Daily Reminder #1

If only we could see how the twists and turns of our present are quietly clearing the path for our deepest hopes and dreams, we’d stop blaming God for the prayers that feel unanswered. If we truly knew what it would cost to make some dreams real, maybe we’d never dare ask for them at all.

But God, in His goodness, always knows what we need and how to shape our longings into something beautiful, in His time. So hold on, dear soul — be still and trust the unfolding. His deliverance is nearer than you think. You’re closer than you know.

Dailies #25

There’s this strange feeling I’ve been having. Nothing makes sense, as if things aren’t in the right place. A rounded, dusted jigsaw piece that fits neatly into a bigger work of art.

At the same time, I’ve noticed changes. I’m no longer troubled by what hindered me in the past. I realized that how others respond was never my problem. I can only do my best and then turn away. Respect the mask they’ve placed on and allow them to exhibit nothing, or watch them struggle to show a self that never existed.

I’ve stayed long in prayer and concluded that the best thing you can do for someone who decides to ghost you is to leave them alone. It is natural for people to have emotions. When we arrive, they already have a whole art show set up, and we are the ones who want to add new colors to their already-finished paintings. They may allow us to paint some artistic pieces, but they will still see their emotions mirrored regardless of the color scheme we select.

So, let us be cautious in trying to fix the efforts of others. Give them room, and don’t try to budge if they need time to express their creativity. They’re analyzing, trying fresh angles, and thinking their hearts out. And, if you’ve done everything to bring them back and they’re still pushing, you may need to let them go.

Spending too much time figuring out answers to others’ puzzles leaves you behind, especially if you have to beg. Appreciate the boundaries they set, but have some dignity, and learn to respect yourself. Choose to live your life the way God meant it for you in the first place, as the creator of your own artwork.

Dailies #20

I haven’t written in quite some time. I’m unsure whether this is writer’s block, but it didn’t feel right. I like to write when I feel like it and have positive energy; I’m not a fan of things being pushed in life. A lot happened in the meantime, but each time a new lesson came, I realized that not always what I believed was the most important.

Maybe with the weather change, I tend to get more melancholic and turn to my inner self, which includes not having to write sometimes. It’s a transition period, and I find it challenging to rise and shine bright every new day.

I learned this week that the neighbor I had often complained about talking too loud on his phone had died. The problem with such circumstances is that we rarely consider how we feel about the things and people we find unpleasant while they are still around.

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel because I didn’t consider him close enough, and he caused me discomfort. I was thinking only about myself, which was arrogant and unkind.

Then today I found out that the dog who was giving my parents so much heartache in the countryside had fallen sick. The dog was lovely, but his instincts urged him to eat everything, even birds and cats; the owner fed him rightly. My parents were sick and tired of this situation, and they did talk to the neighbor, who was slow in taking measures.

I felt sad for my parents, but then I remembered the period when we had more than ten cats, and my parents wanted to get rid of them. They offered the cats to people who weren’t prepared to care for pets. This caused the cats a great deal of grief, and most of them returned home exhausted and abused.

It was painful to go over the situation since I am a cat lover, yet God guaranteed they would be punished. My mother hated seeing dead cat corpses around our house, especially since they were the cats they adored. It was a difficult time, but I knew it was all part of God’s plan to make them appreciate and respect what they have.

Now that the dog is unwell, the source of everything awful that has happened does not make me or my family happy. We all hope that he will get better and that God will finish the punishment differently, but in the end, it must be His decision, not ours.

I felt the same way when God punished people who were mean to me. We may not know it at the time when anger and hurt are at their peak, but we love and care about those people, no matter how unbearable the words or things they’ve thrown at us.

I still love people who harmed me throughout the years, and as time passes and I become older, I only remember the good moments. I believe that every person, every animal, and every soul is present in our lives for a reason.

Some lessons are easy and bearable, while others leave us screaming and crying. God knows how many hours I’ve spent crying in the night, praying, feeling alone and depressed. I always found my way out, God made sure of that.

In the end, we should pray for the souls of those who hurt us in the past as well as those who are bothering us in the present. I discovered that God has a special equation that guarantees that every sigh is answered.

No matter how many times I got frustrated and had plans to take revenge to feel better, it was God who showed me that I’m not the one who should be doing that; if anything, I’d be taught a new lesson and grow humble. He knows everything, and everyone who has harmed you or made you feel less than in this world will receive their fair share of punishment.

So, pray for their souls, ask God to have mercy and deliver them, because you aren’t prepared to see the tribulations God will put them through to cleanse their souls and get them to the destination He planned.

Song of the Day #76

Fight all your battles on your knees, and you’ll win every time!

Matching energies

I have good energy and use it to improve my life; I don’t want to entertain or attract negative events. When a negative scenario arises, and I’m asked to provide my opinion, it’s generally positive.

