Christmas

"What gift do you give a God who has everything? No doubt about it, God is hard to shop for at Christmas time. Maybe that’s why he gets overlooked on many a list.  First of all, God doesn’t need anything. There isn’t anything he’s run out of, or hasn’t seen in the stores, or would be surprised by. And if God has a wish list, you and I haven’t seen it.   Or have we? Sometimes the gifts people give provide a clue to what they would like to receive. After all, it was God who gave the first Christmas gift, two thousand years ago. He wrapped his divine son in flesh and blood like ours and gave him to all of us. […] Surely, God’s gift to us at Christmas provides the best hint about what to give him in return. In giving Jesus God gave us himself, and that is what God wants us to give him – ourselves. Your self is the only gift God will not have if you do not give it to him." -Archbishop George Niederauer (San Francisco)


Dear All,

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated.
During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.
It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me.
As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago.
At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration.
Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don’t know the meaning of the celebration. I remember that last
year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and
chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts.
But, do you want to know something? I wasn’t invited.
I was the guest of honor and they didn’t remember to send me an invitation.
The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face and I wanted to be
with them and share their table.
In truth, that didn’t surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me. Since I wasn’t invited, I decided to
enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner.
They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time.
To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: ”Santa Claus, Santa Claus” as if the party were in his honor!
At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and do you know no-one hugged me.
Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one?
I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.
Every year it gets worse. People only remember the gifts, the parties, to eat and drink, and nobody remembers me.
I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life.
I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the
cross, to save you.
Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.
I want to share something with you. As many didn’t invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party
that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I’m still making the final arrangements.
Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book.
Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party.
Those who don’t answer the invite, will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great
party.
See you soon.
Love,
Jesus Christ
-via KnowGodKnowLove

The Eight Beatitudes of Jesus Christ

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10

"Did you know that blessed is another word for happy? For these are the BE-atitudes, the attitudes to be! Jesus said that it doesn't matter what you go through, but to have the attitude to CHOOSE to be happy." -Father Dave

And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

"It’s hard to show my faith in front of people.
I’m guilty of trying to hide when I pray, especially before I eat, and even not praying at all…

Fear is what keeps us from God, fear of what others might think of us. But do their thoughts really matter? We shouldn’t be afraid of them, “But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell.” (Luke 12:5) - BUT! “We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear,” (Luke 1:74). It’s hard sometimes when we’re around people who don’t share the same faith, who plainly don’t pray but are religious, or who are losing faith, but of course not nearly as difficult as what God had to sacrifice for us. Never forget that God sacrificed His only son for us. The very least we all can do is pray and show our faith. It will make God very happy :) In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are taught to pray without ceasing, continually, throughout our day. Praying is not just a way of telling God our wants and dreams or what our problems are, because He knows us more than we do, but simply showing God that we need Him and it deepens our relationship with Him. We shouldn’t feel awkward praying in front of our friends and family because they love us, therefore respecting our beliefs… or else they wouldn’t really be our friends. If anything, pray together because, “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there shall I be.” (Matthew 18:20)… We shouldn’t feel awkward praying in public because they don’t matter in our lives. John tells us that “all that is in this world, is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.” So, as long as we are in this world, we will be tempted and judged by things and people. No one is perfect, however, we must not fall into sin as a result of these temptations. God is the only Judge, who also saves and forgives. Praying is a way of praising God, so, “get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Luke 22:46) and
1Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
2Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
4praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
5praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
6Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord. (Psalms 150:1-6)

In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible…
We are here stirred up to praise God. Praise God for his sanctuary, and the privileges we enjoy by having it among us; praise him because of his power and glory in the firmament. Those who praise the Lord in heaven, behold displays of his power and glory which we cannot now conceive. But the greatest of all his mighty acts is known in his earthly sanctuary. The holiness and the love of our God are more displayed in man’s redemption, than in all his other works. Let us praise our God and Saviour for it. We need not care to know what instruments of music are mentioned. Hereby is meant that in serving God we should spare no cost or pains. Praise God with strong faith; praise him with holy love and delight; praise him with entire confidence in Christ; praise him with believing triumph over the powers of darkness; praise him by universal respect to all his commands; praise him by cheerful submission to all his disposals; praise him by rejoicing in his love, and comforting ourselves in his goodness; praise him by promoting the interests of the kingdom of his grace; praise him by lively hope and expectation of the kingdom of his glory. Since we must shortly breathe our last, while we have breath let us praise the Lord; then we shall breathe our last with comfort. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Such is the very suitable end of a book inspired by the Spirit of God, written for the work of praise; a book which has supplied the songs of the church for more than three thousand years; a book which is quoted more frequently than any other by Christ and his apostles; a book which presents the loftiest ideas of God and his government, which is fitted to every state of human life, which sets forth every state of religious experience, and which bears simple and clear marks of its Divine origin."

