I was in Hikkadawu, Sri Lanka. It’s an amazing beach a 100km from Colombo. I approached the guy with the surfboards, looking to rent one, wondering if he would be able to speak English. He could.
Meet Amilla.
His story is like so many others here in Sri Lanka. Six years later and the Tsunami is still a vivid memory.
Amilla is a surfer. He was on the beach the day the Tsunami hit the coast. As he tell us his story, you can see him reliving it. Every movement and word feels as if it were happening all over again.
He has a big smile as he speaks,
He is still awed by the events of that day.
He tells us that he remembers thinking to himself that the sea had never looked so beautiful. He just remembers how beautiful it looked and as a tourist walked by, he said to him “something is wrong today, the sea does not look the same.”
A few minutes later, water was rushing to his feet. He thought that it might just be high waters because of the full moon, but the next thing he knew, the water was up to his waste.
He ran to grab his surf boards as they were being swept away. He was responsible for the inventory and didn’t want to lose them. But then, he was hit by a sandbag in the ribs. He bent over in pain and when he straightened back up, the water was over his head.
He now knew something was wrong, but he said that he was laughing and crying at the same time. He couldn’t believe what was going on and he couldn’t stop laughing, yet he was crying. He was in complete shock.
He swam out to sea knowing that this would be his only chance. Buildings were crumbling and if he went to shore, he would certainly be crushed. He swam and swam and found others. People were panicking, but he told them to stick together. Surfers were in the water and they could rest on their boards.
They stayed in the water for 30 minutes. Waiting.
And then the sea came back out suddenly. They were standing on the ocean floor, he couldn’t believe what was going on.
That is when he ran home to find his family. People were crying, one couple couldn’t find their son. He said “I was the only local, I had to help” He searched for their son and found him in a cupboard, he was safe. The family was in shock and he told them to get out of here. “You are safe, go”
He ran home through the flowing water and glass shredded his feet and legs. Water was everywhere and he could not see.
His family was not there.
His cows were still there. The mother cow wasn’t tied up, but she would not leave here baby. It was tied to a pole, but it had survived. After he untied the cow, he ran in haste and because the water was still high and flowing, he fell into a well. It is impossible to think how he survived.
It was time to get on high ground and he made his way to the temple. His family was there along with the rest of the community.
He was one of the lucky ones.
30,000 Sri Lankans died that day. His family and friends survived. All but one girl that he knew quite well. He found her body cut up on the shore later that night when he and his friends went to the beach to see what was going on.
They felt that they were the surfers, they were able to speak English, they knew the water, they could help.
Sri Lanka has slowly been rebuilding since the Tsunami. But corruption has mired the process. Amilla’s parents lost the deed to their house in the disaster. They didn’t have a copy and therefore were evicted off of their land.
Money has not made its way to the people and even Amilla’s family now has loans and debts as they had to buy another piece of property due to their eviction.
We donated money to the Tsunami like so many others, just like so many others are doing now for Haiti.
It is upsetting to hear stories like this. People have the best intentions, but their money doesn’t make it to those that need it the most.
I said to him, “G-d sees and he knows and He will hear you when you pray to Him”. I was taking a chance saying this; in a predominantly Muslim country. His response was, “That is why I am still here. I never stopped praying that day. I will never stop.” He smiles at me and sweeps his arm over the ocean, turns around and does the same. He says, “How could I stop; He gave me all of this. He let me live to appreciate it more.”
To me that was profound! A humble, poor surfer, earning money renting out boards to tourists, loving life and still loving the ocean after it had destroyed everything he knew. Why? Because he knows G-d and trusts Him.
I got more than I bargained for that morning out on the beach.
G-d never forsakes those who speak to Him in prayer and He wants us to appreciate life and enjoy living it.
This is your Captain signing off.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
An Inspirational Thank You
When was the last time you sat down with yourself for a good assessment of your life? Don't we all need to know where we have been, how the changes we made in the past are affecting us today, where we want to be in the future & what aspects of our personal style are standing in our way of moving forward towards the life we really want to live?
