God Speaking

Everyone is really God speaking. 

        This is true, God works through us and in us. We would be better off if began to believe this, as it would give value and worthiness to many people's lives. This is not to say that we cannot disagree with someone or use caution while listening to someone, we can and we certainly should at times. This is just to say that it is worth it to remember that we were made in His image and that the Spirit does move on Earth - and it may have something to say through your neighbor.

“...But listen, there will be more joy in heaven over the tears of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred just men. What is said about men often has as much influence upon their lives, and especially upon their destinies, as what they do.” ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

One Kiss

One kiss leads to another. 

         Try as I might, I have not been able to find the original source for this widely pinned quote: "Last night I looked at you, and I could feel it. I could feel the love that filled my entire body. The kind that made my toes curl and the kind of love that circulated through my veins. I could feel myself blush from having all types of emotions running rampant against my skin. The kind of love that made me want to scream all my worries and fears out so they have no way of finding their way back in. The kind that took my breath away just by the mention of our love being spoken in your tone. A soft voice that whispered kindness and sweet promises. Last night I looked at you and thought, "Ahhh, so this is how love is supposed to feel."
          That's what love is, the realization that someone wants you for who you are, not because they think they can change you or get something from you or doing something to you, but because they want what it is that makes you, you. I lot of people misunderstand romance as elaborate proclamations of love, flowers every Friday, necklaces that say "forever", etc. Don't misunderstand me, these things are great and have their place, but being romantic is about the a thousand little things you can do in the moments between the big things. The way you let them know you're thinking about them and show that you care. The hand holding, the random "I-miss-you" text in the middle of the day, the constant "I-love-you"s, the pausing for a kiss as you pass in the hall, the compliments, even when they're undeserved, the laughter, the brief pause in life just to hear about them and hear form them.
      Love is in the small gestures, the remembered moments, the all-knowing glances. Love is in inside jokes and sentences only the two of you would understand. Love is in make-believe, in goals, in hopes, in dreams, in castles in the sky. That's romance at its best. That's romance where one kiss will lead to another...and then a thousand more after that.

Forever and Always (2012), Parachute 

Eyes That Once Saw God

You once saw him, so now your eyes are weaving a great net of tenderness that will one day, one day capture God. 

          We once were one with infinite love, divine grace, and selfless character. It is our destiny to return to these things. But how can we challenge ourselves to live as closely as possible to His ways on earth? Probably by regarding others as more important than ourselves, acting with humility of mind, endless love, compassion, and unity.
           I love this song by Ellie Holcomb, "The Broken Beautiful". I find it upbeat, like a modern pop hit, but with a strong spiritual message.

Would You remind me now of who You are?

That Your love will never change,

that there's healing in your name

That You can take broken things,

and make them beautiful

You took my shame

And You walked out of the grave

So Your love can take broken things

and make them beautiful

The Broken Beautiful (2014), Ellie Holcomb

Part Of God

As if it were part of God, everything should be enshrined. 

        Yesterday I was reminded by a pastor that God is a part of each of us. That Christians allow God to work in them. The flesh cannot "work up" humility or dedication; this must come from within by the power of the Spirit. God works in us before He works through us. What a powerful truth. 

Our God (2013), Chris Tomlin

A Beautiful Force Is Active

In the spring God looks happiest it seems, when it is clear a beautiful force is surely active on earth. 

        Today at church, I heard about The Message, which is a translation of the bible in contemporary language. I really enjoyed the following translations of Galatians.

Galatians 5:19-21: "It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom."

       After summing up our human failures (doing things "our way"), the next verse discusses the positive changes we will see in our lives by doing things God's way.

Galatians 5:22-23: "But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely."

Blessings (2011), Laura Story

Needs A Laugh

Everyone needs a laugh, but I hope you are not looking for a cheap way to fame by saying you made love with an alien. 

            This actually made me laugh because it was so bizarre. Below is a funny picture I wanted to share.

Easy To Change The World

It would be easy to change the world. It could happen in a couple of days. 

             I'd really like to let this quote stand on its own merit. It's easy to change the world if we believe that our lives have significance, that everything we do matters and has even greater impact on others, that we have an obligation to serve, to help, to leave things better off.
              Below are two powerful photos, the first I had been saving for this post. The second, I came across moments ago.