-Victoria Truong (ilikesmalleyes)

Potential

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Nelson Mandela 1994

Jealousy

"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

²⁸"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

³¹" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' " -Luke15:25-32

"The opposite of Jealousy is when we believe in someone. Don’t let Jealousy steal our breakthrough." -KnowGodKnowLove

"I'm letting go of you. This relationship that I have with you isn't healthy. You're a distraction, not an inspiration. When I'm with you, I don't feel like myself. I'm doing everything you want, not what I want, and not what I need. You keep finding ways to keep me coming back to you, and it's because you've manipulated me into being afraid of my insecurities. Being with you keeps me away from loving other people properly, and it makes me scared to love. You make it hard for me to look at myself the way God asks me to. You make me look at everything that I don't have, and being with you makes me feel like a failure. You make me feel ugly. I've been with you for too long, but it's about time that I found my own path. Don't try and find me."

Goodbye, Envy." -Abby Zaporteza

"Envy is an insult to oneself." -Yevgeny Yevtushenko

"Compare and despair." -James Martin, Becoming Who You Are

"Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit." -Proverbs 12:12

Impossible

“Jesus looked at them and said, 'with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'” -Matthew 19:26

"Nothing is impossble, even the word isn't: IM POSSIBLE" -RevRunWisdom

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there injury... pardon.
Where there is discord... union.
Where there is doubt... faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness... light.
Where there is sadness... joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled, as to console...
To be understood, as to understand...
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born into eternal life.

Bridges

“It’s one thing to know the answer, but it’s also another to act it out.”

Today I learned it’s also another thing to realize it in your heart. I had a problem earlier, and I knew the answers but just couldn’t bring myself to do anything. But I learned soon enough that sometimes it takes a little compassion to see your exact problem in the soul of another person and see how they deal with it.

My friend opened up and called to his friends. They connected and helped him through and we all prayed together for his confidence and realization of his potential. They didn’t know but they had just hit 2 birds with 1 stone.

Today I learned about the 3rd and most important part. The transition between the mind, the body and the soul is the heart. It’s like the moles in chemistry: everything revolves around the moles and to get from one thing to another, you need to go through the moles.

Like in life, everything revolves around the heart and to get from the mind to the body, or from the soul to the mind, or wherever, you need to go through the heart.

I think this is why Jesus really wants us to guard and preserve our hearts. He really means it when he says that they are the source of life and through them, they are the only way to transition from us to the heavenly Father.

So next time we’re stuck in insecurity when we know the correct answer but cannot pull ourselves to take action, remember that we need to realize it in our hearts first if we really want to move. And if that’s still a bit too hard, then maybe we should consider connecting with other hearts. :)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” -Proverbs 4:23

Basis

It’s the greatest mystery of the entire universe yet the simplest statement; the answer that every soul, past, present and to come, searches for yet already has; the most blunt and factual fact that its difficult to believe.

It’s a small amount of words yet it’s able to support over 6 billion individual stories, and millions of other books that have come and are to come.

These four words summarize the fruits and sacraments of the Holy Spirit, the sacrifice, fierce love, and sufferings of the Son, the true, magnificent and glorious power of the Father, the day of our creation and the hour of our judgment.

The amount of love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, faith, hope, righteousness, truth, wisdom and holiness contained in these is beyond the borders of human imagination, past the neighbouring nebulae and galaxies and just above the lands that flow with milk and honey.

The meanings and thoughts that caress and waltz with these words are above the languages and the arts of any race and surpass the wonders of nature and the keepers of time.

These words created us, sculpted us, guided us, consoled us, fed us and most importantly, they already knew us.

They knew us so well that although they knew we would stumble and weep on our journey in a torn valley of tears, they knew that some day we would come across them in our hearts.

Like the climax of a story or the rebirth of a soul, we would discover this God-given charity of the most sweet and nectarous gift. It would lay nestled on an elegant throne that was the anima of irony in our tired and deceived hearts behind dusty, forgotten doors we had just rediscovered and opened for the first time in our life. The holy and tranquil light would shine in symbolism to who the throne is rightfully fitted for: a man of great honour and adoration, excellence, royalty, and one who demanded great reparation.

The gift would act like a taster of some sort, of something that wasn’t too hot nor too cold, but just perfect. And upon our arrival it would burst open by itself in shocking readiness as sheets of white and scents of purity engulf and consume us. Then, as delicate as the flap of an angel’s wing but as passionate as the virtues of the seraphim, the gift would whisper these four words in our hearts:

“God’s love is unconditional.”

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Origin of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans and especially the partridge that won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

Today, I found out, thanks to the Internet.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

• One true love refers to God.

• A partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)
  

• Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

• Three French hens stood for Faith, Hope and Love, the Theological Virtues. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
  

• The four calling birds were the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke & John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

• The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, first Five Books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which give the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

• The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world. (Genesis 1)

• Seven swans a-swimming represented the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments: Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leadership and Mercy/Compassion. (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

• The eight maids a-milking were the eight Beatitudes:1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

• Nine ladies dancing were the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. (Galatians 5:22)

• The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)

• The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful apostles.