Each of us will find a time & place to do this, if we want to. What are the benefits of deciding to look inside? Suddenly you are allowing yourself to do something precious … give yourself time. Every one of us is overbooked in our lives with little time to do anything for ourselves. We have jobs, families & friends who all demand our attention. How can we bring more to our daily relationships if we do not take the time to know & understand ourselves first?
I won't kid you & say it is all rosy when you do your inner research. Sometimes you have to deal with issues you swept under the rug … knowing one day you would have to look at them again. But guess what? Today is all any of us gets, & even this is not a guarantee. So look inside … deal with what you want to avoid now. Get it out of the way so you can move forward. One thing I do recommend is to also thank yourself for all the courage you have shown in the past, for everyone has had a rocky road at sometime in his or her life. Celebrate the challenges you have overcome. Examine the times you have not triumphed & the lesson you were supposed to learn as a result. Be truthful.
If you make a commitment to improve at least one aspect of your personality & develop a game plan with a start date, before you know it, you will be on your way to the life you really want.
Thank you for following the G-d Sight. We hope it has in some small way been an inspiration to your life so far & we pray that for many years to come G-d will continue to inspire us so that we are able to inspire you.
Have a blessed week ahead,
J and K
Each of us will find a time & place to do this, if we want to. What are the benefits of deciding to look inside? Suddenly you are allowing yourself to do something precious … give yourself time. Every one of us is overbooked in our lives with little time to do anything for ourselves. We have jobs, families & friends who all demand our attention. How can we bring more to our daily relationships if we do not take the time to know & understand ourselves first?
I won't kid you & say it is all rosy when you do your inner research. Sometimes you have to deal with issues you swept under the rug … knowing one day you would have to look at them again. But guess what? Today is all any of us gets, & even this is not a guarantee. So look inside … deal with what you want to avoid now. Get it out of the way so you can move forward. One thing I do recommend is to also thank yourself for all the courage you have shown in the past, for everyone has had a rocky road at sometime in his or her life. Celebrate the challenges you have overcome. Examine the times you have not triumphed & the lesson you were supposed to learn as a result. Be truthful.
If you make a commitment to improve at least one aspect of your personality & develop a game plan with a start date, before you know it, you will be on your way to the life you really want.
Thank you for following the G-d Sight. We hope it has in some small way been an inspiration to your life so far & we pray that for many years to come G-d will continue to inspire us so that we are able to inspire you.
Have a blessed week ahead,
J and K
Your Life
This journey through life is yours;
Live more in the moment & less in the past.
Resolve to accept others differences & opinions,
Knowing it's okay to agree to disagree.
Embrace every day, every hour & every moment
Just as if each were your last.
Share less of injustice; renew disappointment;
Focus on the positive.
For this is your life, no one can live it ...
No one can change It ... except for you.
You have the power to change today, any time, any way!
Spread love just as the bees spread honey
And never leaving a kind word unsaid.
Cherish individuality, for it is the uniqueness
That makes each of us special.
Embrace family; treat them like friends...
Surely then those relationships will never end.
Accept others make mistakes,
Learn to forgive, to let go ... to move on.
For this is your life, no one can live it ...
No one can change it ... except for you.
Remember, you have the power to change today, any time, any way!
History should remain a study of the past, a valuable lesson perhaps.
Press onward, not backward.
Resolve to concentrate less on the lack of communication ...
And more on becoming part of establishing it.
Spend less time focusing on others weakness & more on improving your own ...
And know, when you stand back, it will seem like magic ...
Great things will happen!
Remember too, that by sharing love, joy follows
And is that not what really makes life worth living?
For This Is Your Life, no one can live it ...
No one can change it ... except for you.
And my wish for you today;
To always believe & to always know that with G-d by your side
You have the power to change today, any time, any way!
G-d Bless,
J
Live more in the moment & less in the past.
Resolve to accept others differences & opinions,
Knowing it's okay to agree to disagree.
Embrace every day, every hour & every moment
Just as if each were your last.
Share less of injustice; renew disappointment;
Focus on the positive.
For this is your life, no one can live it ...
No one can change It ... except for you.
You have the power to change today, any time, any way!
Spread love just as the bees spread honey
And never leaving a kind word unsaid.