Balloon Seller In Afghanistan

The Countenance of Patience

Elegant becomes the countenance of one who exemplifies patience. 

         Patience is a form of power. It's sometimes difficult to differentiate patience (which is waiting for the right time) and an absence of action (which is waiting, but not taking into account waiting because of the right principles or actions or ways of approaching the situation). This makes patience a very elegant use of power, but it certainly is a journey to achieve and become skilled at doing so.
         If "Patience" could look like something, what would that face look like to you?

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.”
― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

Speaking Ill

Whenever you speak ill of any living creature something of their shadow might fall on you.

           It's hard to know how our words will ultimately impact another person, and so obviously, we should be careful and courteous whenever possible about how we choose them. We should be forgiving and uplifting, we should comment on people's talents, gifts, intellect, and beauty - as all these are a gift from God.
          I love this article about children exposing what their mom really looks like - it was a wonderful read and you will be better off for reminding yourself what children see in people.

Try (2014), Colbie Cailat 

Align With Truth

A magnificent force I have become, having aligned myself with Truth. 

      What truth do you align with in your life? Do you choose to align yourself with the Spirit and be led by God? Do you chose to align yourself with Beauty, Charity, Kindness, Hope, Faith, and Love? If so, you truly will become a magnificent force.
      This song, Hello My Name Is, is about the transition that takes place within us when we accept God's Truth for our own lives. It's one of the first Christian music songs to ever resonate with me. I think many of us have greeted "Regret" in its multitude of varied forms.

Hello, my name is regret

I’m pretty sure we have met

Every single day of your life

I’m the whisper inside

That won’t let you forget

to 

I am no longer defined

By all the wreckage behind

The one who makes all things new

Has proven it’s true

Just take a look at my life

Hello My Name Is (2013), Matthew West 

Laughs The Most

Who laughs the most knows the most, if that laughter is sincere. 

         Comic relief adds so much to life and there's nothing better than surrounding yourself around people who make you laugh, really lauhg - the kind of laughter that makes your belly ache and your nose snort, the kind that at once embarrasses and heals, the laughing in earnest of life! Tonight I watched The Bachelorette, and this parody of The Bachelor on Jimmy Kimmel was hilarious!

Three Wishes

Any three wishes you could ever want someone like me could deliver. 

      The love of another person can grant you the three wishes you desire. The love of another person when you aren't fancied up, when you're sprawled out on the carpet, laughing, crying, being a mess, when you are just yourself, vulnerable and pure, and they can't take their eyes of you, that's love. Two amazing love poems by e.e. cummings are below:

love is a place

and through this place of 

love move

(with brightness of peace)

all places

yes is a world

and in this world of 

yes live 

(skillfully curled)

all worlds 

because 

i could watch you 

for a single 

minute 

tonight 

and find 

a thousand things 

that i love 

about you 

She's in Love With The Boy (1991), Trisha Yearwood

If That Is Not Enough

You and God are dependent on each other's being for life. What else would you like to know today, if that is not enough? 

Post coming soon. 

The Way To Die

This is the way to die: a thousand limbs of beauty lay against me. 

       Can we actually die with beauty? Or can we simply metaphorically die with beauty if we make peace with death and peace with those we've met throughout our lives.
       I had never heard this song before, and while I find the singing to be simply alright, the lyrics are very powerful. There are not many pop songs about death and dying, so it takes a strong musician to take that leap.
               

Riding to New York (2014), Passenger 

Everything Is Rave-Worthy

What is true enlightenment? It is knowing everything is rave-worthy. 

This is such a true statement, imagine how great your life could be if you believed everything was rave-worthy, everything had value, everything had meaning, everything deserved your attention and invited dignity. Life would be so much more magical.

God of this City (2008), Chris Tomlin

Of Animals

What I wanted to say of animals, is that I think they can give blessings. 

When I was growing up, I loved flipping through my copy of True Stories of Amazing Pets. And I always tuned in for Miracle Pets with Alan Thicke on Thursday nights. As an avid Animal Planet watcher, dog-lover, and all around animal enthusiast, I found it easy to resonate with and be moved by stories of interspecies relationships. Animals most definitely bring blessings to this world.

