Mit Liv

How are things looking in your neighborhood?

2010-02-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

Once there was a man whose life was one of misery. The days were cloudy, and the nights were long. Henry didn't want to be unhappy, but he was. With the passing of the years, his life had changed. His children were grown. The neighborhood was different. The city seemed harsher.

He was unhappy. He decided to ask his minister what was wrong.

"Am I unhappy for some sin I have committed?"

"Yes," the wise pastor replied. "You have sinned."

"And what might that sin be?"

"Ignorance," came the reply. "The sin of ignorance. One of your neighbors is the Messiah in disguise, and you have not seen him."

The old man left the office stunned. "The Messiah is one of my neighbors?" He began to think who it might be.

Tom the butcher? No, he's too lazy. Mary, my cousin down the street? No, too much pride. Aaron the paperboy? No, too indulgent. The man was confounded. Every person he knew had defects. But one was the Messiah. He began to look for Him.

He began to notice things he hadn't seen. The grocer often carried sacks to the cars of older ladies. Maybe he is the Messiah. The officer at the corner always had a smile for the kids. Could it be? And the young couple who'd moved next door. How kind they are to their cat. Maybe one of them ...

With time he saw things in people he'd never seen. And with time his outlook began to change. The bounce returned to his step. His eyes took on a friendly sparkle. When others spoke he listened. After all, he might be listening to the Messiah. When anyone asked for help, he responded; after all this might be the Messiah needing assistance.

The change of attitude was so significant that someone asked him why he was so happy. "I don't know," he answered. "All I know is that things changed when I started looking for God."

Now, that's curious. The old man saw Jesus because he didn't know what he looked like. The people in Jesus' day missed him because they thought they did.

How are things looking in your neighborhood?

A Gentle Thunder

-- BY: Max Lucado

Using Time Well

2009-11-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

Can't help myself to post this one from CROSSWALK (In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley)

This is very timely for me...This is what i really need to do as of this moment. =)

Matthew 25:14-28

As today's passage indicates, the Lord gives us resources and abilities, and He desires that we use them well. One such gift is time.

In order to manage our days effectively, we should continually review them: What activities did we choose? How long did each one take? What were the results? This discipline will reveal what is most important to us.

In looking closely at our assessments, we can determine what drives our decisions about how to use time. Some people merely respond to circumstances for a majority of their day. They jump from one thing to the next, answering phone calls, reorganizing shelves, or doing anything that appears in their world at the moment. But this style of living misses the mark.

Other people spend their time according to desires. They want to relax, so they get home and watch television for the evening. Or they love to hunt, so they use their time to research equipment and locate wildlife in the forest. Desires are not bad, but they should not drive the bulk of our actions.

Thankfully, there are also people who live according to what they deem important. Loving God and serving others, for instance, are two biblical values that should, ideally, determine what we do with our time.

If you itemize your activities and their time consumption over the course of a week, you might be surprised at the dominating events. Each moment is a gift, so set aside a few minutes each evening to plan. Then revisit the way you spent the last 24 hours. This will help you to live purposefully.

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

Click here to watch Dr. Charles Stanley & In Touch Ministries Video Online
and
click here to listen to Dr. Stanley at OnePlace.com.

When You Are Low on Hope

2009-11-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

by Max Lucado

Water. All Noah can see is water. The evening sun sinks into it. The clouds are reflected in it. His boat is surrounded by it. Water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the west. Water.

He sent a raven on a scouting mission; it never returned. He sent a dove. It came back shivering and spent, having found no place to roost. Then, just this morning, he tried again. With a prayer he let it go and watched until the bird was no bigger than a speck on a window.

All day he looked for the dove's return.

Now the sun is setting, and the sky is darkening, and he has come to look one final time, but all he sees is water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the ...

You know the feeling. You have stood where Noah stood. You've known your share of floods. Flooded by sorrow at the cemetery, stress at the office, anger at the disability in your body or the inability of your spouse. You've seen the floodwater rise, and you've likely seen the sun set on your hopes as well. You've been on Noah's boat.

And you've needed what Noah needed; you've needed some hope. You're not asking for a helicopter rescue, but the sound of one would be nice. Hope doesn't promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an eventual one. Sometimes all we need is a little hope.

That's all Noah needed. And that's all Noah received.

Here is how the Bible describes the moment: "When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf!" (Gen. 8:11 NIV).

An olive leaf. Noah would have been happy to have the bird but to have the leaf! This leaf was more than foliage; this was promise. The bird brought more than a piece of a tree; it brought hope. For isn't that what hope is? Hope is an olive leaf—evidence of dry land after a flood. Proof to the dreamer that dreaming is worth the risk.

Don't we love the olive leaves of life?
"It appears the cancer may be in remission."
"I can help you with those finances."
"We'll get through this together."
What's more, don't we love the doves that bring them?
Perhaps that's the reason so many loved Jesus.

