Healing Choices

Roth Poetry

Hurt and pain

leave scars on our soul

Forgiveness

removes the source

How we heal

is a choice we make

**

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

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Words of a leaving soul

Enter the world of fantasy.

The entire universe is hidden in me
I’m omnipresent.
Deception becomes the new good in me
I couldn’t break free from the barriers.
World will come along with me
It tried to overpower me,
I couldn’t understand why and what.
And the power to stop is not within.
There would be no world without me,
Now it is shunning me away.
It is becoming more savage in here
Than in wild
Is it because there’s no one to challenge you?
Pain arises in little heart
An unknown agony has it begun?
Despite the wounds will the hopes in my heart still remain?
When my heart is breaking into pieces
One personality is haunting me like the
HUNDREDS.
I’ll get rid of dreams,
I question and I oppose,
I won’t panic and I won’t get scared
I’ll keep flying away.
I smile, I jump
I won’t be putdown anymore
Life has…

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That Tiny Eyes Girl

ishambhavirhyming.wordpress.blog

That tiny eyes girl
Shrinks it more and stretches lips fore,
When her huge heart blooms with happiness.
In solitude!
That tiny eyes girl 
Shrinks it more and rolls down the pearl,
As the pursed pain unfurl.

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‘Growing pains’ is a misnomer

Growing pains are common, but there’s little consensus on their scope or cause, writes Elizabeth Chang in The Washington Post. A recent review of studies on growing pain found that

“only half of the studies mentioned lower limb pain; only 48 percent of the studies reported that the pain came in the evening; and only 42 percent said it was episodic or recurrent,”

writes Chang. More than 8 in 10 studies didn’t specify the age that the pains emerged, and a whopping 93 percent made no reference to growth. Studies floated a variety of causes, including

“issues related to anatomy (hypermobility, knock knees, or low-bone-mineral density, for example), psychological issues such as stress, vascular issues such as skeletal blood flow, and metabolic problems such as low vitamin D levels.”

But the evidence supporting any one of them is thin to non-existent. [The Washington Post]

Reasons to be cheerful

By Maire Bonheim, NEWSLETTER EDITOR

A frosty sunrise over the Gwda River in Poland, an entrant for the Royal Meteorological Society’s Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 competition. Click the image to see 20 spellbinding photographs. Credit: Krzysztof Tollas

This week, scientists revealed that dogs cry tears of joy when their owners return home. It’s a sign of how close the human-pooch relationship can be: they become overwhelmed with emotion due to the release of oxytocin, the cuddle hormone. Adults are advised to do 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, but many people don’t reach this target, especially in older age. Luckily, a 10-minute daily walk in your 80s could be enough to save your life, a new study suggests. And here’s how you can turn a walk into a health-boosting workout. A “hidden” Van Gogh masterpiece has been recreated, 135 years after the celebrated artist painted over it. An X-ray showed that Van Gogh created a portrait of two nude wrestlers, but later reused the canvas and painted a floral still life. Now, two British scientists have revealed what the original masterpiece would have looked like using X-rays, Artificial Intelligence and 3D-printing. Researchers from Oxford University have “definitively” debunked the belief that statins cause aches and pains, according to a “monumental” new study. Instead, any muscle pain experienced is likely a natural side effect of ageing. Statins can significantly lower cholesterol and cut the risk of heart attacks, so this is great news for GPs, who can now reassure their patients about the potential side effects. Brittany and Briana, who grew up in Delaware in the United States, are identical twins who always dreamed of marrying a pair of identical twins. So they set off for the annual Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, and found their dream match. Now they all live together in a house in Virginia with their ‘quaternary twin’ sons. The photos are… discombobulating. Finally, Rosie Millard is living my utopian life. She decided that a year in Provence simply wasn’t long enough – and bought a home just outside the village of Ménerbes. Her delightful story is what Francophile dreams are made of.

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Preceding

Do you have painful creaky knees

Do you have painful creaky knees

Painful creaky knees? You might feel like popping a pill, but you’d be better off exercising.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting an estimated 10 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women over 60 years of age and occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones gradually thins.

Although the last 20 years have brought big breakthroughs in treatments for inflammatory arthritis (including rheumatoid), osteoarthritis has seen much slower progress. There are still no disease-modifying treatments, only symptom control, and the latest draft of NICE guidelines has recently downgraded long-term use of painkillers in favour of exercise, weight-management and behaviour change.

For years, the choreologist Marcus Ampe promoted special exercises to get rid of pain, instead of poisoning the body with painkillers. Before his retirement, he also gave special therapeutic classes to help people recover from accidents and from several body ailments.

A big problem is when people have a lot of pain, they often do not feel much for going to move more. But they have to go over that step. Crossing the threshold of the initial pain.

To move, is probably the opposite of what you want to do, and of what your osteoarthritis seems to be telling you, but the evidence is rock-solid. Exercise helps in multiple ways.

“It improves nutrition and blood flow to the joint, lines up the joints, strengthens muscles, improves stability and restores function,”

says Dr Benjamin Ellis, consultant rheumatologist and senior clinical advisor for Versus Arthritis. Avoiding activity because of osteoarthritis pain kicks off a vicious “deconditioning cycle”.

Marcus Ampe always promoted exercise but warned not to overdo it. Though he also was a certified Aerobics teacher, he always dis-advised ordinary people to do that sort of exercises. It is namely much better to do a proper balanced workout or to take Kounovsky, Pilates or social dancing or modern jazz classes.

He, like other experts, advises that any exercise is good, even walking or gardening.

“Whatever you enjoy, whatever you’re doing, do more,”

says Holden.

“A recent study found that just walking will reduce the pain from early knee osteoarthritis and also make it much less likely to progress – so it’s potentially preventative.”

The latest research suggests that paracetamol performs no better than a placebo for osteoarthritis, while strong and potentially addictive opioids bring more risk than benefits.

A lot of people seek refuge in medication but would do better to resort to herbs or phytotherapy and homoeopathy and a healthy schedule of exercises that will further help them move better and easier again.

> Please do find: Five ways to tackle the joint pain of arthritis

Days Are Not So Dreary Now

 

BowmanAuthor and Writer/Editor

Days are not so dreary now.

Dare we hope for a new tomorrow?

Another day that teaches us how

To live, love, express our sorrow

For what we have all been through.

How has the Pandemic affected you?

No one was left unscathed.

We all knew hardship and pain.

Our lives were interrupted with waves

Of loss, confusion, fear, blame

When there was no enemy to stand up to.

How can we ever know who?

So, we must be strong.

We must never look back.

Somehow, we’ll get past the wrongs

And find the courage we lack.

The virus still thrives.

How do we go on with our lives?

We move forward as we have always done.

We pray to our Deity as in the past when we have won!

–Deborah A. Bowman

A New Dawn is Coming

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Making a god mortal: Hercules and Jesus

In this reblogged article one can see how easy it is man get carried away by philosophical thought and fairytales.

Lots of people have been caught in the tragic twisted thought of the main churches where Jesus is made into not only a god (what Jesus might be) but worse, into God, Who according to the Scriptures is an Eternal Omniscient Omnipotent Invisible Spirit Being, whilst Jesus is a man of flesh, blood and bones who was seen by many and never claimed godship, but who made it clear he was the way to God, Who is greater than him and without Him he could do nothing, and we too would be nothing.

The writer also says:

any god threatened with the loss of divinity isn’t a god

but forget there are many gods mentioned in the Bible who had no divinity and others who were divine but not the Almighty God.

The writer also mentions that

Hercules isn’t one worthy of worship because he’s so much like us that, in the end, he isn’t a god at all. Perhaps he’s seen as someone “god-like” because he sacrifices himself for love, because he shows the strength of his heart and not the strength of his arm (physical might). But in the end, being godlike isn’t the same as being God.