This Is What Our Relationship Is About

With the world so ripe for help, this is what our relationship is about at times - increasing our power, so we can feed the various longings a refined heart can know. 

"How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said. " - Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

            Victor Hugo believed the world could be transformed by love. The idea that a kiss is a silent message between lovers, oblivious to their surroundings or their nakedness, is actually something outlined in the bible. I did not know this until my friend told me that it is quite beautiful to think of Adam and Eve's relationship before The Fall. They were in a paradise (Eden), designed just for them, and they were alone in their nakedness, yet so comfortable. She told me it is this nakedness - physical, emotional, mental, spiritual - that we should aim for with a life partner. Without sin in the picture, you can unite with someone fully without the burden of flesh (the part of us irredeemably human). How many achieve that level of bareness, even with a soulmate?

My Soul Companion (2012), Mary Chapin Carpenter

The Reins of Life

To increase the heart's power, it simply depends on who one turns the reins of life over to. 

          This is a very interesting statement, we get our power and sense of self-worth by the people and objects we turn the reins of life over to. It reminded me of how forgiving someone and releasing that person to God, frees us of judgement and burden. In a way, forgiving another is more about us. In bible study tonight the leader said something that I thought was a great way to look at forgiveness: "It is critical to realize at the onset that forgiveness is not the forcing or denying of feelings, but a promise to make and keep, despite feelings."

Your Grace Is Enough (2004), Chris Tomlin

Kiss Me

My soul is a raging volcano of love for you, kiss me! 

     The fire that burns in your veins for your passion of each other, take that pleasure to the world. It is this giving that allows you to share your light with others, it gives your relationship purpose, it offers your kisses to the service of God. Only then can you look into the eyes of your beloved, and say, "you are my world and everything in it". Service in the name of Love is one of the greatest manifestations of the soul. 

Kiss Me Slowly (2011), Parachute

On The Right Track

A squirrel rubbed its tail against me and that reaffirmed my belief that everyone is really on the right track. 

        Today my dad sent me this quote by Sarah Ban Breathnach, "You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you."

To Try For The Sun (1965), Donovan

You Are Extraordinary

You are extraordinary to my eyes, everything about anyone. 

God finds everyone extraordinary, from the creation to the cross to eternity. We are extraordinary in his eyes, and it is this type of grace, respect, reverence, and most of all, love, that we should extend to all our neighbors. Here's my blog post about my experience growing in my faith at SMI.

SMI Philly 2014 

(newborn puppy)

The Infinite Rushes Through Your Veins

The infinite rushes through your veins. 
      
           In one of Gibran's last letters, he writes: "Money is to be spent for life - and for life only." What does this mean? I believe he meant "life" as it does not apply to material objects or tangible pursuits, but intangible things - museum tickets, taxi cab rides, candlelight dinners, paint brushes, mountain climbing equipment, large telephone bills - essentially the things that give life meaning. Maybe even only the things he could share with Mary.
           In one of Mary's last journal entries, dated May 26, 1924, she writes: "Still [years later] he has the meteorite I gave him, he told me, "At night before I fall asleep I sometimes take the meteorite you gave me - and hold it - and all its life for thousands of years is in my consciousness - from even how it came into being. That is ecstasy." What makes you feel the infinite rushing through your veins? Is it a gift from your beloved? Be it even their smile or kiss?
           Take a listen to this wonderful song by Keith Urban, Making Memories of Us, I love the lyrics below:

I'm gonna be here for you baby

I'll be a man of my word

Speak the language in a voice that you have never heard

I wanna sleep with you forever

And I wanna die in your arms

In a cabin by a meadow where the wild bees swarm

And I'm gonna make you a promise

If there's life after this

I'm gonna be there to meet you with a warm, wet kiss

Making Memories of Us (2014), Keith Urban 

Carry From My Words

Carry any relics from my words that you can. 

Today I read 1 Peter, below are the verses I found to be meaningful:

1 Peter 3:3-4: Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

1 Peter 3:15: Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 4:8-10: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 5:14: Greet one another with a kiss of love.

SMI Philly 2014

Aimed Towards the Heavens

With my vision now corrected and aimed towards the heavens, there seem so many interesting possibilities that I wasn't fully aware of before. 

