Heights...spiders...failure...loneliness...mortality...the unknown...darkness...pain...disappointment...change. What do all these seemingly random things have in common? One word...fear. Of all the emotions that G-d has granted us, I believe this one can be the most crippling or the most beneficial. Sounds a little strange? Not so much.
The negative side of fear can paralyze a person. It can force us to hold ourselves back from something. It can cause us to refuse to grow. When forced to face it, it can even make some of us want to die. While I prefer not to take this down the morbid path of fear, I would like to touch on the negative side. Every person in existence has fear in them. I have had more than my fair share through my life. Fear of rejection, fear of loneliness, fear of closeness, fear of my past, and even fear of myself. For one moment, consider what your greatest fear is. Where does it stem from? Has it been the same all your life? What does/can it keep you from accomplishing? What do you think would have to happen in order for it subside? Did you know that some people don’t even realize their greatest fear until it’s right there before them? Consider history or even our present times...fear has been/is the greatest tool used to control people. I haven’t been around as long as some. But I have seen many people who have allowed fears to control their lives. Consider the fear of being alone; there are some that would settle for just about anyone and put up with just about anything so that they don’t have to be alone. Consider people that fear rejection. They will do whatever they need to, to keep the people in their lives happy so that they never have to face that fear. The list goes on and on. There is good news in all this. Fear can be conquered. I don’t care who you are, we all have it in us to face our fears. It is most definitely difficult and even incredibly humbling at times. My fears have changed throughout my life, depending on what phase I was presently at. I have made so many mistakes and passed up so many opportunities because I couldn’t move past my fears. Why, you may ask. Because I chose to allow it to control me. Yes yes, I know...there she goes with that choice thing again. If you have been keeping up with these blog, you very well know that I feel choice plays a huge part in our lives. Not everything is in our control. It was never meant to be. But there’s always going to be at least an “option A” and an “option B”. After so many years of allowing my fear and baggage to consume me, I opened my eyes to the fact that G-d was still there and He was offering me the strength to turn my life in another direction. And I can tell you with every bit of confidence that I have not nor will I ever look back. Don’t get me wrong, I still have some fears and insecurities and all. That’s apart of being human. However, I have been facing them and dealing with them and it’s allowed me to move forward and find a part of me that I never knew existed. The part of me that is able to sit here and write these blogs for all of you. The part of me that can bask in the greatness of G-d. The free spirit in me is finally getting the chance to fly. And it’s all uphill from here. We all have a choice...we choose to be afraid and allow that to make the choices, or we realize just how strong and capable we really are.
I also mentioned that fear can be a positive thing. After painting the picture that I have, seems fairly unlikely doesn’t it? Again I say, not so much. Sometimes fear can motivate us. Sometimes fear can protect us. I’ve even seen people take the negative part of their fear and turn it around and use it to make things right. Let’s go with fear of failure for an example. A person is terrified of messing up. The very idea of failing is petrifying. So instead of taking chances and trying, they sit back quietly in their one little comfort zone where they know the routines and there is the least chance of failure. One day, this person realizes that in the act of hiding from failure...they had in fact failed to become the person they have always wanted to be. So they take fear of failure and turn it towards the changes they need to make to get to where they want to be, refusing to fail at it. It certainly was a good motivator, even though they will eventually have to face that fact that we all fail every now and then in our lives.
There is also the fear that most religious people are aware of...the fear of G-d. I personally don’t like how that is phrased. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t in any disrespect to Him. I have the utmost respect for the Creator and I definitely understand His position and power. But you have to admit, the word “fear” is generally seen as a negative word. Many (especially those that know very little about G-d) hear this phrase and picture the type of G-d that will smite you the moment He gets the chance. This isn’t G-d’s way by any stretch of the imagination. But the fear I am referring to is more of an understanding and perfect respect. G-d is all powerful and will judge us all and decide our fate one day. But He’s also loving and compassionate. Those of you with children, when they misbehave, they receive some discipline. 10 minutes in the corner, grounded for a week from friends and TV, no desert after dinner....whatever your parenting style. When it comes time to hand out the punishment, how many of you get happy and excited? I am going to assume none. Even though we are convinced otherwise when we are kids, punishments are just as rough on the parents as it is the kids. You all love them dearly and want to see them grow into well rounded adults that know how to act and know how to take accountability for their own actions. G-d is no different...He just works on a much bigger scale. We need to understand that while He is forced to cast some into hell, He does it with a tear rolling down His cheek. And we need to respect that. So instead of using the phrase, “Fear of G-d” let’s reword it to say, “Perfect respect of G-d.” And then let’s go through our days reminding ourselves of that phrase. I know I am not perfect and I mess up plenty...but one of the many things I have learned and mentioned to you all is He is ever forgiving.
It is my hope that you are going to walk away from this blog with a new understanding in your heart, or at the very least, something to think about. Consider all the questions I asked about your fears. When you can acknowledge them and answer those questions, you just might be a step closer to pushing past them and realizing a new life and a new path. It can bring you closer to G-d and make you more capable of hearing His call. My prayers are going to continue to be with everyone that reads these blogs, whether we are aware of you or not. I will pray for clarity and protection and for a blessed day for each and every one of you.
G-d Bless!
K
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Just a Note to You All...
Hello Everyone!
Here’s hoping this finds you all well. Firstly, we want to apologize for the decrease in activity lately. Unfortunately, there have been some situations going on that have pulled our attention elsewhere. And now, for the past week, J has been pretty sick with pneumonia. No worries! He is recovering and will be as good as new in no time at all.
Secondly, we would like to once again thank you all for taking the time to read and leave your comments. They are always a blessing to read. On that subject, some of you have asked various questions. And we want to let you know that they are not being ignored, these questions are going to be addressed in “Q and A” blogs that you will see come up from time to time throughout this page. Just like with everything else in this blog, they will be open to your thoughts and comments.
We would like to continue to encourage you all to contribute in any way, whether it is through comments or even writing a blog of your own. G-d lays thoughts and ideas on our hearts for a reason. If you are feeling the inspiration, just go with it.