With that expression he hits the nail on the dot and should see that his godlike figure Jesus is not at all the Only One True God Who is One.

essentialchurch.net

The potion to turn Hercules mortal. Image Credit: Hercules (Disney)

Hercules is an excellent Disney movie for those who have never seen it. You should watch it with your children, too, or nieces/nephews and grandchildren. It’s an excellent look at bravery and courage and what defines greatness.

But bravery, courage, and greatness within Hercules have a specific context: that is, it surrounds Hercules, the main character of the movie. Hercules is a god in heaven with his mother and father, who are god (Zeus) and goddess (Hera). Well, he is kidnapped out of his crib one night and taken to earth, where Hades (an evil god) plots to make him human. The purpose of removing Hercules’s divinity is to kill him because, if he fights against Hades, Hades won’t be able to take over the world.

So early on in the movie, Hades asks Panic and Pain, his two minions…

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I Walked A Mile

In our life we may encounter lots of pains and moments we would not like to encounter, but we have to carry them with us and live with them. Point is that we learn from those not so nice moments and that we can learn from those less pleasant experiences, so that Hard days may strengthen us.

awisewomansjourney

I really like this simple but powerfully stated poem by Robert Browning Hamilton called “I Walked A Mile.”  It is only two stanzas but has a lot to say: 

“I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow;
And ne’er a word said she
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.”

I completely agree with what he said in this poem for I have received many more blessings from Sorrow than ever I did from Pleasure!  Please share your thoughts with me on this poem!

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A Quote on Kindness

“We may, if we choose, make the worst of one another.
Every one has his weak points; every one has his faults;
we may make the worst of these;
we may fix our attention constantly upon these.
But we may also make the best of one another.

We may forgive, even as we hope to be forgiven.
We may put ourselves in the place of others,
and ask what we should wish to be done to us, and thought of us,
were we in their place.

By loving whatever is lovable in those around us,
love will flow back from them to us,
and life will become a pleasure instead of a pain;
and earth will become like heaven;
and we shall become not unworthy followers of Him whose name is love.”

 

A Quote on Kindness from the The Lutheran Ladies Connection blog daily devotional. The author is A.P. Stanley(1815–1881) who was an English churchman and academic, Dean of Westminster, from 1864 to 1881, author of a number of works on Church History.

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Related

1. Asking Questions
2. Who Needs You?
3. small Kindnesses and Big Impacts
4. Pay It Forward
5. Let kindness ripple
6. How Can We Create a Culture of Inclusion at Church?
7. Do Small Things with Great Love
8. Be Generous
9. Social media, the good and the bad… and a rant.
10. Words to live by
11. Lifes litte complications ~
12. motivating with kindness
13. Balak- Torah Portion
14. Anger
15. Love the Kindness, Hate Racism
16. Led Of The Holy Spirit (Psalm 143:10)

Tending to develop a genuine confidence in our Higher Power

In the times of our deepest pain,
the assurance of God’s presence can provide comfort, a comfort that without our knowing commensurate with current and past pain.

He is All-Knowing.

The great thing is even in our moments of desperation,

we tend to develop a genuine confidence in our Higher Power,

certain of His power to heal, to make things better.
– A. Michelle in For She Loved Much

When love to God grows weak remember His son

Ben Topham visited Mississauga West last Sunday and one of his favourite hymns was played. He writes

Considering what has happened on the earth over the past six months – God gently nudged me. The words, the power, the humility, the suffering, the music… it is always moving.

Hymn 222

When my love to God grows weak,
When for larger faith I seek,
Then in thought I go to thee,
Garden of Gethsemane.

There I walk amid the shades
While the lingering twilight fades;
See that suffering, friendless One
Weeping, praying, there alone.

When my love for man grows weak,
When for stronger faith I seek,
Hill of Calvary! I go
To thy scenes of pain and woe.

There behold his agony
Suffered on the bitter tree;
See his anguish, see his faith,
Love triumphant still in death!

Then to life I turn again,
Learning all the worth of pain,
Learning all the might that lies
In a full self-sacrifice.

*

Music
http://christadelphianmusic.org/hymns/216-223/

 

Hymns 216 – 223 | Christadelphian Music

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When you want to heal

You want to heal?

Separate the pain from the offender.
Once you get passed one, the other goes away!

• Macaulay Victor

Facing our existence every day

Every day we are confronted with ourselves again. Every day again we are again confronted not only with ourselves but also with those around us. Everyday we do meet again new challenges, have to affirm again our values.

Attitude / Golden Gun (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This world which challenges us brings us day in day out some new adventures. We can try to tackle them or try to escape those things which we do not want to see. But covering our eyes is not helping us nor getting such things we do not want to see away. Living in this world we should be aware of what is going on in it. We can not stand at the side, not wanting to be involved or just letting everything happen. Those things which we consider wrong demand an action. And we should take action. Though there are several Christians who think we do not need to do any works, because we are saved, we should not let everything pass along like nothing wrong happens. That what is not according to the Law of God, that what cannot be justified demands reaction. We should open our eyes to what happens in the world and should react appropriate.

Having us to react will demand strength and courage. It shall also demand an attitude to be taken. And that attitude should always be in accordance to the attitude our master teacher Jeshua wants his followers to have.

Attitude (EP) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every day we do have to face our inner self and find the core of our own business, our own being, our own strive, our own goal. Every day again we do have to face how we are wanting to build up our own life and our own future. It is naturally so that in case we do nothing we cannot do something wrong (we think). Not doing anything, letting it all pass, is witnessing of taking an attitude, which is not the right attitude. Rabbi Jeshua and his disciples taught about the essence of taking action and doing things. The master teacher gave several examples how people lost their opportunity to take part of the celebrations, the wedding or the entrance to the Kingdom.

The grace of salvation has been given to the whole mankind, but each individual has to do something with it. When we are willing to receive that marvellous free Gift, we do have to be thankful for it and do something with it. When we just leave in the cupboard, untouched it shall be of no service for us.

It is an Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity but lots of people do not see or appreciate the value of it, or take it for granted that now they have received it they do not have to do anything any more. Oh, how are they mistaken.

Each day we are confronted again with many ideas … our mind wandering about. Even a baptised person can have thoughts which are not in accordance with God His Will. Though they may be convinced that they have done away with the old life, that old life simmers slowly and little tinkly lights may be very attractive. More than once in our life bitterness, wrath, and even anger, does want to come along our path. We also can have moments where clamour and evil speaking may be lurking around our own corner. All those things we are asked to put away from us, with all malice. And that requires an action, which is a work to be done.

There are also days that we wake up and feel as if we have a broken heart. Though we may know that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul. Each time we left our mind wandering in the wrong way we do know we can repent, i.e. take an action, making the effort to see that we were wrong and that we do have to ask for pardon. It demands an action to see what we did wrong (i.e. doing a work) and when we know what we have done wrong we have to repent about it (again doing a work).

Painting “Kampen for tilværelsen” (Struggle for existence”) by Christian Krohg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Often because we ourself do have to endure so much pain we want others also to have pain. Often we also want to have many good things others may have and desires others to have some of our bad things. Such desires are often around us to cause pain. We can have feelings which hurt others or can bring them into distress. Yes, we must be aware that we can get up in the morning with allowing to grow in our mind the

“intent to commit an unlawful act or cause harm without legal justification or excuse.”

This makes our own self the sick self. The self what needs healing. the healer is always around, but we have to come to him (which demands an action or work).  Without coming to the Saviour Jesus Christ we shall be nothing and will have it so much more difficult in our life. he is the Way to God and he is the one who can guide us through difficult times, putting our hands in the hands of his heavenly Father.

