Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Life is a Warfare...

Life Is a Warfare
by
Horacio dela Costa, S.J.

Life is a warfae. It is a warfare between two
standards: the standard of Christ and the standard of
Satan. It is a warfare older than the world, for it
began with the revolt of the angels. It is a warfare
wider than than the world: It rages in every nation,
in every city, in the heart of every man.

Satan desires that all men come under his standard.
And to this end,he lures them with riches, honors,
powers---everything that caters to the lust and pride
of man.

Christ on the contrary invites all to fight under His
standard, but He offers no worldly allurement: only
Himself, only Jesus, the Son of Man, born an outcast,
raised in poverty, betrayed by His friends, rejected
as a teacher, crucified like criminal. And therefore
His followers must be ready to suffer what He
suffered: poverty, betrayal, rejection, at times, even
death.

But Jesus, the Son of Man, is also Jesus, The Son of
God. And, therefore, His followers will not be
confounded forever. They are certain of ultimate
victory. Agaisnt them, the gates of hell shall not
prevail. The powers of darkness shall splinter before
their splendid batallions. Battle-scarred but
resplendent, they shall enter into the glory of God,
their King.

Two armies. Two standards. Two battalions.

And to very man, there comes an imperious cry of
command: Choose: Christ or Satan. Choose: sanctity or
sin. Choose: heaven or hell!

And, in the choice he makes, is summed up the life of
every man.

Borther Ding Gatan




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BE HONEST

Even if others are not
Even if others will not
Even if others cannot

"He who walks honestly walks securely."
Proverbs 10:9

The Fern and the Bamboo.

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my
spirituality. ... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have
one
last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me.

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of
them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from
the
earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the
bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again,
nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would
not
quit. The same in year four.

"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong
and
gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations
a
challenge it could not handle.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling,
you
have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo.. I
will
never quit on you.

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different
purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He
will
never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are
essential to life.

-- Author Unknown

__._,_.___
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BE HONEST

Even if others are not
Even if others will not
Even if others cannot

"He who walks honestly walks securely."
Proverbs 10:9
<

Hope Does Not Disappoint..


HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT

This hope does not disappoint us... รข€" Romans 5:5

I was chatting online with a friend when I first read the Bible verse:
Hope does not disappoint. It struck me as beautiful and I shared it with
my friend.
But it does! Hope disappoints! It causes you to have expectations
and you get shot down,she explained. And I realized we were talking
about two different things. She was talking about hope in the things of
this world; the line was referring to hope borne out of our experience
of God.
I am no stranger to losing hope. For most of my life, I believed
that the only way to survive was to avoid situations where I could get
hurt. I put up near-insurmountable walls around me so I wouldnt get too
attached to anyone or anything. What I didnt realize earlier on was that
letdowns are part of life and should be accepted with an open heart.
This conviction came during a particularly low day, when I was surprised
by a sudden realization: No matter what happens to me, God will never
allow me to be unhappy for too long. It is almost impossible to feel bad
after a thought like that.
Hope in a faithful God does not disappoint. Anna dG.

Is your faith still lacking?
Strengthen my hope; strengthen my faith.


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BE HONEST

Even if others are not
Even if others will not
Even if others cannot

"He who walks honestly walks securely."
Proverbs 10:9

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

the soul

Dawn's Friend

I want to tell you something, it happened to me today.
I was feeling empty, so I began to pray.
I said, "God can you hear me? Who am I to be?
What purpose do I have? What am I to see?"

He said, "Dawn you're a teacher, you help people know.
You guide them to their Truth, helping them to grow."
I said, "Lord, you're mistaken, my guides do that for me.
The teacher, that You speak of is You, can't you see?"

"Oh you precious child, your words are very true.
But understanding Me, is understanding you.
You also are a leader, settling only for the best .
You seek for the highest, strong in your request."

"I know that this is true, but my progress seems so slow.
The more I seem to learn, the more I need to know.
I feel very strange and wonder if you might...
Be thinking of someone else, that radiates more light."

"You are so adorable, this is exactly what I mean.
You insist for the Knowing, until it's clearly seen.
Your heart is of valor, powered by The Love,
True in your desires, to always rise above."

"I thank you, dear Lord, for showing me my soul.
Now I will continue, to strive for my goal.
I know it sounds crazy, but I seek to know this ....
Can we live forever in complete and utter bliss?"

"Yes my sweet child, keep this in your sight.
For surely what you seek, will offer you your light
But first see it in, before you see it out...
In this place of bliss, there's not a shred of doubt.

"I will take you there, and this you will find...
The bliss you are seeking, is with you all the time.
I love you, Dawn, dearly. I hope you understand,
I will never leave you nor let go of your hand.

"There are many avenues, to the goal that you seek.
Many paths to choose from, and many ways to teach.
But there is only one Answer in the end...
All will come to know... I Am... their Friend."