Guilt

God is not asking you to destroy yourself. He is calling you to repent.

"You’ve repented from your sins and failures, taken them before the Lord, and was forgiven. But have you come to realize the power in that? Forgive yourself.

Stop kicking yourself over and over for your past choices. You’ve came to Jesus and repented, but you haven’t really accepted the truth about what Jesus has done for you yet. You still feel ashamed and guilty over your past and you keep holding it against yourself. The enemy will keep trying to diligently remind you of your past and continue to beat you up over sins that were supposed to be nailed to the cross. If your sins are forgiven, then you need to see yourself as separated from your sins. Stop wrapping yourself in guilt and condemnation. Forgive yourself.

You can go through deliverance, but if you don’t forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ve made, you won’t experience the breakthrough that you need to be totally set free.

Forgive yourself." -Lorryzel Badajos

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered." -Numbers 21:9

How strange it must have been for the Israelites who had been bitten by a snake to be told to look upon a bronze serpent if they wanted to be healed! But it worked. The venom that most certainly would have killed them lost its power, and they were delivered. They had to look at the thing that caused their pain, gaze upon the consequence of their unbelief. In a sense, they had to confront their sin head-on, acknowledging its existence and its effects in their lives, if they wanted to be delivered from it." -via Alo Galedo

Patience

“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience."

"Waiting... it's a gift." -Tito Dino

"God's delays are not God's denials." -Anonymous

"I'm not a naturally patient person. In fact, I'm extremely impatient. But it's definitely something I'm working on, and I'm absolutely sure it'll pay off in some way, shape or form, for everything that I do in future. There are so many things that I wish I wanted right now. But maybe God doesn't want to give them to me now because He feels like I'm not ready for those blessings. And perhaps He wants me to wait so that I can appreciate them to the fullest after waiting for so long. So for now, here I am, waiting." -Alyssa Belle Zaporteza

"God has a vision for all of us, we many not know what it is, but can anyone see the results of the masterpiece before the artist?" -Ariel Bejer

"God works in such mysterious, wonderous ways. You will realize His plans for you when the time is right." -Gerry Pagal

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew." -St. Francis de Sales

"Standing in line can be intensely aggravating. Whether it be waiting at the border or simply waiting in a line at the bank, standing in line can be pretty difficult. Usually, I meet this challenge with my ipod, a few songs, a podcast or a game or two.

But today was different. Instead, I chose not to go with my Ipod. I chose to wait and to stand as silently. It was a weirdly interesting experience. In 15 minutes,

- I made faces at an infant.
- I helped direct an elderly lady to another line.
- I smile a young person that looked like he was having a bad day.

I don’t want to sound pretentious, but I felt a lot better by not hiding behind my headphones. I was able to interact with those around me and possibly make things better simply by choosing to wait, by choosing to stand and not succumb to a desire to be entertained. All of these graces were had simply by waiting.

Sometimes, waiting is forced upon us and it an be difficult, but when a choice is made to deliberately do whatever is required (ie: wait, stand in line etc), I find there is a grace to be had that increases patience a hundred fold. Instead of being in a rush, choose to wait, choose to be a patient, and turn something that is seemingly irritable into an act of kindness.

Patience then, isn’t merely a quality, it’s a choice.

A choice that requires and rewards ultimately with grace." -Richie Aldaba

Purity

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." -Matthew 5:8

Bravery

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff give me courage." -Psalm 23:4


"I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different." -Veronica Roth

Fear

"The phrase "do not be afraid" is written in the Bible 365 times, that's a daily reminder from God to live everyday of this new year being FEARLESS." -Anonymous

"Fear ends, when FAITH beings." -Matthew 14:27

"Now I’m back and ready to bring it. Back then the devil painted a laser dot on me and now I believe I’m a walking spiritual target that he wants to take out. But I’ve got God on my side and fact: no weapon formed against Me shall prosper." -KnowGodKnowLove

"I told you, “You are my servant.” I have chosen you and not rejected you. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you - yes, I help you - yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!" -Isaiah 41:9-10

"You must realize that all spiritual warfare starts inside. And so comes the real question: in your fear, are you producing good fruit for the Lord?" -Dad and Mom

"In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. ¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." -1 John 4:17-18

"Because if every time something scary comes up, you decide to run, y’all are gonna be runnin’ for the rest of your lives." -Sister Act II

"Do not be afraid, just have faith." -Mark 5:36

Pure speech.

