Friday, December 28, 2012

A Good Life...



A good life is when you assume nothing, 
do more, need less, smile often, dream big,
laugh a lot, and realize how blessed you are.





Sometimes, I get this urge to talk to you, 
and then I remember that you’re a different person now. 
It’s just sad because I miss you a lot.



The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, 
and not to twist them to fit our own image. 
Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. 



She did not need much, and wanted very little. 
A kind word. Sincerity. Fresh air. Clean water. 
A garden. Kisses. Books to read. Sheltering arms. 
A cozy bed. And to love and be loved in return.





I hope that in this new year to come, 
you make mistakes. 
If you are making mistakes, 
then you are making new things, 
trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, 
changing yourself, changing your world. 
You’re doing things you've never done before, 
and more importantly, 
you’re doing something.
Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry 
that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, 
whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. 
Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, DO IT. 
Make your mistakes, next year and forever.



I’m really happy I met you. 
I hope you know that.




Your journey has molded you for your greater good. 
And it was exactly what it needed to be. 
Don’t think that you've lost time. 
It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. 
And now is right on time. 



Jealousy comes from counting others’ blessings 
instead of our own.


Friday, December 7, 2012

Bonaventure - "Silent Night"


Bonaventure is a music group that I became aware of thanks to Twitter. They were a random follower which I chose to check out and immediately followed back.They are a pop/rock band consisting of only two guys: Dan Smyers and Andy Albert. They are working hard to get their name and music out there for all to hear and it definitely appears that their hard work is paying off. 

In an interview done by Patricia Tanne, she asked both members what their dream in life is.
Andy's response was:
"Our dream is to touch people with our music.  Whether we are playing for an audience of 1, or 1 million, we want our music to hit home with people on a personal level."
Dan's response was:
 "We don’t measure success in money earned or records sold, but the extent to which people are moved by the music we create.  If we can inspire someone, or brighten their day with our songs, then we have succeeded."

I think both of their responses are true to heart and after following them for a few months on Twitter and Facebook, one can see that they truly care about music and using it to touch the lives of people.

Recently they recorded a version of Silent Night and they chose to use an extremely powerful commercial as the video for the song. The television commercial, “Silence of Love”, created for Thai Life Insurance, "tells the story of a young woman and her deaf mute father. The dramatic story reveals just how significant a father’s love is, despite feelings of inadequacy and frustration."

The song Silent Night is about the birth of Jesus. Jesus, the son of God, came to earth to give forgiveness and life to those who place their trust in Him. He came to take care of man’s debt of sin and He came to seek those who are lost. Many of us know about God and Jesus but still feel lost and unsure of the love of God. We focus on all the bad that is occurring and can't understand why a God would allow all this pain, hurt, and suffering. We simply sit back unwilling to understand a God that we can't actually hear or speak to. God's loves is like the love of the father in this film. Even though He knows what is best for us and wants the best for us, we have to open our eyes to His love. He is not going to make our lives perfect, we will have struggles, but He wants us to seek Him and trust in Him with all our heart. He may not be able to tell you He loves you in person but He works everyday to show His love. 

I encourage everyone to take one day to just look around; seek God and look for all the ways He tells you He loves you. Watch a sunrise, listen to the birds sing in the morning, eat fresh fruit, hug a friend who's always been there for you, look at yourself in the mirror and marvel at the work He has done in creating you. We may not hear God or understand why He does the things He does but one thing is for certain; He has a never-ending love for us and everyday He waits patiently for us to love Him in return. 

I hope everyone enjoys this holiday season. Please take a moment to watch this amazing video and listen to the amazing version of Silent Night by Bonaventure. The song is available to download on iTunes. The group has also promised to play a FREE ONLINE ACOUSTIC show if the song reaches #1 on any iTunes chart. Links to the iTunes song, YouTube video and where to find the group on Twitter and Facebook will be at the bottom of this post! Please share the song and video with everyone you know. Thanks! 





