Correction

“Let the godly strike me! It will be a kindness! If they correct me, it is soothing medicine. Don’t let me refuse it.” - Psalm 141:5.

"Correction is a soothing medicine. Is that my everyday perspective? I don’t know about you, but I struggle with allowing pride to get the best of me. Yet, in his Psalm, David demonstrates his humility by refusing to refuse correction. He understands that correction builds character and nourishes growth. Medicine makes us better when were sick. In the same way, correction makes us better people when we make mistakes. I want to be more like David.

//Proverbs 10:17// People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.

//Proverbs 12:1// To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.

//Proverbs 13:1// A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline; a mocker refuses to listen to correction.

//Proverbs 13:18// If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.

//Proverbs 15:5// Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.

//Proverbs 15:10// Whoever abandons the right path will be severely disciplined; whoever hates correction will die.

//Proverbs 15:32// If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

God has a lot to say on correction."

-kathydawood.tumblr.com

Salvation

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." -Ephesians 2:8

"I said to myself, "Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you've been rescued from death; Eye, you've been rescued from tears; And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling." -Psalm 116:7-8

"Only fools would indicate that Salvation can only be achieved by those who do good deeds but what if the intentions were wrong?, you see the truth is Salvation, can and would only be achieved by the mercy of God and God alone." -Anonymous

"God didn't save us because He made us, He saved us because He loved us." -Mikey Raymundo

Expectations

"Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give." -Matthew 10:8

"I don't think it matters if the people you put first puts you second. The fact that you are put in their life, and they're put into yours is a blessing. And when you grow to have no expectation, and you're still friends... love just grew in your relationship. Why ask for more? If you're hurt its your fault for having so much expectation in the first place." -Alo Galedo

"Put your expectations on God, not on people." -Joyce Meyer

"Do you feel a need for affirmation? Does your self-esteem need attention? You don't need to drop names or show off. You need only to pause at the base of the cross and be reminded of this: The Maker of the stars would rather die for you and than live without you. And that is a fact. So if you need to brag, brag about that." -Max Lucado

"Why is it that when PEOPLE let us down we're so quick to turn our backs on God? People will choose to walk out of our lives, boyfriends and girlfriends will come and go, bestfriends will sometimes become enemies…and in some cases even family will turn their backs on you when you need them most…but its truly amazing to know that GOD never never will. “….Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). Forsake means to quit or leave entirely; abandon;desert. God is never going to abandon us, NEVER! He is the only constant in this crazy thing called life. It took me too long to come to that understanding. It was my belief that people, money, and material things could take His place..and was I ever wrong. There is absolutely nothing comparable to GOD’s love. He cant be replaced, substituted, or duplicated. Don’t ever punish GOD for other peoples failures. He is the ONLY one that can and will be there for you always.

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” -Psalm 118:8

-Adriana Maravilla

"Is your love selfless or selfish? Selfish love demands something in return. Love, acceptance, kindness, concern- something. It gives, therefore it wants to get. Selfish love is always thinking, “What’s in it for me?” And it’s always asking, “Why should I love you when you won’t love me back?” But selfish love isn’t really love at all, because true love thinks nothing of itself but focuses on loving others in order to serve them and Christ, who is our example of selfless love. Unconditional love is something we all want as human beings. We want to be loved no matter what we do, but how often are we willing to return love the same way? We make demands and set rules on our love, but true love doesn’t make demands. It is given freely and abundantly. The only rule when it comes to giving love is that love for a human can never come before our love for Him. Our love should never try to replace the Holy Spirit but should flow from his presence. How many times do you give kindness and then scream when you get anger in return? How many times do you give advice and then complain when it isn’t followed? Do you resent it when you give return? The love you give to others should never be conditional on what you get back but should come from knowing the man above who first loved you. You should be compelled by his love, not the response from other people. You should be defined by his love, not the actions of others. When your focus is not getting but giving, then your love will grow, and through that all other virtues will flow.

Spread Love because EVERYONE deserves it." -sspreadlove

"Expectation is the root of all heartache." -William Shakespeare

1 John 4:20

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

Compromise

"Compromising is a sure sign of not possessing the truth. When a man yields in matters of ideals, of honor, or of faith, that man is without ideals, without honor, and without faith." -St. Jose Maria Escriva "The Way, 394"

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." -Matthew 6:8

Suicide

"Suicide is never an option. It's a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Then where you end up, love is forgotten." -Alo Galedo

Listen

"For God is greater than any human being. So why are you bringing a charge against Him? Why say He does not respond to people’s complaints? For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it." -Job 33:12-14 // NLT (via adarkhorse)

"We wonder with so many miraculous testimonies around us, how we could escape God. But somehow we do. We live in an art gallery of divine creativity and yet are content to gaze only at the carpet.