God's last name is not "Dammit."

Love

"We love because He loved us first." -1 John 4:19"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " -Matthew 22:37-39

"Love never fails." -1 Corinthians 13:8

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -1 Corinthians 13:1-13
"To love someone isn't to do things for them but
to reveal the beauty in them." -Father Dave
“Joy is love exalted; peace is love in repose;
long-suffering is love enduring; gentleness is love in society;
goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness
is love in school; and temperance is love in training.” -nonelikejesus

"Just cause they don’t show you love the way you want em to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with everything they have." -Grace Alonsabe

"Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." -1 John 3:18"The GREATEST measure of love is love WITHOUT measure." -Kuya Gelo

"I am single, but I am not available; I am available only to the woman Christ is preparing for me." -Kuya Jello"Life minus love equals zero." -Rick Warren

"Love is the willingness to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing another’s spiritual growth." -via Erin Tangco

"The same is what God wants us to do. To find the one, we need to be the one." -KnowGodKnowLove

"Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." -Song of Solomon 2:7

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like." -Saint Augustine

"We don’t JUST want to be loved at our best; other people can easily love us at our best. We want to know that we are loved at our worst - in our hurts, weaknesses, burdens and everything that makes us human… imperfect." -Christopher West, Theology of the Body: Freedom to Love

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." -Morrie Schwartz

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." -1 Peter 4:8"The best use of life is to love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is NOW." -via Erin Tangco
"And all the time you've been looking for love, Love has been looking for you." -via Adriana Maravilla
"Love prevails when the world has failed." -KnowGodKnowLove
"Where there is love there is no question." -Albert Einstein

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." -1 John 4:8

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." -John 13:34
"The Right Way to do it: #4

Let her be. So, you know you gotta bring her closer to God, give it time, give time with her friends…does it mean you should be “hanging out” everyday? Naw… Let her be. In the sense that you give her room to breathe in the familiar air of her house, her family, and just let her be her. Trust me, these days with attachment issues, no one wants that. Jesus Christ spent time alone to reflect and let it all soak in…so why can’t it be the same for each others discernment on relationships? Heck, might even help you.

One Love,

TheRightWay"

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:9

An ancient story in Church history tells of the apostle John. He would constantly repeat the words, “Little children, love one another.” And his disciples became weary of the phrase. Finally, in his old age, as John was being carried to their assembly, the disciples asked him, “Why do you always repeat these same words?” “Because friends,” John replied, “it is the Lord’s commandment — and if only this one were fulfilled, it would be enough.”
What is the greatest witness we Christians have to the world around us? I can tell you it’s not only our words of wisdom, though they may be wonderful. It’s not only our knowledge of the Scripture, though it may be vast. It’s not only our material giving, though it may be great.
The greatest witness we have is the kind of love that the Bible defines above. Have we been patient and kind with others? Perhaps instead, we’ve been envious, boastful, proud, rude, self seeking or easily angered. I know I have. Have we kept a record of wrongs? Have we we delighted in evil? When we express the true love of God, we always rejoice in the truth, protect, trust, hope and persevere.
Love never fails. Love can turn evil to good, darkness into light and enemies to friends. True love can totally transform the world around us.
I am humbled, are you? Let’s strive to start loving the way the Lord would have us love." -by BBCDD