• The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.

-Dennis Bratcher

Peace

"Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'" -Luke 7:50


"You are not at peace with others because you are not at peace with yourself, and you are not at peace with yourself because you are not at peace with God." -Anonymous

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

"All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." -Blaise Pascal

"Peace on the outside comes from knowing God on the inside." -man-of-god

"Peace is not the absence of affliction, but the presence of God." -Unknown

"As I inhale a large gasp of the warm air of my bedroom, and release a heavy breath,
There is nothing even mildly comparable to the tranquility I feel now.

My fingers run across the tiny beads of truth,
Of compassion, of suffering.
My voice reciting the words of the Virgin,
The expression of her utmost affection for her Son.

Each repetition is an adventure;
A deeper insight into the comprehension of His mystery,
Witnessing to her prevailing love and dedication to the Father.

Every decade amounts to ten years worth of knowledge,
Consequently growing in abiding faith.
The serenity is overwhelming, but I am blissful as I become consumed by the perfect stillness.

I release the miniscule ivory pearls that are so flawlessly intertwined within my fingers,
Lingering on the shape of His crucifix.
I have completed the journey of the rosary, and I am completely at peace." -Alyssa Belle Zaporteza

Healing

“There are so many different ways of being healed. The best way, and by far the commonest, is to be loved. To be loved by God, and to know it and live it, is to be healed indeed. The Good News first of all is that you and I are accepted and loved by God. From all eternity you and I have been in the mind of God. God’s love for us is utterly reliable and has no conditions whatsoever.” -Anonymous

"God specializes in new beginnings." -Rick Warren

"I know how passionate you are about helping others, but don’t forget about yourself and your heart. You can only heal others hearts if your heart is healed first." -Proverbs 27:17 (The Message)

"He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.'" -Mark 5:34

Days

"Without God, our week would be... Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday and Shatterday." -Anonymous

Answers

“God gives you answers in three ways: He says yes and gives you what you want, He says no and gives you something better, or He says wait and gives you the best.” -via timirose

"I have faith that God will show you the answer. But you have to understand that sometimes it takes a while to be able to recognize what God wants you to do. That’s how it often is. God’s voice is usually nothing more than a whisper, and you have to listen very carefully to hear it. But other times, in those rarest of moments, the answer is obvious and rings as loud as a church bell." -Anonymous

"Answers will not come to those who don’t listen." -Kevin Villanueva

"Sometimes, it can be painful when God comes in and rearranges our life. Have faith! God’s answers are wiser than our prayers." -via Marhielle Gelera

"Don't think of the few things you didn't get after praying. Think of the countless beautiful things God gave you without asking." -iwontbetrayyou

Friendship

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." -1 John 3:16

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." -Hebrews 3:13

"You are called to belong, not just believe." -Rick Warren

"Even in the perfect, sinless environment of Eden, God said "It is not good for man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18) We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfill God's purposes by ourselves." -Rick Warren

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us! enjoy!" -RevRunWisdom

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: ¹⁰If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" -Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

"Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, ²⁵or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared." -Proverbs 22:24-25

"We value our friendship more than we do the friends’ souls and won’t confront on necessary issues." -Dr. Mark Rutland

"And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." -2 Corinthians 8:5

"Community is built not on convenience ("we'll get together when I feel like it") but on the conviction that I need it for spiritual health. If you want to cultivate real fellowship, it will mean meeting together even when you don't feel like it, because you believe it is important." -Rick Warren

"Whenever we become careless about fellowship, everything else begins to slide, too." -Rick Warren

"God wants you to love real people, not ideal people." -Rick Warren

"Real friends are those that pull you closer to God." -Anonymous

"Friendship doubles your joys and divides your sorrows." -Anonymous

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." -Proverbs 17:17

"A quarrel between friends, when made up, adds a new tie to friendship, as experience shows that the callosity formed around a broken bone makes it stronger than before." -St. Francis de Sales

"The most memorable people in life will be the friends who loved you when you weren't very lovable." -Adrian Chambers

"There is no such thing as a ‘bad friend'; for the word 'friend' means good. There are just those friends who do bad things and friends who do good things." -Chris Aguilar

"The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." -Proverbs 12:26

"Hello Anon,

That’s a tough situation. Relationships are never just simple, are they? But they are every important.
Be careful your friends aren’t bringing you down. Some people are set against God, and they will only be a negative influence in your life. Others say they belong to God, but then show Him no love with their lives - which is almost more toxic. In either of these situations, it’s usually best to just cut ties - hard as it is.
But then there are other friends. Some don’t know God, but are soft-hearted. And and some do know God, but are struggling. I think in both these cases, it’s OK to make some allowances in order to be there for them. After all, those who don’t know God need those of us who do.
But even then, your friends will have to respond to God’s call genuinely and in their own time. However much we may wish our friends to know God, we can’t make them give their lives to Him.
We share the gospel with them. Then we share God’s love with them. The rest is between them and God.
I hope this is helpful, but I’m afraid it might not be. I’ll pray that God gives you the discernment to know when to let someone go and when to stick it through.
Peace, love and Jesus,
-Jim" -Skripture Sketches