Links: all links will open in a new window

YouTube video: click here
iTunes Link to download song for only $0.99: click here
Follow Bonaventure on Twitter: click here
Like Bonaventure on Facebook: click here
Bonaventure's YouTube page: click here

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Live for the moment....



Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment 
until it becomes a memory.
One day, you’ll be just a memory for some people. 
Do your best to be a good one!


When you look at a field of dandelions
you can either see
a hundred weeds or
a hundred wishes!


No matter how badly people treat you, 
never drop down to their level, 
just know you’re better and walk away!


Life is like a roller coaster
it has its ups & downs.
But it's your choice to scream
or enjoy the ride!


You got enemies?
Good that means you've
stood up for something!


If a person wants to be a part of your life
they will make an obvious effort to do so.
Think twice before reserving a space in your heart
for people who do not make an effort to stay!


You are stronger than you seem,
Braver than you believe,
Smarter than you think!


Life isn't about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself!


No eye has seen,
No ear has heard,
No mind has conceived,
What God has prepared
For those who LOVE HIM!


I have not failed!
I have just found 10,000 ways
that won't work!
Don't ever give up!


The only things you can take with you 
when you leave this world
are the things you've packed
inside your heart!


Friendship is born at that moment
when one person says to another:
"What! You too? I thought I was the only one."


Feelings change,
Memories don't!


We must take adventures
in order to know 
Where we truly belong!


People will always have their opinions of you
despite who you are and 
what you are capable of!


In three words 
I can sum up everything 
I've learned about life:
 It Goes On.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Ant and the Contact Lens...


This is a story that originates from a book written by Elisabeth Elliot written in 1995 titled Keep a Quiet Heart. Ms. Elliot attributes the story to a first-person account sent to her by Brenda Foltz of Princeton, Minnesota, who maintained she wrote it based upon an event that occurred during her first rock-climbing experience. I love this story because it serves as a reminder to have faith in God each and every day! He's there for you no matter how big or small your problems are! 

The Ant and The Contact.


Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens.

“Great,” she thought. “Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.” She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there!

She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains.

She thought of the Bible verse, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.” She thought, “Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.”

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, “Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?”
            
Well, that would be startling enough. But you know why the climber saw it?

An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it!



The story doesn't end there.

Brenda’s father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption:

“Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it, and it’s awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for You.”



God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. 

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.


There are a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications and just go for it.


Do not look at the world through your head; look at it through your heart.


See, we are all imperfect and unworthy of His love. Just because we do things that we don’t like to look back on, doesn't make anyone a bad person. After all, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old, and Lazarus was dead. Our mistakes and the lessons we learn make us WHO WE ARE. We are given these lessons to mold us into the people we are supposed to be. His grace IS sufficient for us and his power is made perfect in weakness.


Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You’ll learn from them- if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It’s a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It’s history. It’s poetry.


To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life.


In desperate love, we always invent the characters of our partners, demanding they be what we need of them, and then feeling devastated when they refuse to perform the role we created in the first place.


Everyone makes mistakes, and then you learn from them. If you ever happen to make the same mistake twice, the second time isn't a mistake. It’s a choice.


Not everyone or everything is worth fighting for. Sometimes what seems promising is nothing but a scenario and an ending that we've created in our heads. Throwing in the towel doesn't always mean that you’re weak. It just means that you are strong enough to let go and allow God to take over. Whatever is meant to be…will be.



Look at us, running around. Always rushed, always late. I guess that’s why they call it the human race. What we crave most in this world is connection. For some people, that happens at first sight. It’s when you know, you know. It’s fate working its magic. And that’s great for them. They get to live in a pop song. Ride the express train. But that’s not the way it really works. For the rest of us, it’s a bit less romantic. It’s complicated, it’s messy. It’s about horrible timing and fumbled opportunities. And not being able to say what you need to say when you need to say it. At least, that’s the way it was for me. But sometimes, it slows down just enough for all the pieces to fall into place. Fate works its magic. And you’re connected.


Friday, September 28, 2012

Long overdue...