"The (500) Days of Summer attitude of ‘he wants you so bad’ seems attractive to some women and men, especially younger ones, but I would encourage anyone who has a crush on my character to watch it again and examine how selfish he is. He develops a mildly delusional obsession over a girl onto whom he projects all these fantasies. He thinks she’ll give his life meaning because he doesn’t care about much else going on in his life. A lot of boys and girls think their lives will have meaning if they find a partner who wants nothing else in life but them. That’s not healthy. That’s falling in love with the idea of a person, not the actual person." -Joseph Gordon-Levitt

"You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working, and just so, you learn to love by loving. All those who think to learn in any other way deceive themselves." -St. Francis de Sales

Reign

If we have died with Him
we shall also live with Him;
if we persevere
we shall also reign with Him.
But if we deny Him
He will deny us.
If we are unfaithful
He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself.

Promises

Promise Him that you will never give up, even as the sin and evil battle their hardest just to see you in chaos, confusion and despair. Promise that you will never give up, because He will never give up on you.

Promise that you'll be the best version of yourself, even when the world throws the pain of jealousy, lust, self-destruction and emptiness at your heart. Promise Him because He did not create you to be living for the purposes of guilt, materialism, or pride; but he created you to be holy in His name and bursting with His love.

Promise to keep your eyes on the goal.

Promise to NEVER forget how much He loves you.

Make heartfelt promises to God.

Just do it.

You’ll understand why later.

Modesty

"Let another praise you—not your own mouth" -Proverbs 27:2

Loving yourself.

"Who you are is God's gift to you; who you become is your gift to God." -Danish Proverb (via Erin Tangco)

"The greatest gift that God has ever given us is our lives; how we live our lives is the greatest gift we can give back to Him." -Kevin Solis (via Anonymous)

“It’s surprising how many people go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you’re not comfortable within yourself, you can’t be comfortable with others.” -Anonymous

"Love yourself, accept yourself, forgive yourself and be good to yourself, because without you the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things." -Leo F. Buscaglia

"Christianity is about acceptance, and if God accepts me as I am, then I had better do the same." -Hugh Montefiore

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you." -Dr. Seuss

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." -Judy Garland

"If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise." -Johann von Goethe

Faith

"We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day. These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. Things that are seen don't last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That's why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” -Hebrews 11:6

"Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones." -Luke 16:10

"God is real, no matter how I feel." -Rick Warren

“Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.” -V. Raymond Edman

"God is like the wind, you can't really see him, but you can feel he's there." -Anonymous

"When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly." -Patrick Overton

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." -St. Augustine

"The thing with God is that when you lose all faith, he doesn't force himself back upon you, but he lets you know he's always there with open arms when you're ready to return." -christiangirlnz

"God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God." -Anonymous

"In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't." -via Errol Tangco


Doubt sees the obstacles
Faith sees the way;
Doubt sees the blackest night
Faith sees the day;
Doubts dreads to take a step
Faith soars on high;
Doubt questions, “Who believes?”
Faith answers, “I”


"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." -1 Peter 1:8-9

"I'm choosing to see past my emotion. I'm choosing to just ..stop trying to figure things out. I realize that sometimes, things just aren't meant to make sense; that faith isn't meant to be dissected or prodded -- but rather to remain unquestioned." -Marvin Diaz


"For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible. For those who believe, no explanation is necessary." -Grace Alonsabe

"The African Impala (an African antelope) are amazing creatures that can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance greater than 30 feet. Yet Impalas can be kept in a zoo inside an enclosure with a simple 3 foot wall. Why? Impalas will not jump if they can’t see where their feet will land. Do we have something in common with these antelopes? Able to take great leaps of faith, but refusing to do it unless we can see where we’ll land? George Mueller said of faith, “Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.”
In Biblical terms: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
True faith cannot see how the landing will occur…it simply leaps under the conviction that it WILL occur. Remember, Biblical faith begins where our power ends!" -man-of-god


"The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you." -Luke 17:5-6

"Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right." -Anonymous

"I believe in the sun even if it isn't shining. I believe in love even when I am alone. I believe in God even when He is silent." -Unknown