Every day we wake up we should know that God is willing to be close to us and that He is really concerned with what is going on in our heart and mind. Be aware, He knows much more than we allow others to see, hear or feel, what we think or want to do. Even when we do not carry out malicious acts against someone, but carry such thoughts in our mind, God knows it.

You ought not to secretly wish that something bad would happen to any person. Rejoicing in some misfortune that befalls someone else is also evidence of malice. And that is something God detests.

The dispensationalist Plymouth Brother Harry A. Ironside

The Canadian-American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author Harry A. Ironside said every Christian has an obligation to put away all malice.

“If you do not live up to that, you are not living a real Christian life. This is Christianity lived in the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Gospel Light Society writes

You might feel like the malice in your heart is justified because of what someone did or said to you. But, you must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and bring your feelings under the authority of Christ. You must choose to put on the new man who will not walk in maliciousness, but in a spirit of love and forgiveness toward all. {How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)}

Every day we have to face the new life lying in front of us. Having done away with the old life, we should try to do our utmost best to live in accordance to God His Wishes, not following man’s doctrines but following Biblical doctrines.

George Cuff wrote:

There are sins from the former life that simply must be denied,
Things the godless revel in, that a believer must sweep aside.
Immorality of every kind, impurity, lust and greed;
You will be bound to idolatry if scripture you fail to heed.

You must also rid yourselves of anger, malice and rage.
Watch your speech carefully. Do not in profanity engage.
You threw off the sinful man who reveled in foul deeds;
The new man is renewed in mind, empowered by Christ indeed. {How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)}

Empowered by Christ Jesus we should find every day the fresh living water, empowering to continue in the right way, trying to finish the race, lying in front of us.

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Preceding articles

Our existence..

You Matter

Running challenge and the City build by the Most High Maker

For mams and dads it is also back to ‘normal’

Benefits of Positive Thinking

What IF you’re only driven by stress?

Failures, mistakes and Initiatives for Excellence and success, Working towards turning a Dream of yours into reality

There can only be hope when there is a will to be and say “I am”

The Goal

Our life depending on faith

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Additional reading

1. Life is like a ten-speed bike.
2. Suffering produces perseverance
3. Your purpose explains what you are doing with your life
4. If we view the whole world through a lens that is bright
5. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
6. Thought for September 8 Weak but standing strong in the ground swell
7. 30 things to start doing for yourself – #6 is vital.
8. Choices
9. Live …
10. Luck
11. Who are the honest ones?
12. Being prudent – zorgvuldig zijn
13. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
14. Not liking your Christians
15. If there is bitterness in the heart
16. Sow and harvests in the garden of your heart
17. Don’t Envy the World
18. Blindness in the Christian world
19. Blinkered minds
20. Never making mistakes because never doing anything
21. The Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity
22. Infinite payment of sin by the son of God
23. As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
24. Only I can change my life
25. The inspiring divine spark
26. If you think you’re too small to be effective
27. If we, in our prosperity, neglect religious instruction and authority
28. Holiness and expression of worship coming from inside
29. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
30. Grow strong in weakness
31. Being aligned with above
32. Points to remember of philosophy versus spirituality and religion
33. It is a free will choice
34. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
35. Your life the sum total of all your choices
36. Believe and speak and act in ways which show we have life in Christ’s name
37. Behold, My mother and My brothers!
38. Saved through grace not through keeping rituals
39. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
40. God’s will is that all sorts of men should be saved
41. A goal is a dream with a plan
42. Looking for a primary cause and a goal that can not offer philosophers existing beliefs
43. Inculturation today calling for a different attitude
44. Coming to the end of the year
45. Dynamic goals must always rise out of authentic needs
46. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
47. Faith antithesis of rationality
48. Faith, storms and actions to be taken
49. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
50. A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
51. A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus
52. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal
53. Try driving forward instead of backwards
54. Priority to form a loving brotherhood
55. Discipleship to look at
56. Don’t be the weakest link
57. The Big conversation – Antagonists
58. Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church
59. Williamsburg Conference 2015 December 27-31 Joy and Gladness
60. We should use the Bible every day
61. Religious people and painful absence of spring of living water

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Further related

1. Grace
2. Salvation – He [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it
3. Instantly Healed, Saved and Baptized
4. “Looking For Jesus” – “Dead Works”
5. (Part 2) Can A Christian Lose Their Salvation?
6. A New Life of Righteousness
7. saved to serve
8. Breathe in, out!
9. How Vulnerability Can Bring Us Beyond Ourselves
10. The Power of a Grateful Heart – Weakness Gratitude
11. Afraid Of The Unknown
12. No Retreat, No Surrender!
13. Excerpt from a novel
14. FFfAW: Promises
15. 100 Days of Happiness and 90 Days of Kicking Fear in the Face ….
16. No Complain November
17. The Sandbox Writing Challenge #50 — No fair peeking!
18. Week 6: Opinions-Opinions-…oh No!
19. He Tries
20. If At First You Don’t Succeed
21. What Fills Your Personal Lamp? Personal Gratitude Challenge-day 2
22. “Start the daily practice of not letting the little things bother you! If the little things ruin you, what’s going to happen when the big things come along? Start practicing now for your big challenges in life.”
23. Skirting the hard stuff
24. Message from the Universe: Becoming the person you’ve dreamed about!
25. A Night To Dismember
26. Remembering to Pause
27. First Things First…
28. Easy
29. Quote Notes
30. Are you okay?
31. True Power
32. Bad Reaction
33. Good Grief!
34. Are You Ready?: Part 3
35. When God gives up
36. Daily Verse
37. Sin Makes You Sick
38. A Change In Perspective
39. We Are Dust
40. Daily Bread – Draw Nigh
41. Daily bible passage – 11/3/16
42. A Warning of God Concerning the Ungodly
43. Ezekiel 28-30; John 10
44. My hope is in the Lord
45. Christ’s Blood Shed for All Men
46. I cry for you 
47. For God So Loved The world…
48. Come to Me
49. How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)

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Related articles

• Things Christians Just Don’t Get To Do
• Christians will suffer from this half-baked ‘gay cake’ law
• Anti-Christian LGBT Blitzkrieg Closes Down Sweet Cakes by Melissa
• Iraqi Christians pray once more in charred church near Mosul
• AZ School Sends Girls to Mandatory Christian Abstinence Assembly, Boys to Voluntary Dating Seminar
• Christian Slater and James Franco got ‘competitive’ over gay sex scenes
• Christians having the right heart to call others to go to God
• Jewish and Christian traditions of elders
• The longer you wait

Save

Save

Save

A Prayer for 9-11

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• Who Am I?
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God Squad

Heavenly Father and Precious Lord, we seek you and your healing mercy.

As fifteen years pass, we remember the pain and suffering of a horrible day. We remember the loss of life, the destruction, and the chaos of that fateful morning. Sorrow remains. Grief returns. Heartache and despair weigh us down.

Almighty God comfort and calm our souls. Turn our hearts into an altar where healing can take place. Transform our spirits into a place of peace. Allow restoration and redemption in our lives. We are a people who need you and your presence.

Give us strength to perform your will. Allow us to move forward as a renewed people. Keep us bold, strong, and true. Just like clay on the potter’s wheel, shape us and mold us into a new creation, one that continues to show your glory.

As conflicts remain and others begin, protect our warriors in harm’s…

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What would you do if…? Continued trial

When you are diagnosed with a disease which doctors say you shall have to live with it for as long as you can live, it does not mean you have to give in to it and let your self go. Be realistic also not to think you shall be able to get rid of it. No way! sorry for those who have put their hope in a possibility to get that horrible monster out of their body and to be free of any such malignant adversary.

Any illness of the bones and muscles which is considered for life, has to be looked at in that way. Though you shall not be able to cure it you might postpone the badness of it or get to learn with the limitations it brings over you.

