God's Gift and Your Gift to God

"What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God."

- Danish Proverb

Psalms 119:73
⁷³You made me; you created me.
Now give me the sense to follow your commands.

1 Peter 2:4-6 (NLT)
⁴Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him. ⁵And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ.

Luke 13:18-19 (NLT)
¹⁸Then Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? ¹⁹It is like a tiny mustard seed planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds come and find shelter among its branches."

To Accomplish Great Things

The words basically says it all or does it.

To accomplish great things
We must not only ACT
But also DREAM
Not only PLAN
But also BELIEVE

Now which of these words strike a chord with you.

It may well reflect where you are now at this point in time. It is a reflection of what you think you need to emphasize on in life. Each has a role in our lives.

As for me, it is the word "BELIEVE".

I figure that what you believe in, will take shape in your life for better or for worse. There is a phrase; "Right believing produces right living."

For some their belief (conviction, faith) can change a nation while for others it can bring a nation to its ruins. I am sure you can relate to some men and women, the good and bad in history you read about or even admire.

So what about you? What do you believe in and has it (begun to) take shape in your life ...as a dream, a plan or as an action toward accomplishing greater things?

While what you and I believe in may not necessarily change nations, I do believe each of us can and will affect lives around us. No one is an island upon themselves, unless you choose to live a life as a hermit.

To believe also implies choice, that is, you get to exercise your God given free-will to choose to believe in something or in someone. The fruit of your belief is found in the manner it affects the people around you and those who crosses your path ....is it 'life' or 'death'. Choose life. Let what/who you believe in be life, that your life be a positive contribution to the people around you, especially your love ones and to the wider community you live in.

You never know. You may well be one with a belief that changes a nation ...for the better, I pray.

45 Lessions Life Taught Me

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay-check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. Happiness is a by-product of the joy in giving.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Written by Regina Brett,

of the Plain Dealer,

Cleveland , Ohio.

Just Wanted To Say Hello

Just a note to say hello
Before I start my day
Couldn't help but drop a line
To my friends here and away.

As I sip my fresh brewed chocolate
Thoughts of you have crossed my mind
I'm sending morning greetings
And hope your day is fine.

Today is filled with sunshine
Like the friendship we share
My day will be just dandy
I'll pretend that I am there.

I have to go for now my friend
Have lots to do today
Just wanted to say good morning
In this 'posting' sent your way.

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

Contributor – Anonymous

Relax, It's Just A Bend

Everyday is a new beginning.

Life is not about finding the right person,
but in creating the right relationship.

It's not how we care in the beginning,
but how much we care till the very end.

Often when we lose all hope and think it's the end,
God smiles from above and says,
"Relax dear, it's just a bend. Not the end."

Contributor – Anonymous

Become a Christian Nation - Why?

I came across this write-up from a weekly article by Rick Joyner, Senior Pastor, Founder and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries. I like the quote and the reason behind that quote, by Jiang Zemin, the retired head of state in Communist China in 2002. Here is an extract of the article for your good reading.

In Marc Nuttle’s remarkable book, Moment of Truth, he writes about one of the most important insights possibly ever stated by a leader of China. Former Time correspondent, David Aikman, interviewed the retiring head of state in Communist China in 2002, Jiang Zemin, and asked what he wished for in regard to China’s future. His response shocked Aikman and much of the world when he replied:

"I would like for my country to become a Christian nation."

When asked “Why,” Zemin’s response was an amazing revelation. He explained how a panel of Chinese scholars had spent twenty years studying why China continually lagged behind the West in science, industry, and culture. After considering every possible explanation, they concluded that it was the religious heritage of the West that had allowed it to reach such heights. The statement of these Chinese scholars was:

One of the things we were asked to do was look into what accounted for the success; in fact, the pre-eminence of the West all over the world. We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic, and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because of a more powerful military. Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on your economic systems. But in the past twenty years we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. This is why the West is powerful. The Christian moral foundation of the social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this. (Quoted from, Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Changing the Global Balance of Power, by David Aikman.)

I have not personally read any of the books by Marc Nuttle or David Aikman. Just not in my reading list. However a quick search in Google found some interesting reviews on both books.

Here is one if you are so inclined, the story behind the book Jesus in Bejing.