“Certainly, other people can pray for you, they can believe for you, they can quote the scripture to you, but you must exercise faith for yourself. If you are always depending on somebody else to keep you happy, somebody else to encourage you or to get you out of trouble, you will live in perpetual weakness and disappointment. You must make a decision that you are going to be a believer. Take charge of your life and decide, “No matter what comes against me, I believe in God. I’m going to have a positive outlook for my life! Other people’s faith can indeed bolster yours. But your own faith will bring you a miracle much faster than anybody else’s. What you believe has a much greater impact on your life than what anybody else believes.” -Joel Osteen

"A strong faith must endure tests. A living faith must always grow. Our faith in Jesus Christ, to be such, must frequently face others’ lack of faith." -Pope Benedict XVI

How To: Install Love.

timirose:

Way too cute. It helps.

How to Install LOVE

Tech Support: Hello … how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I’ve decided to install
Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I’m not very technical, but I think I’m ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you
located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now.
Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running ?

Customer: Let’s see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge
and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt
from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent
memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will
eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High
Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and
Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed.
Can you turn those off ?

Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke
Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and
Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that
normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base
program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get
the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, “Error
- Program not run on external components.” What should I do?

Tech Support: Don’t worry. It means that the Love program is set
up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In
non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before
you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the
following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your
Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the “My Heart” directory. The
system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty
programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all
directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely
gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files.
Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying
themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but
eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed
and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure
to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in
turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

Responsiblity

"God's responsibility is grace. Our responsibility is faith." -Ross Papa

True love.

There is nothing you can do to God to make Him love you less.

"Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are." -Who Am I, Casting Crowns

"There is nothing better than that feeling you get when you realize God loves you, unconditionally, through everything, forever." -nonelikejesus

"True love is falling out of love, but still choosing to love." -via Erin Tangco

"Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far the truest type of love." -Anonymous

“In the “Our Father”, there is no mention of love, instead we find the word “forgive”. Perhaps forgiveness is the highest manifestation of LOVE.” -Kuya Jello

"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love." -St. Augustine

"Joshua De Gracia

John 13:34 (NIV)

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love another.”

1 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)

“Do everything in love.”

One of the many beautiful things about love is that it is all around us. You might be wondering, “What do you mean by all around us?”

1 John 4:8 states that “God is love” and thus, love is all around us, which might also reminds you of the phrase “love is in the air.”

God is everywhere and so is love. One of the awesome things about God is His unfailing love is the same yesterday as it is today and will be the same tomorrow.

Since we are filled with the love of God, I challenge you to go out and live it. One kind gesture such as smiling at someone, opening a door for a woman (yes, for you mighty men of God), asking a friend how their day is going or even giving a loved one a hug can make their day.

Love and good acts are contagious and it is amazing how far a little love and kindness goes. When you give out love to someone, it likes they catch it and instantly have the desire to pass it off to someone else. So get out there, love and be loved in Jesus name."

-KnowGodKnowLove

“Four part mini series about everyone’s favorite topic: love and relationships
Joshua De Gracia and Summer Nakamura
1 Corinthians 14:4-7
^“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Song of Solomon 2:7
“Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.”
True Love waits…Real Love moves in silence. No it’s not out of a movie or a fairy tale, it’s legit.
What is love? Well, it’s defined as emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong feeling and attachment. As Humans, we constantly yearn for that somebody and a lot of times people start relationships that they should they either are not ready or for the wrong reasons.
In the most famous of love verses in 1 Corinthians 14, the first verse is “Love is patient.” Most people don’t know what that means because it’s so difficult to wait.
When we want something, we want it right away. Instead, God calls us to wait and not stir love until it so desires. Wait on God’s timing and not our own. Remember, the right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing.
In my heart I believe that true love really does WAIT but sometimes emotions and romance get’s the best of us and we can’t wait. It’s very important for people to realize that it’s more than waiting, it’s waiting on when God says you are ready waiting on GOD’s timing and not our own. That is truly the most difficult part because who doesn’t desire true love? The only way we can ever get it, is if we wait on God.
Yes, waiting isn’t easy. One of man’s downfall is immediate gratification and the desire to get whatever it is we want as soon as possible and not be filled until we get it. However, when we do wait, we have an amazing opportunity to grow and fall in love with God. That’s why faith is so important. God knows the desires of our heart and in due time, will reward us if we walk a long the righteous path.
If we wait, it will be that much “better” when we do enter that relationship because there’s nothing better than God’s.

