In church, I was seated.
Waiting for communion
to be distributed.
The mind set on
things I wish I could have muted.
What I read in these threads disturbed me because a lot of it sounds exactly like the voices emerging from the political arena these days.
My dear readers, love must first be rooted in our homes as we embrace our spouses, our children, and our families; it then sprouts into our communities through our neighborhoods, schools, and churches. Valentine’s isn’t about a box of chocolates and a dozen red roses, but it’s in the how we express our love every day of every week of every month of every year. We are way too focused on the big picture and in how others choose to react, but we forsake where the real influence of love should initiate.
Remember?
It starts with me.
You want love, love first. You want to be heard, listen up! You want to be respected, show respect. You want to win the war, learn to lose battles. You want freedom, fight fair. You want the right example for the next generation, it starts with you at home and in serving selflessly in our communities. You want empathy and compassion, be empathetic and compassionate towards your enemies. You want grace for yourself, be ready to give it.
You want forgiveness, forgive those who trespass you even when they are not apologetic for what they have done.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE in everything you do. Work harder than anyone without always expecting anything in return.
Our reward isn’t here, but in His Kingdom.
No matter what happens in November 8th, remember who is the One we truly serve. We served Him then, we serve Him now, and we will serve Him beyond November 9th. Perhaps, we will lose some rights or gain others, but let us be aware of the greater picture and the impact we could have if we choose to love despite our losses.
You know summer is over when you stock up on pumpkin-flavored everything because you also know that fall will also soon be over. I mean, it may have started with pumpkin lattes at Starbucks and some delectable dessert choices, but now we have to indulge, or tolerate if you are not a fan of, pumpkin-flavored Greek yogurt, potato chips, cream cheese, cereal, English muffins, bagels, hummus, etc…
Fall season is also the beginning of a lot returning TV shows and also the new and most anticipated ones, such as Designated Survivor and did you guys get to watch my new favorite This is Us?
As we grow older and seasons come and go, time resembles more like an enemy who is constantly reminding us of how we’ve wasted it with our lack of productivity. Our reasoning? We just don’t have enough of it.
But what does wisdom tell us about time?
I told myself in order to be successful, I had to be perfect.
But that was a lie. In order to be successful, I must be wise.
Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc, Friends) once said,
When the package is this pretty, no one cares what’s inside.
I know one person who cares.
His name is Jesus.
Oh grief, do not consume me. I fear to stop grieving because I simply don’t want to forget her, but at the same time, I’m tired of answering everyone’s questions on how we are doing. You’ve become a slow, calculated, and nagging process; but then you wonder why most choose to skip you. Running away from you was enticing, but choosing you was the most reasonable option. You promise faster healing and relief, while running away from you would have led me bitterly back to you anyway.
I realize we don’t always have to “win” in order to win. In life, we will always lose battles; but what will always be remembered is how we behaved despite the final results. Our reactions will determine our victories, but some people reverse this. To them, their results will determine their reactions.
I am my mother’s daughter.
My mom didn’t lose her battle to cancer and we didn’t lose her. Loss describes defeat and misplacement. Ovarian Cancer did not defeat her and she isn’t misplaced. My mom won the prize of Heaven, which she didn’t deserve through her own deeds, but was given to her graciously through the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the reassurance of her own faith, we know she’s in Heaven. Ovarian Cancer may have taken her body, but it did not take her spirit.
I’m a big fan of Masterchef, a competition between America’s best home cooks! Last Wednesday, America learned who the new Masterchef is: an Italian and NYC restaurant manager named Luca Manfe, whose American dream came true. For the second consecutive year, the home cook I’ve been rooting for wins the whole enchilada: a quarter of a million dollars, a cookbook, and as Gordon Ramsay loves to say in his British accent “the most prestigious trophy in the culinary world and the title of Masterchef.”
Ally Velsor 