The living and the dead.
Posted on: Sunday, May 3, 2009
Posted at: 6:54 PM
Posted at: 6:54 PM
Okay, so today, im going to type out a few things that i have learnt today.
Got this from church today.
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And i respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me.
I may live to 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
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.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life has 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 2 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.
No matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes , or you can focus on your problems:
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain. But one of the easiest ways to get rid of the pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easier for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people. given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So i began to ask God what He wanted my to go with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do. 2 Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through the last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church has paid my in the 24 years since I started church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
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 fufil 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.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
yup, thats the first part.
and now the second part before i say anything.
Goodbye
It is difficult to say goodbye to someone or something you love. It is a strain on the feelings and to those of us who feel and allow emotions to flow freely, there is a certain sad sweetness when we say goodbye. What is refered to here is when we say goodbye permanently or semi-permanently; that is when we do not expect to see the person soon or perhaps ever again. When we grow to love someone, we form a wholeness with that person; when we say goodbye, that wholeness is broken and its as if a part of us is wrenched away.
The hardest situation in which to say goodbye is when we are bidding farewell to a loved one who has gone from this world. Wakes and funeral rites were probably formulated so that we can make this goodbye emotionally tolerable. A great deal of holiness is thrown over the related rituals, which appears to be formulated in order to honour the departed one and to ensure his or her place in the next world. Putting aside such beliefs, we see that the rituals were probably created so that we can console ourselves when we say goodbye. Alas, the consolation is probably short-lived. When the rituals are in process and the goodbyes are said in all seriousness, those of us involved manage to hold back the tide of sadness and tears. These burst out usually when the ritual is over and stark reality - that we will never see our beloved again - thrusts itself on us. Such goodbyes are heart wrenching indeed.
Breaking up with someone who has been a beloved over a period of time is another sad goodbye. Some of us are 'old-fashioned' enough to put in our all into a relationship. It is really devastating when we realise that the other party has been frivolous about it and has been restraining himself or herself. It is even more devastating when the relationship has been strong on both sides and when we have to break up because of circumstances; as in the case when one party leaves the country for good because his or her parents decide to emigrate. Often in such cases, there is a possibility that the goodbye marks the end of a stage of life and beginning of another. Also, we may often see the person we are saying goodbye to again. However, the situation is not the same. For example, when a close friend or neighbour leaves for another neighbourhood, it is possible to continue seeing the neighbour, but is it the same thing? Can we still be as close? Can we exchange food? Can we smell the cooking of each other? Certainly not without special effort. The goodbye here is to a person as well as to a certain loveable situation.
It is true that goodbyes are just another way of saying 'see you again soon'. Naturally, in such cases goodbyes are nothing to fuss about. But 'real goodbyes are painful if not devastating. Yet there is a sweetness about it all that we cannot explain.
Life is like a donut.
Got this from church today.
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And i respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me.
I may live to 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
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.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life has 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 2 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.
No matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes , or you can focus on your problems:
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain. But one of the easiest ways to get rid of the pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easier for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people. given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So i began to ask God what He wanted my to go with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do. 2 Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through the last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church has paid my in the 24 years since I started church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
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 fufil 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.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
yup, thats the first part.
and now the second part before i say anything.
Goodbye
It is difficult to say goodbye to someone or something you love. It is a strain on the feelings and to those of us who feel and allow emotions to flow freely, there is a certain sad sweetness when we say goodbye. What is refered to here is when we say goodbye permanently or semi-permanently; that is when we do not expect to see the person soon or perhaps ever again. When we grow to love someone, we form a wholeness with that person; when we say goodbye, that wholeness is broken and its as if a part of us is wrenched away.
The hardest situation in which to say goodbye is when we are bidding farewell to a loved one who has gone from this world. Wakes and funeral rites were probably formulated so that we can make this goodbye emotionally tolerable. A great deal of holiness is thrown over the related rituals, which appears to be formulated in order to honour the departed one and to ensure his or her place in the next world. Putting aside such beliefs, we see that the rituals were probably created so that we can console ourselves when we say goodbye. Alas, the consolation is probably short-lived. When the rituals are in process and the goodbyes are said in all seriousness, those of us involved manage to hold back the tide of sadness and tears. These burst out usually when the ritual is over and stark reality - that we will never see our beloved again - thrusts itself on us. Such goodbyes are heart wrenching indeed.