       Being at SMI, I have been seeing things that I did not know existed and my worldview has been expanded ten-fold. One of our speakers said, "I don't mean to discourage any of you, but short-term missions have little affect on the community. However, they often change the heart's of those who serve." I was thankful for both his honesty and insight. Another one of our speakers, Dr. Greg Armstrong said his previous SMI director would write on the last day of SMI, "SMI begins now!" And in a way it does, the truth that we've learned here, the influence on our hearts that we've learned here, the strength that we've seen, the inspiration that we've seen, that is all brought back to our home lives so that others can be transformed by God.
     One of my favorite parts of SMI so far has been playing with the children on the street. They are just so happy and carefree, it's amazing to watch! The reaction of the children reminds me of how Mary described Gibran: "His flashing smile when he opened the door - the smile is like the bursting of a flame. It leaps from his eyes and lifts his forehead and plays like summer lightning all about his head and even in his body."

SMI Philly 2014

Memorize Some of My Words

If you memorize some of my words they will release some of their qualities into your ways. 

        This Hafiz line reminds me of the many people on my mission trip who can easily quote scripture, not because they have to, but because they find genuine comfort in those verses. This has inspired me to compile a list of my own favorite bible verses, which are below. I am also setting a personal goal to read Philippians and 1 Peter.

Rom 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Rom 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Phil 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Josh 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

1 Cor 10:13: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Heb 11:1: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

2 Cor 12:9: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Tim 1:7: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Matthew 6:21: Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:13: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Peter 4:8: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

SMI Philly 2014

Asleep With God

Tonight I fell asleep with God on my shoulder.

          I've taken this Hafiz verse in a multitude of ways, that you can stay close enough to God that each night He falls asleep on your shoulder. That a beautiful day or meaningful conversation can cause you to believe that tonight God is working so deeply in your life. Or that, romantically, you believe wholeheartedly "to love another person is to see the face of God" and as love of another person overflows your cup, you fall asleep with God on your shoulder.
          After Mary married, Gibran and her met less frequently. However, on March 12, 1922 they met again and Mary recorded his words of selfless comfort in her journal: "The deepest thing of all, never was moved. That deepest thing, that recognition, that knowledge, that sense of kinship began the first time I saw you, and it is the same now - only a thousand times deeper and more tender. I shall love you to eternity. I loved you long before we met in this flesh. I knew that when I first saw you. It was destiny. We are together like this" (he clasped his hands together) "and nothing can shake us apart. You cannot change our relation; I can't and God himself can't. If I had been able to love women, I have had plenty of chances. In Boston I knew them. In Paris I met many. But you and I have a kinship; fundamentally we are alike. I want you to remember this always. You are the dearest person in the whole world to me. That kinship, that togetherness in our spiritual being, would not be changed if you should marry seven times over, to seven different men."
           There is such grace in these words, could many find the goodwill to share them?

Eight Days a Week (1964), The Beatles

You Are Here Tonight

I know there are a lot of important things going on in the world that maybe I should in some way be attending, but you are here tonight. 

          I really like Hafiz's thought and how it exemplifies the active presence needed in relationships.   There are other things, other people, and other opportunities that we could be pursuing, but instead, we choose this person, this time, this moment. We should conduct our lives in this way as well.
          Something that I struggle with contemplating in my own relationship, is my fourteen year age gap with my boyfriend. I wonder most about his physical body failing him long before mine does, and the things that this might cause me to one day give up - mountain climbing, constant adventure, active-centered travel, etc. I wonder about his health and mind failing him long before mine does, that I'd have to become his caretaker instead of his wife. And I wonder about the younger years of life too, the children that might happen earlier than I intended, the house that wasn't his first home purchase, etc. So on my mission trip I confided with my new friends about this.
           Most told me the advice I had received before, that I shouldn't focus on that side of the future, that I wouldn't necessarily outlive him, that I wouldn't necessarily be without health issues of my own, etc. That the connection between two souls always outlives the connection between two bodies, and that the latter would never be enough anyway. Then, one guy ended up giving me what seemed like more difficult advice, that now I believe it the correct advice. He told me I should ask these questions, not just for this guy, but any guy that I consider marrying. Would I love him if he were confined to a wheelchair? Would I love him if he no longer remembered me? Would I love him if he became physically impaired to such a decapitating degree? Would I love him because I made a promise to honor and be faithful to his soul all the days of my life? He told me that in this regard, age doesn't matter, but how I answer these questions does. Then he told me the story of his aunt and uncle (who was diagnosed with advanced MS and is now severely disabled), only a few years apart in age, but now a lifetime apart in spirit because their answers to the difficult questions were "no". I am so thankful and grateful for this advice, and suggest anyone in a serious relationship asks this of themselves.