To all the Noahs of the world, to all who search the horizon for a fleck of hope, he proclaims, "Yes!" And he comes. He comes as a dove. He comes bearing fruit from a distant land, from our future home. He comes with a leaf of hope.

Have you received yours? Don't think your ark is too isolated. Don't think your flood is too wide. Receive his hope, won't you? Receive it because you need it. Receive it so you can share it.

Love always hopes. "Love ... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:4-7 NKJV, emphasis mine).

From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

Conspiracy of the RICH

2009-07-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

THE 8 NEW RULES OF MONEY

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the #1 bestselling personal finance book of all time, Rich Dad Poor Dad is taking a new approach with his next book. He’s releasing the book, Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money.

How do you ROB a BANK?

2009-07-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

What are YOU doing?

2009-07-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Inner Beauty at HOME

2009-07-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Inviting WOMEN to enjoy an afternoon of refreshment and learn what it takes to make a truly beautiful home.
Discover what GOD says about you - become a BEAUTIFUL homemaker; create a BEAUTIFUL home.

To view the conference video, please click on this link Inner Beauty at HOME. Thank you. God bless!

Money Consiousness

2009-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

Money is not bad, it's the love of money that is bad. I used to think that money is evil, that rich people won't go to heaven and only poor people will. I remember i told to myself before that i can't be rich, that i'm not born to be rich (coz i believe i'm not the business-minded type of person...hehehe). I'm in the field of engineering, computer engineering specifically, which we know is very far from business or financial side. I don't have any business degree. I've never been to business school.
But I learned and realized that i can be rich. I don't need to be in a business school to learn about business, to know how money works. Well, surely having a business degree would be much better. I don't need to have a chinese blood running through my veins to be in the business world (but it would help if we act and think like one...hahahaha...). But seriously, we can be rich. We just need to have the right information, the proper information which i believe is not thought in school. But are very important in our life.
We can be closer to God and be financially rich too. We can grow spiritually and grow financially as well. I remember Bo Sanchez said that "MONEY problem is mostly only a MIND problem", which is true. We need to be in control, to take charge of our life. God has nothing to do with our poverty. ;-)

Here are videos from www.preacherinbluejeans.com which i believe are very useful and enlightening for us, especially in the financial aspect of our life.

Mighty To Save

2009-03-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Mighty To Save
by: Hillsong Australia

Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus (x2)

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

My Saviour, you can move the mountains,
You are mighty to save,
You are mighty to save.
Forever, Author of Salvation,
You rose and conquered the grave,
Yes you conquered the grave

One Way

2009-03-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

One Way
by: Hillsong United

I lay my life down at Your feet
Cause You're the only one I need
I turn to You and You are always there

In troubled times it's You I seek
I put You first that's all I need
I humble all I am all to You

One way
Jesus
You're the only one that I could live for
One Way
Jesus
You're the only one that I could live for

You are always, always there
Every how and everywhere
Your grace abounds so deeply within me

You will never ever change
Yesterday today the same
Forever till forever meets no end

You are the Way the Truth and the Life
We live by faith and not by sight for You
We're living all for You

Now That You're Near

2009-03-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

Now That You're Near
by: Hillsong United

(verse 1)
I stand before You, Lord
And give You all my praise
Your love is all I need
Jesus, You're all I need

(verse 2)
My life belongs to You
You gave Your life for me
Your grace is all I need
Jesus, You're all I need

(pre chorus)
Hold me in Your arms
Never let me go
I wanna spend eternity with You

(chorus)
And now that You're near
Everything is different
Everything's so different, Lord
And I know I'm not the same
My life You've changed
And I wanna be with You
I wanna be with You

(bridge)
And I will sing for You always
'Cause in Your presence God is where I wanna stay

You Need To Remember

2009-03-07T01:49:00.000-08:00

When you have a heavy HEART ...
When you're going through a rough TIME ...
When you think that things around you are falling apart ...
When you think that no one CARES for you ...
When you feel that you are unloved and unworthy ...
When you have a wounded and broken HEART ...

You Need To Remeber
by: Ray Watson - Secret Place Mini

Holding on to something
With hope in your heart
But sometimes time can change things
And hoping gets hard

Don't give up, don't give in
Others have been where you've been
And just around the corner there's a smile

You need to remember
That someone cares for you
That summer follows winter
And life can be renewed
You need to remember
That sunshine follows rain
That tears are prayers for laughter
And life can come again
You need to remember

Understanding heartache
It's hard just to trust
But you'll find things will work out
Just believe in His love

And don't give up, don't give in
Others have been where you've been
And just around the corner there's a smile

You need to remember
That someone cares for you
That summer follows winter
And life can be renewed
You need to remember
That sunshine follows rain
That tears are prayers for laughter
And life can come again
You need to remember

2009-03-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD

THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.

“If you have the time” I said.

God smiled. “My time is eternity.”
“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?”

God answered…
“That they get bored with childhood,
they rush to grow up, and then
long to be children again.”

“That they lose their health to make money…
and then lose their money to restore their health.”

“That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future.”