We hope that you all have a fantastic and blessed week. May G-d grant us all the calm to hear His voice, the openness to accept His words, and the courage to move forward in anything we are facing. Be safe, be well, and G-d Bless.
J and K
Here’s hoping this finds you all well. Firstly, we want to apologize for the decrease in activity lately. Unfortunately, there have been some situations going on that have pulled our attention elsewhere. And now, for the past week, J has been pretty sick with pneumonia. No worries! He is recovering and will be as good as new in no time at all.
Secondly, we would like to once again thank you all for taking the time to read and leave your comments. They are always a blessing to read. On that subject, some of you have asked various questions. And we want to let you know that they are not being ignored, these questions are going to be addressed in “Q and A” blogs that you will see come up from time to time throughout this page. Just like with everything else in this blog, they will be open to your thoughts and comments.
We would like to continue to encourage you all to contribute in any way, whether it is through comments or even writing a blog of your own. G-d lays thoughts and ideas on our hearts for a reason. If you are feeling the inspiration, just go with it.
We hope that you all have a fantastic and blessed week. May G-d grant us all the calm to hear His voice, the openness to accept His words, and the courage to move forward in anything we are facing. Be safe, be well, and G-d Bless.
J and K
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Love: Why Do We Fall In Love?
What lies behind the attraction between the sexes? Sexuality is a subject about which no one is neutral. Everyone has a sexual nature, everyone has a need for sexuality, everyone has a sexual personality that has been formed by home, schooling, the trial and error of life experience, & whatever they pick up along the way from the subtle & not-so-subtle influences of the society in which they live.
In seeking to make sense of our sexuality we must look to its origins. Where does our sexuality come from? I would like to look at two approaches to that question.
One is the prevalent, contemporary, scientific approach & then we'll contrast it with the Torah approach - specifically, the Kabbalistic-Chassidic perspective on Torah.
There are, of course, numerous secular-scientific theories of sexuality. Let us examine what is probably the most dominant one: the biological or evolutionary theory which is essentially based on the idea that "the survival of the fittest" is the primary force in nature & the source of any given creature's particular characteristics, from single cells right up the "evolutionary chain" to animals & humans.
From this perspective, our sexuality derives from the fact that the perpetuation of the species is achieved through a sexual relationship between a male & a female. The male will therefore search for the female that is most fertile, & that will bear the healthiest offspring; & the female will search for a male that provides the healthiest seed, that is the most virile & that will protect the young.
This theory explains many things about our sexuality. It explains why men & women seek out & mate with each other. It explains why certain features in the woman or in the man are extremely enticing to the opposite sex because they reflect on elements of fertility or signs of health that are important for the perpetuation of the species.
What this theory essentially says is that behind the mystique & the beauty, the romance & the sensuality in which human sexuality comes enveloped, behind it all really lie’s a primal force: the need to exist, & to perpetuate that existence. Since the human being is an animal with a certain degree of sophistication, human sexuality has evolved to address that sophistication. Modern man is not prepared to think of him or herself merely as production machines to bear children, so in order to entice two people into a union, evolution & biology have conspired to imbue the sexual act not only with pleasure but also with a mystique that compels us along the romantic journey.
Gazing into a loved one's eyes across a candlelit table-for-two, the human being may think that he or she has risen above a survival-of-the-fittest mode of existence; but, in truth, this "rising higher" is just nature's way of packaging that drive. Two human beings courting each other are essentially the same as two bees courting each other. One bee will buzz a certain way or give off a certain scent, but what it comes down to is that these are tactics to get them together to mate & bear offspring. By the same token, the accouterments of human sexuality, the romance, the flowers, the music, the moonlight are really just nature's way of getting two people together.
Nature is ruthless. Nature must prevail. So nature finds the means to get a male & a female to mate.
This, basically, is the scientific approach to human sexuality. Let us now contrast this with the Torah's approach.
The Torah's conception of human sexuality is expressed in the opening chapters of Genesis, & states that sexual attraction between human beings is driven by a completely different force: their search for their divine image, for their quintessential self.
The Torah describes man as originally having been created as a "two-sided" being: "Male & female He created them & He called their name: man." G-d then split this two-sided creature into two, & ever since, the divided halves of the divine image seek & yearn for each other.
They're not half individuals; man is a full-fledged personality & woman is a full-fledged personality. But there are elements in their transcendental persona, in their completeness, that remain incomplete if they don't find each other. There's something missing in each of them; they were once part of a greater whole.
To put it in more mystical, or more divine, terms: they're really searching to become one with G-d.
The human race is in essence one entity, a male-female singularity. When man & woman come together & unite in a marital union, they recreate the divine image in which they were both formed as one.
The teachings of Kabbalah take this a step further, seeing the male/female dynamic not just as two sexes within a species. According to the Kabbalah, these are two forms of energy that, in the most abstract form, are referred to as an internal energy & a projective energy. Feminine energy & masculine energy exist in each man & in each woman, & in every part of nature.
Even G-dliness is sometimes described in the feminine & sometimes in the masculine. Contrary to the common perception of the "patriarchal" G-d of the Bible, many of the divine attributes are feminine, such as the Shechinah, which is the feminine dimension of G-dliness.
So what we have here is a split of two energies, & a yearning & inclination to become one whole. The human race was created in the divine image, but that human race is half male & half female, & through their union they become that larger whole, that divine image that searches for union with G-d, that seeks a higher reality.
This is the soul of sexual attraction. This attraction, which manifests itself in many physical sensations, from a faster heartbeat to a physical attraction to another person, is essentially the attraction of male to female & female to male to become a complete, divine whole, connecting to their source in G-d. Not that they've ever been completely disconnected; but consciously, people can go off on their own individual narcissistic, even selfish, path. & here, there's a voice in you saying: I yearn for something greater. When a man is physically attracted to a woman, or a woman to a man, it may seem a very biological thing, but from a Jewish, Torah perspective, it's just a physical manifestation of a very deep spiritual attraction.
