fulfilling, being able to find joy in the simplest pleasures of life. The people of the nations seem to always get this better than us and how we seem to never ever get it. Of course, the fight for survival is so rife for them and while trying to make ends meet and just trying to survive is so hard, you realize how much you have. With the simplest possessions and things that they have to survive, their promise and their faith never fails to speak volumes of a God they know and have experienced.

I revert to the draw and the pull of what I dream of a life of what it should be vs one that many others dream of and make out of. One that I know what makes others happy doesn't make me happy and one that can get lonely, often fighting for what I dream of that many dares to call a fairy tale.

One life that should be as simple and as basic as possible and to know what should be within means than gunning for what many others go for because it keeps them in pursuit. In meaningless pursuits that many city dwellers and wealthy individuals go after because that provides some sort of comfort, goals and another level of attainment that they can satisfy their own self ego and pride, looking well to do and an image to keep for the public.

Again and again I head out to the nations and I come back to this conviction and conclusion that we certainly have not tasted what true happiness is and how hurting many many people are. When we have so little, in that lack, there is unhappiness. But in that wealth with so much more that we have, we still continually face with that unhappiness if not that loneliness and emptiness.

With so little, many of them often hold on to the simplest things that are closest to their hearts - a good health and one that everyone gets to perhaps have a good job or studies, do well and have good relational ties with their families.

Families take on a bigger picture and meaning perhaps it is because it is all that they have. As much as it might be one that gives you the biggest headache, the common human desires that strings us altogether is relationships.

The love and affection of one to love and to be loved and accepted, be it by another certain individual that you may yearn for. To be recognized and accepted in a family, where we have strong and sturdy relationships with our siblings and parents.

Of course many will call this, the dream life that many think it's some sort of fairy tale. But I think one should begin to start realizing how we have been made to live in a community than an island on your own. To realize truly when He said that it is much more joyful to give than to receive and the message of love that is the greatest thing of it all and to realize how much truth sits and lies in there that we have not even began to search the depths and realize the goodness that He intended and lies in there.

To spare a Thought for someone else beyond yourself, putting others before yourself and to serve one another in that manner of love is a call not for the greats only but truly each other that can make the difference of one that sets them apart from the ordinary.

Yes, we live in a fallen world and yes we have been hurt while we have been nice and being taken advantaged of. But the precise reason why the endless circle continues because of the warped mentality that we have adopted, to put up our defenses up for fear of another setback, takes away the greatest chance and opportunity of what we were born for to do.

Above all else, I'm starting to realize the reason of why love has been the greatest call. Nothing else can overcome the powers of loneliness, hurts, anger, hate, failures, unforgiveness, living in plights and situations that some should not be and in that warrants us to feel that this life is completely hopeless.

Truly the seed that lies in this upward call of love and to love, that transforms and brings life and a power we have not yet seen and understood but has been shown centuries before. My hope and desire is to pray and hope that many more will see, know and experience this love and lover of you. 

I suppose that brings meaning to everything else and makes everything else of people, thing and situation secondary regardless of how hopeless and grim it is. A love big enough to bring you back from the ruins of your soul that you so desire to self destruct and destroy because life gets so hard.

That will be the very life source that I realize what the people in the many nations have realized and have seen and they lean on and desperately call for in their times of need, because miracles and supernatural providence is what they have left in their dire situations and it is all that separates them at times from the edge of death to life.

That provides them the courage and strength to face another day regardless of circumstances and their hearts that want to stay faithful and true till the very end. That teaches me how hold on and grants me the strength to hope again and to stand like them. Why we need each other once again? Because we need to.

 

Saturday, May 24

Get up on your feet

0 comments Posted by Joyce G. at Saturday, May 24, 2014

That is what happens and a call I make to myself whenever I feel overwhelmed, by situations, emotions, situations, happenings - get up. Everyone has their moments and in those moments, I do take moments to hide away from the world and indulge in my own little make beliefs world (of drama watching) for they help me to take edge off the mindless doings that has the greatest ability to take away your passions and make you feel like a mere robot of going through the motions and leaves you questioning and doubtful of why you are doing the things that you are doing. 


That is the bane and the curse of doing that I hate very much, that leaves people senseless in their doings for they know no better in that state, they don't have anything else better to offer, that is all they have and they just want to make it through another day.

Many go through it without realizing because living passionately and loving intentionally gets tiring and as a matter of fact, anything and in all things, can lose their charm and eventually tire you when you keep getting bummed out.