I do agree sometimes the pain and the horrible prison you might find yourself can be so much threatening that you wish you were not born or that you would not mind having an end to your life.
The pain sometimes can be so horrible you want to break the walls or explode.

But than I would advice you to try to do the same as I try to do. To speak to the Most High Who gives and takes life and let us not be tempted over that what we really can cope. And you would be surprised that can be a lot. Though sometimes others may feel the pressure even more than you yourself. Once my family had to wait for two days before they got the news I was going to survive. Be sure, it was not me, who had tried to take my life away, but some aggressive road user who had pushed me from the motorway. At the moment of the accident I asked God to be able to stay here on this earth, and I am convinced He allowed it.

An ankylosing spine in which the vertebrae become fused together.

At that time I had already fought many years against Ankylosis Spondilitis (AS, Bekhterev spondylitis or Bechterev or Marie-Strümpell arthritis) after having got Rheumatic fever or rheumatoid arthritis. My job was my salvation. Being a dancer having lots of physical training every day was a battle against my own ‘corps’. But it was also not accident free, so sometimes I was put back or remembered how weak our body can be.

It did not stay with the earliest symptom of chronic lower back pain and when in 1999 two vertebra‘s were broken and I was paralysed for six months I had time enough to be busy with trying to get my body on track again. Certain doctors noticing the destruction of intervertebral disks and the growth of spurs on the vertebrae themselves wanted me to accept I had to stay the rest of my life in a wheelchair and should have enough rest. I resisted the idea to stay the rest of my life in a wheelchair and with help of the Belgian government and health-service I started one of my biggest battles in life, now applying the Kounovsky technique, which I had, for several years, taught and used to help other people with physical and mental problems, for my self. Application of heat, and lots of exercises to learn to move my fingers and the rest again to a point where I could try to maintain a normal range of movement, brought me ten years later to a point where I could say I was ‘the old one’ again, though still more limited than I was before the accident.  But we also should take into account the normal deterioration by age.

After everything seemed to go better we shall be confronted more than once by moments of declension. They may not let you down. Your mind should always be stronger than your body. You have to govern your body by your mind. You can read lots of scientific books about that, but may I advice you to take up a very strange old book perhaps? At first you will perhaps not see the reason to read such very old books, but once you started your adventure going from one book into an other, you will come to see the light and start finding answers.

Before my 1999 accident I was already busy with God. In the 1960s I even wanted to become a priest, but had most difficulty not being able to have a wife and children. The trinity matter and all the pagan rites in the Old Roman Catholic Church in which I grew up disturbed me also a lot. So much that I even went church shopping I had a look at all sorts of denominations and different faith groups.

After some long studies about religion in 1974 I became a non-trinitarian and in 1976 found myself at ease by the Baptists. But a little bit more than ten years later the American Southern Baptists got stronger and stronger and pressed their trinitarian way of thinking, so that thousands of my Baptist brethren and sisters went looking for other congregations. Most of them moved over to the Jehovah Witnesses and to the Church of God, whilst others found their way to the Church of Abrahamic Faith, the Restoration Church, and the Nazarene Friends.

1999 was a turning point and a year of many doubts, me wondering if I had chosen the right way and the right faith. then after my many doubts and my close talk to God, requesting Him to stay alive to take care of my family, I was granted an other life opportunity and got enough time, lying on my back to study once again the Bible and to do research on everything what is written in it.

Now I even became more convinced of the reality of that master-work and good reasons to believe that bestseller.

I was already convinced of our duty to care of mother earth, had been active in the green movement and also stood on the barricades in 1968 fighting for a more righteous society.

Back in the running, the biggest frustration I have to cope with is not being able to dance any more, or not able to enjoy movement, because moving demands a lot of my being (offering me ‘pain for free’). I let not others notice it and do not complain about it, but it is in me, and I know it shall stay with me. To operate my back is too dangerous, thus as long as I can cope with the pain that is my best option, to continue to do whatever I want to do, moving around and doing things I like to do.

And that is what every person should do when trapped in his own body. Not letting it become master of the inner soul, but letting it be a carrier of strive and war-zones of positivity, going forward as long as we can. Never mind that those around us not always see the struggle we have to go through and sometimes do not seem to comprehend us. For the youngsters it is often very difficult to grasp it is sometimes something we can not cope with ourselves. To apprehend the deeper undercurrents of life is not always given to the young ones. Often they also do not understand the work we do and get not paid for, can also be considered work or something necessary. And when it has to do with faith, for them it seems all a waste of energy and time. Hopefully they shall come to learn the value of it.

We can only hope that enough motor neurons shall reach from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and that they can stay enough elastic and reactive to react properly to signals we want to get to them. But also our mind has to be able to think properly. Also that is not always acceptable for the youngsters that we forget things or at certain moments can come up the right word any more. Wear and tear gets master over us, but also that should not get us to stop to continue our ‘battle’.

Having had several unpleasant and painful experiences, I had to learn the hard way that “Life is hard”. Previous to my serious accident I had put lots of energy in many people and lots of cases. Having for a third time to build up my life, this time like beginning from scrap again, because I had memory loss, and had to learn everything about what happened in the past again. This was an incredible difficult task, to take loss of languages, which still gets me frustrated at moments.
But I also learned not to loose energy any more in ‘lost cases’ and to stop in time to stay in contact with certain people or tackling certain subjects. I found out that it is better to stay in contact with the right people. It is much easier to surround oneself with people who can ‘energeticise’, those who can bring something positive to our life as well, by not pulling it down and by not considering us ‘lower’ or ‘disabled’ or ‘not performant’ any more. Yes it is much better to get positive people around you. People that won’t only rejoice with you in the good times but and who will not stay away when it goes bad with you. People who are willing to support us in the difficult times are the ones we better have around us.

For that reason I also wanted to spread more positivism and share positive ideas, and therefore created this lifestyle magazine, also in the hope people shall find some articles which can strengthen and courage them as well give them more hope and perhaps also shall get them to know other people with similar problems who can help them further.

Often it helps when we do know we are not alone and that others have foudn solutions which can be good for us as well. From each-others experiences and from sharing ideas we also can learn a lot.

But not only the people are important. Also the things we do and the things we eat.

I am convinced that what we eat and think is very important. So we should take care we try to eat and use as much as possible natural materials not burdening our body with animal material. We do not need meat and to much meat is eaten in our greedy society. A huge variety of fruit and vegetables will help you on your way to have less pain whilst avoiding as much as possible the synthetic medicinal drugs. If you never tried it, please do it, go to a homeopathic doctor and see what he can offer you to reduce your ‘hell’ to something you can bear.

With a good natural diet and natural drugs (homeopathy and phytotherapy) you shall notice life will be so much easier. Ad to it a daily dose of some walking and daily exercise and you shall go a step higher.

And yes, why should you not think about some other part of life, the spiritual life?

What would you do if you know your body is hurting you so much or luck does not seem to have come your way?

Why would you not reconsider everything that happened to you and those you love and come to see that there is more behind it all?

Would it be nice to know that there is some promise which can become a reality for you and me as well?

In the Bible are promises given to individuals and to people or nations. Prophesies have come true so why not shall the last ones which are not fulfilled yet, not come true?
Have a look at them. Think about them. Think also about some one who had a body which seemed normal and not affected by pains or limitations. That man from Nazareth walked for miles and could not stop talking about the One he loved and trusted. He showed why we too should trust Him Who is much mightier than that man who walked through desserts and was tempted more than once, but did not give in. He managed to put his own will aside, to do the will of his heavenly Father.
Why should we also not try to listen to that Father and give our hands, our life also in His hands?

You better be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you and choose for the right people around you. Always remembering that self-preservation is the highest law of nature and that being angry upon yourself or a situation is not going to help. And remember that

You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind

Know there is a good foundation to go your way but be always careful where you want to put down your steps or leave your marks or sow your seeds.

