The Power of Giving (Part 2)

Continuing from Part one of The Power of Giving Series.

In the last part, I mentioned about Christmas being a holiday of giving, rather than receiving. It's also a day that we remembered the true purpose of Christmas: Abba's gift of the Lord Jesus to us. Today, people enjoy Christmas because they have a time to give presents to loved ones (not necessarily romantically, but all kinds).

Unfortunately, a lot of us are struggling Scrooges, even as Christians. I happen to be one of them. Not being about to freely show love to others is one of my weaknesses, partly due to my difficulties establishing close friendships and my own selfishness and cynicism. I remember during one year in high school I would complain that everyone gets presents except for me, and because of that I feel sad and uncared for. It gets depressing in Christmas because everyone else around me was able to show each other love, and I would end up like this.

That's pretty sad, eh? But it's so precious that the Lord, who loves us all with His highest, unconditional love, gave Himself as the most precious gift to us. As members of Christ we have already received so much, unfortunately because of our unsatisfied nature of our flesh we don't realize that what we'ved gained by Him is outpouring. Also, even the small gifts we give to Him, whether it is a short prayer, or a song, or a non-believer, makes Him truly happy.

I bring in another example of a comic a sister in Scarborough shared years ago. She mentioned about a rich dog and his cat best friend. One Christmas the cat couldn't decide on a gift because his dog friend has everything, so for that day, he planned on giving him Nothing. Later, when the dog received the gift with an empty box, he asked the cat "How come you didn't give me anything for Christmas?" (not sure if this was part of the comic) The cat answered "Actually, I gave you Nothing!" At the end they both have a happy time.

I was touched by the story, and also gave me a little laugh. As one of the sisters pointed out in the comments, the reason why we worry about what to give is because we don't know if it will satisfy the people you give the present to. Sometimes material things we receive don't always satisfied us, but the most important thing is that the thought matters. We give because we have a heart of love, and that will always make the person satisfied.

I hope that in this Christmas I can retrieve my soft heart of God to change my ways and be a more giving person. I don't mind receiving Nothing this year, but whatever I gained, I should be satisfied. I also shouldn't be worried about what to give either, because there are more ways to give than to physically give them a present that they might not like.

And for all you Scrooges out there (you might be one of them!) Remember to soften your heart and pour our your love for the holidays, and the rest of your life, and until eternity! If you need help pray to the Lord that He will be sure to help. That is also a gift to Him too and He will gladly give back!

So that concludes the Power of Giving Series. Wish you all a happy, loving holiday!
-Karen

The Power of Giving (Part 1)

Hello, sisters! How are you all doing?

It's that time of the year. Christmas, holiday break. I'm sure that a lot of you have already bought presents for your friends and loved ones. (except me -_-, because I'm still not sure what to buy and give yet) If you've given away your presents, that's good. If you don't, that's okay. Have you received anything yet? Did you receive anything that you didn't like? Are you upset or mad that you did?

Unfortunately in this world many people suffer from holiday blues because of false concepts like how Christmas is based on materialism, money, glitter, and self gain. People want to receive rather than give, and that's truly what makes them unhappy and unsatisfied.

I watched a movie on Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol and that movie has taught me important lessons. If you don't know the story already it's about an unsociable miser named Scrooge, who, after an encounter with three Christmas Spirits. Each one reveals to him about the past, the present, and the undesirable future if he remains a selfish, heartless cynic. Because of the foreseen consequences of his old ways of wanting to be rich and well educated rather than loving others, Scrooge changed and became a giving person.

This movie has reminded me that giving is important and it makes you a better person. If all we want is to get things for OUR own benefit and not for others, then we will eventually become like Scrooge and be unsatisfied, and unlovable. If we only desire our own needs of this flesh, then we would go nowhere. Also the Lord also encourages us to give and have a good heart, and that's what He wants from us. We need to be reminded that we are most like Him and that He has a heart of giving, and so can you.


Actually, the truth is that Christmas is supposed to be a happy holiday about giving with a generous heart. And why? That's because God chose this day 2000 years ago to gave us His Beloved Son to this earth, and he is so joyful that He did. It is truly Abba's greatest gift to us that we may have a living way back to Him. And this holiday we find this purpose to give back to the Lord by our Gospel Party. Whether or not you're inviting anyone, be joyful that whoever you can bring, they can truly be the most special gift to the Lord for His 'birthday'.

