You know, where I come from, we have this thing called clarity.  It is a feeling of satisfied lightheartedness as a burden lifted from your chest. It takes courage, humility, patience, kindness and selflessness and can only be achieved by people of utmost quality. It cannot be achieved by prideful, impatient, selfish, cowards. This thing, clarity, comes from discussing an offense with the person you have a problem with and listening. When in this situation, I have to respect them and they have to respect me. I have to look for the ways in which I was wrong and I have to admit it.  We have to resist the urge to blame, blame, blame. None of us will ever move forward if we don’t help pull our own weight. That means always doing our part which includes being wrong.

In the end, each person feels light as a feather because he or she is not carrying around the burden of bitterness any longer.  There is understanding between them because they both asked what and why the issue and reactions happened.  They are clear. And that is what clarity comes from.  So, if you have never done this before, you may find out what a delicious thrill it can be.  Warning:  it may become addictive.  Go to that person you got offended with yesterday.  Say to them "Hey, do you mind if we discuss what happened yesterday?  I don't want either of us to stay stuck in non-understanding.  I want to hear what you saw, heard and felt."  and then talk about it with an open heart and mind.

You will not believe the feeling of relief when you get everything off your chest, the happiness of being kind to the other person and the closeness you feel to them once you each understand each other.

Let Kids Be

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14


        I remember stuff from when I was about 6, 7, and 8.  Maybe even before that.  And after.  I remember not knowing how to get along with other kids, I remember giving my parents trouble (like a lot of kids do). I remember the word "annoying" being linked to me constantly.  I also remember being ignored by older kids (not all of them of course, but many) whenever I did something innapropriate (but totally expected of a little kid who hasn't been taught), whenever I interrupted or said something that was stupid, I remember just being ignored. 
         And I don't know that was what I needed, but I do know that it did something inside of me.  I don't think it made me any less annoying.  I think it caused some rifts, though.
        When people experience hurt like this, they want to make sure it never happens to someone else. I think that kind of hurt instills a measure of compassion for others.  Now that I am older and have so many young kids in my life, I know that they know what is going on.  I know that ignoring them will do no good to anyone.  I do my best not to ignore them.  If they interrupt, I let them know that and I love them anyway.  If they say something that is not nice, I show them another way and love them anyway.  But I will never ignore the little ones or treat them any way, but with love.  After all they're just kids and they have to be patiently taught how to be, or they won't know.

Thank you Bethlehem for not ignoring me, thank you Samantha for loving me anyway, thank you Hosanna for never giving up on me, thank you Abby for being my friend, thank you Channah for teaching me. And on and on:  Lev, Yahshana, Simchah, Shebeth, Cheres.


ps.  I do not write this for anyone to feel sorry for me, but for me to get out my thoughts and to call out to all my friends, the young people, to not ignore the little ones, but to dare to love even the most annoying of them - You will make a difference and be remembered for it even till they are adults!

The Princess of Sunshine

My goal in life is to be a princess.  More precisely, a Princess of Sunshine.  Who is the Princess of Sunshine?  Well, if you read the Bible, I suppose she can be well described in Proverbs 31.  She is someone who's face radiates with joy, peace and compassion.  She is someone who knows who she is and holds to that.  She is someone who is kind, generous, thinks the best of others and lives off of positivity.  But she is not perfect - by any means.  Sometimes she cries because of mistakes she makes and things she says.  These mistakes and blunders happen because she forgets, sometimes, who she is:  The Princess of Sunshine.  She holds in her heart a great love for the King and a desire to please Him.  That is what she wants most!  To be His princess and to be able to come to Him with a smile knowing that she pleases Him.

There is a very clever saying that says "Inside every woman is a queen, talk to the queen and the queen will answer" A very good saying indeed.  But my goal is to be a queen (or a Princess of Sunshine) no matter how others speak to me or treat me.  BOY IS IT HARD!  In fact, I don't think I can do it.  I think "He should not treat me like that, he should not say that" or "he should say this!"  I get treated like I am a witch sometimes...and unfortunately I respond like a witch and confirm it.   But that is not who I am!  I am the Princess of Sunshine and I am begging the King "PLEASE HELP ME!!!  I cannot be good without Your help!!!"  I hate being a witch when inside I am a princess.