"I love that kind of relationship where you just feel good being around a friend. It doesn’t even have to be a romantic relationship, even just a normal friendship. I love it when my friends can bring out the best in me. It’s even better when they bring out the best of my faith. Throughout the past few years I’ve encountered relationships with some people who didn’t bring out the best in me. If anything, they’ve brought out the worst. They’ve brought out my sins, my flaws, my imperfections, and have driven me closer to bad temptations. I’ve learned it’s best to get away from those types of friends. The friendships that I find most worth fighting for are the friendships that bring out nothing but pure happiness and love." -Kim Nguyen

"For the friendship of two, the patience of one is required." -Indian Proverb

Boredom

“Those who see boredom as a negative, are simply inadequate. Boredom is a form of God calling you to speak, and connect with Him. Boredom is a small fraction of time that we get out of our busy lives to go and talk to God, with no worries being a burden on our shoulders. Boredom is God calling us, waiting for us to take up on His offer.” -via vanlicorice

Advent

"Our God is a god who will never give up on His people. Advent is the perfect time of year to reconnect with our God and revive our spiritual life. It is a preparation for the coming of Christ." -Father Augustine

Healthy Reminders.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." -Romans 12:12

"Happiness is being grateful." -RevRunWisdom

"When you fall, you fall right into God's hands.. (be not afraid)" -RevRun Wisdom

"Get up!!!! You dont drown by falling in water, u drown by staying in there!!" -RevRunWisdom

"Talk to God! God will either calm the storm, or he'll let the storm rage while he calms you." -RevRunWisdom

God knows how to make you happy. Trust in him.

Service is one of the spokes of the wheel in a Christian life.
What have you done for Him lately? ♫

Have you read the Bible lately? The Bible is God's Word given to us and is the key to wisdom and the weapon of our souls and faith. Remember, reading the Scriptures is also one of the spokes.

Turn away from your evil deeds if you truly wish to be in the land of God.

God's cheering for you! :)

Pray.

Let go and let God.

Vines

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." -John 15:5

...

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." -John 15:7

Stars

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

¹⁴Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe ¹⁶as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. ¹⁷But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸So you too should be glad and rejoice with me."

-Philippians 2:12-18

Brokenness

"God can heal a broken heart, but He has to have all the pieces.

Abandon all I am, to have you capture me yet again..

Isaiah 55:8-9

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Psalm 139:23

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts."

Abandon all I am, to have you capture me again. No matter where we are with our walk with God, sometimes we need to come to a state of brokenness. In that state, there is no better place to be than in the Father’s will. In His perfect, pleasing will.

How do you get there? By dying to yourself and reaching out to Him with all of your heart."

"The cracks and bruises in our heart that seem so unfixable and far from restoration can be used for His glory. Our brokeness and sadness can turn into worshipping a God who fills the emptiness in our lives. The relationships and arguments that could be far from mending could ultimately be renewed through Him. The Lord understands us & created us, He knows we’re humans, He’s not aloof of our weaknesses, He didn’t create us to be perfect beings otherwise we wouldn’t have a need for such a flawless Savior.

Come to Him in all your rawness, hurts, angers and feelings . The more we hold onto them and harbor them in our hearts, it can lead to things that aren’t pleasing to Him and eventually distance you from His grace in your life. You’re going to want to scream, it’s going to sting, tears are going to flow endlessly but I find so much peace in knowing that His love for me is endless. His love doesn’t have a beginning or an end. He knew me before I was in my mother’s womb. I’m not this little thing that He could care less for, He knows me by name. My Father in heaven is actively working in my life and there is a purpose and reason to all the unknowns and ‘dot dot dots.’" -http://knowgodknowlove.com/
"The phrase “break your heart” now has such a negative, almost ruthless connotation, but if you strip off the layers of triteness from overuse and cultural context, it’s one of the most beautiful, uplifting, poetic phrases in our language.

Because you see…A broken heart is a heart that has been healed. A broken heart is a heart that has reached its acme, its most perfect form, for it is when our hearts are completely broken that our hearts resemble God’s…for isn’t His heart continually breaking for us? A broken heart is a heart that is whole, complete, for it is when we are broken of ourselves, of our desires, of our self-dependence that the Holy Spirit can reside and overflow within us. A broken heart is vulnerability, and vulnerability is the highest form of courage." -(via sdgs.wordpress.com) (via Abby Zaporteza)
"Break my heart for what breaks Yours." -Hosanna by Hillsong

"In the midst of my troubles, those who were strong did help me a good deal. But it was those who were so broken yet still glorified God and looked to Him despite their circumstances or their feelings that gave me a hope. It’s one thing for God to be God to those who have it together, but another thing entirely to see God still be God to those in pain." -Brianna

Structural Frame.