And most important to remember:

Never give up or never give in. Keep running the battle.

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Preceding articles

What would you do if…?

What Are You Seeking?

Denis Wright looking at the world of human beings

Mourners Celebrate Life Of Inspirational Cancer Teen

Searching for fulfillment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression

Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still

See the conquest and believe that we can gain the victory

May we have doubts

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Additional reading

1. What would you do if…?
2. Meaning of life 
3. The business of this life
4. When discouraged facing opposition
5. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
6. When you don’t know what to do and hate yourself
7. Do not be so busy adding up your troubles
8. Be Not Thou Weary
9. Confidence
10. Hope begins in the dark
11. Suffering
12. Suffering continues
13. Offer in our suffering
14. Suffering – through the apparent silence of God
15. Relapse plan
16. God’s instruction about joy and suffering
17. God’s promises to us in our suffering
18. Emotional pain and emotional deadness
19. From pain to purpose
20. Suffering leading to joy
21. Surprised by time in joys & sufferings
22. Allowed to heal
23. Old story to inspire and to give hope to those who are oppressed
24. An anarchistic reading of the Bible (2)—Creation and what follows
25. 1 Corinthians 15 Hope in action
26. End of the Bottom Line
27. Light going on in darkness
28. Solution for Willing hearts filled with gifts
29. Luck
30. Shelter in the morning
31. Vision blurred by cumulative burden of divisions
32. Never too late to start going to the right end
33. Not words of any organisation should bind you, but the Word of God
34. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
35. Give your worries to God
36. Call unto God so that He can answer you
37. Trust the future to God
38. Does God answer prayer?
39. Make a joyful noise unto Yahweh, rejoice, and sing praise unto Jehovah
40. God loving people justified
41. God my fence, my hope for the future
42. God is my refuge and my fortress in Him I will trust
43. Separation from God in death, the antithesis of life
44. Seeing the world through the lens of his own experience
45. Knowing where to go to
46. A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
47. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
48. A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
49. Final forming of a person’s character lies in his own hands
50. Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past
51. To have fire in yourself to warm others
52. Blessed are those who freely give
53. Words must be weighed, not counted
54. Honor your own words as if they were an important contract
55. Obstacles to your goal
56. Foundation to go the distance
57. Remember there’s a light in the next day
58. Let tomorrow be sufficient
59. Fear not tomorrow. God is already there
60. A time for everything
61. People should know what you stand for
62. Finish each day and be done with it
63. Character is built
64. Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off
65. A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks away
66. Weapons of our warfare
67. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
68. You God hold the future
69. To belong to = toebehoren
70. Possibility to live
71. Don’t Envy the World
72. Walking alone?
73. Careful what you sow, it might grow
74. Be a ready giver
75. Sow and harvests in the garden of your heart
76. Joy: Foundation for a Positive Life

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Further reading

1. The unfairytale
2. He Is Disabled???!
3. Disabled entrance
4. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Awareness Month
5. 9 Top Rehab Centers for Spinal Cord Injuries
6. Blind
7. Invisible Strength
8. Life, reality and fairy dust
9. My “illness”
10. The “web”
11. Infinite Inhibition
12. The Amygdalin Explosion
13. A Spoonful of Sour
14. The Struggle
15. Eleven.
16. Jaini’s Diaries turns One!
17. Habits
18. Riot Erupts At Wheelchair Basketball Tournament
19. Yeshiva Invites Their CP Friends for Shabbos
20. Prompt for the Day: “Diverse”
21. Prompt for the Day: “Chaos”
22. Prompt for the Day: “Stroll”
23. Disabled and Pregnant
24. Creative solution helps him work in the arts
25. Oaklands: Part 1
26. 13 Days To Go!
27. The Wait
28. Falling in love
29. I’m Back.
30. I’m not THAT old…
31. Keeper of Sunlight
32. A break in your workout routine causing you troubles?
33. Frustrated, Confused and Under the Weather
34. Dear Patience…
35. I Can’t Resist A Good Challenge!
36. What the heck is Stress anyway?| Ataraxia Series 07 | Understanding the Biological Reality of Stress
37. Frustrating Transition
38. Trapped?
39. Trapped 2
40. The wall…
41. Caitlyn Jenner might de-transition back to a Bruce? claims Biographer
42. Cold Bones
43. When You Feel Trapped
44. Not much to say
45. Life Goes On
46. Stop Running
47. When God Intervenes
48. The True Nature of God
49. Standing Up For What You Believe

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Related articles

• Osteoarthritis probably caused by inflammation
• Stem Cells to Treat Chronic Inflammatory Disease
• Cervicogenic Headache and Cervical Spine Manipulation
• Spinal Fusion Not Always Necessary for Back Pain, Studies Say
• Charlotte Chiropractors Offer Natural Pain Relief Using Spinal Adjustments
• Can a Car Accident Cause Scoliosis?
• Serum Immunoglobulin G Levels to Porphyromonas gingivalis Peptidylarginine Deiminase Affect Clinical Response to Biological Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug in Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Well: Ask Well: Does Turmeric Have Proven Health Benefits?
• Largest Spine Registry in North American Rebrands: Meet QOD

My tales will be beautiful!

In life we are confronted lots of times with troubles, fear and pain. Our pain is often nothing compared to the pains and sufferings of others. As believers in Jesus and his heavenly Father, the Only One True God of gods, we do know what we may expect in the near future, so we should not worry about this world but should be more concerned about the world to come and for what is in store for us and those around us.

Let us talk about the roses and the beautiful things lying in front of us.

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Preceding articles:

Fear in your own heart or outside of it

For those Christians who say they are the Victim

Christians remaining hidden not sharing the gospel

How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian

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Additional reading

1. If there is bitterness in the heart
2. Emotional pain and emotional deadness
3. Evil in this world not bringing us down
4. Dying or not
5. Trouble is coming
6. End of the Bottom Line
7. A small trouble is like a pebble
8. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
9. Do not be so busy adding up your troubles
10. Do the appropriate for a friend
11. A Breath for tomorrow
12. Shelter in the morning
13. Luck
14. Rejoice even though bound to grieve
15. From pain to purpose
16. Hope by faith and free gift
17. 1 Corinthians 15 Hope in action
18. May reading the Bible provoke us into action to set our feet on the narrow way
19. You God hold the future
20. God is my refuge and my fortress in Him I will trust
21. Songs in the night Worship God only

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Further reading

1. Pain
2. Pain 2
3. Hurting
4. Pain is everywhere
5. Pain can Dance – Tulsi Shrestha
6. Pain Collectors
7. The Agony
8. Not Dead yet
9. Day 285 – Positives
10. Pain and Beauty
11. Familiars.
12. Fear Of Failure
13. to whatever the future holds…
14. I Get It Now
15. Despite Everything: Part 2
16. Ugly Truth
17. What can I say?
18. Art: Open Eyes
19. Day 5: Dear God
20. Use Your Words…No, Not Those.

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Related articles

• Breath Of Life
• Our Father’s Arms
• Recovering a Truer Christianity
• You Are Loved
• You Are Loved
• Lazarus Saturday (2016)
• Belonging
• More Than You Can Handle
• UBER CHRONICLES: Anxiety; the demon you feed or the illusion you overcome.

Purplerays

” Let others talk
about Thorns.
I will tell the Tales of Rose petals. ”

– Shahab Rahimi

Photo & text credit: Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz (Poems and Quotes) https://www.facebook.com/RumiSaadiHafiz

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Helping each other with prayer to start the new academic year

It is a tragedy, as we will read tomorrow, that

“the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel …” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

We have no other choice than to live in this world where so many are blinded. We also do have to do with the many pains we may have to endure. Though we should know many pains and discomforts could be helped to be lessened or being softened by others.
Each of us is here in this world to help the other. Though not many are interested in doing that.