Cherish individuality, for it is the uniqueness
That makes each of us special.
Embrace family; treat them like friends...
Surely then those relationships will never end.
Accept others make mistakes,
Learn to forgive, to let go ... to move on.
For this is your life, no one can live it ...
No one can change it ... except for you.
Remember, you have the power to change today, any time, any way!
History should remain a study of the past, a valuable lesson perhaps.
Press onward, not backward.
Resolve to concentrate less on the lack of communication ...
And more on becoming part of establishing it.
Spend less time focusing on others weakness & more on improving your own ...
And know, when you stand back, it will seem like magic ...
Great things will happen!
Remember too, that by sharing love, joy follows
And is that not what really makes life worth living?
For This Is Your Life, no one can live it ...
No one can change it ... except for you.
And my wish for you today;
To always believe & to always know that with G-d by your side
You have the power to change today, any time, any way!
G-d Bless,
J
Create Your Own Rainbows
Believe in your heart that something wonderful is about to happen.
Love your life.
Believe in your own powers & your own potential & in your own innate goodness.
Wake every morning with the awe of just being alive.
Discover each day the magnificent awesome beauty in the world.
Explore & embrace life in yourself & in everyone you see each day.
Reach within to find your own specialness.
Amaze yourself & rouse those around you to the potential of each new day.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect.
This is the essence of your humanity.
Let those who love you help you.
Trust enough to be able to take.
Look with hope to the horizon of today for today is all we truly have.
Live this day well.
Let a little sun out as well as in.
Create your own rainbows.
Be open to all your possibilities … All possibilities & Miracles.
Always believe in Miracles. G-d is the Father of Miracles.
Trust in G-d & all will be possible.
G-d Bless,
J
Love your life.
Believe in your own powers & your own potential & in your own innate goodness.
Wake every morning with the awe of just being alive.
Discover each day the magnificent awesome beauty in the world.
Explore & embrace life in yourself & in everyone you see each day.
Reach within to find your own specialness.
Amaze yourself & rouse those around you to the potential of each new day.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect.
This is the essence of your humanity.
Let those who love you help you.
Trust enough to be able to take.
Look with hope to the horizon of today for today is all we truly have.
Live this day well.
Let a little sun out as well as in.
Create your own rainbows.
Be open to all your possibilities … All possibilities & Miracles.
Always believe in Miracles. G-d is the Father of Miracles.
Trust in G-d & all will be possible.
G-d Bless,
J
Patience
Human psyche perceives controlling five vices - Pride, Lust, Anger, Attachment & Greed, as being perhaps the five most difficult things to do during our short stay on this planet. And the solution to controlling these vices lies within ourselves only.
Self-discipline comes from Self-realization. Self-realization comes from Self-introspection. Self-introspection comes with Patience & Patience comes from Practice.
When we say that we are fighting these vices, this means we are already aware of these problems, which are hampering our spiritual growth, & we are already on our way. But then this should not be said just for mere saying or for impressing upon others.
Actually, the fact of the matter is that as soon as we are confronted with a critical situation, we simply forget to practice patience with ourselves & are conveniently overtaken by any of the above-mentioned vices.
Example: As soon as somebody offends us, our 'ego' comes forward and we, conveniently, forget about practicing patience. Have we ever analyzed how long a period of time we actually remember an incident that gave us the feeling of hurt or insult, regardless of the magnitude of a dispute?
I would say ... not more than two or three days at the most. And after that, whatever we recollect from that argument, is just a hazy picture of what had actually happened. But the hurt/insult, of whatever derogatory remark she/he said to us, always remains embedded in our mind.
Obviously, the same applies to the other person as well. Those derogatory remarks play games in our minds, for a lifetime in some cases. We hardly remember the cause for which we had argued & tend to remember only the hurt/insult thus caused. Hurt or insult is caused by our false 'ego' or 'ahamkaar' only. This is the reason we are unhappy for most of our lives.
We always say how dare she/he say these remarks to me? (We can't even recollect the remarks ...). But, we do not realize that whatever she/he uttered was restricted by her/his level of thinking/intellect ... we feel this hurt/insult only because we take whatever is said to us to heart & mind and that is where all the problems arise. What if we do not take the insult at all? She/he can do nothing about it.