Application question:
Are you allowing God to be in control of your relationships or are you taking matters into your own hands?”
-KnowGodKnowLove
"I’m not itching to find love. I’m content. All I really want right now are laughs and the joy of accomplishments. But everything else, I have. I have everything, because God provides them to me. God taught me how to love, and it’s just so wonderful. I’m happy because I love everything around me. And I know love, even though I don’t know everything about it. I’m still learning what true love really means. But at the same time, I realize, love doesn’t have to come from romance. Love is everywhere, love is in the air we breathe, the little laughs, the small encounters, the friends, the care, the company of everything and everyone. And maybe this is God’s love for us, God’s gift: the beauty of the little things in life." -Anonymous

"I know of one means only by which to attain to perfection: LOVE. Let us love, since our heart is made for nothing else. Sometimes I seek another word to express Love, but in this land of exile the word which begins and ends is quite incapable of rendering the vibrations of the soul; we must then adhere to this simple and only word: TO LOVE.

But on whom shall our poor heart lavish its love? Who shall be found that is great enough to be the recipient of its treasures? Will a human being know how to comprehend them, and above all will he be able to repay? There exists but one Being capable of comprehending love; it is Jesus; He alone can give us back infinitely more than we shall ever give to him." -St. Therese of Liseaux

"God’s love for you is not dependent on how you look, how you think, how you act, or how perfect you are. His love is absolutely nonnegotiable and nonreturnable. Ours is a faithful God." -Max Lucado


"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." -St. Augustine



"Your circumstance doesn’t reflect God’s love for you. Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected, reflects God’s love for you. So whether you’re high or low, the cross will always be the same." -Blake Baggott

Mercy + Grace = Love

"Grace is receiving something we don't deserve.

Mercy is not receiving something we deserve."

-Ross Papa

Pick yourself up. Don't worry. He has a plan.

"We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes for my life? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better ... God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings." -Rick Warren

“No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it— what God has arranged for those who love him.” -1 Corinthians 2:9

Selflessness

"You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others." -Rick Warren

"The more we forget ourselves, the more God will remember us." -Kuya Gelo

"Only a life lived for others is worth living." -Albert Einstein

Happiness

"If you keep questioning your happiness, you're going to find a reason for you not to be." -Becky Castro

"I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you." -Anonymous

"To be happy and contented you must let go of what it means to be happy and content." -Anonymous

"Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible." -St. Augustine

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude." -Denis Waitley

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections." -Anonymous

Five Simple Rules For Happiness:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

"Making anything besides God your greatest source of happiness sets it up to be your greatest source of pain when it’s lost." -Rick Warren

To the finishing piece of our puzzle.

When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils. But you woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.

Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From one bone, I fashioned you. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone I shaped you, I modeled you, I created you perfectly and beautifully.

Your characteristics are as the rib: strong, yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The ribcage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart.

Support man as the ribcage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken for his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand by him and to be held close to his side.

You are My perfect angel.. you are My beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and My eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart. Your eyes.. don’t change them. Your lips, how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form. Your hands, so gentle to touch. I have caressed your face in your deepest sleep. I have held your heart close to Mine. Of all that lives and breaths, you are most like Me. Adam walked with Me in the cool of the day, yet he was lonely. He could not see Me or touch Me.