2014 – 2015 school year opening ceremony at Hanoi – Amsterdam High School

Once again a new academic year has started and we are off again on the roads, having the children back to school, having the parents back to work after their Summer holiday.

How many of them can see which wondrous blessings we have that

“God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’,

has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? (verse 6).

2 Corinthians 4:5-10 UKJV  (5)  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  (6)  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  (7)  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  (8)  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  (9)  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  (10)  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Our world was created out of the void when there was only darkness, but God called for light. That ‘light’ shone physically as creation began so long ago, but the wondrous fact for us is, as we will read in chapter 5,

“if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (verse 17).

The apostle Paul in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians makes so many points which also requires our attention in this 21st century. He shows the interaction of events and the great value of prayers in all the difficulties they and he are experiencing.

All the kids who went back, or for the first time to a ‘new’ school’ shall have to learn to face different situations which are not always pleasant. Even for those who became a Christian there is no escape, they too shall have to share abundantly in Christ’s suffering. But we can give our kids some hope because we also do know that through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort too.

2 Corinthians 1:2-5 UKJV  (2)  Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  (3)  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  (4)  Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  (5)  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ.

It is, writes Paul,

“the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction …” (verses 3,4).

This is a comfort we have a responsibility to pass on to others.

This passing on to others is too much and too often forgotten. Many do want to have the blessings, but do not want to do anything in return. They want the grace but do not ask them to tell others about it.

To find people who are willing to preach is very difficult. To find people who are willing to share their knowledge about certain things of this world, like geography, history, ways of constructing a house, or how to keep a healthy family seems to be very difficult. For some time we have been looking for some extra writers on this website, though nobody seems to be interested to join us and to share his or her knowledge for free.

Let us meditate and reflect on the interaction of events we have personally experienced. It seems when we start talking about God and about his son and show others our love for them, we seem to get a negative response and to be kept aside. Suddenly co-operation or interest seems to stop at all sides.
The more we have been active in the service of Christ, the more clearly we will perceive this.

In Paul, the Corinthians saw the most outstanding example of service.

“The afflictions we experienced”,

writes Paul, was such that they were so utterly burdened beyond their strength that they despaired of life itself. We in our regions do not have to be worried so much about that, but several people in several countries, like Syria, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and many African countries are facing prosecution. We may not be unaware of the affliction many experienced in Asia and Africa.

2 Corinthians 1:6-8 UKJV  (6)  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.  (7)  And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as all of you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall all of you be also of the consolation.  (8)  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

We, in our safer regions also have to undergo problems, shunning and are not always facing a nice life. But we have set our hope that Jesus will return and that he and his God, Who is also our God (the God of Abraham), will deliver us again. Though we have to remember that like at the time of the apostles,  they had to be helped by prayer, so that many will give thanks on their behalf for the blessing granted them through the prayers of many, we too need such help.

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 UKJV  (9)  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead:  (10)  Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

We cannot just rely on people. We like Paul have to realize that we must rely not on ourselves but on God (verse 9).

2 Corinthians 1:9-11 UKJV  (9)  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead:  (10)  Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;  (11)  All of you also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

Having set our hope that he will deliver us again, (verse 10), does not mean that we do not need each other, and that we should not help each other. We still have to be loving for each other and helping each other.

Paul makes an appeal that we should specially take notice of. He tells the Corinthians,

2 Corinthians 1:11-12 UKJV  (11)  All of you also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.  (12)  For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly toward you.

Other apostles came with similar requests to their flock.

Romans 15:30-32 UKJV  Now I plead to you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love (o. agape) of the Spirit, (o. pneuma) that all of you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;  (31)  That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;  (32)  That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

As in the early centuries of this common era there was a need of preaching, the apostles going around in the region to tell the Good News, we too today need some people full of hope who are willing to go into the ‘fields’ and to let others know about that Good News. We do want to tell others the Gospel of the Good News, but we too need help from others. We can use some backing.
Not only could we use some additional authors willing to share writings with people from all over the world. We, like the apostles need also your help with prayer.

As the apostles asked for help we also dare to say like the apostle Paul did:

“You also must help us by prayer so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us by the prayers of many” (verse 11).

Many are aware today through the almost instant communication the internet provides of the desperate situations some Iranian believers have experienced. There are also Pakistani believers who are experiencing persecution, and a few truth seekers who have felt it wise to return to Afghanistan. Let us help them by prayer.

Also, may we, as Paul writes in chapter 2, spread

“the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved …” (verses 14,15).

We may be unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish, but should we also not show that we are willing to step in the footsteps of that masterful rabbi?

As of God, in the sight of God we should not hesitate to speak in Christ and to show others the Way to God.

It is not because we can see so much tragedy, having so many people living in a way God would turn His eyes away, that we can not live according to His ordinances and want to show others there is a different way than the way this world has chosen.

On this platform we do want to show others this different way. To do it just on our own is not so easy. We could do with some extra hands.

Everybody has some field in which he or she is good. So everybody should be able to find something to write about which could be enlightening and educating for the others.

Having a new academic year, would this not be a good start to provide your input?

From your professionalism is there nothing you can contribute to our community and to bring some more knowledge to others, believers and non-believers in God?

Is the time not ripe to take up the pen and to join those who believe we should share more with others? It is out of love that we should share more with others. And believe it, there is lots to share about, and it has not all to do with religion.

In case you are not good at writing, you too can help, by praying for us and by letting others know our site. Promotion is always something that can help as well and motivate to continue our work. (Be sure it does not harm to motivate others now and a while.)

We do hope we can go into a fruitful new academic year in which we shall find some interested souls to join us and to share with us the love for this globe where we may reside in peace.

Please do pray for all those in need and also pray for our work, that we also may reach people in need and help them.

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You may find about prayer:

Praying and thinking positively

Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything

God, my father, my closest friend

Laboring in the Vineyard or Sitting on the Hillside with Jonah?

What moves mountains?

 Trust!

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Additional readings:

1. Walking alone?7000 to 20000 words spoken each day
2. Natural inclinations and Praying and asking
3. Praying and acts of meditation without ceasing
4. Praying is surrendering in all circumstances
5. Be sound in mind and be vigilant with a view to prayers
6. Be vigilant with a view to prayers
7. Looking for True Spirituality 6 Spirituality and Prayer
8. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
9. Do You Expect God’s Answer
10. Being sure of their deliverance
11. Old Man of Prayer
12. Biblical Prayer at Tabernacle Site Shilo
13. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #15 Exposition before the Creator
14. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #16 Benefits of praying
15. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #17 Sorts of prayers
16. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #18 Fulfilment
17. Praise Jehovah
18. Always rejoicing
19. Praying constantly Giving thanks for everything

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Further reading of interest:

• School’s out for summer
• ::Summer’s Over & The “Routine” is Back::
• Twas the night before school starts…
• Keeping Things on Track: Organize for Success
• New leaf
• Keep Your Momentum
• Back to School
• Already, school year?
• School’s back…Here’s some tips for this year!
• Bring on the Bouquets of Sharpened Pencils!
• What is the most effective way of preparing young children for primary school and beyond?
• And So It Begins, Again
• Another Beginning
• On top of things …
• It’s Time for College: How to Make the Grade You Want
• Some Minnesota Students Head Back To School
• Should Wilmington Start School Before or After Labor Day?
• Opening academic year Wageningen University
• Upon Graduating: When the World Goes Back to School (and I Don’t)
• #Sameface-Much More Than Just a Game
• #10Highlights as a Deputy Headteacher by @TeacherToolkit
• How to improve your grade in your least favourite subject
• Keep the High Road and Say Good Bye!
• Charging Up in June? Say It’s Not So!
• The Road to 65, Miles 173 and 174: Preparations
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• NWCCI 2014-2015: Highs, Lows, and New Beginnings
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• What this is all about, or my journal and I
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Beautiful feet of those who announce the good news

Rom 10:13-15 MKJV  For everyone, “whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  (14)  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without preaching?  (15)  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!”