"For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." -Colossians 1:16-17

Tests

“And like gold that goes through fire, refine me Lord.” -1 Peter 1:6-7

"He’s just teaching us how to get back up in deep need of Him. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be a pain that you may think that you’ll never get through. But we aren’t alone if we’ve got the greatest King as our Lord & Savior in our hearts. Because what may seem overwhelming at the time, God is already overcoming in your life. He allows us to go through the hurts, pains & disappointment not to punish us but to test our faith. To test if we’re really living for Him or pursing other things in our lives by voicing empty words that we can’t back up with our actions." -KnowGodKnowLove

“You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him." -Daniel 4:23

"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you." -2 Chronicles 20:17

“There are some fires you can’t get out of- you’ve got to go through the fire - you’ve got to go through the flood - you’ve got to go through the test - you’ve got to go through the struggle that you might decrease and He might increase.” -T.D. Jakes

"If you are on a difficult spot, realize that God means for you to be where you are. If the Lord has carried you this far, He's not going to drop you now." -Lorryzel Badajos

"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires." -Nelson Mandela

"God brings us into deep waters, not to drown us, but to cleanse us!" -Anonymous

Carrying your Cross.

"Our God reminds us, "I go before you always."

So my brothers and sisters.. Whatever our crosses may be, remember that our God bore them before we have. Know that God has took upon that challenge before you. He has fought that battle before you. He wrestled that obstacle before you have.

"Do not be afraid". He does not give you more than you can handle." -Peter Byun

"If You don’t break our heart, then we won’t have any idea of how much hurt you went through dying for our sins. Let us carry our own crosses, Lord. We want to show You how much we love You, even though your cross was much heavier than all the people in our world You have created combined. By serving and honouring You, we re-enact what Your Son has done to show His love for us. We have all sinned, and that hurts You. Show us how it is to be hurt, show us how to forgive like You, and by doing that, we will be able to love like You." -Jeffery Gache

Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me, and I will give you rest.

Bearing Our Crosses

Repentance

"Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." -Matthew 3:2

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes." -Luke 10:13

Trust

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:4-6

"Does it ever come to your mind that maybe He knows something you don't?" -Francis Chan

"Let go of the illusion of control." -Kung Fu Panda

"Keyword here is "ALL." If you want His blessings, God calls for us to follow and trust in Him in every area of our lives.

Now ask yourself:

"Are there any areas in your life that you need to completely trust in God?" -Joshua De Gracia, KnowGodKnowLove

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

"Blessing comes from trusting God's ability, not my own." -KnowGowKnowLove

"If you can manipulate yourself in and out of somebody’s life, that relationship is conditional. It’s not built on love, for love is unconditional.

Striving to be in the right place in the right time is called trying to control the situation.

When its actually God-arranged, there will be an ease to it. You won’t have to try to be in the right place or time. It will just happen in the right way, naturally.

It’s one of those things I’m learning to trust God with." -adarkhorse

Family

I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

“Focus on your constants which are those who will always be with you: your family and most importantly God, and you will be fine.” -Dad

“You NEED to say 'NO' sometimes, you CAN NOT cater to everyone. You need to say ‘whatever’ to people because you NEED to love and be true to yourself first. Practice saying 'No' to me now!” -Mom

"...because if you don't love yourself, who can love you?" -Mom

-Much Love, your surprise baby,

Gabriel

Truth

"The greatest friend of truth is Time, her greatest enemy is Prejudice, and her constant companion is Humility." -Charles Caleb Colton

part 8 of the call of duty: spiritual warfare series.

“belt of truth” by Jayson Reynon

http://knowgodknowlove.com/

Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist….

What’s the first thing you think of when you think about the pieces of armor on a knight? Most likely a sword and shield. All knights must have full body armor: a helmet, a metal breastplate, and shoes. In Ephesians 6:10-18, the bible also talks about armor that God wants us to put on. Ironically enough, the bible lists the exact same pieces of armor, with the exception of one difference: God’s armor has a belt. Not just any belt, but a belt of truth.

Now you have to be thinking to yourself, “Why the heck would a belt be so important for a warrior?” A belt obviously can’t hurt the enemy, nor can it defend against the enemy’s attacks. The belt seems like such an insignificant and small piece of the armor. So why would God’s armor require a belt?

Let’s imagine what you would look like if you walked around with a belt. Almost every pair of pants that you buy requires you to wear a belt. If you forget to wear your belt, what’s going to happen? Well clearly, your pants are going to fall down and everyone is going to see your undergarments and you’re going to be waddling around as you walk with your pants at your ankles, looking just absolutely ridiculous.

