Beauty matters

Excertp from Dr. Weber’s blog. Why Beauty Matters for Balance Against Brokenness

We teeter on the edge of freedom and fear.

Dealing only with broken pieces keeps us deprived, holds us back. The beauty is too extravagant. I can’t justify it. It’s unrealistic, unreachable. I can’t enjoy it because it’s overshadowed by the darkness and brokenness.

That’s why Jesus came. His love and beauty set us free.

He brings light into our darkness. He makes beauty from ashes.

And only the Spirit of God can release us, open our eyes and hearts to see all that Christ is, what He provides for us through the Cross. What He promises to do in us, in the new Heaven and the new earth – is goodness and beauty. Images of fresh flowing rivers, life-giving fruitful trees, no more pain and tears – instead peace, love and laughter.

Beauty matters. The beauty of Christ’s transforming life in us matters.

We can’t escape the pain, darkness, brokenness and vandalizing.

But then we open our lives to the Holy Spirit, holding on to our visions of God paying the price, transforming and empowering us now and finally making the whole of creation anew – with love, joy, peace, hope – and beauty.

 

Henri Nouwen reminds us that “every time we show compassion to a suffering person, every time we arrange a bouquet of flowers, offer care to tame or wild animals, prevent pollution, create beauty in our homes and gardens … we are making the vision come true…Whenever it comes alive in us we will find new energy to live it out, right where we are….this beautiful vision gets us involved.”

 

Live out the Beauty.

Great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved

God’s Voice of Love

I’ve never quit loving you and never will.

Expect love, love, love and more love. Jeremiah 31:3 The Message

Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. Great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.

Loved for ourselves. Even loved in spite of ourselves.”

Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Lord help me to let go and let you Love me like you want to.

keep calm & listen to God

Lent – 40 Day Journey of God’s Renewal

“Aren’t you, like me, hoping that some person, thing, or event will come along to give you that final feeling of inner well-being you desire? Don’t you often hope: ‘May this book, idea, course, trip, job, country or relationship fulfill my deepest desire.’ But as long as you are waiting for that mysterious moment you will go on running helter-skelter, always anxious and restless, always lustful and angry, never fully satisfied. You know that this is the compulsiveness that keeps us going and busy, but at the same time makes us wonder whether we are getting anywhere in the long run. This is the way to spiritual exhaustion and burn-out. This is the way to spiritual death.”
 ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

There is something beautiful about the 40 days of Lent. There is peace. joy. giving. love. All that makes up the characteristics of God Almighty. There is nothing sweeter than the presence of God. Daily Bible Reading. Staying Connected to Him in prayer throughout the day. I love talking to him about everything and knowing that he cares about everything that concerns me.

I’m willing to give up the things that are wasteful and useless and in place draw closer to him without all the noise that fills up my days.

Lent for me is a time of surrender, giving it all up for the One Who gave His Life for me. It is a time of renewal, reflection of what Christ did for me and mankind.

It is more than just not eating certain things or doing certain tasks, it is depending on him for all that my heart desires.

It’s a time to check my heart condition and I’m not talking about the physical heart but the emotions the conditions of my soul.

It is a time of me giving my pains, disappointments to God and asking him to heal me and fill me with his love because nothing else will do.

It is a time of letting go and letting God love me.

As long as I keep running about asking: “Do you love me? Do you really love me?” I give all power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with “ifs.” The world says: “Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much.” There are endless “ifs” hidden in the world’s love. These “ifs” enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The world’s love is and always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain “hooked” to the world-trying, failing,and trying again. It is a world that fosters addictions because what it offers cannot satisfy the deepest craving of my heart.”

“solitude begins with a time and a place for God, and God alone.  If we really believe not only that God exists but also that God is actively present in our lives– healing, teaching and guiding– we need to set aside a time and space to give God our undivided attention.  (Matt 6:6)”

As I continue with the reamining of the 40 days,  I will do what will create more room for goodness and give room for God to come in.

His Truly,

El

What are you eating for?

I’m almost done with my 21 days of Made to Crave Devotional. I just finished day 19 today which means I’ve also been very watchful and mindful of what I’m putting in my body. More so in the last week.

Last week was very stressful for us and I found myself asking my hubby,

“Which is harder having a stressful week or having a stressful week and not being able to eat all the junk you’d like.”

During the last week, not being able to run to food for comfort gave me a few things to think about.