For they who do not believe should come to hear and should receive an opportunity to get to know the grace given to all people. People can only call on the Name of God when they do believe. Only then when we call onto God’s Name, Jehovah, shall we be saved. This is a condition to become saved which too many do forget. Also they who do not believe the Gospel as the record which God has given of his Son are missing a lot, and those who do believe are responsible for that, when they do not make the effort of preaching. But those who go out into the world to tell the Good News are recognised as people doing beautiful work, because how can others hear without preaching? Naturally there can only be preached rightly by those who believe and by those who are sent, showing others their faith and gladly willing to share the Good News they themselves heard and got convinced of.

The apostle turns from the responsibility of the seeker after salvation to emphasize the role that believers are intended to have in God’s plan for preaching the gospel. Calling on the Lord is meaningless apart from some assurance that He is worthy of confidence and trust, that He has something to offer that guilty sinners need. Calling on Him and trust in Him are two sides of the same coin. The verse suggests that calling on the Lord continues to be a mark of the believer, not simply the first step in the direction of establishing relationship to him.

1Co 1:2 MKJV  to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called out with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

One must hear the gospel before a person can be expected either to receive it or reject it. Without people preaching there can be no hearing. Without witnessing there can be no thought or consideration about what could be true or not, or people would not get to know. Certain King James Versions have “without a preacher” – which may be misleading, in that it implies (or it may be inferred there-from) that there is a special office of preacher. This is of course not the case at all: all God’s children are (or should be) preachers!

People do need to hear about Jesus, the son of God. They should come to know what that Nazarene man has done and who his heavenly Father is and for what that eternal Spirit is so important for mankind. Those who do believe should know the importance of their knowledge and out of love for the others they should want others to know that truth as well. When a person believes unto righteousness with the heart he shall be glad to be able to confess with with the mouth unto salvation not being put to shame knowing that when he calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Saint Peter preaching the Gospel in the Catacombs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The apostle Paul rightly observes that it all goes back to the preaching of the gospel, and preachers, those who profess the Word of God, must be sent – both by God and the Christian community at large. It does not have to be special university people, but men and women willing to share the Gospel in Jesus’ name. God’s “normal” way of bringing people to Jesus Christ is through the preaching of the gospel, which has to happen through faithful people who follow the example of Christ Jesus and do what he had demanded his disciples.

God’s cursing or blessing is upon us, also according to our faithfulness in preaching the Word. God has committed unto us, in our ministry, the word of His reconciliation.

2Co 5:17-21 KJV  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  (18)  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  (19)  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  (20)  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.  (21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

When we choose to become baptised in the name of Jesus we wanted to become in Messiah reborn, becoming a new creation. From then onwards our shyness in the world should be gone having the old things having passed away. Shyness refers to passivity, emotional arousal, and excessive self-focus in the presence of other people ( Jones, Cheek, and Briggs 1986). It also frequently involves negative self-evaluations, social avoidance, and withdrawal. (International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family, 2003). Being reborn we have received a new soul (being) not focusing as such on the self, but on the totality of union in Christ. Arousal and heightened self-consciousness in response to social threat can be put aside when one is confirmed about the truth and its value. The experiences of shyness are often sufficiently unpleasant to lead to withdrawal from or avoidance of many social situations, but they also compound the distress of shyness by distracting from skilled and self-confident social interactions. When a person his faith sits deep in him it will give him enough assurance to conquer that shyness to witness for Christ Jesus and for his heavenly Father, the only One God.

Facing all those new things which are from God we want to share with others that in Jesus Christ the Messiah Jehovah God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them; and He has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us.  We are by the baptism in spirit taken away from the doubt and fear from man and therefore should want to be ambassadors for Messiah, as though God were making His appeal through us.

The apostles and members of the first communities begged the community members on behalf of Messiah, to be reconciled to God and to share the Good News with others.  Though it was not easy, because many had seen what had happened to Christ Jesus, and knew that there were fierce opponents of the teachings of this master teacher. It was the Most High Almighty Elohim Who made the Sent One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. By his offering we are bought and are now facing freedom, if we want. It is not by deeds of righteousness which we had done ourselves, but because of God His mercy. It is by the blessing of Jesus his offering that we can become saved through the mikveh of rebirth and renewing of the Ruach ha-Kodesh,  whom Jehovah abundantly poured out on us through Messiah Jeshua our Saviour, so that being set right by his grace, we might become heirs with the confident hope of eternal life!

Tit 3:5-7 MKJV  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  (6)  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  (7)  that being justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The Messiah or Christ was a man who did not want to do his own will but preferred to do only the will of his heavenly Father. He love God’s ecclesia and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. (Ephesians 5:25-26). Like Jesus took care that the dirt of the earth was washed away by the Word of God we also should where we come try to wash away the dirt of this contemporary world.

At baptism the believer becomes a part of Christ’s new “creation” (Ephesians 2:10;  4:23-24; Collosians 3:10). That new creation is so incredible and presents such a magic future we do not want to keep it for ourselves alone. Real believers in Christ do want to become like Christ sharers of the Good News. Being washed… sanctified, we are prepared to do the work for God. It is the will to get to know the Word of God better which should bring us to read it more and to share it with others. It is not be going to a special college reading lots of human writings and philosophies that we shall get more knowledge to bring people to God. God has given everything we need in His Word. All is there in that Book of books, the Bible, God His infallible Word which says all.

Without the faith in Jesus we shall not be able to succeed. We need to have faith in Jesus so that we can call on Jesus. And we need to call on Jesus because calling on Jesus, searching for Jesus, crying out for Jesus is what brings us salvation. Through calling on Jesus, we are saved.
So why do we preach?
So that we may be saved.

We need to be saved from our own captivity. We all need to be set free from something that may keep us away from our loving heavenly Father, the Divine Creator.

The world has to know what God provided. they should come to know that there is a possibility of real peace. But they also should get to know that it will be God Who rules.

Isa 52:7-10 MKJV  How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, making peace heard; who brings good news, making salvation heard; who says to Zion, Your God reigns!  (8)  The voice of Your watchmen shall lift up! They lift up the voice together; they sing aloud. For they shall see eye to eye, when Jehovah shall bring again Zion.  (9)  Break out, sing together, waste places of Jerusalem; for Jehovah has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.  (10)  Jehovah has bared His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

As in the time before Christ Jesus it was nice to see the messengers of God bringing good tidings. Now it is our time to bring such good tidings. We have hear them and we should be convinced of the importance of them.

4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern California provided by LivingWaters Ministry. Obeying the great commission of Jesus Christ. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone” Mark 16:15 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Good Tidings publishes peace and brings confirmation about the sent one from God, who is the Messiah and fulfilled his duties here on earth. God reigns and has given Jeshua the authority to prepare His Kingdom and to reign on earth. We are looking for that Kingdom of God and belief that it is a reality which can be there for much more people than it is at the moment. Therefore we should be willing to show the way to Jerusalem, the physical but even more the spiritual Jerusalem. More and more we can see how the Plan of God gets shape and how we come closer to the execution of that Plan.

The freedom that awaits us has to be spoken off. But first we need to liberate us from our own weaknesses, bad things we are burdened with. We must see that we can make ourselves free from the bad things of this world first. There  may be things which are holding us captive. There  may be many things holding onto us.