This is not to say that the Torah's concept of sexuality is not intrinsically tied in to the objective of creating new life. It certainly is. But perpetuation of the species is not the sole end of our sexuality. Rather, it's the other way around: the divine nature of our sexuality - the fact that the union of male & female completes the divine image in which they were created - is what gives us the power to bring life into the world.
So there is something divine about the union itself. This is reflected in Halachah (Torah law) which extends the sanctity of marriage also to circumstances in which the generation of offspring is not a possibility (such as in the case of a man &/or woman who are beyond childbearing age, or who are physically unable to bear children). If sexuality were simply the mechanism for childbearing, one might argue: "Hey, no perpetuation of the species, what's the point of marriage and sexuality? Just a selfish pleasure? Where's the holiness?" The answer is, yes, sexuality qua sexuality is holy. Male & female uniting is a divine act, a divine experience.
G-d Bless.
J
In seeking to make sense of our sexuality we must look to its origins. Where does our sexuality come from? I would like to look at two approaches to that question.
One is the prevalent, contemporary, scientific approach & then we'll contrast it with the Torah approach - specifically, the Kabbalistic-Chassidic perspective on Torah.
There are, of course, numerous secular-scientific theories of sexuality. Let us examine what is probably the most dominant one: the biological or evolutionary theory which is essentially based on the idea that "the survival of the fittest" is the primary force in nature & the source of any given creature's particular characteristics, from single cells right up the "evolutionary chain" to animals & humans.
From this perspective, our sexuality derives from the fact that the perpetuation of the species is achieved through a sexual relationship between a male & a female. The male will therefore search for the female that is most fertile, & that will bear the healthiest offspring; & the female will search for a male that provides the healthiest seed, that is the most virile & that will protect the young.
This theory explains many things about our sexuality. It explains why men & women seek out & mate with each other. It explains why certain features in the woman or in the man are extremely enticing to the opposite sex because they reflect on elements of fertility or signs of health that are important for the perpetuation of the species.
What this theory essentially says is that behind the mystique & the beauty, the romance & the sensuality in which human sexuality comes enveloped, behind it all really lie’s a primal force: the need to exist, & to perpetuate that existence. Since the human being is an animal with a certain degree of sophistication, human sexuality has evolved to address that sophistication. Modern man is not prepared to think of him or herself merely as production machines to bear children, so in order to entice two people into a union, evolution & biology have conspired to imbue the sexual act not only with pleasure but also with a mystique that compels us along the romantic journey.
Gazing into a loved one's eyes across a candlelit table-for-two, the human being may think that he or she has risen above a survival-of-the-fittest mode of existence; but, in truth, this "rising higher" is just nature's way of packaging that drive. Two human beings courting each other are essentially the same as two bees courting each other. One bee will buzz a certain way or give off a certain scent, but what it comes down to is that these are tactics to get them together to mate & bear offspring. By the same token, the accouterments of human sexuality, the romance, the flowers, the music, the moonlight are really just nature's way of getting two people together.
Nature is ruthless. Nature must prevail. So nature finds the means to get a male & a female to mate.
This, basically, is the scientific approach to human sexuality. Let us now contrast this with the Torah's approach.
The Torah's conception of human sexuality is expressed in the opening chapters of Genesis, & states that sexual attraction between human beings is driven by a completely different force: their search for their divine image, for their quintessential self.
The Torah describes man as originally having been created as a "two-sided" being: "Male & female He created them & He called their name: man." G-d then split this two-sided creature into two, & ever since, the divided halves of the divine image seek & yearn for each other.
They're not half individuals; man is a full-fledged personality & woman is a full-fledged personality. But there are elements in their transcendental persona, in their completeness, that remain incomplete if they don't find each other. There's something missing in each of them; they were once part of a greater whole.
To put it in more mystical, or more divine, terms: they're really searching to become one with G-d.
The human race is in essence one entity, a male-female singularity. When man & woman come together & unite in a marital union, they recreate the divine image in which they were both formed as one.
The teachings of Kabbalah take this a step further, seeing the male/female dynamic not just as two sexes within a species. According to the Kabbalah, these are two forms of energy that, in the most abstract form, are referred to as an internal energy & a projective energy. Feminine energy & masculine energy exist in each man & in each woman, & in every part of nature.
Even G-dliness is sometimes described in the feminine & sometimes in the masculine. Contrary to the common perception of the "patriarchal" G-d of the Bible, many of the divine attributes are feminine, such as the Shechinah, which is the feminine dimension of G-dliness.
So what we have here is a split of two energies, & a yearning & inclination to become one whole. The human race was created in the divine image, but that human race is half male & half female, & through their union they become that larger whole, that divine image that searches for union with G-d, that seeks a higher reality.
This is the soul of sexual attraction. This attraction, which manifests itself in many physical sensations, from a faster heartbeat to a physical attraction to another person, is essentially the attraction of male to female & female to male to become a complete, divine whole, connecting to their source in G-d. Not that they've ever been completely disconnected; but consciously, people can go off on their own individual narcissistic, even selfish, path. & here, there's a voice in you saying: I yearn for something greater. When a man is physically attracted to a woman, or a woman to a man, it may seem a very biological thing, but from a Jewish, Torah perspective, it's just a physical manifestation of a very deep spiritual attraction.
This is not to say that the Torah's concept of sexuality is not intrinsically tied in to the objective of creating new life. It certainly is. But perpetuation of the species is not the sole end of our sexuality. Rather, it's the other way around: the divine nature of our sexuality - the fact that the union of male & female completes the divine image in which they were created - is what gives us the power to bring life into the world.
So there is something divine about the union itself. This is reflected in Halachah (Torah law) which extends the sanctity of marriage also to circumstances in which the generation of offspring is not a possibility (such as in the case of a man &/or woman who are beyond childbearing age, or who are physically unable to bear children). If sexuality were simply the mechanism for childbearing, one might argue: "Hey, no perpetuation of the species, what's the point of marriage and sexuality? Just a selfish pleasure? Where's the holiness?" The answer is, yes, sexuality qua sexuality is holy. Male & female uniting is a divine act, a divine experience.
G-d Bless.
