A humble spirit always ends up winning with God

The real world is no place for dreams." This is the view of many people in today's society. Many people may have childhood dreams but when the heat's on and you've got to decide between dream life or take care of today, many people settle somewhere outside the parameters of what they long to become. It's not easy to experience the pain and despair of rejection, isolation, betrayal, uncertainty, and other negative emotions that are associated with the road of pursuing dreams. Most people give in to the "real world" syndrome and find a paying gig that gets them through life and feeds the kids, while their dream lies shattered in their hearts.

"And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand-How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Genesis 39: 7-8

Joseph was given a dream by God as a young man and he embraced that dream. His first reward for being a dreamer was being sold into slavery by his brothers who were jealous of his lofty dreams. While he was in slavery, his master's wife became strongly attracted to him but when he refused to commit adultery with her, she made a claim that Joseph tried to rape her and he ended up in prison for not sleeping with his boss's wife. How ridiculous is that!

We learn that making the right choices and living a life of integrity will produce a great life for us but here we see the hard truth of where integrity and righteousness lands you on your road to living your dreams. Joseph is being tested here by God. Joseph was not on trial because of his actions with Potiphar's wife, he was on trial against his accuser, Satan, who questioned Joseph's loyalties and commitment just as he did with Job. Satan poses the question to every single dreamer out there; "Will you serve God even if you are punished for it?" But God also has a question that He poses in your unfair suffering, "Do you love your dream more than you love Me?"

You will come face to face with these questions if you plan on pursuing your dreams in life. So many people take short cuts to their dream when the temptation arises. People wake up one day and see that they've become a mutated version of what they originally hoped to become. You know the story- a young lady moves to the 'city of dreams' in hopes of becoming a big movie star just like her role model. After a couple of years of hard rejection and broken hope she begins to notice other 'opportunities' of making some fast cash in front of the cameras. She says that she's only doing this to get her through.

Most people start out with good intentions but the pain that is associated with the road of success either makes you or it breaks you. The road to success never leaves anyone the same way they came in to it. You will either grow bitter or you will grow better. You will either become a master of your experiences or you will become a monster on the road that leads to your dreams.

Joseph became a master of his experiences because he learned to master his thoughts, his feelings, and his emotions on a daily basis. Joseph learned 2 great things that helped him win in life. 1. Joseph overcame bitterness. He didn't get bitter because of his unjust treatment. He didn't seek to get even and get revenge on people. He didn't play negative scenes in his head every night like we sometimes do. I'm sure that he grieved over what is brothers had done and over what Potiphar's wife had done but he didn't dwell on these things.

He forgave these people and embraced mercy and love. We see Joseph's forgiveness when he finally makes it to the top and his brothers are in need of him. He embraced them with love and said "But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here..." Genesis 45: 5

Joseph remained humble to God. While he was the master of Potiphar's house he didn't get cocky like others would have and say, "Why shouldn't I have my boss's wife, I run everything else here?" When some people get authority and temptation presents itself, they indulge, believing their own hype. Joseph didn't, we see that Joseph was actually humbled by his master trusting him with authority.

A humble spirit always ends up winning with God even if it doesn't win at the first. God always exalts those who humble themselves to His will even when it looks like you're being set up for failure.

If you can learn to overcome the bitterness that the road to your dreams will undoubtedly produce and can avoid pride, but instead choose to walk in humility when you are exalted, then you will be setting yourself up for real victory in life. If you can bite down and remain faithful to God and trust in His word even when you're suffering for following Him, you will be setting yourself up to achieve every dream of your heart and beyond.

LOOKIGN THROUGH A WINDOW

Living in today's metropolitan world of cellular phones, mobile computers and other high-tech gadgets are not just hectic but very impersonal. We make money and then invest our time and effort in making more money. Does it end? Not usually because we are never satisfied. How many times have we convinced ourselves that if only we had some more money, life would be so sweet? But then, after receiving a substantial raise, we realize that it wasn't enough and that we need more?