Patience is a rare state of mind, where we are neither too happy on the happening of a favorable event nor too depressed on the happening of an unfavorable event. Our goal: the state of mind in which we are constantly in 'Anand ... Eternal Joy ... Bliss'.
But this state of mind needs practice; practicing restrain or patience with ourselves. Some would simply argue, "Very difficult!” But: Is it really that difficult? Have we ever strived for it? I am afraid, no, never ever!
So, one derogatory remark from she/he induces another derogatory remark from us & so this vicious circle continues to a point where there can be no looking back.
And in 100% of the cases, we earn nothing from our false ego-based arguments but rather might lose the blessings of our elders or a true friend for a lifetime. By dragging his/her thinking (derogatory words) into our mind again & again, we are not only corrupting our minds but we also don't allow good thoughts to enter our mind.
If we could just practice patience & just listen to what the other person has to say, without blasting him/her out of his/her 'ego', we would solve a lot of problems. We need to practice patience with our minds.
So, whenever we feel bothered with such feelings of hurt/insult, just go to quieter places & try to empty our mind from such thoughts. By giving our mind a feed of positive thoughts or even think about the positive sides of that individual who had hurt/insulted us in the first place, maybe we could reconcile with him/her.
But again, this comes from practicing patience. Now, whenever there is a situation when we feel that one of the five vices are overtaking our thinking, just take a deep cool breath & hold back. We will certainly cool down.
You could say that the other person would brag/boast that he has proven his point, just because we have stopped responding to the negative arguments. We should remember that nobody has ever won an argument & his/her bragging could just be their 'false-ego' only.
Let him/her feel happy!! We can't be right each time & the other person can't be wrong each time. So, if we can gain something from others, we should feel grateful to him/her. We can at least give Patience a try. Patience definitely breeds peace of mind.
Come on, let us give it a try. This is what G-d would want us to do. He will assist us if we ask; He always does; He always will.
G-d Bless.
J
Self-discipline comes from Self-realization. Self-realization comes from Self-introspection. Self-introspection comes with Patience & Patience comes from Practice.
When we say that we are fighting these vices, this means we are already aware of these problems, which are hampering our spiritual growth, & we are already on our way. But then this should not be said just for mere saying or for impressing upon others.
Actually, the fact of the matter is that as soon as we are confronted with a critical situation, we simply forget to practice patience with ourselves & are conveniently overtaken by any of the above-mentioned vices.
Example: As soon as somebody offends us, our 'ego' comes forward and we, conveniently, forget about practicing patience. Have we ever analyzed how long a period of time we actually remember an incident that gave us the feeling of hurt or insult, regardless of the magnitude of a dispute?
I would say ... not more than two or three days at the most. And after that, whatever we recollect from that argument, is just a hazy picture of what had actually happened. But the hurt/insult, of whatever derogatory remark she/he said to us, always remains embedded in our mind.
Obviously, the same applies to the other person as well. Those derogatory remarks play games in our minds, for a lifetime in some cases. We hardly remember the cause for which we had argued & tend to remember only the hurt/insult thus caused. Hurt or insult is caused by our false 'ego' or 'ahamkaar' only. This is the reason we are unhappy for most of our lives.
We always say how dare she/he say these remarks to me? (We can't even recollect the remarks ...). But, we do not realize that whatever she/he uttered was restricted by her/his level of thinking/intellect ... we feel this hurt/insult only because we take whatever is said to us to heart & mind and that is where all the problems arise. What if we do not take the insult at all? She/he can do nothing about it.
Patience is a rare state of mind, where we are neither too happy on the happening of a favorable event nor too depressed on the happening of an unfavorable event. Our goal: the state of mind in which we are constantly in 'Anand ... Eternal Joy ... Bliss'.
But this state of mind needs practice; practicing restrain or patience with ourselves. Some would simply argue, "Very difficult!” But: Is it really that difficult? Have we ever strived for it? I am afraid, no, never ever!
So, one derogatory remark from she/he induces another derogatory remark from us & so this vicious circle continues to a point where there can be no looking back.