J
Love Yourself First
Ok, here's the problem: I'm supposed to love my fellow man. Which means that I should accept my fellow human beings as they are. (That's what love means, right?) But can I … indeed, should I … accept my fellow human beings as they are?
Should I accept a malnourished child as she is? Should I accept a drug-addicted teenager, a suicidal spouse or a bigoted friend as he is? If a person I love suffers a lack of something … whether that something is food, money, knowledge, health, moral integrity or peace of mind … & whether that person wants to be helped or not … should I not do everything in your power to fill that lack?
Love is an oxymoron. To truly love someone I have to do two contradictory things: I have to respect him & I have to care for him. If I do not accept him as he is, that means that I do not respect him. It means that I don't really love him … I love only what I wish to make of him. But to love someone also means that I care for him & desire the best for him. & since very, very few people are the best that they can be, caring for someone means not accepting him as he is, but believing in his potential to be better & doing everything I can to reveal that potential.
I can respect someone. I can care for someone. I can accept a person as s/he is. I can not accept a person as s/he is. But I can't do both at the same time. Love sounds great in principle. In practice, it's impossible.
But I love myself. I'm not unaware of my deficiencies … indeed, in a certain sense, I am more aware of them than anyone else. I want to improve myself, but I don't think less of myself because I haven't yet done so. I respect myself & I care for myself; I accept myself as I am, while incessantly striving to make myself better than I am. I love myself -- truly, fully, in every sense of the word.
The fact that such love is a logical paradox is irrelevant. It may be impossible to do two opposite things at the same time, but billions of people, myself included, do exactly that. I love myself regardless of whether this love makes sense, regardless of the inherent contradiction it embodies.
That's why the Torah tells us to "Love your fellow man as yourself." If you find it impossible to love your fellow man … to both respect him & care for him, to be deeply concerned about his faults & be completely unmindful of them at the same time … think for a minute about how you love yourself.
Then love your fellow man as you love yourself.
G-d Bless.
J
Should I accept a malnourished child as she is? Should I accept a drug-addicted teenager, a suicidal spouse or a bigoted friend as he is? If a person I love suffers a lack of something … whether that something is food, money, knowledge, health, moral integrity or peace of mind … & whether that person wants to be helped or not … should I not do everything in your power to fill that lack?
Love is an oxymoron. To truly love someone I have to do two contradictory things: I have to respect him & I have to care for him. If I do not accept him as he is, that means that I do not respect him. It means that I don't really love him … I love only what I wish to make of him. But to love someone also means that I care for him & desire the best for him. & since very, very few people are the best that they can be, caring for someone means not accepting him as he is, but believing in his potential to be better & doing everything I can to reveal that potential.
I can respect someone. I can care for someone. I can accept a person as s/he is. I can not accept a person as s/he is. But I can't do both at the same time. Love sounds great in principle. In practice, it's impossible.
But I love myself. I'm not unaware of my deficiencies … indeed, in a certain sense, I am more aware of them than anyone else. I want to improve myself, but I don't think less of myself because I haven't yet done so. I respect myself & I care for myself; I accept myself as I am, while incessantly striving to make myself better than I am. I love myself -- truly, fully, in every sense of the word.
The fact that such love is a logical paradox is irrelevant. It may be impossible to do two opposite things at the same time, but billions of people, myself included, do exactly that. I love myself regardless of whether this love makes sense, regardless of the inherent contradiction it embodies.
That's why the Torah tells us to "Love your fellow man as yourself." If you find it impossible to love your fellow man … to both respect him & care for him, to be deeply concerned about his faults & be completely unmindful of them at the same time … think for a minute about how you love yourself.
Then love your fellow man as you love yourself.
G-d Bless.
J
The Devil’s Deception Versus G-d’s Reality
Ah...the devil. He definitely knows how to keep us on our toes doesn’t he? He’s portrayed in so many ways. From this horrific evil figure to the cute little chubby cartoon looking figure with a pointed tail, little horns, and a red pitch fork. Much like G-d, he is a profound figure in the lives of all people. Some choose to fear him, some choose to worship him, and some choose to pretend he doesn’t exist. Whatever the opinion, it doesn’t change anything about who and what he is. A liar, a pretender, a tempter, the source of all that is negative, the one that strives to undo all that is of G-d...the list goes on! His presence is apparent all around us and it’s scary to see how many people don’t even see it. As life has gone on over the years, humans have become more and more desensitized to his work and his presence, more and more stuff seems to become “acceptable”. When you really get down to it, humans are the devils greatest weapon and greatest fear. Confusing? Let me explain...
As I have said in the past, upon our creation, G-d blessed us with the gift of free will. It’s essential to true faith. If we were forced to listen or forced to follow, where’s the faith in that? In all his hatred toward anything that G-d created, the devil wasted no time in testing the faith of these new creatures of G-d’s. And oh how we failed miserably. Thus enters original sin and everything that comes with it into the world as we know it. At that point selfishness, violence, anger, pain, sadness, hate, lust, and so much more comes into our lives. These are some of his favorite tools. I suppose you could go so far as to say humans are their own worst enemy. Or are we? There’s the other part of us that is always there; the part that G-d created us with; the part that is driven to follow Him. The part of us where you find love, compassion, obedience, happiness, and so forth. This is where we become the devil’s greatest fear. These characteristics are what help spread the love of G-d. These bring to light His very existence! They say the devil’s greatest trick is convincing people that he doesn’t even exist...if a person refuses believe the devil exists, they most likely refuse to believe in G-d’s existence as well. Not that this will save them from their inevitable judgment.
In all this confusion, there is an absolute truth; we have the right to choose! We can choose to go along with his lies and live a life that would make him smile; or we can choose to listen to G-d and His ways and stand alongside the Creator and against the deceiver.