But now imagine marching off to a battle and forgetting to wear your belt. Your pants fall down, you have no place to hold your weapons, and you’ll be so useless in battle because you’re going to be too busy trying to hold up your pants with one hand that you’ll only be able to hold your sword OR your shield with the other hand, not both. Now try to imagine yourself trying to fight off Satan with one hand while using your other hand to hold your pants up. That’s one battle you’re doomed to lose.

More importantly is that we’re told to put on “the belt of TRUTH.” It’s not just any regular old belt, but a belt of TRUTH. One of Satan’s favorite and most common tactics to steer you away from your purpose and destiny is to feed you lies. He likes to tell you things like “you’re not good enough,” “you suck,” or “you’re a waste of space.”

A common scene in a lot of sword-fighting movies is when the hero cuts off the belt of the bad guy and his pants fall down, revealing his underwear. And most times, the hero never explicitly kills the enemy. He just leaves him helpless and embarrassed, tied-up, self-defeated, and ineffective. That’s exactly what Satan does when he feeds us these lies. Of course he’s not the “hero” but one of the first things he aims for is to cut off our belt of truth. He makes us begin to doubt ourselves, who we are, and sometimes even if the truth of Jesus Christ really is the truth. The enemy will never kill us directly, but if he can successfully cut our belt of truth off and get us to begin doubting what is really true, then he leaves us like the enemy in those movies: helpless, self-defeated, and ineffective.

It is during these times of struggle and battle that we must really hold onto what we know is the truth. So what is truth? Is there such a thing as absolute truth? YES THERE IS!!! And that truth is found in the hope and life of Jesus Christ.

John 14:6

“I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.”

Psalm 40:11

“Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your TRUTH always protect me.”

3 John 1:4

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the TRUTH.”

When we accept Jesus and everything that He says as truth, and walk in that truth, then we are assured to have the blessings and everlasting, eternal life that He promises. When we can distinguish God’s truth from Satan’s lies, we have a decided advantage in battle over the enemy. We’ll be able to recognize his lies and quickly dismiss them, helping us to be victorious in battle, allowing us to push forward and pursue the plans and purposes that God has intended for us since we were formed in our mother’s womb.

That’s why we need our belt of truth on at all times. The belt of truth holds all of the armor together. Not only does it hold your pants up, but it also holds your breastplate of righteousness on. It also has the sheath to hold your sword. So buckle your belt of the truth of God on, and use that truth to extinguish Satan’s lies. Remember, without a belt on, you’re basically just a naked penguin waddling around. But with your belt firmly wrapped around your waist, you are firmly wrapped in the power, the truth, and the everlasting life of Jesus Christ.

Stuck?

Take a leap of faith.

"The Holy Spirit releases His power the moment you take a step of faith." -Rick Warren

"Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith in a different direction, and trust that God will take care of things." -Anonymous

Integrity

Even though I am imperfect and even though I may never know or understand how much it cost to see my sins up on that cross, it's not my right to decide whether I am unworthy or not.

It's God's decision and He happens to believe that I am.

"You will always be worth it because it's not anyone's right nor your right to decide whether you are worth it or not. It is God's." -Kaye Baylon

"I wish to be the person I’m suppose to be. The person I’m called to be. The person I’m meant to be." -Corrina De La Paz

Lust

"I believe my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit."

“Lust is the craving for salt of the man who is dying of thirst.” -Frederick Buechner

"God didn’t create one Adam and five Eves and say ‘Go ahead, date around and see which one you like the best.’ He said, ‘Adam, I know what you need and I’m going to create that for you.’" -Lauren Barlow

"If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door,

¹⁰ then may my wife grind another man's grain,
and may other men sleep with her.

¹¹ For that would have been shameful,
a sin to be judged.

¹² It is a fire that burns to Destruction;
it would have uprooted my harvest." -Job 31:9-12

Part IX of the “I Love–lust you” series..

Team KGKL Joshua De Gracia

God doesn’t want you to live in a cycle of defeat when it comes to lust.

It is hard? Yes. Will you fail and give into temptation from time to time? Yes.

The Key to escaping the grasp of lust the devil has over you is to embrace God’s standard for Holiness. We need to look to Him as our source of power to overcome and declare victory on lust and sexual impurity. Lust seeks to use what we know about the weaknesses of the opposite sex to manipulate and get what we want out of them. A “hit it, quit it and move on to the next thing lust craves for.” When it comes to embracing God’s Holiness, we need to look at the opposite sex not as a piece of meat, source of temporary satisfaction, but as men and women created in His image in which Christ died to save. If Jesus died for the sake of all of our sins, there is no doubt that with His power, you can overcome lust as well.

1 Peter 5:8-9

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

When thinking of a lion and how they attack, they do so with stealth and deception. They wait patiently for the right time to strike and focus primarily on the stragglers of the pack. This is how the devil works in our lives especially when it comes to lust. He waits till we are vulnerable and sends temptations our way in hope that we will become “devoured” by sin.

