Talking the talk… December 25, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in my thoughts for what it's worth.Tags: broken, Christian, church, example, help, loneliness, lonely, love, poor, poverty, talk, walk
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Why is it that so many Christians cannot be recognized as such?
It has always shocked me to see how little love some of the Christians (“so-called Christians?”) have “left over” to dispense to others.
It makes me sad….
All these people who will not help out those in dire need.
It’s worse when those in need have a darker skin color and don’t talk the language very well.
All these people who have no minute to spare for calling those whom they know are lonely.
I won’t even mention the foreigners who might be even lonelier, away from their families, friends, cultures, and countries.
Poverty and loneliness are some of the worst things that people endure, here, there, all around the world.
(There is worse, of course, like abuse, prison, torture…. But I do not know personally anybody in this situation. So I write about what I know…)
Jesus, our Savior, ministered and gave freely to the poor, to the lonely, to the lost, to the broken.
WE…. say that we walk in His footsteps, but I don’t see much ministering to those in need.
Probably most Christians think that “the church” will do it, so that they themselves don’t have to be bothered.
They talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk….. least of all in Jesus’ footsteps…
Jesus was the example. He didn’t need nor use a “church” for doing his deeds of love and help.
I, too, am guilty of not always helping, either. But I’m trying really hard…..
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God’s Creation June 21, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in joy.Tags: beautiful, country, creation, God, thankful, world
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We just came back from a road trip, where we saw God’s wonderful creation:
a roaring waterfall, all power...
the greatest canyon
the biggest ocean
the largest tree
wide country
big sky
My son and I express our thankfulness for this beautiful world every day.
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The Most Important June 2, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in my thoughts for what it's worth.Tags: evil, God, pray, privilege, protection, school, son, thank
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This morning was hectic. Somehow, my boy and I couldn’t “get it together” for a smooth departure for him to go to school. It IS the day before last, before summer vacation. Finally, we had all his stuff, had shoes and coat on, and jumped in the car, still talking about important things.
Until…
Until I remembered that we hadn’t done the most important thing: we hadn’t prayed yet.
How could we even consider starting a new, exciting day, without talking to God first?
How could we go without remembering how fortunate and privileged we are, and thank God for it?
How could we walk into this (or any) day without asking for God’s protection, from all bad, unfortunate, and evil things?
HE said: “Call to me (ask me) and I will answer you!”
So we called and asked….
After praying, I knew that we’ll have a good day, because no matter what happens, God will be with us.
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A Nature Story May 18, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in my thoughts for what it's worth.Tags: children, devil, home, nature, nest, robin, safe, squirrel
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This morning, when I walked my dog, I saw a robin chasing a squirrel. Without doubt, the squirrel must have tried to get into the robin’s nest and steal (and then devour) an egg or a hatchling. The robin was smaller than the squirrel, but s/he must have chased him down the tree and beyond, for when I spotted them, s/he kept chasing the intruder over somebody’s lawn.
Amazing.
You’d think the squirrel could have just swatted the bird either with its paw (and they do have long claws) or with a flick of its tail.
Not so: it ran for dear life, trying to take cover here and there under a bush, only to be found out and chased along again by the relentless robin.
I don’t know why this scene made me think of our world today….
In the human world, the devil comes in all forms, sometimes looking like that cute person that most people like to watch and hang out with, just like the cute, fuzzy squirrel. But then, when no one watches, he tries to get into our homes (nests) and take our offspring, to devour them.
We fight back, of course.
But do we fight enough?
Do we chase him not only out of the nest, or down the tree, but all over the yard and beyond?
Don’t we have a tendency to go back home and consider that “all is well again”, when in fact the devil hides under a nearby bush, waiting for the next opportunity to get our kids.
I know, these reflections do not give justice to the squirrel, this little animal that has nothing to do with the devil. And so I apologize to the squirrel.
However, I will keep my observations in mind, and will make greater efforts to keep the devil out of my home, in any which form he might have tried to enter.
God helps us standing guard over our children. In this, we have a great advantage over the robins. But we must ask, must pray for our children’s safety, and must not let the devil into our homes.
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Seeking the Light March 27, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in joy.Tags: dark, kneeling, light, prayer, praying, strength
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Praying is like kneeling in the dark behind a door, and gradually seeing the light seeping under it, until finally having enough strength to reach for the handle and to open it a crack…
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Discussing God February 23, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in my thoughts for what it's worth.Tags: believing, Christian, faith, God, Jesus, love
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I noticed that there are more and more web-sites, blogs, and other written matters that fight the very idea of a God such as we Christians understand Him. A few people on blog sites twist Bible verses, blogs, comments, etc. around and relish in making religious battles out of it, trying to “educate” us, trying to make non-believers of us.
There are also others, who twist God’s word around until it seems to fit their ungodly purposes.
I’m only a believer. I am not a preacher, nor a missionary, nor anything better than a simple person. But I would like to set a few things straight here:
My God is an awesome God.
He has mercy for all people who ask for His mercy.
He loves all people, whether they love Him back or not.
He helps those who repent and (try to) serve Him with their heart.
He does not need anybody to plead His case, because He IS God.
Those who fight Him will not win. But they are totally free to say what they want, against God, against the people of God, etc. It is their choice.
Also…
Believers in God are still people, they are humans, not angels. They will make as many bad decisions as non-believers. The difference is, that we, the believers, will repent, we will talk to God, we will ask for His mercy and His advise, and we will try hard to make good for the errors we’ve committed, as well as trying to become better persons.
Jesus did not come to preach to the believers, but to the non-believers. He healed believers and non-believers alike. He always showed mercy to those who repented, and He still does. He died for our sins, not for our great works.