He could only feel Me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with Me, I fashioned in you: My holiness, My strength, My purity, My love, My protection, and support. You are special because you are an extension of Me. Man represent My image, woman My emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God.

So man, treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt Me. What you do to her, you do to Me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart; the heart of your Father and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness, show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.

(via KnowGodKnowLove)

Optimism

"I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for." -Rick Warren

Distractions

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -Henry Ford

Afraid of the "brother" zone?

Be youself 100% around her because if you hold yourself back, how is she supposed fall in love with you 100%?

Humility

"The humble resemble a rock. Even though the rock lies downward, it is nevertheless firm. The proud are like smoke. Even though the smoke is lofty, eventually it disappears." -Saint Augustine

"Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence." -1 Corinthians 10:12 // MSG (via adarkhorse)

"Lord, where we are wrong, make us willing to change; where we are right, make us easy to live with." -Peter Marshall

"Sometimes we need to fall off our 'mountain' to remind ourselves why we decided to 'climb' it in the first place." -KnowGodKnowLove

"Be humble, no grumble." -KnowGodKnowLove

"The superior man blames himself, the inferior man blames others." -Don Shula
^"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
⁶Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." -Philippians 2:1-11

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less." -C.S. Lewis

R - recognition of your sins
O - obedience to God
S - submission to God

^"God gave us mouths that close and ears that don’t - that should tell us something." -Anonymous

"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." - Matthew 23:12

"When you’re humble, nothing can touch you, neither praise nor disgrace because you know who you are." -Mother Theresa

"Humility is the theme of today’s Gospel reading. Today we hear Jesus speaking about someone at a wedding feast seating himself in a place of prominence, only to be asked to move to a lower place when someone more eminent arrives. True humility is not bothering where we sit; not insisting on being seen only with the right people; being willing to be overlooked, to associate with those who can do nothing for us. Humility is not a pose. It is not phony. Humility does not mean the beautiful woman pretending that she is ugly, or the clever man pretending he is stupid. Humility means recognizing talents and even achievements for what they are, namely things given to us by God out of sheer goodness; things for which we can take little credit or none but which impose upon us a responsibility.
Jesus reminded us of that responsibility when he said: “Every one to whom much is given, much will be required.” Humility never means pretending that we are less than we are. Humility means recognizing that even our greatest achievements are insignificant and an inadequate return for all that God has given us.
Come to God in that spirit of humility and we will be overwhelmed and overjoyed at God’s generosity. But if we come to God appealing to what we deserve because we have earned them, then we will get what we deserve. God is never unfair. When we discover, however, how little we deserve, we will be shocked.
Suppose, on the other hand, that we decide simply to forget about what we deserve. Suppose that the lowest place at a wedding reception is just as acceptable as the place of honor, suppose that we appeal not to what we deserve but to God’s generosity, then we shall have achieved something more precious than the things which we are most proud of. Then we shall have attained humility. Humility is the state of being empty before God. Only when we are empty before God can God can fill in us His joy, His love and His peace." -http://biblereflection.blogspot.com/

Pride

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." -Proverbs 16:18

"When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility comes wisdom." -Proverbs 11:2

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." -Luke 14:11

"The hardest people to reach with the love of God are not the bad people. They know they are bad. They have no defense. The hardest ones to win for God are the self-righteous people." -Charles L. Allen

"Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real." -Thomas Merton

"Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger." -C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

"[God] is not proud…He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him." -C. S. Lewis

"God is not out to hurt our pride; He is out to kill it." -Donald Pfotenhauer

Science

"Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes." -Pope John Paul II

"The great task that has to be faced today for the renewal of society is that of recapturing the ultimate meaning of life and its fundamental values. Only an awareness of the primacy of these values enables man to use the immense possibilities given him by science in such a way as to bring about the true advancement of the human person in his or her whole truth, in his or her freedom and dignity. Science is called to ally itself with wisdom." -Blessed John Paul the Great

"Science and human reasoning are not the limit of what is possible; God is the limit." -Anonymous

"Science and Religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand." -Angels & Demons

" ‘Let me explain the problem science has with religion.’ The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

‘You’re a Christian, aren’t you, son?’