Alright, let’s get into a few practical things. Overcoming lust starts in the “battlefield of the mind.” A thought goes a long way. You could be walking around at a mall and see this gorgeous guy or beautiful girl walk right past you. The thought comes in, “wow, you are really hot/attractive” and then you may begin to check that person out or undress them with your eyes. Bam, you already fell victim to lust. Let’s take it a step further. Then you decide to ask for their number, go on a date and are alone together on a cold night (like it is here in Hawaii). Tempted by feelings and hormones, you lean over for a kiss and that “sparks” it up (honestly, once you are in the moment and start kissing or what this generation calls “sucking face,” you can’t stop). Then who knows, it may lead to sex, oral sex, heavy petting, unwanted pregnancy, etc..

People don’t see the consequences of their actions and thoughts because they get too caught up in the “moment” of things and how it makes them happy and satisfied. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians to take every thought and make it obedient to Christ. Back to the example, by looking lustfully at a person, we have already committed adultery in our hearts. When the enemy attacks you with lust, pray and ask God to take those thoughts away (it works for me).

To strive for Holiness, we need to constantly eliminate any kind of impurity in our hearts. Reach into your heart and take out that greed of lust that is constantly looking for a new sexual thrill. Starve the flesh, feed the spirit. It’s only through sacrifice that something can be renewed. Choose to give God those impure thoughts and sow into His spirit. When you feel like falling into self indulgence, pray or put on some worship music. Draw near to Jesus and those thoughts of sin will soon vacate your mind, trust me.

You can’t overcome lust and sexual impurity by yourself. You need accountabilities to help you and hold you accountable. Guys, if you feel like doing a lustful act, know you have spiritual people you can call that know what you’re going through and can pray for you and what not. Besides having accountabilities, wanting to turn away from lust is a choice. Even though you read these strategies and strive to overcome lust in your life, if you don’t have the heart to want to change and take responsibility, you’ll end up in sin every time.


Part VII of the “I Love–lust you” series..

Team KGKL Joshua De Gracia – Summer Nakamura

“When I saw her, it was simply love at first sight”…*sigh

Get over it. It was more like “lust at first sight.”

Lust is perhaps one of the biggest sins that our generation struggles with today. How does one define lust? One definition is a strong sexual desire or appetite. It also means to obtain something that you don’t have and weren’t meant to. It is more than a want, feeling or temptation and focuses on taking the “desire” and make it more important than God. People all over the world struggle with not only lust but sexual impurity and there are numerous testimonies from both men and women in which small compromises lead to regret and heartbreak.

Ephesians 4:19

“Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”

Lust can never be satisfied. As soon as the object of lust is attained, it craves something more. People that don’t have the discipline to stop become trapped in a never ending pursuit of wrong desires, always reaching for something that can not be quenched.

Back to “love at first sight.” When you actually look (check out) someone for the first time and think you are suddenly in love, guess what, you’re not. (Lemme talk to the men) Honestly, what are you guys thinking, looking at, feeling when you get that feeling. Are you thinking, “gosh, she’s a hot tamale because of her sparkling personality?” “I think I’m in love because she loves Jesus.” NO!!! You guys aren’t thinking any of this. Lustful thoughts have penetrated your head and you can’t think anything about how good different parts on her body may look to you. C’mon guys, just admit it. See a girl walking down the street that just so happens to catch your eye, your immediate response runs a long the lines of “dang, she’s hot” and not “that girl must love Jesus.” True story..

Rather than falling in love with that person’s heart, you are falling in love with that person’s flesh hence “lust at first sight.” We lust at their physical appearance and fantasize what it would be like to make out, have sex, whatever goes through your mind with them. At this point, we feel and give way to emotions and hormones rather than with our heart. Give the devil an inch and he’ll take a mile.

Matthew 5:28

“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

If God is love, then love must be patient. Therefore, love waits. Next time you look at a man/woman that may catch your eye, remember to watch, catch and kick out those lustful intentions.

"Do you know why there are no windows on adult bookstores? Or do you know why there are no windows on certain kinds of nightclubs in the city?

I suppose your answer would be, “Well, because they don’t want people looking in and getting a free sight.”

That’s not the only reason.

You know why? Because they don’t want people looking out at the sky.

You know why? The sky is the enemy of lust.

And I just ask you—you think back on your struggles. The sky is a great power against lust.

Pure, lovely, wholesome, beautiful, powerful, large-hearted things cannot abide the soul of a sexual fantasy at the same time.

I remember as I struggled with these things in my teenaged years and in my college years —I knew how I could fight most effectively in those days. And I’ve developed other strategies over the years that have proved very effective. And one way of fighting was simply to get out of the dark places, get out of the lonely rooms, get out of the boxed-in places, get out of the places where it’s just small me and my mind and what I can do with it, and get out where I am just surrounded by color and beauty and bigness and loveliness.