There’s a saying that I have come across all over the place. “I want to be the type of woman that when my feet hit the floor, the devil says “Oh c**p...she’s up.” I love it! We all need to strive to be that person! Whether people want to see this or not, we are at war! All the situations around us, big or small, are result of the ultimate war going on between good and evil; a war that is leading up to the inevitable end days. There is no gray area in this war; you are either with G-d or you aren’t. It’s that simple! The choice is made in your everyday living. The choice is made every time you wake up, every time you walk out the door, every time you deal with your job or your kids. Actions speak louder than words... and what’s more, G-d sees straight into your heart. You may be fooling all the people around you...but not Him.
As for me, I choose to fight. I choose to follow. This isn’t always the easiest way to go...in fact it’s probably the more difficult of the two. Sin can be so tangible because the devil does a great job in making some bad things look so good. And due to our imperfection, we will stumble and fall at times. I myself make mistakes all the time. At one point in my life, I tripped and fell and refused to get back up for several years. G-d is ever faithful though, and ready to forgive and get us back on track should we choose to let him. Sometimes when these "lapses" happen, I have seem so many people try and point fingers at others or even at G-d...do they really think that is going to distract Him from thier flaws? I hate to burst their bubble, but it didn’t work for me and it won’t work for them either. It’s not about what other people have done, it’s about what you do...self accountability. Because when it’s your turn to stand before G-d, He’s not going to ask you why "whoever" did and didn’t do something...He’s going to ask why YOU did or didn’t do something. And instead of trying to figure out how to talk your way out of it (that won’t work either) you need to repent, live the life, and fight the fight. The moment you do that, you will strike fear into the devil and all of his demons. You will find a power that can help you stand strong and tall, a power that can spread to others that are watching. And as always, it’s not just about the big things done in G-d’s name...it’s the little things too. Simple everyday things can allow the love of G–d to radiate right through you and it’s impossible to not notice.
The lines have been drawn and the battle is on, how will you choose to fight?
G-d Bless!
K
As I have said in the past, upon our creation, G-d blessed us with the gift of free will. It’s essential to true faith. If we were forced to listen or forced to follow, where’s the faith in that? In all his hatred toward anything that G-d created, the devil wasted no time in testing the faith of these new creatures of G-d’s. And oh how we failed miserably. Thus enters original sin and everything that comes with it into the world as we know it. At that point selfishness, violence, anger, pain, sadness, hate, lust, and so much more comes into our lives. These are some of his favorite tools. I suppose you could go so far as to say humans are their own worst enemy. Or are we? There’s the other part of us that is always there; the part that G-d created us with; the part that is driven to follow Him. The part of us where you find love, compassion, obedience, happiness, and so forth. This is where we become the devil’s greatest fear. These characteristics are what help spread the love of G-d. These bring to light His very existence! They say the devil’s greatest trick is convincing people that he doesn’t even exist...if a person refuses believe the devil exists, they most likely refuse to believe in G-d’s existence as well. Not that this will save them from their inevitable judgment.
In all this confusion, there is an absolute truth; we have the right to choose! We can choose to go along with his lies and live a life that would make him smile; or we can choose to listen to G-d and His ways and stand alongside the Creator and against the deceiver.
There’s a saying that I have come across all over the place. “I want to be the type of woman that when my feet hit the floor, the devil says “Oh c**p...she’s up.” I love it! We all need to strive to be that person! Whether people want to see this or not, we are at war! All the situations around us, big or small, are result of the ultimate war going on between good and evil; a war that is leading up to the inevitable end days. There is no gray area in this war; you are either with G-d or you aren’t. It’s that simple! The choice is made in your everyday living. The choice is made every time you wake up, every time you walk out the door, every time you deal with your job or your kids. Actions speak louder than words... and what’s more, G-d sees straight into your heart. You may be fooling all the people around you...but not Him.
As for me, I choose to fight. I choose to follow. This isn’t always the easiest way to go...in fact it’s probably the more difficult of the two. Sin can be so tangible because the devil does a great job in making some bad things look so good. And due to our imperfection, we will stumble and fall at times. I myself make mistakes all the time. At one point in my life, I tripped and fell and refused to get back up for several years. G-d is ever faithful though, and ready to forgive and get us back on track should we choose to let him. Sometimes when these "lapses" happen, I have seem so many people try and point fingers at others or even at G-d...do they really think that is going to distract Him from thier flaws? I hate to burst their bubble, but it didn’t work for me and it won’t work for them either. It’s not about what other people have done, it’s about what you do...self accountability. Because when it’s your turn to stand before G-d, He’s not going to ask you why "whoever" did and didn’t do something...He’s going to ask why YOU did or didn’t do something. And instead of trying to figure out how to talk your way out of it (that won’t work either) you need to repent, live the life, and fight the fight. The moment you do that, you will strike fear into the devil and all of his demons. You will find a power that can help you stand strong and tall, a power that can spread to others that are watching. And as always, it’s not just about the big things done in G-d’s name...it’s the little things too. Simple everyday things can allow the love of G–d to radiate right through you and it’s impossible to not notice.
The lines have been drawn and the battle is on, how will you choose to fight?
G-d Bless!
K
Monday, March 8, 2010
Commandment Versus Choice...
The other night, I was sitting in a Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath) service and listening as the Rabbi did the service a little bit differently than usual. You see, the difference about that night was that there was a group of local students in attendance that the Rabbi had been spending the day with. When he began his message, instead of just talking to everyone, he stepped down and walked among us and led a discussion. It began with a question, are we followers of G-d by choice or by command? It’s a small congregation, so people were able to raise their hands and speak when they felt lead. There was no gray area with most; it was either one or the other. Some would say it’s a commandment for the simple fact that G-d handed down the Ten Commandments, not the ten suggestions. Some would say it’s choice because of the fact that G-d blessed us with the freedom of choice. As I watched and listened I saw a student raise her hand. The Rabbi turned and pointed to her and she declared that you can’t compare the following of G-d to choice or command. The Rabbi smiled and asked her how she came to that. She responded by saying that while G-d does in fact command us to do certain things, we have a choice to follow those commands. There for, a person’s walk with G-d would have to be both command and choice.
This isn’t going to be a normal blog where I lay down my thoughts and feelings to all of you. In fact, you may have noticed I haven't at all presented what my opinion would be on this. I want this one to be an opening to a discussion for all of you to participate in with each other. So I am going to simply ask the same question to all of you...Is the act of following G-d command or choice? I think it will be very interesting to all of us to see what different people have to say about it.
