I think a child might be able to answer this question that I thought of the other day: How come birds do not fly into each other??? Seriously, have you ever thought of that? There are millions upon millions up there and they never run into each other. If we are superior beings, how do we get into thousands of car accidents everyday?
Just a thought...also, how come bees do not hit each other also?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Our deepest fears...
Read the entire next quote and then take a deep breath afterward...it will make sense.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. " Marianne Williamson.
I get tears every time I read that quote. I have never been one to get depressed because I did too much or was too tired from working too hard...I get depressed when I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God made me for much more than who I am at that moment.
Most recently I lost my job which, given the pure enigma I felt in it being gone, was apparently making me horribly depressed. When the job was gone, it was as though God said to me: "My beautiful child, I have created so much more for you and since you aren't going to do anything about it, my love for you will get rid of it." He knew that I was meant for so much more and since then, I have rested in His arms each day in prayer asking Him who He wants me to be. When I sell myself short or do things only half-way, I only sell God short because He has given me (and each and everyone one of us) a chance to change this world.
On that note; pray often, dream big, and have faith in our Creator.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. " Marianne Williamson.
I get tears every time I read that quote. I have never been one to get depressed because I did too much or was too tired from working too hard...I get depressed when I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God made me for much more than who I am at that moment.
Most recently I lost my job which, given the pure enigma I felt in it being gone, was apparently making me horribly depressed. When the job was gone, it was as though God said to me: "My beautiful child, I have created so much more for you and since you aren't going to do anything about it, my love for you will get rid of it." He knew that I was meant for so much more and since then, I have rested in His arms each day in prayer asking Him who He wants me to be. When I sell myself short or do things only half-way, I only sell God short because He has given me (and each and everyone one of us) a chance to change this world.
On that note; pray often, dream big, and have faith in our Creator.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Worth the wait: great love.
It's amazing to think of all of the things that we are willing to wait for in life. Let me just make a list to reiterate the point (feel free to add):
1) a new I-Pod
2) a new Nintendo/Wii/Xbox/PSP, etc.
3) a vacation
4) a movie
5) a movie to come out on DVD
6) a sporting event
7) 401k/roth/hedge fund maturation
7) ...
We are able to wait for quite a few things that we know will provide more pleasure, excitement, money, and fulfillment. Myself, being 27 years old as of last week, has seen so many people wait for so many things. Sadly, there is one thing that very few people wait for.
Great love.
That's right. Not just “love”-the one you see on Friends or any other large sitcom, but "great" love. Also, not the one that I have often replaced with lust: the first time you see someone that is completely wrong for you but you are greatly attracted to that person. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to make those lustful situations become a great nothing. (Word for the wise: you can only make something great if there is something to work with.)
I have always believed in it because I was raised in a family that followed after the greatest illustrator and perfector of this great love, Jesus Christ. Whether or not you believe, I can promise you that a belief in Jesus definitely raises your standards and rests your head very softly on your pillow every night knowing that grace is new every morning. My parents taught unconditional love and more importantly, practiced it. So many people enter relationships to have just "love." Something like great love seems to be too much to wait for and the risk is apparently high because it involves time (in a plastic surgery sensitive society, time and gravity seem to be our enemies). I guess we wait for the new IPOD, XBox, sporting event, etc. because we know it will eventually come. There is proof in the marketing that it will be there one day.
The marketing I follow is a slight bit different. It is an antiquated yet modern book that holds in itself 66 other books on that same subject, Great Love. The Bible, something old that holds something new for any heart that is willing to find it. We are an instant gratification society: probably the reason that sex tends to constitute a relationship (don’t worry, that will be touched on later). The Bible talks about this amazing, sacrificial, unconditional, unexplainable love for thousands of pages with personal “great love” letters from the Great God.
I have my doubts in this wait for Great Love but that is only because this world doesn’t know how to believe in anything. Luckily, my doubts are overshadowed by faith. Sometimes I try to create love (not great love, just love), from nothing at all because I want to feel that emotion. Of course, settling for just love leaves me with just that. Nothing “great,” just love by itself in a normal, everyday world sort of way. It is in those moments where I have to pray hard and remind myself why I wait for this thing called Great Love. I wait because I don't think the Bible would exist if this idea of Great Love was not real. Also, I believe in greatness because it is part of a system: below average, average, great. Well, trust me, I will wait for the best of the best even if it takes all of my time. I will travel the world, take any job I want, make great friends, fall in love with fashion trends, read and pray my way through a great life that will hopefully, one day, be interrupted by Great Love.
It does exist. I don’t read the fairy tales just because it was something to do when I was young…I STILL read them because reaching for something great makes my life close to ethereal. I have seen certain friends that have this Great Love and it makes love look punitive in comparison.
My story is written by God’s highly capable hands and in such craftsmanship, “Great” is the only thing that is allowed.
Greatness is great. Average is average. I am not a brain surgeon but I am pretty sure I would choose the former versus the latter.
“Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.” Hans Christian Andersen.
Are you willing to live it?