And in 100% of the cases, we earn nothing from our false ego-based arguments but rather might lose the blessings of our elders or a true friend for a lifetime. By dragging his/her thinking (derogatory words) into our mind again & again, we are not only corrupting our minds but we also don't allow good thoughts to enter our mind.
If we could just practice patience & just listen to what the other person has to say, without blasting him/her out of his/her 'ego', we would solve a lot of problems. We need to practice patience with our minds.
So, whenever we feel bothered with such feelings of hurt/insult, just go to quieter places & try to empty our mind from such thoughts. By giving our mind a feed of positive thoughts or even think about the positive sides of that individual who had hurt/insulted us in the first place, maybe we could reconcile with him/her.
But again, this comes from practicing patience. Now, whenever there is a situation when we feel that one of the five vices are overtaking our thinking, just take a deep cool breath & hold back. We will certainly cool down.
You could say that the other person would brag/boast that he has proven his point, just because we have stopped responding to the negative arguments. We should remember that nobody has ever won an argument & his/her bragging could just be their 'false-ego' only.
Let him/her feel happy!! We can't be right each time & the other person can't be wrong each time. So, if we can gain something from others, we should feel grateful to him/her. We can at least give Patience a try. Patience definitely breeds peace of mind.
Come on, let us give it a try. This is what G-d would want us to do. He will assist us if we ask; He always does; He always will.
G-d Bless.
J
Friday, July 8, 2011
Changing the World
We would all love to make a difference of some kind in the world; especially in this broken world that we know of as home. I think the retailer, Staples, had the best idea when they came up with the “Easy Button.” For those who don’t know, it’s a magical button that, with one push, instantly solves any office supply dilemma that you could possibly have. Life would be pretty sweet if we actually had an easy button, wouldn’t it? A button that would whip out all the things that are causing this world to slowly break down the way it is. There would be no war, no hunger, tolerance, harmony...one can dream right?
Well there is no easy button and according to the word of G-d, thing are only going to get worse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be the pessimist; I’m being a realist. I believe that while the Earth was made to sustain itself, we were made to sustain each other, the devil has managed to throw wrenches in the system all over the place. The thing is, we don’t require tools from G-d, we are the tools. Some people understand that and they listen and follow and do what they can to make a difference in some way whether it be big or small. When looking at the world as a whole and wanting to make that difference it seem like an impossible task. Sometimes you may wonder why even try. But people don’t really seem to realize that any improvement that will take place in this world isn’t going to result from one or two really big differences, it will result from a lot of smaller ones combining to make the changes that people want to see.
This very thought brings a quote from a movie to mind. How many of you have seen the movie “The Core”. (Starring Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank) Those who haven’t; consider this your spoiler alert. The Core is another “close call-end of the world” kind of movie. The mantel in the Earth’s outer core has stopped spinning. This messes up the electromagnetic field around the planet and basically causes deadly chaos for all of mankind if it isn’t fixed. In an effort to save the world, a sort of submarine/drill is invented that takes a team through the layers of the Earth to the outer core where they will set off explosives that will make the mantel start spinning and cause the Earth to instantly heal itself. OK...I am guessing some of you are saying “that could never happen!” But what can I say...that’s Hollywood for ya. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the movie.
Anyways, there is a point where the team is coming to terms with the first death among them and they are saying “why are we doing this” and “this is too big.” One of the characters, Serge, says something very profound:
“I think you’re attempting the impossible. You’re trying to save the world. It’s overwhelming. I came here to save my wife and two children. Six million lives; that’s too much. I just hope I am smart enough and brave enough to save three.”
Those are very wise words. When we are living our lives wanting to make a difference in this world, sometimes people come to the end thinking that they didn’t do enough. But what’s enough? There are some people that are meant to touch thousands of lives while others are meant to just touch a few. Neither is better than the other because there is no small success in my opinion. I don’t know everything that G-d has in store for me. I don’t know what he expects me to accomplish by the time I die. I have no idea if I am going to touch a lot of lives, or just a few. What I do know is that when my day comes, and it was G-d’s will that I quietly touch the lives of even just one or two people...then it’s all worth it. Because it helped in continuing the chain of events that G-d needs in place.