" I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35


If we have a heart of love and giving, it truly makes God happy and He will bless you.





So, what if you're that kind of person who wants to change his/her Scroogely ways? Stay tuned for Part 2!

Women, Stop Submitting to Men

 

Hello sisters,

This is an article by an online magazine, Relevant. It really draws out the difference of submitting to men, and submitting to your husband. I know the majority of us here are not married--but it is important to know the difference. Most women in society are still being treated with inferiority, or allowing themselves to fall into 'ownership' or submitting to men when going down a bad path of broken relationships.

The mistake of misunderstanding the verses in the Bible in some churches back in the ages brought a lot of wrong teachings--such as women are not allowed to pray out loud. I'm really glad that now we can find more truths in the Bible and live out to that being fulfilled in truth. Even in society before the women's movement, the misunderstanding that the woman's place is in the kitchen, or at home, is so degrading and untrue, thus sparking a generation of feminist who not only manage to "un-submit" themselves to men in general--but also to their husbands. A downward spiral of unfaithfulness, disregard to respect for one another in relationships, and painful divorces ensued.

This article is really encouraging for women everywhere. It makes the word "submit" seem less of an ownership word and gives more meaning toward a loyal and faithful relationship. Understanding in relationships go both ways, so it doesn't mean that when a wife finds herself in a broken and abusive relationship, she should suffer through it because she needs to submit. This is why the article points that "boyfriends" and "lovers" are not in the Biblical category of relationships. As quoted by the article, "There is no biblical category for “boyfriend” or “lover,” and we owe such designation no submission. In fact, to be submissive to her future husband, a woman must stand back and evaluate, with rigid scrutiny, “Is this the one who is to come, or is there another?” That requires an emotional and physical distance until there is a lifelong covenant made, until she stands before one who is her “own husband.”"

I hope you find this informative and inspirational. The link to the article can be found below.
 

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationship/features/27577-women-stop-submitting-to-men

Our God will fight for us - Nehemiah 4:20

Hi sisters,

Don't know if you noticed, but i've been sick the entire past week and still a little bit today. But i am feeling a lot better after taking my benylin pill (albeit, had to be chopped down into little bits so that i can finally swallow them -.-)

anyways, i feel that this past week i've been suffering (physically) i felt so down in the dumps, it's insane how i can feel like that... i prayed a lot to God to help relieve me of my symptoms... and i guess i was impatient and began to drown in my own misery and thoughts... i kept the Lord at a distance, i guess you can say...

But today, i decided to open up the bible and continue where i left off in Nehemiah (PS. we're suppose to read it for reunion! :P)
so yea, when i read "Our God will fight for us", i was touched. Didn't fully meditate on it til later on.

Then i realised that the entire time, in our whole life, our Beloved has always been fighting for us.

We are not in this battle alone (though i admit, sometimes i feel like that) but He has always been there with me. I'm not fighting this battle of sickness alone, He is with me. When i feel like i can't do this anymore, He will stand up for me, to fight this battle for me. It's like He is that unquenchable flame within all of us. :)

So sisters, whatever we go through, may we always remember He is with us, He lives in us! When we are weak and we feel like giving up, when we find it too hard, just know He will fight for us. He will help us through, just go to Him :)

Like this week, for me, i feel like i've let the Lord down, our relationship-wise, cause like i said, i was drowning in my own misery and complaints.... but when i went back to Him to read His words, He reminded me, when i didn't seem to care as much about my relationship with Him, He cares. And He will fight for us (our relationship) He won't give in, He won't give us up :)
He loves us sooo muchh!! hehehe
^^ so blessed to have such a beautiful beloved!!! =D

I hope that we can always see how much He loves us, and how much we affect Him, to the point that He will always fight for us. He will lure us back to Him because He needs us most <3

(wow.. what a romantic/lovey dovey post) LOLLLLL Well, can't help it! Our Beloved is soo romantic and passionate ;)

love,
jennt

Here's a song for you :)
Lyrics:
You don't have to stay here, You can't deny
Every single heartaches, Written in your eyes
Memories that haunt you, Memories they got you
Looking for a place to hide, Oh, the anger,
Reaching like a cancer, Like a paralyzing fear.
Can you even hear me, When I whisper
Can you see Me through your tears?