1) a new I-Pod
2) a new Nintendo/Wii/Xbox/PSP, etc.
3) a vacation
4) a movie
5) a movie to come out on DVD
6) a sporting event
7) 401k/roth/hedge fund maturation
7) ...
We are able to wait for quite a few things that we know will provide more pleasure, excitement, money, and fulfillment. Myself, being 27 years old as of last week, has seen so many people wait for so many things. Sadly, there is one thing that very few people wait for.
Great love.
That's right. Not just “love”-the one you see on Friends or any other large sitcom, but "great" love. Also, not the one that I have often replaced with lust: the first time you see someone that is completely wrong for you but you are greatly attracted to that person. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to make those lustful situations become a great nothing. (Word for the wise: you can only make something great if there is something to work with.)
I have always believed in it because I was raised in a family that followed after the greatest illustrator and perfector of this great love, Jesus Christ. Whether or not you believe, I can promise you that a belief in Jesus definitely raises your standards and rests your head very softly on your pillow every night knowing that grace is new every morning. My parents taught unconditional love and more importantly, practiced it. So many people enter relationships to have just "love." Something like great love seems to be too much to wait for and the risk is apparently high because it involves time (in a plastic surgery sensitive society, time and gravity seem to be our enemies). I guess we wait for the new IPOD, XBox, sporting event, etc. because we know it will eventually come. There is proof in the marketing that it will be there one day.
The marketing I follow is a slight bit different. It is an antiquated yet modern book that holds in itself 66 other books on that same subject, Great Love. The Bible, something old that holds something new for any heart that is willing to find it. We are an instant gratification society: probably the reason that sex tends to constitute a relationship (don’t worry, that will be touched on later). The Bible talks about this amazing, sacrificial, unconditional, unexplainable love for thousands of pages with personal “great love” letters from the Great God.
I have my doubts in this wait for Great Love but that is only because this world doesn’t know how to believe in anything. Luckily, my doubts are overshadowed by faith. Sometimes I try to create love (not great love, just love), from nothing at all because I want to feel that emotion. Of course, settling for just love leaves me with just that. Nothing “great,” just love by itself in a normal, everyday world sort of way. It is in those moments where I have to pray hard and remind myself why I wait for this thing called Great Love. I wait because I don't think the Bible would exist if this idea of Great Love was not real. Also, I believe in greatness because it is part of a system: below average, average, great. Well, trust me, I will wait for the best of the best even if it takes all of my time. I will travel the world, take any job I want, make great friends, fall in love with fashion trends, read and pray my way through a great life that will hopefully, one day, be interrupted by Great Love.
It does exist. I don’t read the fairy tales just because it was something to do when I was young…I STILL read them because reaching for something great makes my life close to ethereal. I have seen certain friends that have this Great Love and it makes love look punitive in comparison.
My story is written by God’s highly capable hands and in such craftsmanship, “Great” is the only thing that is allowed.
Greatness is great. Average is average. I am not a brain surgeon but I am pretty sure I would choose the former versus the latter.
“Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.” Hans Christian Andersen.
Are you willing to live it?
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Red Light!
Okay, so road rager I am not. Need us not forget that in my last job I drove for nearly eight hours out of the day. I am pretty sure that one of the job requirements was to be a person without road rage...needless to say, I do have my pet peeves.
But, as life goes, God was bound to teach me a lesson in driving and how I am in no means more holier than another.
Running red lights is the one that will get me going. In Oregon people tend to not choose speeding but rather chooose running red lights as their violation of choice. I was pointing this out to many people over the past weekend and announcing my disturbances with these individuals (BTW: I can statistically prove that most of them drive mini-vans). This was until I was in a rush today, around 4:35 and needed to catch (whatever that means) the light. I entered it as it was yellow and naturally exited while it was red and the next light had turned green.
God: "Any comments, Anna?"
Anna: "Absolutely not, I apologize."
You see, even in the smallest things I often find myself believing that I have done something better or larger than others. It is often at that point that I realize that is what God has called me to do and in His book, our best works are nothing. So, I will continue on my driving way, sans automobile, and thank God for his Good Graces versus getting amped up about little things that I will undoubtedly commit myself.
But, as life goes, God was bound to teach me a lesson in driving and how I am in no means more holier than another.
Running red lights is the one that will get me going. In Oregon people tend to not choose speeding but rather chooose running red lights as their violation of choice. I was pointing this out to many people over the past weekend and announcing my disturbances with these individuals (BTW: I can statistically prove that most of them drive mini-vans). This was until I was in a rush today, around 4:35 and needed to catch (whatever that means) the light. I entered it as it was yellow and naturally exited while it was red and the next light had turned green.
God: "Any comments, Anna?"
Anna: "Absolutely not, I apologize."
You see, even in the smallest things I often find myself believing that I have done something better or larger than others. It is often at that point that I realize that is what God has called me to do and in His book, our best works are nothing. So, I will continue on my driving way, sans automobile, and thank God for his Good Graces versus getting amped up about little things that I will undoubtedly commit myself.
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