Don’t ever question if you can make a difference. It’s what we were all made to do. There have been times when I can recall someone helping me without even realizing it. When they have said just the right thing without knowing what was going on in my life. It’s amazing how G-d can use us to reach out to one another isn’t it? In this busy world it’s easy to go day to day with no thought of what is going on around you. It’s so easy to just be focused on your life, your situations, your heartache, and your joys. I am just as guilty as anyone else of this. We need to choose to see through the eyes of G-d. He sees when someone is hurting. He sees when help is needed. He sees when someone simply needs a smile or hug. With this in mind, I am going to tie a song to this blog. It’s by a man named Brandon Heath and it’s called “Give Me Your Eyes”. I hope it can help inspire you to look a little bit deeper when going through your everyday routine. Because you never know who G-d needs you to help or encourage today. And you never know when a chance is upon you to do your part to change the world.
G-d Bless,
K
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY
Well there is no easy button and according to the word of G-d, thing are only going to get worse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be the pessimist; I’m being a realist. I believe that while the Earth was made to sustain itself, we were made to sustain each other, the devil has managed to throw wrenches in the system all over the place. The thing is, we don’t require tools from G-d, we are the tools. Some people understand that and they listen and follow and do what they can to make a difference in some way whether it be big or small. When looking at the world as a whole and wanting to make that difference it seem like an impossible task. Sometimes you may wonder why even try. But people don’t really seem to realize that any improvement that will take place in this world isn’t going to result from one or two really big differences, it will result from a lot of smaller ones combining to make the changes that people want to see.
This very thought brings a quote from a movie to mind. How many of you have seen the movie “The Core”. (Starring Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank) Those who haven’t; consider this your spoiler alert. The Core is another “close call-end of the world” kind of movie. The mantel in the Earth’s outer core has stopped spinning. This messes up the electromagnetic field around the planet and basically causes deadly chaos for all of mankind if it isn’t fixed. In an effort to save the world, a sort of submarine/drill is invented that takes a team through the layers of the Earth to the outer core where they will set off explosives that will make the mantel start spinning and cause the Earth to instantly heal itself. OK...I am guessing some of you are saying “that could never happen!” But what can I say...that’s Hollywood for ya. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the movie.
Anyways, there is a point where the team is coming to terms with the first death among them and they are saying “why are we doing this” and “this is too big.” One of the characters, Serge, says something very profound:
“I think you’re attempting the impossible. You’re trying to save the world. It’s overwhelming. I came here to save my wife and two children. Six million lives; that’s too much. I just hope I am smart enough and brave enough to save three.”
Those are very wise words. When we are living our lives wanting to make a difference in this world, sometimes people come to the end thinking that they didn’t do enough. But what’s enough? There are some people that are meant to touch thousands of lives while others are meant to just touch a few. Neither is better than the other because there is no small success in my opinion. I don’t know everything that G-d has in store for me. I don’t know what he expects me to accomplish by the time I die. I have no idea if I am going to touch a lot of lives, or just a few. What I do know is that when my day comes, and it was G-d’s will that I quietly touch the lives of even just one or two people...then it’s all worth it. Because it helped in continuing the chain of events that G-d needs in place.
Don’t ever question if you can make a difference. It’s what we were all made to do. There have been times when I can recall someone helping me without even realizing it. When they have said just the right thing without knowing what was going on in my life. It’s amazing how G-d can use us to reach out to one another isn’t it? In this busy world it’s easy to go day to day with no thought of what is going on around you. It’s so easy to just be focused on your life, your situations, your heartache, and your joys. I am just as guilty as anyone else of this. We need to choose to see through the eyes of G-d. He sees when someone is hurting. He sees when help is needed. He sees when someone simply needs a smile or hug. With this in mind, I am going to tie a song to this blog. It’s by a man named Brandon Heath and it’s called “Give Me Your Eyes”. I hope it can help inspire you to look a little bit deeper when going through your everyday routine. Because you never know who G-d needs you to help or encourage today. And you never know when a chance is upon you to do your part to change the world.
G-d Bless,
K
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY
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