With and Without

Without a soul, man breathes not.

Without breath, man lives not.

Without life, man is nothing.

Yet, even with nothing, man can live.

It's the soul that does not need bread.

With grace, a man's spirit is fervent.

For, a fervent spirit lives abundantly well.

Why then should we hope to eat bread? 

Life is sustained by what we take in. 

But eternal life is manifested by what comes out of the body.

A body with a healthy spirit is never frail.

A man who lives by grace is wealthy.

With or without, he is rich and he is well.

Beautiful

Note: This blog is intended for all women.. and to any man trying to read this........
....
(IT'S OKAY TOO! )

Have you ever been called "Beautiful" ever in your life?
Yes - that's great! I'm sure you felt very good and special.No - that's not so great! I'm guessing that's so sad and you feel you have been judged unfairly?!

Let me rephrase the question, "Do you know what the word, 'BEAUTIFUL' mean?
Mr. Webster defines beautiful as that which gives the highest degree of aesthetic pleasure to the senses or to the mind and suggests that the object of delight approximates one's conception of an ideal. In short, beautiful means physically attractive. Isn't this how the general world understands what beauty is as portrayed by this so-called MEDIA and WORLD OF FASHION?

SYNONYMS OF BEAUTIFUL: size zero, 5 feet 8 inches tall, flawless skin, long shiny hair, etc. RELATED WORDS: Prada, Porsche, Hollywood, etc.

Wow! I must say yours truly is afraid she is one of those women who can only claim 2 over 10 to the 9th power of those beauty synonyms and related words. But kidding aside, I must say I am proud to be one of those not-so-beautiful women in this Hollywood-stricken era! Let me tell you why.

Beautiful - adjective which defines every woman in this world. WHuwaaaaaat?! You mean... (Yes, I mean), you read it right--EVERY WOMAN IN THIS WORLD: size 10, size 1, 4 feet and 10 inches tall, 5 feet and 10 inches tall, etc. Every woman was made BEAUTIFUL the day she was born but this beauty can only be seen if each of us will refrain from reading too much Vogue mags and instead brush up on our "Ultimate Beauty Kit"--The Holy Bible.

Ahm, Maria, F.Y.I., the Bible is a book (a fashion magazine is a book too with less pages and more advertisements that tell you that you are not beautiful enough so you need to buy more make up that has one hundred thousand varieties...); so, how can it be the "Ultimate Beauty Kit"? The answer is simple--you will find it within.. For example, if you turn to that page where you can find the verse, Proverbs 31:30 it says, "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but the woman who fears the Lord is worthy to be praised." I know what you're thinking "I didn't read any definition of beauty there." Well, you read it right but you read it too fast--READ BETWEEN THE LINES. Thank you (you are now starting to realize something or maybe I'm trying to presuade you to realize this special something...)--Beauty passes like falling leaves from trees in the autumn season but TRUE BEAUTY that emanates from within never fades but even captures the favor of our God who made EVERY WOMEN BEAUTIFUL.

To dig deeply, the Bible has it's wise beauty secrets that no one, not even any Fashion Expert can buy away from you (If you watch TLC and you know what a $5,000 Visa Gift Card can do to a woman, you will instantly know what I mean)--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you are a woman and you feel like this is absurd--that is what 3/4 of the world say as well. Why? Because most women watch too much Hollywood and fails to realize that HOLYwood (a.k.a. Heaven) is greater than all the good things in life here on earth (combined).

Now, to say it very simply, "Being beautiful is not about being perfectly attractive but about being perfectly knowledgeable of what TRUE BEAUTY really is--a woman who knows she is beautiful because God created her to be and that she vows to cultivate her beauty by keeping virtues such as faith, hope, and love a permanent companion in her life." As an added feature of a truly beautiful woman, she shares this beauty in order to allow all men that meet her find Christ in her.