G-d Bless!
K
This isn’t going to be a normal blog where I lay down my thoughts and feelings to all of you. In fact, you may have noticed I haven't at all presented what my opinion would be on this. I want this one to be an opening to a discussion for all of you to participate in with each other. So I am going to simply ask the same question to all of you...Is the act of following G-d command or choice? I think it will be very interesting to all of us to see what different people have to say about it.
G-d Bless!
K
Friday, March 5, 2010
Haiti
This blog was written and sent to us by a dear friend who is currently in Haiti involved with the relief efforts. She had us both in tears as we read it for the first time. You can all call her H.
The earthquake in Haiti has caused tremendous damage. Sadly, this disaster has killed and injured thousands of people, with even more being left homeless and hungry in a country where even on a good day survival is difficult.
Pray for the people of Haiti. Pray for provision, protection, and for hope during this incredible time of loss.
Isaiah 50:10
"And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noon day."
At this point in your lives, even those of you who are not avid consumers of news should be very familiar with turning on the TV or opening up a newspaper or magazine and seeing devastation. Wars and conflicts worldwide are documented more than they have ever been before, so it comes as no surprise that you can skim a page of photographs displaying the weak, the suffering, the dying and the dead while listening to an iPod and eating lunch. You read tragic news, but most of you are good at putting the darker side of life out of sight and mind. When it comes to Haiti and the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that has caused mass devastation, people that have any heart should find it hard to ignore.
The disaster in Haiti is yet another reminder that in many ways our suffering is miniscule in comparison to those in the poorest nation in the world. Even those of you who struggle day-to-day to pay bills and eat are in a better position to have opportunities in this life than many of the people of Haiti. The nation needs help, and it’s going to take time. Unfortunately, the death toll continues to increase. The injured need aid in a country where an effective emergency response system is nonexistent, where communication is extremely difficult. They need your prayers.
In much of Port-au-Prince, officials and relief agencies are focused on helping the tens of thousands of people in survivors' camps. But there are still many pockets of the city that have seen little aid, including the neighborhood of Fort National, one of the worst-hit districts in the capital.
There are many streets where every house has fallen. Many weeks after the disaster, people still spend their days searching for the bodies of loved ones.
One afternoon, a cluster of people gathered near a fire crackling in a pit dug into the buckled concrete of a fallen roof. A small man in a floppy hat stands guard near the blaze. "This is my mother," he tells an interpreter. "My mother is being burned here." The man says he finally found his mother's body after digging for several days in the wreckage. He burned her body where she lay, in the ruins of her kitchen. He says he burned the body of his little boy just two days before. He is still searching for the body of a nephew. This is just one man’s story in a place filled with so much human tragedy.
It is a common story from the survivors in Fort National. Some of their loved ones are buried in mass graves. Other bodies are burned, especially if they can't be fully extracted from the rubble.
People fear that the bodies will be eaten by rats or dogs, and many fear that the stench of dead bodies can cause illness. Health officials say that is not true, but many people believe it, and it adds to their anxiety and pain.
A fallen school building is thought to have buried the bodies of nearly 20 children and their teacher, but nobody knows for sure. Many people sleep in a makeshift camp at the foot of the hill, but spend their days next to their fallen houses, looking for loved ones and any possessions they can retrieve. Others take refuge in a sloping yard just a block from the top of the hill. The yard seems overflowing with a few hundred men, women and children, but someone says more than 1,000 people come here to sleep at night. He says residents in the camp are pooling what money they have and buying food at inflated prices from vendors on the street.
There is so much sadness and turmoil and yet in it all we came across a man with graying hair sitting at the upper end of the camp who has not lost his faith. His name is Max Paul, and he's one of the pastors at the Church of G-d in the Poste Marchant area at the bottom of the hill.
His eyes are swollen with fatigue and grief. His wife was killed along with six other people in his house, he says. When asked what he tells his church members when they ask why such things happen, he shakes his head. "It's the will of G-d," he says. "It's the will of G-d. If G-d allows this to happen, it is because we human beings are too wicked." Paul says his faith is stronger than ever. When asked if the disaster calls to mind the biblical story of Job, he gives an emphatic "Yes! G-d has given. G-d has taken away. May the name of the L-rd be blessed."
During the daylight hours, when people of the Fort National area are searching the debris, they don't have much time to speculate on why this happened. But when asked when they'll get a chance to mourn for their loved ones, one man replied: "We cry a lot. Every day. Every single day."
Death, devastation and despair dominate the news coming out of Port-au-Prince, but out of the chaos have also come miraculous stories of survival and hope. G-d is here and helps us to work with courage.
The General Hospital in Port-au-Prince is guarded by American soldiers with dark sunglasses and frighteningly large guns. Most of the buildings are damaged, so the patients lie outside in large white tents, makeshift wards. This is where volunteer surgeons work to save limbs, where the sick and bandaged lie, waiting to heal, and where mothers labor, their legs up in hard metal stirrups, to bring their babies into the world. Under the noontime sun, the tents are torrid. And then there is the oppressive smell of death from the collapsed nursing school, where over 100 nursing students were killed when the building fell.
The hospital, in many ways, is a place of pain and suffering, where people must learn to live with newly missing limbs, where parents sleep and eat and wait for days on end on the floor beside their children’s beds. The blue tent at the top of the hill is for those infected with tuberculosis. And there are also places for those who suffer from the other diseases that regularly plague the poor, like HIV/AIDS and typhoid fever.
Given everything, the hospital is not a place of levity, save for in the pediatric tents, where children continue to color pictures, play and laugh, unaware that because they’re sick, they should be more morose. One day, those in the tents at the top of the hill were serenaded when an unlikely cast of characters spontaneously began to perform. Dustin, an American solider originally from Arkansas, Delphonse, a Haitian man with his forearm bandaged due to an earthquake injury, and Julian, Jeff, Guercin, Gaston and Andre, who either worked at the hospital or were there to visit relatives, began to sing Akon’s Ghetto. Amongst all this sadness and tragedy there are still people willing to spread cheer; many who work endless hours a day. G-d is definitely at work here, but your continued prayers are always needed. He is an amazing G-d and I know that without Him so many of us would have crumbled in all this tragedy. I am thankful that He is my Father and my G-d. We should all be thankful.