This being said, how should or could a Christian defend his or her faith?
When attacked, I wouldn’t know what to respond.
In THEIR way, the “attackers” of my faith have it all figured out. No matter what I could/would or wouldn’t say, they’d have an answer ready.
The problem with such a discussion would be that it’s only words.
But faith is not words. Faith is something that you feel and believe in your heart. Then, sometimes (quite often, actually) you see confirmation of what you believe in your daily life, around you. And so you know that you are right.
Now someone who does not believe cannot and will not see such confirmations in his/her life. Ever. That is quite evident. Because… if s/he would see them, he/she would attribute them to luck, chance, some deity or other, etc. He/she would never attribute them to God, thus making sure that “there is no God.”
This being understood, there is no use discussing these things with people who are 100% certain that God does not exist, or at least not in the form we Christians believe in, and who make a point in propagating their non-believe, as well as “bashing” Christians.
They are of course free to believe that God does not exist.
As I am free to believe otherwise.
And lastly: God doesn’t need me (or anybody else) to plead His case.
After all, He IS God…
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Significance… February 11, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in my thoughts for what it's worth.Tags: anger, conflict, God, kindness, love, personal, power, rebel, revolt, significance
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Significance, or insignificance: how important we are.
How important to whom, besides us?
How important why; what for?
For being me, you, us?
Am I significant to anybody at all?
I am to my child right now, but what about when he’ll be grown up?
I think that significance is very important in the world of today.
I believe that many conflicts in this world happen because people feel insignificant, unimportant, unworthy, null…
I therefore think that these people (most people, at one time or other) engage in some kind of revolt. They rebel against feeling like a zero. Some reach out, make themselves “significant” by kindness, until they feel comfortable. Their existence is then confirmed: other people notice them and like to spend time with them.
But different people go a different way. Their revolt is through anger. They think that power will make them significant. And it does, in some twisted and negative ways.
Some people think they must save the world.
Some think they must own, run, and rule the world.
I am happy that I can receive my significance from God. Even though I share this world with several billion people, He knows and cares for me personally. Jesus died at the cross for me. God thinks of me and likes me to spend time with Him. Best of all: God loves me personally.
There is no better way for feeling, indeed, very significant!
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Sorrow… January 2, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in struggles.Tags: death, God, good-bye, pain, sadness, sorrow
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A new year, a new month, a new week, a new day….
I’m looking forward to finally finding my way.
But all these thoughts of “new” also make me look back.
The last twenty months have been surprising, happy, and exciting, but they were also filled with sorrow. And even today, when I look back, I must cry…
In the last 20 months I lost my father, my ex-husband, my godmother, and my mother.
Also, a couple of months ago, when I was trying to hunt down the phone number of two people whom I’ve known five years ago, and who had been very good to my son and me, I learned that they, too, had passed away.
Of course, life goes on. And it goes on well enough.
But every so often the sorrow of the losses surfaces. The sorrow for not having been there when they left, for not having seen any of them in so many years, the sorrow of not having said good-bye, the sorrow of the gap in my heart, just… sorrow.
The Lord has given, and has taken, and has forgiven, and helps us walk straight, even with sorrow in the corner of the heart.
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Undeserved January 1, 2011
Posted by migrantthoughts in my thoughts for what it's worth.Tags: blessings, God, learning, love, undeserved
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When I was younger and didn’t know much about God, I thought that if I was “really, really good”, good things would happen to me. I tried hard to be really good, but lamentably failed.
No wonder. I’m human.
How, then, could I possibly “influence” God and “make” Him bless me with favors?
I had no clue.
And I had given up on God for many, many years.
Now, I have read the Bible (almost all of it…) and have learned about God. I have found out that my human mind will never be able to grasp the true nature of God. He does not “operate” the way we do. He does not love us because we were “really, really good.” He doesn’t even love us more if we are good, or less when we are “bad.”
God always loves us with His 100% love.
It is us who don’t love Him back, or who do not want to receive His love. Who has time for God when we can sink ourselves in some really bad habits, addictions, and horrendous behaviors? We don’t.
Yet, God continues loving us, and waiting until we recognize Him for who He is: our creator and king, who loves us.
He wants to bless us. He will bless us, according to His understanding, not ours. We cannot “make Him” bless us, just like we cannot “make Him” love us. He already loves us. The blessings are on the way. It’s our choice to see and receive them, or not.
His blessings have one thing in particular: all are completely undeserved…!
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The Power of Blessings August 14, 2010
Posted by migrantthoughts in struggles.Tags: believing, blessed, blessings, Christian, church, God, love, me, pain, struggle
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Or… the Power of Words.
I have just learned to speak blessings, over myself, my child, my family, my friends, over my home, my job, my studies, my writing, over my finances, over my health, … etc.
I learned these things at church camp, this week.
And what do you know? On the day before last, something upset my whole being so totally, that I felt so discouraged, unworthy and generally horrible, that I could have just grabbed my child and left.
Yet, I stayed and shared my feelings, and let some people pray over, for and with me. And one of them told me to say blessings over myself. She told me to say: “I am blessed. God loves me. I am blessed and highly favored.” etc.
I did.
But… at first, I did NOT believe it.
When I first said “I’m blessed”, I felt exactly the contrary.
Yet, I continued.
And…. IT WORKS…!
The pain, anger, feeling of unworthiness, shame, bitterness, hopelessness… all fall away when you say blessings to and over yourself. The more you say it, the better you will feel.
Yes, you too, are blessed.
God loves you.
Your life and your day are blessed.
Your feelings are blessed.etc.
Don’t forget to try this out when you feel totally awful.
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On the Path to Faith 