  My Wish (2006), Rascal Flatts

Befriend All Your Thoughts

Befriend all your thoughts. 

       This is short sweet verse to take to heart. More specifically, "befriend all your thoughts"...or change them.
        As another short tidbit to consider, Kahlil told Mary on April 14, 1922: "Whenever two people in love talk there are always four talking. The two who are visible have a relationship quite different from that of the invisible two." What does this mean to you?

As I was thinking of you...

As I was thinking of you...

       This quote by Hafiz is powerful left unfinished. As I was thinking of you...
What happened? Was God seen working in the midst? Was beauty noticed everywhere? Was comfort brought to mind? Was love resting on your fingertips and dancing in your eyes? Although not detailed completely by the book I own, essentially in 1923 Mary decided to marry her widowed uncle (weird!), but found solace in being able to bring comfort to her family by abating his loneliness. After this decision, she saw Gibran less as she moved away to live with her soon-to-be husband.
       Gibran's response to Mary marrying was on January 24, 1923: "I am so happy in your happiness. I love your description of your room, and the sea of sunshine flooding it, and the blue shadows of the park outside. It sounds cheerful and full of peace. A room, or a house, always becomes like the one who dwells in it. Even the size of a room changes with the size of one's heart. How often the size of this studio has changed during the past few years."
     What a powerful final line, re-read it, soak in the depth of those words. Do not homes feel so large when a family gathers in loving spirit and so empty when the doors are shut and the windows drawn and the only sound is your breath in a dark room? How often the size of our hearts change throughout life as well.
      On May 26, 1923 Gibran offered Mary some advice on marriage and I think it is something we all should ponder: "Among intelligent people the surest basis for marriage is friendship - the sharing of real interests - the ability to fight out ideas together and understand each other's thoughts and dreams. Without these dreams together - the marriage would finally become like the kitchen of one's life. In marriage, to receive all that one longs to give, is perhaps the highest thing ever done."

Every Morning, Keb' Mo'

Following The Scent of Light

My body is fixed on the scent of Light. 

          As I continue my journey with SMI, I'm thinking a lot about my path and calling. After just four days, I'm already feeling my heart being changed by God and my soul being called to do His work in whatever way I can in my career in medicine. We all end up choosing a life's direction by following the scent of Light (aka: truth, beauty, love, hope, dreams, etc.).
        Gibran wrote:

"Love and what generates it. 

Rebellion and what creates it. 

Liberty and what nourishes it. 

Three manifestations of God.

To find that within yourself,

Kneel only to truth.

Follow only beauty.

Obey only love.”

SMI Philly 2014

Utilize Gold

This is the place to utilize gold, where such rampant poverty exists upon so many faces caused from hands acting with greed. In heaven, jewels lie around in the streets; people have discarded them the way one might stale bread. 

          This month I went off to SMI Philadelphia - a summer Christian medical outreach, that serves people in north Philadelphia, an urban neighborhood that deals with crime, poverty, homelessness, drugs, and a lack of God. As an outsider, I think it was important for me to recognize that I was suffering from internal sin, with rampant poverty in my heart - greed, worry, lust, loneliness, etc. Outside poverty is easier to recognize, just as external sin is easier to recognize. It's more difficult to recognize invisible brokenness, the suburban brokenness that comes from lack of faith, long working hours, a focus on an income driven career. It's easier to recognize the visible brokenness here - domestic violence, single parent homes, lack of education, unhealthy food choices, etc. Conversely, it's imperative that we recognize both as very real and very in need of God's presence.
         To continue with excerpts from Gibran's letters, on October 11, 1920 Gibran wrote: "We cannot teach happiness, people must find it for themselves. We cannot lead people to the hearts of life. They must go by themselves, and each one must go alone. What people feel or think is part of Life, and you and I have always accepted all of Life. The root of a tree is not lower than its highest branch."

SMI Philly 2014