Joyful We Must Be

I found this awesome blog post, in which the author explains that many Christians are praying for God to give them something, to do something when all along, we already have it.  We already have the healing, we already have the answers.  And this goes together with the teachings that the answers are all in you, in your spirit.  Christ already came!  He already Atoned for our sins.  He already gave us the gifts we ask for.  We just need to find them.  Whenever you have a problem in your life, there is a gift inside that problem.  That gift is the way of Spirit to get your attention and wake you up to a better you!  To the answers that are already there but we're just to blind to see them.  We can't seem them so we need to wake up. Through our trials and problems we are forced to wake up and open our eyes to a new level of living that shows us more of who we really are and more of the gifts that God has already given us through the Atonement of His Son Jesus Christ, who already came and Atoned for us!  And how confusing it might be to God that we pray to get these things!  He probably shakes his head a little and says "But he already has it!".  The answers are in you.  We've already received all the blessings.  You have the power to gain perfect health, relationships and wealth.  As you draw nearer to God our eyes are open and we can see more of those gifts that are already in us.

This means that when we go to church on Sundays we must go with joyfulness.  Celebrating that God has already given us his blessings and goodness.  We must sing and dance in the knowledge that we are rich!  Rich in blessings, rich in love, rich in health, rich in money.  We have it all.  We should pray with thanksgiving rather than out of lack.  We should pray with faith.  Knowing that it's already there and asking that our eyes may be opened that we may see it.  We must pray throughout the day asking that we may see the people and things we come in contact with as answers to our problems.  When we do this our eyes begin to be opened and we awaken.  We awaken to the goodness of God.  His love for you!  Just because you don't feel His love and you don't see these gifts does not mean they are not there.  They have always been there.  You just weren't aware of them.  And the gifts never end.  This is the best part.  The love is infinite.  We can't understand it with our mortal mind. His love never ends.  His gifts to us never end.   And we can only receive them to the point that we are willing to open our hearts and receive them.  To open our eyes and see them.  And that is why the Bible says:
,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

 

The Canaanite Woman- Even Dogs Eat of the Crumbs

I have lately been following a summit on miracles online, and as I have been doing that I have also been studying the miracles performed by Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

I love this miracle performed by Jesus:

21 ¶Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

At first it seems so cruel that Jesus refers to her as a dog.  It is important to remember that Jesus only speaks truth.  He did come to the house of Israel.  He's only speaking truth to her here.  His mission and time was largely focused on the Jews. It is as if when we sin and we come unto Christ and we feel rebuffed by Him for our unworthiness.  But the Canaanite woman persisted.  She asks Him for help, she worships him and ultimately she recognizes the truth in His words, and she shows Him her faith.  It's as if Christ just wanted to see her faith.  He just wanted to draw it out.  When it becomes clear to Him that she is possessed of faith, He cannot refuse to give her what she asks.  We are to be as the Canaanite woman.  Persistent and confident in our prayer.  Asking in faith, showing our faith through our words and actions, regardless of the facts of who we are or what we see, or whoever is around us.  She pushed through all of that.  She pushed through the cultural beliefs, the disciples, her own unworthiness, and accepted with humility this metaphor of her being a dog and still believed in her ability to attain those crumbs.  Even as a dog she was going to get those crumbs.  Jesus gave her her miracle.  

A commentary by Father Erlenbush states:

This woman of Canaan teaches us to pray.

1. With great humility, in that she acknowledges herself to be a dog.

2. With faith, because she calls Christ the son of David, i.e., the Messiah, the God and Saviour promised to the Jews.

3. With modesty because she sets before Christ the right of dogs and her own misery; yet does she not draw from thence the conclusion that Christ should heal her daughter, but leaves that to Him.

4. With prudence, in that she takes hold of Christ by His own words, and gently turns His reasoning against Himself, into an argument for obtaining her desire.

5. With reverence, with religion and devotion, because she made her supplication on her knees.

6. With resignation in that she did not say, ‘Heal my daughter,’ but ‘help me,’ in the manner which shall seem to Thee best.

7. With confidence, because although a Gentile, she had a firm hope that she would be heard by Christ.

8. With ardour.

9. With charity, in that she made intercession for her daughter, as if she were anxious for herself, saying, help me.

10. With constance and perseverance, in that she persisted when she was twice repulsed and became yet more earnest in prayer.