Riches and Praise

Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise,

Thou my inheritance now and always,

Thou and thou only first in my heart,

High King, of heaven my treasure thou art!

 

 

       I have been thinking about that part of this hymn a lot lately.  Especially when I see shows like America's Got Talent or The Voice.  People who go to those shows to display their talents and hopefully win approval, put so much importance in "man's empty praise" and the money they will get as a result.  And when I see that I can only think of that hymn. 

       Recently I went to a talent show and did my best to give my best to all the people there.  I am sure I thought about this hymn then also.  I didn't win that show or place at all but I was invited to another one 2 weeks later.  Now in preparing for this next one (which I am very excited about) I have been asking God "What do You think about this?  Is this ok with You?  Am I only heeding riches and man's empty praise by going to this?"

      Before all this happened, I had been asking God to let me do more with the gift of and passion for singing that He had given me.  This came up and I think there is something to be learned through this.  I wondered if this might be something God let happen so I could make a choice between His praise or man's.

      Last night as I was praying about this and thinking about riches and praise and my will not to heed them and wondering if I should call the whole thing off, I felt like God said "All glory to Me and all money to Me"  So then I said to God "If I win the praises of the judges, all glory goes to You because You made me and my singing voice and gave me this opportunity to go there.  The money will be Yours only and I will give it where You lead me." 

 





 

So to Him be the glory and power and praise!

Amen










I see people and the things that happen to them.  Things that change their lives.  Things that make them look different or make them unable to walk or unable to talk.  It's often difficult for these people to accept these drastic changes in their life - some might call them tragedies.  It is often difficult for them to believe that this would happen to them.  Hearing these stories, I realize that anything can happen - to me - just like those people.  I realize what great gifts it is to be able to walk and dance and talk.  I cannot imagine what it would be like if I could not express myself.  I would have to cling to God if such a thing happened to me.  Just like anyone else things can happen to me as suddenly as they did to people I know.  But for now, I am grateful.  I am grateful that I can see and that I can move and that I am beautiful.  If something were to happen to me, I do not know how I would respond, if I would be disbelieving or depressed, but I hope that I would take it in stride as a part of God's plan for my life - part of my life.  For now, though, I am grateful for what I have.

I often pray through singing or writing poems.  Here are two prayers for a brother and a sister of mine:

 

Save My Brother

 

 

Open his eyes so he can see,

Banish the darkness, set him free!

 

Loose the bonds of stubborn pride,

Shine light in places he would hide.

 

Take his heart and make it new,

Reveal Yourself so he'll follow You.

 

Teach him love is the only way,

Father, save my brother!

Save him today!

 

Amen.

 

------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Free My Sister

 

Father she can't find you,

She's longing for the truth.

She needs Your revelation,

She's searching for the proof.

 

Show her You're a Father

And You can set her free.

Show her that You're kind and good,

That You're everything she needs.

 

Speak to her within her heart,

Let her know she's loved.

Help her to believe that, God,

You're always there above.

 

Father, free my sister!

Help her know You're really there,

Let her know You love her,

Oh God, let her know You care!



A friend of mine, Papa Benayah pointed out to me the fact that if we follow God, we should talk about Him. He's our life so why not talk about Him more? Why not talk about how we met Him?
In the words of Mrs. Donna: "I love talking about Him, He's my favortite person in the whole world!"
Yeah and He's my best friend.  We often feel funny about talking about God, but it's not wierd, it's normal!

Consider this conversation:

Person 1: "I love spending time with my friend, Angie, she is so kind and honest and she's always there for me."

Person 2: "Really? I don't know Angie that well, I should spend more time with her and get to know her."

Person 1: "Yeah, and she's so much fun to be with!"

Pretty normal, right? And not at all wierd or uncomfortable.

Change it up a bit:

Person 1: "I love spending time with God, He's like my best friend. He's so kind and honest with me and He's always there for me. Plus He has the greatest sense of humor."

Person 2: "Really? I don't know God that well, I should spend more time with him and get to know Him better."

I'm sure you knew where that was going! Anyway the cool thing about God is that anything good you can think of (generosity, kindness, wisdom, patience) He's all of those things so you'll never run out of subjects to talk about Him. We can ask questions of Him too: What kinds of things does God like? How can I get to know Him? What have others experienced when they're with Him?

I've made my point - now for me to implement it...