What I’ve noticed is that when people are in the thick of a dilemma, they don’t want to hear about the positive; they want an instant solution, which they don’t want to accept as favorable. Their responses are frequently based on arguing, gossiping, comparing, and low energy.

I usually avoid such gatherings and those who have such beliefs. I know that complaining and bickering won’t help us and that the power of our words may bring heaven or hell on Earth. If we want to achieve anything outstanding in this life, we must surround ourselves with people who have healthy ideas and traits, who dare to dream, who want to push themselves beyond their comfort zone, and who can help us improve, and be an inspiration.

A healthy mindset

When one’s attention is drawn to what is lacking, one cannot notice what is present. You will lose concentration of that once you start writing down the things you are grateful for. We must make the conscious decision to focus on an ocean of positives rather than a puddle of negativity.

Negativity is in everything, and as you awaken, you’ll notice it more often. It may be found in the music you listen to, the movies you watch, what people say on talk shows, and everything else. We are exposed to far more negativity than we realize.

In the countryside, it is common to encounter people with a negative mindset. I was visiting my parents when I overheard a discussion, two people complaining about something that had happened: “Aww, poor person! You sad little creature! That could never happen to you!”.

They’re focused on lack, and that’s exactly what they attract; the Power of the Spoken Word is undeniable. „These prices are too high,” they say, echoing what they hear on TV. We’ll never make it, this is such an unfortunate story.” These affirmations work for them, and they are left anticipating in tears for what their better intellect desires to express, but it is suppressed by the negative chatter.

I was standing there thinking about how much negativity they had put into their heads. How much purpose and creativity we’ve lost in this matrix, and how tightly we’re bound to this useless babble. How much we can do and how little we strive for.

At the same time, a few of my friends wanted to buy a car, but they wished for the cheapest model they could afford. My question was, why don’t you dream bigger and listen to what your heart desires if you’re manifesting something new? Make it work, dare to ask God for blessings and they will surely materialize:

Matthew 7:7 – Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

God wants us to have what our hearts desire, to fulfill our destiny, but how can He intervene if all we feed our minds and bring into our lives is negativity?

Mark 11:24 – Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Conclusion

We must remain close to God, pray, and have faith that our salvation will come. We must break the habits that have held us imprisoned for so long and dare to love and ask for what we want. If it means letting go of those people who grew weeds in our hearts, that’s a little price to pay. Jesus Christ died for us so that we may make the most of our lives and be the blessing that He expects of us.

(Image Source – Pinterest, Projectinspired)

Dailies #6

Growing up as a child, I didn’t have a church built close to my home, up until late. The journeys to the house of the Lord were rare, and I’ve grown up mainly reading books of prayers and relaying on what my parents told me about my orthodox religion.

This changed a few years later when a group of Evangelical believers joined our small community and began holding weekly meetings on Sundays. They were such compassionate people, and the things they talked about God touched my child’s heart so deeply that I fell in love with Him.

I attended several meetings with them, and while I felt Christ’s joy and love for our life, it didn’t feel quite right. I resumed my usual prayers and worshiped God as I had before, and the love I felt afterwards was much stronger than before.

My life gradually changed but one thing remained constant. God was always with me and supported me through every hardship. Whenever I felt down or needed divine help, He was always there to hold me. As a result, I promised Him that I would grow spiritually every day, read a word of grace, pray, and worship Him even when I didn’t need something.

Word of Grace

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus told a parable about forgiveness. A king who forgave a huge debt was angry when the one he’d forgiven demanded from another debtor that he be paid a much smaller debt owed to him. The king held the man accountable, reminding us that God has forgiven us a debt that we will never be able to repay.

I was reminded of this story as I read the book of Amy le Feuvre, A Life of Christ for Little Children. Even though the book is written for children, I couldn’t help but be impressed by it. It depicts Jesus’ most important teachings and his life.

I will tell you a story. A friend had a business partner, and the man berated him in the hopes of having his task expedited, and he called for assistance from a team that operates in another city. To get to the location, the company would have had to spend more money and make the same decision that the friend in question would have done more easily.

Needless to say, the friend in question felt terrible, and he knew that he could complete the task in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, he had previously helped the partner, and considered him to be a close person. Obviously, the friend became frustrated and was perplexed as to why this had happened to him. I believe in the law of the Universe, and while he may have attracted that experience to him to some extent, the power to forgive is his own.

We can get wrapped up in what other people do or say, become annoyed and hold grudges. But how will that help? We’re simply carrying baggage that isn’t ours, which is dragging us down. What that man did is his issue, and if he choose to act like that, then he has to respond in front of God.

My friend could have been angry with that man. But he understood this principle that if we want to be forgiven by the Almighty Father, we must forgive those who wrong us. The only things we should count in this world are our blessings and good experiences.

Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”