 Taken from http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-did-jesus-call-canaanite-woman-dog.html

 

A Good Day

Gratitude and openness to receiving is what makes it a good day.  Open your heart to the gifts God has to give you.  Let them flow through you that everyone who you meet will be blessed by you.  By your eyes, smile, touch, presence.  Let the gratefulness overflow out of you to others!  Then it will really be a good day.

Why Are We Not Rich?

I watched this at work and couldn't stop crying.  I wiped my tears hoping no one was watching.  I later asked myself, what is it about this video that really inspired me?  What's the application in MY life?  The answer is giving and sharing your light is what really makes you rich.  Sharing your light with the world.  Lighting the darkness in the hearts of others.





The other thing I have been meditating on recently is how easy it is for us to tell ourselves a story about What Is, and the story becomes our truth, but it is not THE TRUTH.  We must not let our stories fool us.  We must see beyond the story, or better yet, don't even tell the story.  Tell the story of love and compassion-because that is always THE  ONLY TRUTH.

Charity never faileth

I'm loving these words this morning by  Guy Finley:

For us, the fulfillment of our desires is the acquisition of things, isn't it? "Get him to like me," "Get more of this," "Get that to work." Our mindset works in these opposites of this and that, here I am and there I will become. The Truth is saying to us: "No, no, no, no. Love -- the rule of Divine Life -- before all things." When we live by the rule of Divine Life and its completely equitable (meaning fair, balanced) character, all the concerns we have about all the things we need to do and be... fall away.

A spark of Divine Grace, a celestial seed has been sown into each of us, creating a need to find for ourselves that Goodness which will make us whole and free. We can't create that seed. So what must we do to find the Love that buried this seed, this hidden treasure within us? In one respect, the only thing we can do as a man or a woman on this earth is see to it that the ground in which it lies is properly prepared, nourished, and given everything it needs to flourish. Because if we do that, then that which put this celestial seed in us sees to it that we are in relationship with the part of ourselves that we have been seeking in everyone and everything else throughout our lives.

During the last year of struggle that I went through I kept getting the message, "The answer is always charity.  Charity never faileth."  It's comforting to me to know that no matter what the dilemma or problem is, the answer is always the same, charity.  Charity will never fail you.  It is always the answer.

He is the way, the truth, the light

This video made me cry.  To see how this man longed to know Allah and in the strength of his intent and desire he came to know Jesus Christ, the Living God.  And I love how he explains with such emotion the love Jesus has for us and how easy it is for Him to forgive us.  We just need to want it.  We must believe in Him.  He is the answer to all of our problems.  He is the way, the truth, and the light.

The Sheep

Last week I was in Ireland.  Yes.  Ireland.  I flew to Ireland and went from Dublin to Galway to Killarny to Mullingar.  It was an awesome trip and all around the way, especially around the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry, we saw lots of sheep.  Sheep all over the place!

In this video, you can learn more about sheep.  Two things stood out to me, sheep flock together.  And #2- almost everything sheep produce is useful!  They produce milk, wool, meat, and even manure!  I couldn't help but wonder how that applies to human beings as we are often referred to as sheep in the Bible.  I think we DO flock together and we are often more protected when we seek help from someone else and choose to not be isolated.  And that we are literally full of infinite potential, just like sheep, we are full of energy and the things we produce are not trash.  They are powerful and necessary in the world and we must learn to value ourselves and others in this way.  If God created the sheep to be such a productive animal, how much better would he produce us, his children?

So while in Ireland I saw lots of sheep.  I didn't think much of it until I got home and this Sunday at church the lesson was on the birth of Jesus.
 

In Luke 2 we read:

 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

And we talked about the shepherds and how they were believers.  They believed it all and they were the very first missionaries, making it known abroad!  They were brave.  They didn't dwell on fear or doubts.  They believed!  And as we believe we are protected and given the power to manifest our greatest desires.

We have been promised:

Ezekiel 34:12

As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

I think my trip to Ireland was a reminder to me that God is with me.  He is with you too!  He gathers us and our job is simply to believe.  Be a believer.  Believe that there is something greater than you.  Believe that it is on your side.  Believe that you can have the things you desire.  Believe that you are powerful because you are a son or daughter of God.  Believe that Jesus Christ came to this Earth and He will return again.