The next time you hear a baby laugh or see an ocean wave, take note. Pause and listen as His majesty whispers ever so gently, 'I’m here.'" -Max Lucado

Wisdom

"People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold…But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?…Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold…God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found…And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’" -Job 28:1, 12, 17, 23, & 28 // NLT (via adarkhorse)

Plowing & Planting

"I’m in the middle of a refining season. If I looked around me, I would easily get discouraged by all the things that seem to be narrowing in my life. However, with my gaze set on Higher things [things above me and in front of me], I am excited [literally looking forward to my future], knowing that this is the time right before something incredible will be birthed [the contraction before the expansion]. 2011 is going to be an explosive year of growth for me.

I had already been thinking to name 2011 ‘Growth’ and it has now been confirmed in multiple ways.

1. I was reading Ezra 3 about preparations to build the Temple. In the middle of this passage, my Bible has this commentary:

“The people of Israel spent months just preparing to build the Temple…How much prep time do you take before doing a project? Most of us would rather do a job than prepare for it. Preparation time may not feel heroic or spiritual, but it is vital to any project you want to do well.”

Since I am now His temple & He lives in me opposed to dwelling in a building, I take Ezra 3 as a metaphor for the season I’m in. It confirmed that I am being prepared for some major [re]construction. Before you rebuild you have to tear down, and I’ve been in a season of tearing down lately.

2. That same night, I read this verse:

You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. -Psalm 65:8

It really resonated with me, but I couldn’t quite place my finger on why [Holy Spirit, anyone?]. So I researched plowing:

“The plow…is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil IN PREPARATION for sowing seed or planting…The primary purpose of ploughing is to turn over the upper layer of the soil, bringing fresh nutrients to the surface, while burying weeds and the remains of previous crops, allowing them to break down. It also aerates the soil, and allows it to hold moisture better. -Wikipedia

Wow.

God is plowing my heart, refining it, redefining it. He is burying & breaking down the weeds in my world. He is overturning things I once clung to and bringing fresh nutrients to the surface. He is plowing and planting in my soul.

And it says that He drenches the plowed ground. Not just sprinkles, not just rains on; drenches. When this season has passed there will be abundant crops.

3. I was talking with one of my best friends, who has been going through similar seasons as me (as in, we are on the same sentence of the same page of the same chapter of our lives) about a month or so ago. We had both named our year this year the same thing, and I mentioned that I was thinking about naming next year Growth. She just looked at me, and said something like, “That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking for me.” To have someone I’m on the same page as be thinking similarly to me signifies that I’m heading in the right direction.

I’ve got a colossal future ahead of me." -adarkhorse

True Self

"When I find You, I'll find me." -Anonymous

"For me to be a saint means for me to be myself." -Thomas Merton

"You can do something I cannot do. I can do something you cannot do. Together let us do something beautiful for God." -Mother Theresa

"...Holiness consists of being true to the person God created. In other words, being holy means being your true self." -James Martin, SJ

"The problem comes when we begin to believe that we have to be someone else to be holy. We use someone else's map to heaven when God has already planted in our soul all the directions we need. In this way we ignore our own call to sanctity. When admirers used to visit Calcutta to see Mother Theresa, she would tell many of them, "Find your own Calcutta." In other words, bloom where you are planted. Discover sanctity in your own life." -James Martin, SJ

"But by the grace of God I am what I am." -1 Corinthians 15:10

"To be nobody but yourself in a world that's doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight. Never stop fighting." -E. E. Cummings

"We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God." -Thomas Merton

"12, 15, 25, 39, 40, 54, 101. Since when do numbers define how old we have to be to love? Fat, ugly, skinny, pretty, gorgeous, disgusting. Since when do adjectives define our physical appearance? A+, B-, C+, D-, F. Since when does one grade define how smart we are? Nice clothes, cheap clothes, decent house, mansion, luxary car, iphone, $100 purses. Since when does the stuff we own define how happy we are? Since when did you think everyone will hurt you just because one person did? Since when did you lose your smile because of one bad thing that happened? Since when did you change yourself because one person didn't like who you were? Since when did you start thinking and acting a certain way because you saw someone else doing it? Since when did you become the same when you were born to be different?" -Anonymous



"For so many years, as stupid as this may seem, I didn’t understand what it meant to be me. I found that a good portion of my life I had spent it trying to please others and strive for their approval. I couldn’t find the fine line between doing what’s right, and doing what’s right in everybody else’s eyes. But the truth is, I only need to please one Being." -Ria Manansala


"There is someone that I love, even though I don’t approve of what he does. There is someone I accept, though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me. There is someone I forgive, though he hurts the people I love the most. That person is me." -C.S. Lewis


"Every man who seeks the kingdom of God finds himself." -Pope John Paul II