The earthquake in Haiti has caused tremendous damage. Sadly, this disaster has killed and injured thousands of people, with even more being left homeless and hungry in a country where even on a good day survival is difficult.
Pray for the people of Haiti. Pray for provision, protection, and for hope during this incredible time of loss.
Isaiah 50:10
"And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noon day."
At this point in your lives, even those of you who are not avid consumers of news should be very familiar with turning on the TV or opening up a newspaper or magazine and seeing devastation. Wars and conflicts worldwide are documented more than they have ever been before, so it comes as no surprise that you can skim a page of photographs displaying the weak, the suffering, the dying and the dead while listening to an iPod and eating lunch. You read tragic news, but most of you are good at putting the darker side of life out of sight and mind. When it comes to Haiti and the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that has caused mass devastation, people that have any heart should find it hard to ignore.
The disaster in Haiti is yet another reminder that in many ways our suffering is miniscule in comparison to those in the poorest nation in the world. Even those of you who struggle day-to-day to pay bills and eat are in a better position to have opportunities in this life than many of the people of Haiti. The nation needs help, and it’s going to take time. Unfortunately, the death toll continues to increase. The injured need aid in a country where an effective emergency response system is nonexistent, where communication is extremely difficult. They need your prayers.
In much of Port-au-Prince, officials and relief agencies are focused on helping the tens of thousands of people in survivors' camps. But there are still many pockets of the city that have seen little aid, including the neighborhood of Fort National, one of the worst-hit districts in the capital.
There are many streets where every house has fallen. Many weeks after the disaster, people still spend their days searching for the bodies of loved ones.
One afternoon, a cluster of people gathered near a fire crackling in a pit dug into the buckled concrete of a fallen roof. A small man in a floppy hat stands guard near the blaze. "This is my mother," he tells an interpreter. "My mother is being burned here." The man says he finally found his mother's body after digging for several days in the wreckage. He burned her body where she lay, in the ruins of her kitchen. He says he burned the body of his little boy just two days before. He is still searching for the body of a nephew. This is just one man’s story in a place filled with so much human tragedy.
It is a common story from the survivors in Fort National. Some of their loved ones are buried in mass graves. Other bodies are burned, especially if they can't be fully extracted from the rubble.
People fear that the bodies will be eaten by rats or dogs, and many fear that the stench of dead bodies can cause illness. Health officials say that is not true, but many people believe it, and it adds to their anxiety and pain.
A fallen school building is thought to have buried the bodies of nearly 20 children and their teacher, but nobody knows for sure. Many people sleep in a makeshift camp at the foot of the hill, but spend their days next to their fallen houses, looking for loved ones and any possessions they can retrieve. Others take refuge in a sloping yard just a block from the top of the hill. The yard seems overflowing with a few hundred men, women and children, but someone says more than 1,000 people come here to sleep at night. He says residents in the camp are pooling what money they have and buying food at inflated prices from vendors on the street.
There is so much sadness and turmoil and yet in it all we came across a man with graying hair sitting at the upper end of the camp who has not lost his faith. His name is Max Paul, and he's one of the pastors at the Church of G-d in the Poste Marchant area at the bottom of the hill.
His eyes are swollen with fatigue and grief. His wife was killed along with six other people in his house, he says. When asked what he tells his church members when they ask why such things happen, he shakes his head. "It's the will of G-d," he says. "It's the will of G-d. If G-d allows this to happen, it is because we human beings are too wicked." Paul says his faith is stronger than ever. When asked if the disaster calls to mind the biblical story of Job, he gives an emphatic "Yes! G-d has given. G-d has taken away. May the name of the L-rd be blessed."
During the daylight hours, when people of the Fort National area are searching the debris, they don't have much time to speculate on why this happened. But when asked when they'll get a chance to mourn for their loved ones, one man replied: "We cry a lot. Every day. Every single day."
Death, devastation and despair dominate the news coming out of Port-au-Prince, but out of the chaos have also come miraculous stories of survival and hope. G-d is here and helps us to work with courage.
The General Hospital in Port-au-Prince is guarded by American soldiers with dark sunglasses and frighteningly large guns. Most of the buildings are damaged, so the patients lie outside in large white tents, makeshift wards. This is where volunteer surgeons work to save limbs, where the sick and bandaged lie, waiting to heal, and where mothers labor, their legs up in hard metal stirrups, to bring their babies into the world. Under the noontime sun, the tents are torrid. And then there is the oppressive smell of death from the collapsed nursing school, where over 100 nursing students were killed when the building fell.
The hospital, in many ways, is a place of pain and suffering, where people must learn to live with newly missing limbs, where parents sleep and eat and wait for days on end on the floor beside their children’s beds. The blue tent at the top of the hill is for those infected with tuberculosis. And there are also places for those who suffer from the other diseases that regularly plague the poor, like HIV/AIDS and typhoid fever.
Given everything, the hospital is not a place of levity, save for in the pediatric tents, where children continue to color pictures, play and laugh, unaware that because they’re sick, they should be more morose. One day, those in the tents at the top of the hill were serenaded when an unlikely cast of characters spontaneously began to perform. Dustin, an American solider originally from Arkansas, Delphonse, a Haitian man with his forearm bandaged due to an earthquake injury, and Julian, Jeff, Guercin, Gaston and Andre, who either worked at the hospital or were there to visit relatives, began to sing Akon’s Ghetto. Amongst all this sadness and tragedy there are still people willing to spread cheer; many who work endless hours a day. G-d is definitely at work here, but your continued prayers are always needed. He is an amazing G-d and I know that without Him so many of us would have crumbled in all this tragedy. I am thankful that He is my Father and my G-d. We should all be thankful.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Doubts...