When we go to our parents, are we going because we want to see them and spend time with them or are we going to eat mama’s homemade lasagna?

When we look forward to our lunch are we looking forward to going out and catching up with our friend more than we are about enjoying that burger?

I’m not saying eating is bad or wanting to eat is bad. But how and when are we eating? and how much and for what reason?

It is typical to celebrate with food but what about day in and day out, are we eating to fuel bodies or are we rewarding ourselves like puppies?

It’s been so hard especially this past week, I didn’t allow myself to even cheat on weekends, and not even the superbowl.

I have 5 more weeks to go until I go by the 90% rule, which means I can have one cheat day/week 🙂

 

 

 

When I grow up, I want to be just like Beyonce

Last night was more like there was a game at Beyoncé’s Concert. She killed it. She is really the picture of a flawless woman. It was honestly jaw dropping and one of the best performances I have seen.

But by the same token if I let myself, I can start feeling pressure to look like her asap and the comparing game kills us. She just had a baby and so did i but her baby is just turning one and mine is turning 2.

So instead of wishing I can be like her, I can enjoy her talents and work on become the best version of myself and not Beyoncé.

There is room for everyone.

And no matter how good you are they are still gonna find something wrong with you. In this case, now they are blaming for the light outage on her performance.

Cupids are over rated

Valentine is approaching and it’s bringing back memories of the years when I’d dread the day because for some of us its Single Awareness Day & for some it maybe too commercialized or forced.

I remember dreading it the most during high school years when a student from the admissions office would deliver those big fluffy bears,  heart-shaped balloons, roses to the very popular girls in my class and it would never be me. The funny thing is that  I wouldn’t give up the wait until 3pm for that day and repeat every year though.  It was hard trying to be happy for those girls when I was feeling so bummed about myself.

I also remember a time when my parents took me and my sister out on Valentine’s Day and how I felt embarrassed and kept praying no one from school would see me.

It went on  a few more years like that after high school until I decided to spend it with friends and do something that day instead of feeling sorry for myself.

Looking back it feels silly but at the time it was intense. I get you, all you single ladies:0) Let me tell you that your time will come when your guy will make you feel special and loved every single day and you’d be grateful that it played out the way it did.

Cupids are over rated and they are not even real.

Love does. Every day and not just on Valentine’s Day.

I do like the chocolate and flowers but I never want my husband to feel obligated to do or get me anything because it that  we’re the case it really suck the life out of the gift.

Happily married ❤

 

 

No Doubt

I am so happy with No Doubt’s New album Push and Shove. I love Gwen Stefani…she’s always been on my style watch list and love her cute adorable family. She is just so badass!

I can’t stop listening to the album. I hope to get to go to their concert this year!

 

Hungry Soul

When we rely on over-stuffing ourselves with food, drinking until we get drunk, or conducting an adulterous relationship, we are revealing a desperate attempt to silence the cries of a hungry soul.

Our souls have the same ravenous intensity as a vacuum cleaner; that’s how God created us — with a longing to be filled. It is a longing God instilled to draw us into deep intimacy with Him.

c/o Made to Crave by Lisa TerKeurst

Here I am down on my knees again…

It’s been a bumpy month with the kiddo. Some days, I just want to having a crying sesh and I know that would do me good. But one thing that sustains me is His loving Presence. He is near. He cares. I surrender.

Here I am
Down on my knees again
Surrendering all
Surrendering all

Find me here
Lord as You draw me near
Desperate for You
Desperate for You

I surrender

Drench my soul
As mercy and grace unfold
I hunger and thirst
I hunger and thirst

With arms stretched wide
I know You hear my cry
Speak to me now
Speak to me now

I surrender
I surrender
I wanna know You more
I wanna know You more

Like a rushing wind
Jesus breathe within
Lord have Your way
Lord have Your way in me

Like a mighty storm
Stir within my soul
Lord have Your way
Lord have Your way in me

Like a rushing wind
Jesus breathe within
Lord have Your way
Lord have Your way in me

Like a mighty storm
Stir within my soul
Lord have Your way
Lord have Your way in me

Like a rushing wind
Jesus breathe within
Lord have Your way
Lord have Your way in me

Like a mighty storm
Stir within my soul
Lord have Your way
Lord have Your way in me

Lord have Your way
Lord have Your way in me

I surrender
I surrender
I wanna know You more
I wanna know You more