Breaking up with someone who has been a beloved over a period of time is another sad goodbye. Some of us are 'old-fashioned' enough to put in our all into a relationship. It is really devastating when we realise that the other party has been frivolous about it and has been restraining himself or herself. It is even more devastating when the relationship has been strong on both sides and when we have to break up because of circumstances; as in the case when one party leaves the country for good because his or her parents decide to emigrate. Often in such cases, there is a possibility that the goodbye marks the end of a stage of life and beginning of another. Also, we may often see the person we are saying goodbye to again. However, the situation is not the same. For example, when a close friend or neighbour leaves for another neighbourhood, it is possible to continue seeing the neighbour, but is it the same thing? Can we still be as close? Can we exchange food? Can we smell the cooking of each other? Certainly not without special effort. The goodbye here is to a person as well as to a certain loveable situation.
It is true that goodbyes are just another way of saying 'see you again soon'. Naturally, in such cases goodbyes are nothing to fuss about. But 'real goodbyes are painful if not devastating. Yet there is a sweetness about it all that we cannot explain.
____________________________________________________
I got to read this 2 passages over the weekend.
And I thought it was very true.
but to add on, I would like to say this.
Life is like a donut.
and how do we know a donut, is a donut?
This is so because of all the sugar, and sweetness it has,
and of course, the hole in the middle.
No matter how sweet the donut is,
it cannot patch the hole in the middle back up.
SO, no matter how wonderful your life maybe, how sweet it may be,
in the end, there is still the emptiness in you, the little hole there.
The same goes for relationships cum friendships.
No matter how sweet or how well it may be,
as time chews the donut away,
all you will be left is the emptiness.
And all you have done, all the sugar you have vehemently added,
will be reduced to nothing, just empty space.
Only the eucharist can mend the hole.
Is it time for closure for me?
Maybe it is.
If someone has to go, all I will do before is ask.
why me?
but now, I do know why me.
Fervently, I still hope what I wish for will still come true.
Sure, things will get awkward, but in a way, I know I'll do my best to make it fine.
And did you understand what I said when I texted you?
Its not the phone thats the problem.
Its me, and I know it is.
Intuition can be stronger than you think it may be.
Perhaps I'll be a better person after this,
and perhaps not.
But I hope you do know that I'm still here and waiting for you to be back,
waiting for you to rely on me once again.
You have absolutely no idea,
just how a
"hmm, alright. Don't worry, it'll get better. I'll be there to help"
impacts me now.
Is it because I'm devoid of emotions?
Nah, I think its everyone around me.
and I'm going to change the fact about me.
Smiling used to be easy,
but now, it seems as if a thousand words or pictures won't let me smile like how I used to before.
and this, by the way, seems to be what is happening to most people,
being void of humane emotions.
Even though I refuse to let that incident take me down,
silently, it has already taken a huge portion of me to my grave.
I remember how I was like before.
and I wish you hadn't reminded me.
My history is just as bleak as it can get.
Just thinking about all your lies make me sick.
I wish you were honest with me right from the start.
Just like everything you have done, it has all been nothing but a lie.
but I'd gladly forgive you for it.
Because I know I'm not that perfect either.
It's not a matter of not fitting,
Even biological molecules can fit each other.
Its a matter of opening up your mind again.
It takes courage to forgive and forget.
I'd gladly forgive, but I won't forget,
its too deep a cut and I'm not that brave.
If you want me to forget, let me brace myself for it first.
If you don't even know how to face me, then let me tell you.
Forget about me forgetting when you can't even find the courage to face the music.
If sacrifice will be what it is,
then yes, you get the sacrifice you want.
Because its meant to be a lesson learnt.
and I know it.
and I hope you know,
I'd gladly give up everything just for that all over again.
the pain of it, I'll deal with it later.
All the other things, are secondary to me now.
And so I come to my ultimate crossroad.
Am I going to fight and pray over it?
Or am i going to go into my passive state?
Am I going to fight and pray over it?
Or am i going to go into my passive state?
______________________
Lastly,
to anyone who wants to link me up,
please have the basic courtesy to give a tag and then link me up.
I doubt that would kill you.
Because,
I don't see the point of you linking me up
if I'm not close or on good terms with you.
SO,
to everyone out there,
please tag if you wanna link.
and if you're reading this by any chance,
you can leave a tag too,
saying how you feel and blah.
and if I see what is happening on my tag board like last time,
hah. you people are in serious deep shit.
what a waste that I deleted my last blog.
so, you there.
wanna slander me?
think twice.