“May the L-rd answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the G-d of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary & grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices & accept your burnt offerings.” (Psalm 20:1-3).
My child, don’t give in to disappointment. Some issues are simply beyond your control. However; some come out of unmet expectations & like little foxes, they sneak in before you know it. Be on guard at all times (Song of Solomon 2:15).
Disappointment is such an insidious little fox, sneaking in before you realize it. It always waits patiently for you to be distracted from Him. It can take the simplest irritation or unfulfilled expectation, turning it into a mountain of frustration, & throw it over you like a wet blanket of discontent. Once a door is open, layer after layer of wet blankets are applied, weighing you down, robbing hope, faith, and joy.
Discontentment is an open door, leading to frustration, assumption, & finally supposition. When you encounter situations & attitudes outside the scope of your control, allow a time of communion between yourself & G-d. Without it, you tend to follow the dictates of the world. During these times you must take your thoughts captive. If not, you will find the road back to peace laden with intense humility, even though accompanied by His grace and mercy.
Assumption is the belief that something is true without proof, based on perceived circumstances or runaway thoughts. Assumption gives way to deeper speculation, in spite of firm evidence, forming a hypothesis through an engaged mental process. Once this hypothesis is formed, it becomes truth to you, regardless of accuracy. All inner turmoil can be avoided when you call on His name in the day of trouble. Trouble is simply anything that robs your peace or faith, from the sublime to the catastrophic. The key is to stay in a place of communion, thereby, avoiding the schemes & subtleties of the devil, which lead to discouragement & an accusatory spirit.
Thoughts allowed to run rampant & unchecked affect your will & emotions, causing actions harmful in any given situation. The more a negative process is followed, the less you trust Him, relying on your own abilities & intuitions. This never works for the good.
Remember & be encouraged. He sees your trouble before it arrives, & He is listening for your request, poised to defend you & meet any need from on high. Receive this revelation today and prohibit future struggles. Imagine Him sitting, poised & waiting for your request, & meditate on the significance.
His support keeps you from falling into the trap of disillusionment & gives you the necessary things without relinquishing or giving away ground gained in previous victories. When He refreshes in the midst of support; you are invigorated & replenished with the ability to stand in faith with joy. He upholds every portion of your life with a mighty, outstretched hand, strengthening & reinforcing resolve, producing a steadfast spirit in you.
A Prayer
I slip into the mighty protection of Your hand. Father, forgive me for not trusting You with the disappointments in my life. Sometimes, I let all the little things add up & rob the precious joy I find in You. Help me to see when I put unreal expectations on others, especially my friends & family. It is harmful to us, affecting our relationships in a negative way. Your Word teaches & gives me wisdom for each and every day
Time with You makes it possible to walk in the Spirit. Show me all the little foxes running through my thoughts. I open my heart up for support, refreshment, & strength. Father, I love You as my dearest friend & accept these words of instruction & encouragement today. I submit to You in humility of sacrificial praise & obedience. Come, Father G-d, & fill me to running over with goodness & power to overcome. I receive all things, with a heart of rejoicing, that my joy might be full. Amen.
G-d Bless.
J
My child, don’t give in to disappointment. Some issues are simply beyond your control. However; some come out of unmet expectations & like little foxes, they sneak in before you know it. Be on guard at all times (Song of Solomon 2:15).
Disappointment is such an insidious little fox, sneaking in before you realize it. It always waits patiently for you to be distracted from Him. It can take the simplest irritation or unfulfilled expectation, turning it into a mountain of frustration, & throw it over you like a wet blanket of discontent. Once a door is open, layer after layer of wet blankets are applied, weighing you down, robbing hope, faith, and joy.
Discontentment is an open door, leading to frustration, assumption, & finally supposition. When you encounter situations & attitudes outside the scope of your control, allow a time of communion between yourself & G-d. Without it, you tend to follow the dictates of the world. During these times you must take your thoughts captive. If not, you will find the road back to peace laden with intense humility, even though accompanied by His grace and mercy.
Assumption is the belief that something is true without proof, based on perceived circumstances or runaway thoughts. Assumption gives way to deeper speculation, in spite of firm evidence, forming a hypothesis through an engaged mental process. Once this hypothesis is formed, it becomes truth to you, regardless of accuracy. All inner turmoil can be avoided when you call on His name in the day of trouble. Trouble is simply anything that robs your peace or faith, from the sublime to the catastrophic. The key is to stay in a place of communion, thereby, avoiding the schemes & subtleties of the devil, which lead to discouragement & an accusatory spirit.
Thoughts allowed to run rampant & unchecked affect your will & emotions, causing actions harmful in any given situation. The more a negative process is followed, the less you trust Him, relying on your own abilities & intuitions. This never works for the good.
Remember & be encouraged. He sees your trouble before it arrives, & He is listening for your request, poised to defend you & meet any need from on high. Receive this revelation today and prohibit future struggles. Imagine Him sitting, poised & waiting for your request, & meditate on the significance.
His support keeps you from falling into the trap of disillusionment & gives you the necessary things without relinquishing or giving away ground gained in previous victories. When He refreshes in the midst of support; you are invigorated & replenished with the ability to stand in faith with joy. He upholds every portion of your life with a mighty, outstretched hand, strengthening & reinforcing resolve, producing a steadfast spirit in you.
A Prayer
I slip into the mighty protection of Your hand. Father, forgive me for not trusting You with the disappointments in my life. Sometimes, I let all the little things add up & rob the precious joy I find in You. Help me to see when I put unreal expectations on others, especially my friends & family. It is harmful to us, affecting our relationships in a negative way. Your Word teaches & gives me wisdom for each and every day
Time with You makes it possible to walk in the Spirit. Show me all the little foxes running through my thoughts. I open my heart up for support, refreshment, & strength. Father, I love You as my dearest friend & accept these words of instruction & encouragement today. I submit to You in humility of sacrificial praise & obedience. Come, Father G-d, & fill me to running over with goodness & power to overcome. I receive all things, with a heart of rejoicing, that my joy might be full. Amen.
G-d Bless.
J
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