Btw, I want to stress that physical beauty is not a sin (women need to take care of their physical appearance). All I want to say is that this aesthetics should not hinder a woman's inner beauty from shining. How great it is to meet a tidy woman who has a clean heart inside as well!
I want to ask again, "Have you ever been called BEAUTIFUL ever in your life?
Yes - but I wish they called me beautiful because of who I am inside, not just because of my pretty face.No - but it's okay, my God Who created me knows His creation is BEAUTIFUL from the inside out.Both - it depends on how others define BEAUTY. Nonetheless, what matters is, being beautiful is not something I long to HEAR but something I long to LIVE.
Proverbs 31:10 "A wife (woman) of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

Sister, by now, I hope you realize you are worth far more than rubies--YOU ARE THAT BEAUTIFUL!!! Praise God for you.

Comparisonitis, Anyone?

I remember how hard it was to look at my old relatives who suffer from arthritis. How they showed so much pain even with simple walking. Well, I know how that feels, in a way. It's like suffering from tonsilitis--man, I don't like that! Swallowing even a brush of water means another "aray" or "ouch" waiting to be uttered, or should I say, "shouted". But the most excruciating of them all is appendicitis. Not that I had one (I really hope I don't get one any time soon or even in my lifetime; that's scary); my brother had this. I saw him curl like a caterpillar--that truly explains the pain!

But another disease is slowly getting more and more people feel so much pain; they would rather be somebody else! Yes, let me call it COMPARISONITIS. I had symptoms of this but thank God He knew I needed some capsules of grace to fight its roots.

Comparisonitis is rampant nowadays in this society molded more by media than any generation in the history of man! It has hit both men and women, young and old, the rich and the poor, the learned and the less educated, the artistic and the athletic, the loud and the quiet, and every body else in this planet. In fact, it has beaten colds as the most communicable and common disease man has ever acquired. What's wrong with it? The answer is easy! Try to compare yourself starting from your closest buddy, the television and you'll see what I mean.

Yes, many of us have been so enamored by the fact that other people's lives are better than us. That if we were only as rich as Bill Gates, we do not have to window shop in the mall again. That if we were only as famous as Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, we will not doubt that our existence matters. That if we were only as perfect as what our selfish self desires, we will not feel dejected anymore. Whooh! But no! We could not be anybody else but us. So no matter how we try to compare and even imitate others just so we can be "happy"; we will never succeed because there is only one you, "you" and one me, "me" created by our God.

So what is the point I am trying to come across? I have seen a lot of tears shed and lives ruined by letting Comparisonitis blossom to envy and covetousness. What's wrong with being number 2? What's wrong with having a not-so-high-paying job? What's wrong with a not-so-flawless skin? Will these things have to be our measure of being a person? Definitely not.

Nevertheless, do not get me wrong. I did not say that trying to be the best will make you worthy of condemnation. What I am saying is that--trying to compare, get too dissatisfied with ourselves, and then embrace envy and covetousness are sure symptoms of Comparisonitis that can lead even the most blessed person into his or her own jungle of despair and discontentment. Why? Because a person with Comparisonitis dedicates his or her attention to what he or she lacks; not what he or she already have. For example, the air that we breathe? Or the roof of our house? Or our not so curvy but healthy body?

I'd like to share this insight to everyone who will have the chance to read this blog--STOP COMPARING! You will only make yourself less of a person. Instead, START LOVING. Thank God for everything you have including your not-so-perfect nose and not-so silky hair; or maybe your not-so-muscular body and not-to-tall height! Well, you have beautiful spirit within you! No imperfection nor innate disease can ever exist in a place where righteousness is abound.

The Flower and the Sower

Bequeathed with the seed of sweet power,

the ground bore a flower that brought joy to the Sower.

As the sun and the moon shed light in alternate order,

the flower bloomed in a world where it seems she is not any fitter.

But with waters engulfing her making her all the more sober,

the outwardly beauty she carries she did keep noble no longer.

She learned that come hail or storm that sweet power,

made her see beauty all over---

a beauty of true wonder

that comes out from the inside then illuminates the outer

of a beautiful flower such as her.

She again looks up for the Divine Sower,

thanking Him for a nice shower,

of that sweet power called love she will hold dear forever.