What Should You Do?
I have read many books on life such as Robin Sharma's Monk says this and the monk says that, and they all seem to say that money is not necessary. But it is. Can you do without cash and a lot of it? I know I can't.

So, I went to the neighborhood Rabbi and asked for advice that will help me find my true way in life. The rabbi nodded and took me to the window. "What do you see?" he asked me.

Promptly, I answered, "I can see people walking to and fro and a blind man is begging for alms at the left corner."

The Rabbi nodded and guided me to a big mirror. "Now look and tell me what you see?"

"I can see myself," I man answered.

The Rabbi smiled. "Now you can't see anyone else. The mirror and the window are both created from the same raw material: glass, but because on one of them they have applied a thin layer of silver, when you look at it all you can see is your own reflection."

The Rabbi placed his arm on my shoulders. "Compare yourself to those two pieces of glass. Without the silver layer, you saw the other people and felt compassion for them. When you are covered with silver, you see only yourself."

I looked at the Rabbi and stared. "I don't understand."

The Rabbi continued. "You will become someone only if have the courage to remove the silver covering over your eyes in order to again see and love others." He patted me on my back and sent me on my way.

I have thought of what he said and come to the conclusion that he had a point. Yes. We need money and we should not aim to lead a moneyless existence; it’s pointless and will only cause our families and us much heartbreak in the future.

Instead, I suggest that we should follow the advice the Rabbi gave me. When we approach life through a silver covering, all we are able to see is ourselves. But discard that covering, and you will be able to see and feel everyone else.

In life, we are allowed to and should be able to look at both kinds of mirrors, but we should remember that a mirror reflects only us; a window is the door to compassion, health and true wealth. In other words, seek wealth by all means, but don't let it dissuade you from life, people, children and the poor and needy.

OUR ATTITUDES… CREATE OUR FUTURE

Do you have a glad heart? Or, do you consistently worry? Are your thoughts filled with negative anticipation and worthless fears of tomorrow? Or do you wake up each day with a grateful heart that you are still alive and enjoying the grace of God?

Do you realize you are creating your future by the very attitude you posses?

In Proverbs 15:15: it says it this way, "All the days of despondence and affliction are made evil by anxious thoughts but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast regardless of circumstances."

We have an "either - or" situation here. Have a glad heart and a continual feast, or have your days made evil by "negative thinking." It's all an attitude.

Your attitude is supported by your beliefs and your beliefs are vital to your success or failure in life.

Jesus said, "As you have believed, let it be done unto you" (Matthew 8:13).

Whatever emotion you experience at any given time is supported by a particular belief. If you are experiencing joy, there is an underlying belief that supports that emotion. If you are experiencing discouragement, there is an underlying belief supporting that too.

If you know God is taking care of you and watching out for your best interest, then relax. Have a glad heart and know He is in control, for the peace of God surpasses all understanding.

If, for some reason, you are experiencing some negative emotion, your believing in something that is causing it.

So, the next time you're exuding a poor demeanor; slumped shoulders, shallow breathing, a sagging facial expression, just stop and ask yourself, "What is the belief that is supporting this behavior?" Once you recognize it, you can change it. It's just a decision.

Notice the phrase, "despondence and affliction." The word "despondence" means losing hope. As long as God is alive, there is no reason to lose hope. "He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

This power that works in us is our faith. Jesus said, "According to your faith let it be done unto you" (Matthew 9:29). God gives us the “grace of abundance in anything”, but we were also given the freewill to believe or not to believe.

Remember, we create our future by the very attitudes we posses, so we need to remember this and always be careful to not worry and keep trusting in God.

PROJECT RELIEF… RE:LIFE

ONE HOPE, ONE LIFE, ONE FAMILY AT A TIME

The suffering of a people spares no one who has a heart and hope is the touch of healing.