In these moments of down times, it's a love hate moment but one that one must go through to embrace, for how they posture and make themselves out of this during those time out moments, will change and make the difference in the outcome of what is going to come out from it.

It questions you if you still want to be in that continual pursuit, the fine line of logic and consciousness and practicality all coming into a tangent, that makes you wonder if you are sane or insane. Be a dreamer who continues to drum up positive energies just for the sake of being different or a mere idealistic dreamer and one who only dreams.

Or be that lunatic who is possessed by promises not because of what He has drummed up or to prove to the world a point, but of one whose heart and mind yearns and bleeds to see a living manifestation of the belief and a value of a promise given and told by Him years and years ago, that all through the years, he holds on because he believes entirely in Him that He will do what He has promised and one if which He says that He is unchanging.

The truth is that it is only a work of grace that no man's heart can ever strife to work or drum hope or things in their life because any human effort will only prove to be temporal and futile. No man can ever convince themselves when they are not convinced but it takes a higher order to invade our consciousness for us to stay true and hold onto the end, not because of what we have said, but what He has.

When it gets tiring, I'm glad I can take a step back and go around to Him and let Him manifest who He is and allow myself to just lean on Him and continue to hope, trust and love in His goodness, He will take us through.

 

Sunday, May 18

Rethink legacies

0 comments Posted by Joyce G. at Sunday, May 18, 2014

When death gets closer to home, it always hits home a recheck button on your checklist to take another look at your life and give it another thought. The most recent departure that left me thinking, was a departure of a friend, not one of a human, but one of a furry, four legged friend, buddy and companion of 14 years.


It made me wonder how many more 14 years do I have left, on account of how old I am now, how Lassie was with me since I was a teenager to where I am right now. You really do feel the passage of time finally. 

The 14 years she left behind, was a legacy of the knowledge of how she was one who knew who she was and that she was well loved and in that love, hope and confidence, be that love and joy to all those that were around her. As always, a faithful companion till the end :))

Then I wondered about myself and wondered if she did that in 14 years, I wondered what have I done haha. In all, I'm simply reminded to live life having to love and to be loved. Beyond the accolades, possessions and the added material things that give you that status or fame, what will people truly remember you for, will be the things that you have done, in deed and in actions than mere words for actions certainly speaks louder than words but I believe it remains etched in our hearts and minds for a longer period of time because they are things that have moved your heart.

To you, who have lived life merely as one trying to survive,
There must be something more to just survival.
Some say living beyond survival are for those fortunate and rich few,
But there must be a way where we can live beyond our circumstances.

Circumstances doesn't make us but it will be what we make do in these circumstances that will determine an eventual triumph or a defeat.
Being defeated now doesn't mean forever.
What has happened now or the past will not dictate our future, unless we let it to.

May you never forget your dreams and ideals, they are your guiding lights that will guide you eventually to a home and May circumstances never dictate what, how or what you should be or do.

 

Sunday, January 26

The Two Ends

0 comments Posted by Joyce G. at Sunday, January 26, 2014

Heaven and Earth
Dark and light
Freewill and responsibility
Grace and guilt
Purity and lust

Both realms must always exist, cause one cannot exist without the other, for both realms tell the story of the greatness of one overcoming the other.

One that superscedes the other and in all aspects, is great, mighty and powerful. Here is one, who was able to think and cause the two ends to come into life and being, that we can see the glory and splendor of His works, when He formed and made things.

The two ends are a signature that speaks of who He is that is written in the works of His creation. The two worlds that came into existence, that we may begin to understand the fullness of our purpose and destiny that He created the entire human race for.

In the midst of the darkest night will come the prevailing light that will piece through the darkest of dark, to transmit the message and the notion of the possibility of what it may be like, of pulling a higher Kingdom down to earth and creation being able to enjoy this Union with Him, that Heaven is here and now and we don't have to wait till all eternity, for us to experience the fullness of Him.

The invitation has always been, His heart yearning and His hand waiting to be clasped by yours. The bridge that He has made Himself to be, transcending into the darkest and deepest to redeem our souls, that we might be saved from an eternity of separation from Him. The journey with Him is promised to have many ups and downs but He is all knowing, who knew all.

It is never about us, what we think or feel we are or have, but what He thinks that transforms us to see a realm of what glory and Heaven is like.

It is Your kindness that leads us to repentance and it is that same love that is as strong as the grave that overcame death to find my soul that I am set free, forever.

As we see more of You, one cannot be ever the same again and as they are changed from one glory to another, He that started the good work in You, will finish the good work.