‘Yes sir,’ the student says.

‘So you believe in God?’

‘Absolutely.

‘Is God good?’

‘Sure! God’s good.’

‘Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?’

‘Yes’

‘Are you good or evil?’

‘The Bible says I’m evil.’

The professor grins knowingly. ‘Aha! The Bible!’ He considers for a moment. ‘Here’s one for you. Let’s say there’s a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?’

‘Yes sir, I would.’

‘So you’re good…!’

‘I wouldn’t say that.’

‘But why not say that? You’d help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn’t.’

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. ‘He doesn’t, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?’

The student remains silent.

‘No, you can’t, can you?’ the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

‘Let’s start again, young fella. Is God good?’

‘Er..yes,’ the student says.
’ Is Satan good?’

The student doesn’t hesitate on this one. ‘No.’

‘Then where does Satan come from?’

The student falters. ‘From God’

‘That’s right. God made Satan, didn’t he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Evil’s everywhere, isn’t it? And God did make everything correct??

‘Yes’

‘So who created evil?’ The professor continued, ‘If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.’

Again, the student has no answer. ‘Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?’

The student squirms on his feet. ‘Yes.’

‘So who created them?’

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. ‘Who created them?’ There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. ‘Tell me,’ he continues onto another student.

‘Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?

The student’s voice betrays him and cracks. ‘Yes, professor, I do.’

The old man stops pacing. ‘Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?’

‘No sir. I’ve never seen Him.’

‘Then tell us if you’ve ever heard your Jesus?’

‘No, sir, I have not.’

‘Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelled your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?’

‘No, sir, I’m afraid I haven’t.’

‘Yet you still believe in him?’

‘Yes’

‘According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?’

‘Nothing,’ the student replies. ‘I only have my faith.’

‘Yes, faith,’ the professor repeats. ‘And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.’

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. ‘Professor, is there such thing as heat?’

’ Yes.’
‘And is there such a thing as cold?’

‘Yes, son, there’s cold too.’

‘No sir, there isn’t.’

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested.

The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain.


‘You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don’t have anything called ‘cold’. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such
thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees.’

‘Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy.
Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.’

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

‘What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?’

‘Yes,’ the professor replies without hesitation. ‘What is night if it isn’t darkness?’

‘You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? That’s the meaning we use to define t he word.’


‘In reality, darkness isn’t. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?’

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. ‘So what point are you making, young man?

‘Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.’

The professor’s face cannot hide his surprise this time. ‘Flawed? Can you explain how?’

‘You are working on the premise of duality,’ the student explains.. ‘You argue that there is life and then there’s death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can’t even explain a thought.’
‘It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.

‘Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?’

‘If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.’

‘Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?’

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

‘Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not t eahing your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?’

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

‘To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.’

The student looks around the room. ‘Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor’s brain?’ The class breaks out into laughter.

‘Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor’s brain, felt the professor’s brain, touched or smelled the professor’s brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you haveno brain, with all due respect, sir.’

‘So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?’

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. ‘I guess you’ll have to take them on faith.’

‘Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,’ the student continues. ‘Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?’

Now uncertain, the professor responds, ‘Of course, there is. We see it everyday It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.’

To this the student replied, ‘Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to
describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.’

The professor sat down.

The student was Albert Einstein. Albert Einstein did write a book titled God vs. Science in 1921…" -Anonymous

"What should I do?"

"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." -Benjamin Disraeli

True happiness.

"Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy." -Rick Warren

"Holiness is happiness." -Father Dave

Is the world too cruel?

"Nothing good is in vain, for God witnesses all." -Anonymous

"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." -Revelation 3:8

Always avaiable.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.


Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.


Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.


Painful moments, TRUST GOD.


Every moment, THANK GOD.