The horrendous devastation that typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) has caused in the Metropolitan Manila area and the adjacent provinces have changed the condition of many lives. The waters had nowhere to go because the rivers, the lake, the floodways are clogged with mud and debris. All the contents of homes were reduced to smithereens by the fury of the currents. And while we try to do our best to gather from the murky residue whatever else may be salvaged, the damage is beyond retrieval.

Project RELIEF…RE:LIFE is a long term holistic approach addressing the families whose sorrows are more severe, than the loss of property, but also the loss of a loved one: a child, a mother, a father, a sibling…or, in some excruciating instances, the loss of children, parents, a whole family, all mercilessly drowned by the rampage of the currents and the waters that swelled in a matter of minutes to the rooftops. The horrifying scene was beyond words: outstretched hands above the fury of the floods, desperately flailing for help…a family on a raft that violently smashed the underbelly of a bridge instantly perished in full view of those who desperately attempted rescue…the sight of a father who frantically foraged the hillside hoping that the lifeless, muddied body of the young boy he already held in his arms was not his son…a woman found seated and dead in her living room when the waters subsided, her eyes still staring in shock. And there were more.

Read more of this at http://mamamary.com.ph/2009/hope_project-relief-relife/#more-403

FOR GOD IS THE ONLY HEALER

The secret to LIFE and all its blessings lies in our own hands, in our own hearts. Do we believe that we divine creatures of GOD that we deserve all that we need for to live a glorious life?

To this “SECRET” we hold the very key.

All we need is to BELIEVE ….”For by our faith we shall be healed”.

The most powerful healing is when we receive the Lord in Holy Communion during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. We manifest our faith when we pray “Lord I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed.” We are all empowered with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and one of them is the gift of healing. For as long as we are willing to be used as instruments of GOD we will be able use our gifts to pray over our loved ones and ourselves.

We cannot be anything less than our true nature as the beloved children of God, because we are. It is only in the ignorance of the truth about our god-given gift of healing that we fail to claim its’ reality in our lives. Without the strength of our faith and love for God, we will always feel less than what we truly are. Inner turmoil will get the better of us when we are faced with burdens and adversity. Read more

Say, Yes! Mama Mary!

OUR YES TO MAMA MARY IS OUR YES TO GOD. INDEED A SOLEMN ONE.

Amen, is of course, a more solemn form of saying “yes”. It literally means, “so be it”. We often find Jesus opening his solemn statements with, “Amen, Amen, I say to you”. In the Old Testament, every covenant, every oath is always accompanied by an “amen” to indicate truthfulness, authenticity and honesty in the pronouncements made. But when we say “yes” to Mama Mary, we just can’t really help having thoughts whether that “yes” has the strength of the biblical “amen”. Or in the first place, could we really make such a solemn covenant of commitment to the devotion, to the cause or even for instance, to the daily recitation of the Rosary? Are we a “Jesus” who would prefix any statement of ours about anything that deals with the Marian devotion with such a solemn word? How far and deep can we say the real “yes” to Mama Mary.

Or is it “yes” to Mama Mary, which of essence here or could it be more of Mary’s “yes” to God’s initial crack at the final phase of the eternal plan of salvation during the Annunciation, rather than our own unconvincing positive remark – oh yes? Let us see what Mary’s “yes” is all about. Mary’s yes was a “fiat”, “fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum”, in Latin and it literally means, “be it done to me according to your Word”. So, “fiat” means, “be it” or “so be it”. Isn’t that the same as “amen” – the solemn word of divine commitment?

Now we can see the character of the fiat and the amen. Both are solemn pronouncements or statements made by God and man in a partnership of commitment to serve and save. God had said ‘Amen’ to mankind by sending Jesus in our midst as Saviour. The Book of Revelation is right when it called Jesus as the “Amen of God” (Rev. 3:14). God made a solemn commitment to mankind. But it was always in partnership with an equally solemn commitment from man himself. And that’s Mary’s role.

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