Andy Burns, who believes the goal of life is to get so close to that light that we are breathing in the light and exhaling it out into the world, writes:

Maybe you’re dealing with a very real kind of captivity like addiction. Maybe you have an addiction to a physical substance-alcohol, drugs, those kinds of things-or maybe you’re addicted to something more abstract-your work, money, maybe you’re addicted to other people’s approval of you. And this addiction controls when you wake up, when you go to sleep, when you eat, where you work, where you go after work, how hard you work. You’re not free.

Or maybe you deal with an intensely personal problem like low self-esteem or self-doubt or depression. And maybe this controls you in ways that surprise you-you want a certain job but you don’t believe you can do it. You want to speak up but you don’t believe in yourself in enough to find the words. You want to get to know someone, but you don’t believe they could ever like you. You’re not free.

Or maybe you deal with some pain in your past. Maybe you’ve been seriously hurt-either physically or emotionally by their words or both. Maybe it was a parent, a friend, a spouse, a child. And maybe this old would is holding you captive, keeping you from enjoying life, making you avoid certain situations and people. You’re not free.

See, I think all need to be freed from something. We all need freedom and transformation in our lives. And according to Paul in our passage, this is the message that preachers are entrusted with. This is the reason we preach here. Preachers preach so that people can hear about Jesus. People need to hear about Jesus so that we may have faith in Jesus. People need to have faith in Jesus so that they can call on Jesus. And people need to call on Jesus so that we may be set free by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the message that we proclaim every week. This is what we all need to hear and what we all need to be reminded of, week in and week out. You can be free in Jesus Christ. {Stuff My Church Does I: Preaching}

People do have to hear about Jesus and each believer in Christ should take care of that. We do have to go out into the world and tell about the marvellous gift we received. We do have to invite others to share with us the grace which has been given to us.

What would it look like if we invited others here to hear the freedom of God proclaimed in the Word of God? What would it look like if we all brought this Word out into our community and saw it as our job to proclaim this freedom that everyone needs to those around us? Just think of the transformation that would happen. I think it would look pretty amazing. {Stuff My Church Does I: Preaching}

Let us all joining and be workers for the Lord, going into all the world and preaching the Gospel to everyone. (Mark 16:15 )

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Preceding articles:

A Christian has to have eyes and ears and a tongue to use in good ways

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

It takes years to learn

Believe today and now!

When believing in God’s existence and His son, possessing a divine legislation

What’s inside matters..

Not making yourselves abominable

Where are the female writers

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Preaching by example

How To Get Started In Sharing Your Faith As a Christian

What Should I Preach ?

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Additional reading:

1. Where is the edge
2. Remember the day
3. Gospel = Good tidings, good news, a good message
4. Counterfeit Gospels
5. Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God
6. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
7. How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice
8. Jehovah steep rock and fortress, source of insight
9. Hearing words to accept
10. Atonement And Fellowship 2/8
11. Missional hermeneutics 4/5
12. Missional hermeneutics 5/5
13. The Right One to follow and to worship
14. Many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus
15. Hope by faith and free gift
16. Showing by the scriptures that …
17. Salvation, trust and action in Jesus #3 as a Christian
18. Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
19. Establish your hearts blameless in holiness
20. Looking for True Spirituality 7 Preaching of the Good News
21. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
22. Breathing to teach
23. 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritually
24. Belgian Christadelphians 2013 & 2014 in review
25. Stepping Toes 2014 in review
26. Looking on what is going on and not being of it
27. A prophet to restore
28. Imitate prophets and Paul
29. Oratory Style
30. Counting sands and stars
31. Which Christians Actually Evangelize
32. Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom
33. Bringing Good News into the world
34. Intentions of an Ecclesia
35. Holland Week of billing
36. Faith and trial
37. Faith a commitment to the promises of Christ and to to the demands of Christ
38. How should we preach?
39. The Rapture Wars
40. Not many coming out with their community name
41. Writers needed to preach to non-believers
42. Jehovah can make him stand
43. Our openness to being approachable
44. Different approach in organisation of services #3
45. Glory of God appearing in our character
46. A Society pleading poverty
47. Good or bad preacher
48. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #9 Prayer #7 Reason to pray
49. How is it that Christ pleased God so perfectly?
50. Rebirth and belonging to a church
51. Of the many books Only the Bible can transform
52. Character transformed by the influence of our fellowships

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Also of interest

• 90 Days With Yeshua- Day 66: Reconciling the Banished Heart
• His name…
• Why I Don’t Celebrate Easter (and still love God… and still believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah)
• The Lie That Made God Nameless
• Don’t Be Ashamed
• God Demands a Response to Jesus
• May 1: Does Your Life Bring Glory to God?
• Past, Present and Future of Salvation, Today’s Study of Romans 5
• Make your faith work
• “I Bring You Good Tidings Of Great Joy!”
• Trying to Make the Good News Better
• Romans 1:9-14 Questions (Good News Study)
• A Story for the Ages
• Romans 8:28
• A Personal Example Of Hope Fulfilled
• Praise and Worship to God Almighty in Any Language
•  Do You Who You Are? It is Based on the Word of God and Nothing Else.
•  Forget Public Opinion…Keep Your Eyes on God’s Opinion of You.
• The Only Place to Go When Life Gets Tough
• SOM: Blessed are the Pure in Heart
• So, You Think You Can Preach? Sigh . . .
• Jack Hyles Sermon: Fighting the Wrong War
• Preachers are held to a higher standard
• The time for delay is over
• A Better Message; A Better Messenger
• Acts 24 Reading Through the NT 2015
• What Do We Have To Sing About?
• Laboring in the Vineyard or Sitting on the Hillside with Jonah?
• The Spread of the Gospel
• Is Evangelism Dead?
• The Good News Message Of Jesus Christ
• If you got fuel, and you got fire, something’s gotta happen!
• The Smallest of All

Related articles

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• True Believers Are Completely Associated With Christ (birdchirp.wordpress.com)
• Listen: The Hopeful Christian in Hopeless Times (Pilgrim’s Progress According to the Bible #47 with Daniel Whyte III) (blackchristiannews.com)
• Scripture Verse Of The Week ‘Galatians 3 Verse 26″ (mylordmyfriend.com)
• A Christian Defined (butchdean.wordpress.com)
• The Truth And Nothing But The Truth… (thetruelight2014.wordpress.com)
• Mechanisms of the Spirit (brokenbelievers.com)
• ” The Fire Of The Word “ (stateofglobe.com)
• Your Word for This Day: “Glory Revealed” (thotam.com)
• Word of the Week: Romans 1 (NLT) (faithtemplechurch.wordpress.com)

little i

Are we willing to hear the inner voice and to react rightly to it? And all the things we encounter, all the dreams we might have, how much do we want to carry them with us in our hopes and aspirations? Over and over again we are confronted with all sorts of matters, difficulties, that may give worries, but hopefully we also can find the better thoughts which can carry us along the mountain tops. All that came our way, let us take it with us in our memories and use it for the good, forgetting the bad.

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• “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have
• Discoveries #15 | #blogmas Day 13
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• “Don’t Waste your Life living someone else’s life” – STEVEN P. JOBS
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• Writers in a Polar Vortex

The Hidden Path

no one could see the misery

the pain inside you thought to hide

a happy face outside

the picture show

for everyone to see

with everything you saw

and everything you had

how could you feel so bleak

what was this hopeless sad

that tainted every thought

 the friends that you missed most

were always there to see

the smile on your face

but not the missing piece

that kept your eyes tired

the feeling that if i had known

i would have been aware

to hold your hand and take the pain

to show you how to smile again

with your eyes, your heart

 ‘if only’, the reverberating phrase

that haunts our memories

and shakes us in our dreams

yet still remains

to greet us each day

 you live on in our eyes

showing us that smile

how to hurry go round the world

tell me, show the beauty

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