Chorus:
Cuz I... I'm on your side, We'll win this fight,
So rest to-night, Cuz love is on the rise,
The darkness blinds, I'm on your side
Oh, I'm on your side.
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/l/luminate/on_your_side.html ]
I know my love can shine through, Bitterness that hides you
Deep inside a world, With no hope
Letting go of history, We can start a journey
You don't have to do this alone, You're not alone
Chorus:

When you hope is lost, And the flames burn high
When your weakness fuels, What you feel inside
Oh, don't look back, Your past is back
You're still alive, You're still alive

Chorus:
Cuz I... I'm on your side, We'll win this fight
You can rest to-night, Cuz love is on the rise
The darkness blinds, I'm on your side
Oh, I'm on your side.

You can rest tonight
I'm on your side. Repeat.

A rant about my work environment

There is one thing in my studio life that is bugging me a lot lately. Yes, I have a lot of projects that involve a lot of teamwork and model building. But what's really bothering me is the teammates I'm working with.
I don't want to put them down or anything, but the things they say really hurt my feelings. As someone who wishes her social skills were a lot better, they would treat me like an alien (no, not that kind, but alien as if someone unfamiliar to them.) Sure, I've been treated like that very often wherever I go or whoever I'm with, but there's one other thing that I'm not happy about.
Lately I've been noticing that a lot of people I'm surrounding with in studio would utter "Jesus Christ!" in frustration. Not only does it annoy me, but it breaks my heart. The Lord Jesus is my true beloved, and so is yours. How would you feel if a person says your lover's name in a hateful way? Not very nice, right? Not only does it break your hear but it also breaks the Lord's heart. I feel that people are becoming more harsh with everything. But it's so precious that because of the Lord we try to stay out of this heartless world. (yes, sorry if I'm being all cynical here)
I really hoped that by the end of the semester I would be around nice people that won't say things that hurt my Beloved.

Quick Post: Shopping with Mom

As sisters, this may seem important to understand: the connection with your mom. Whether you knew her when you were young, or still know her today, this connection and relationship with this mother figure is important. She is the woman you may (or may not) become, depending on the choices you make. Whether you are close to her, almost as a friend, or feel distant as she is like a figure to be respected--this is all important.

When I think about the relationships with mothers, I think about Jesus's relationship with His earthly mother, Mary. How He loved her to make sure that even when He is gone, He's making sure she is taken care of. He knows and felt the pain that she went through seeing Him on the cross. Anyways, I won't go into detail of what I reflected upon that image, I am in the rush to go out.

But anyways, this post seems more appropriate for Mother's Day actually lol

As I said, I'm in a rush to leave the house. It's mother-daughter day with my mom! We're going shopping. I find that the only time I am ever close with my mom, is when we go shopping. Or is talking about shopping. She gets very excited. Personally, I am not a huge fan of the 'recreation'. Shopping isn't my forte. But when I'm shopping with my mom, I feel a connected bond with her. Yesterday, I found out why.

When my mom was a child, my grandma would take her out to go shopping downtown, mostly at Kensington Market for groceries. When they walk around Spadina, they occasionally went inside stores to look at clothes and fabrics. I know my grandma. She was a very busy woman. She in fact, was the breadwinner of the household. My grandpa didn't earn as much income as she did. Because of that, both my grandparents spent fairly little time with their daughters. All four of them. Not that my grandma didn't like children--she babysat at a part-time job. So whenever my grandma would take my mom out to go shopping, that may have been the only time for them to really bond. Plus, my grandma really likes shopping. As a child who wants her mother's affection, she will most likely adopt the same interest to connect.

Lately, I understand my mom more. I learned that when you understand a person's past more, you can sorta piece out their present state. I see my mom growing old exactly like my grandma one day. This makes me wonder, how will I turn out? Am I looking at my mom's life like a mirror, or am I look at her life a fascinating story I should tell my own pets one day--I mean, kids.

With love,

-Kay.