I want to remember that no one is going to make my dreams come true for me. It is my job to get up every day and work toward the things that are deepest in my heart, and to enjoy every step of the journey rather than wishing I was already where I want to end up.


I think you can’t wait for someone to fly underneath you and save your life. I think you need to save yourself.


So, I’ve been thinking about the whole “being happy” thing and I feel like people get lost when they think of happiness as a destination…we’re always thinking that someday, we’ll be happy; we’ll get that car or that job or that person in our lives that’ll fix everything. But happiness is a mood, and it’s a condition, not a destination. It’s like being tired or hungry, it’s not permanent. It comes and goes, and that’s okay. And I feel like if people thought of it that way, they’d find happiness more often.


If it’s still in your mind, it’s worth taking the risk. 


Learn to love the fool in you, the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects you against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom you also harbor and who would rob you of human aliveness, humility, and dignity.


You never know where the next miracle is gonna come from, the next smile, the next wish come true.


You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, the conversations you engage in. You are what you take from these. You are the sound of the ocean, the breath of fresh air, the brightest light and the darkest corner. You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life. You are every single day. So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge and existence. Let the words run through your veins and let the colors fill your mind.


It’s a strange thing, how you can love somebody, how you can be all eaten up inside with needing them- and they simply don’t need you. That’s all there is to it, and neither of you can do anything about it. And they’ll be the same way with someone else, and someone else will be the same way about you and it goes on and on- this desperate need - and only once in a rare  million do the same two people need each other.


In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we are afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.


Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.


She’s a mess of gorgeous chaos, and you can see it in her eyes.


You can choose to blame your circumstances on fate or bad luck or bad choices. Or you can fight back. Things are always going to be fair in the real world. That’s just the way it is. But for the most part, you get what you give. The rest of your life is being shaped right now. With the dreams you chase. The choices you make. And the person you decide to be. The rest of your life is a long time. And the rest of your life starts right now.


For just one second, look at your life and see how perfect it is. Stop looking for the next secret door that is going to lead you to your real life. This is it: there’s nothing else. It’s here and you’d better decide to enjoy it or you’re going to be miserable wherever you go, for the rest of your life, forever.


A few rules: 1.) Never stop thinking. This is is important. If someone ever says to you “you need to stop thinking so much,” call them ignorant in your head and keep thinking deeper. It is this mentality that breeds stupid people. Your mind is the most important thing you have, if you stop using it, it will atrophy. 2.) Stare into space blankly and don’t mentally punish yourself for doing it, even if it is for that split second. 2.) Don’t be afraid to talk about anything. You shouldn’t be afraid of reality. 3.) Everyone is a hypocrite. 4.) You are all original. Every life experience is case sensitive and unique. Every time you wake up or quote someone else, you are becoming more you than anyone has ever been. 5.) Do pointless things. Don’t actively restrain or hide yourself from the redundant. 6.) Stop rushing. Shut up and embrace the sound of silence. 7.) Religion shouldn’t be taught, it should be found. No one should tell you what to believe except for you. 8.) Talking to yourself is healthy. Is there anyone you have more in common with? 9.) There is no such thing as time. The sun never sets or rises. Days and years don’t exist. There is only your life. 10.) We will always be in a transitional phase. Look outside and know that everything will be replaced at some point. This existence is temporary. 11.) It’s not half empty or half full. It’s half a glass. 12.) Every now and then, you take something that you see everyday and try to see it in a different light. Renew its resistance. 13.) Be happy, but don’t force it. 14.) You will always succeed in trying. 15.) We are all crazy. 16.) We are all about as similar as we are different. 17.) Ideas are about as valuable as people. 21.) Numbers don’t have to go in order. 18.) Words will always be just words. Love is just another four letter word, only the feeling is real. 19.) Ask a child for advice. They may not know much, but they know what’s important. 20.) Prove you’re alive. Do anything from dancing in the supermarket to taking an impulse trip to another country. Remind the world you are still here. 21.) Don’t take anything seriously.