"That they live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mine
and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked…
“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons
you want your children to learn?”

“To learn they cannot make anyone
love them. All they can do
is let themselves be loved.”

“To learn that it is not good
to compare themselves to others.”

“To learn to forgive
by practicing forgiveness.”

“To learn that it only takes a few seconds
to open profound wounds in those they love,
and it can take many years to heal them.”

“To learn that a rich person
is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least.”

“To learn that there are people
who love them dearly,
but simply have not yet learned
how to express or show their feelings.”

“To learn that two people can
look at the same thing
and see it differently.”

“To learn that it is not enough that they
forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else
you would like your children to know?"

God smiled and said,
“Just know that I am here… always.”

-author unknown

im misSiNg yOu

2009-01-09T05:35:00.000-08:00

IM MISSING YOU
by: Meja/Bea Alonzo

I like Bea's version of this song in her album 'The Real Me'. =)

I miss your love, since you've been gone
I find it hard to go on
The summer sky don't mean a thing
I thought I'd always be strong
I got a feeling inside
And it's making my heart cry, cause

I'm missing you
And it's making me blue, yeah
I'm missing you
But what can I do
Thousand miles away, from you

So here I am, and everything's new
I should be happy in love
But all I know, I look deep in my eyes
I've never felt so alone
And this feeling inside
It's making my heart cry, cause

I'm missing you
And it's making me blue, yeah
I'm missing you
But what can I do
Thousand miles away, from you

So what's the meaning of this
To be living like this
It ain't no fun at all
I wonder where are you now
(I wonder where are you now)

I miss your love since you been gone
I find it hard to go on
And this feeling inside
I just break down and cry

im missing my bSprN ... :((

wiSh!Ng YoU wEre HeRe!!!

2009-01-09T05:20:00.000-08:00

Today I'm THINKING of you
And WISHING that you
were here in my arms...
You're THERE...I'm HERE,
but we're NOT ALONE...
just APART.
So until we're TOGETHER again,
bSprN,
remember, my LOVE is with you.

nOt a MOMENT pAsSEs

2009-01-09T05:08:00.000-08:00

wHy is it
when we spend days together,
there aren't enough hours
for all we want to do and be,
but when we're apart,
even the minutes seem to last forever?
I fill our time apart
with all the little things
that keep me busy
but NOT a moment passes
when you're not on my MIND
and in my HEART.

rEmeMbER...rEmeMbER...rEmeMbER...

2009-01-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Remember that you are an apple up on one of the high and frail branches of the tree, most often guys would like to pick you. But that means they would have to climb, risk the chance of falling. One day, there's this guy who climbed the tree, and you felt so happy and excited. However, since you are on a frail and high branch, it is taking him some time. So, you feel impatient. Then out of the blue, a guy with a long stick is trying to pluck you. You feel so excited again ... BUT, don't you think you'd better wait for the one who risked it all to get you than for that someone who stayed safely on the ground and your not even sure if he could catch you when you fall ???
Remember, INTELLIGENT girls escaped troubles, WISE girls avoid.
- cLsMyT LaNggA

The PRESENT

2009-01-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

3 wAys tO uSe YoUr PRESENT mOMenT:

* Be in the present
When you want to be happy and successful, focus on what is right now. Use your purpose to respond to what is important now.

** Learn from the past
When you want to make the present better than the past, look at what happened in the past. Learn something valuable from it. Do things differently in the PRESENT.

*** Plan for the future
When you want to make the future better than the present, see what a wonderful future would look like. Make plans to help it happen. Put your plan into action in the PRESENT.

Even in the most difficult situations
When you focus on what is right in the present moment,
It makes you happier,
And gives you the needed energy and confidence to deal with what is wrong.

Anytime you are unhappy in the present
Or feeling unsuccessful,
It is time to learn from the past
Or plan for the future.

Look at what happened in the past.
Learn something valuable from it.
Use what you learn to improve the present.

You cannot change the past,
But you can learn from it.
When the same situation arises,
You can do things diffently
And enjoy a more successful present.

No one can predict or control the future,
However, the more you plan for what you want to see happen,
The less anxious you are in the present,
and the more the future is known to you.

-- The PRESENT by Spencer Johnson

How to be FINANCIALLY FIT

2009-01-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

3 Steps to be financially fit:

1. debt-free
2. savings
3. investment

Things to remember in achieving your goal:
1. Take small steps at a time.
2. Maintain a discipline in keeping your goal.
3. Don't give up when you encounter set-backs.

"Moreover, GOD is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having you need, you may have an abundance for every good work."
-- 2 Corinthians 9:8

"What you have not saved in your youth, how will you acquire in your old age?"
-- Sirach 25:3

"Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool consumes it."
-- Proverbs 21:20

"Go to the ant, O sluggard, study her ways and learn wisdom; For though she has no chief, no commander or ruler, she procures her food in the summer, stores up her provisions in the harvest."
-- Proverbs 6:6-8

"ALWAYS THINK OF A NOBLE GOAL"