And I know that when I used to sit in my front yard at 122 Bradley Boulevard with a notepad in my hand a pen and trying to write a poem—at that moment my heart and my body were light years away from the sexual fantasizing I was tempted by again and again in the late-night, quiet, secluded, in-house moments.

There’s something about bigness, there’s something about beauty, that helps battle against the puny, small, cruddy use of the mind to fantasize about sexual things.

And then turn it around: it works this way too. We know from experience that if we give way to sexual fantasies and yield to lusts and dwelling on unwholesome things, our capacities for seeing the sky are cut in half. And then cut in half again. And then cut in half again—until you’re just a little worm on the ground as your language and your mind is nothing but smut. It can happen to anybody!

And so I just commend to you: don’t let that happen. Battle lust—among all the other weapons that you’re given in Scripture—battle it with the upward glance of the magnificent blue and the thunder and the lightning and the sunrises and the sunsets and the glory of God. And say to yourself, “If I give way in this hour to that kind of thinking, I won’t enjoy this, I won’t have a large heart, I won’t have a capacious mind, I won’t be a noble person—I’ll just be an old gutter person.” Preach to yourself like that! And then give yourself over to the ministry of the sky. And let it help you free from lust." -John Piper

"...sex just isn’t about genitalia, and it’s not about being physical. It’s really about the heart. And if, in your battle against sexual sin, the passion that you have for Jesus doesn’t become greater than the passion you have to have sex, then you’ll always be fighting an uphill battle." -Mars Hill Church

"Sexual sin is a heart that doesn’t trust God.

Sexual sin basically says, “I can’t trust God to meet these needs. I can’t trust God to provide these needs in the way that he chooses, therefore, I need to go outside of his provision” —whether that’s through the internet and looking at women in ways you should never look at them, masturbation, sleeping around—it’s really saying, “You’re not true, God. I can’t trust You to be good. I have these desires and urges in the moment, and I need to go take care of them because I can’t trust You to.” So I think that’s really the heart of sexual sin. It’s a heart that doesn’t trust God. It’s a heart that, instead of worshipping the God who is trustworthy, who knows our every need, and who’s good to provide what we really need, we commit idolatry and say, “I need to worship sex instead of you, God.”

“The good news is Jesus changes hearts.”

And so if I can help a man begin to see that these issues are really heart issues, and then help him understand that the only way to change your heart is exactly … through the in-working of the Holy Spirit through the truth of the gospel, then we have somehwere to go." -Mars Hill Church

"Defeat"

"It's never too late to start loving God."

"When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place." -Anonymous

"Even if you are at the dead end, I will part open the sea for you." -God

“When you are down to nothing, GOD is up to something.” -Barbara Washington Franklin

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." -Mother Teresa

"I don’t know what you’re going through, but HE does. Jesus ran this same obstacle course of life. His heart was broken by sin and faithlessness in those He loved. He knew pain in the body, and pain in His heart. Jesus IS the perfect finisher of this obstacle, and He is the author of the book on how to run this race. He had overcome everything. This life. And every single problem endured in it. He never gave up, and He had overcome this world.

Don’t give up, ‘cause He will never give up on you." -Lorryzel Badajos

God's Power.

"What the enemy has done and meant for evil, God can and will use it for His glory."

"Everything the devil stole, Jesus took back…"

-KnowGodKnowLove

Remind Me Why.

We rode into town the other day
Just me and my Daddy
He said I'd finally reached that age
And I could ride next to him on a horse
That of course was not quite as wide

We heard a crowd of people shouting
And so we stopped to find out why
And there was that man
That my dad said he loved
But today there was fear in his eyes

So I said "Daddy, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why is He dressed in that bright purple robe?
I'll bet that crown hurts Him more than He shows
Daddy, please can't you do something?
He looks as though He's gonna cry
you said he was stronger than all of those guys
Daddy, please tell me why
Why does everyone want him to die?"

Later that day the sky grew cloudy
And Daddy said I should go inside
Somehow he knew things would get stormy
Boy was he right
But I could not keep from wondering
If there was something he had to hide

So after he left I had to find out
I was not afraid of getting lost
So I followed the crowds
To a hill where I knew men had been killed
And I heard a voice come from the cross

And it said, "Father, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why are they casting their lots for My robe?
This crown of thorns hurts Me more than it shows
Father, please can't You do something?
I know that You must hear My cry
I thought I could handle the cross of this size
Father, remind Me why
Why does everyone want Me to die?
When will I understand why?"

"My precious Son, I hear them screaming
I'm watching the face of the enemy beaming
But soon I will clothe You in robes of My own
Jesus, this hurts Me much more than You know
But this dark hour I must do nothing
Though I've heard Your unbearable cry
The power in Your blood destroys all of the lies
Soon You'll see past their unmerciful eyes
Look there below, see the child
Trembling by her father's side
Now I can tell You why
She is why You must die."

-Kevin Solis (via Camp Truth VIII)