footprints in my heart...

these emails keep my blog going.  thanx auntie enid! 

APPLES...
A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of baskets of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding. All but one. He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.  He told his buddies to go on without him, waved goodbye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the> terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.  He was glad he did.  The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping, and no one to care for her plight.  The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them into the baskets, and helped set the display up once more. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.  When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $20 for the damage we did. Are you okay?"  She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."  As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes.  She continued, "Are you Jesus?"  He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"
Do people mistake you for Jesus?  That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.  If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.  Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day. You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.  Let us live like we are worth the price He paid. 
~Author Unknown

this really touched me.  as most of you know, life and perspective has changed an awful lot this past year.  i've met and gotten close to so many people who have been living their life with/for the Lord for so much longer than i.  and no, i can't spout verses, or preach, or give good talks.  but to love... to give love... to accept love... to recognize love... to be love... i think i've definitely learned and grown in that aspect.

Whoever invented God is a genius.
~Plato
some people think religion is really just society's way of getting people to behave well and basically be "good".  but that's missing the point.  we are "good" to each other because we love each other.  and we love each other because we love the Lord.  we love the Lord in response to the Love he sent us.  the quote above was a funny lil thing that was posted up on the board during my religious ed teaching class.  it was funny cuz if you think about it in a secular way, it's true.  plato was a great thinker and philosopher.  whoever came up with the concept of God was a genius, cuz that's how you got people to listen or do what you want.  in the middle ages, people killed for God.  before vatican II, people paid to be right with God.  people will do a lot for their God.  even now, with september 11, those people thought they were doing what their God wanted them to do.  people have abused this idea throughout history.  but they really didn't get the point.  we are not good so that God will love us.  He loves us regardless of our mistakes, imperfections, sins- our bruises, like the apple story.  we are good because we love God and want to show Him and His people our love.

i know, i know, my blog's boring now.  but it's been so busy at work, i just haven't had time.  i just really wanted to post this congratulatory wish to jill and milan who just got engaged!!!!  jill is a good old friend from my college sorority ~ a source of good times when i needed it.  i'm truly happy for her exciting new future!

congratulations jill and milan!

what's up with all the engagements?  something must be in the water.

no, silly, not meeeh!!!!

i'm so very, very happy for my very good old friends who just got engaged. they definitely had a bright 4th of july! congratulations and all my love and best wishes to caroline and jonathan!!!

when's the date?!

before i forget, i wanted to respond to this comment by k (thanx for starting my week off well, k!):

off topic but wanted to share this reflection:

===============
i remember this talk that i had last Sunday from a lay missionary and wanted to share it with you.

He said that the essence of our christianity lies in these 4 words: "Thy Will Be Done"

Indeed, so many people lose faith in God because they are disappointed that God hasn't answered "their" plans. Very often, we want God (almost like giving orders to Him) to realise our plans, in our own times (in our case, immediately). But God's plans are beyond our own expectations. He has great plans for each and everyone of us, and when we open our eyes , we see that He grants us more than we asked for.

so let's put our trust in God, to offer all our worries, doubts, and expectations to Him, and to make God the center of our lifes.

amen! hence mother mary's fiat, right? that's one of the most difficult tasks for us to let go of. first and foremost, we have to let go of ourselves and understand that it is not really "our" life. if you read purpose driven life, you'll remember that this is the first purpose. we, as people, were made for God's purpose, not ours. He created us to do His will, not our own. so when we become selfish and try lead our life the way WE want to, we end up putting God in a box by making Him like a genie in our lives, only there to grant us our wishes and desires. and then, we get disappointed and bitter when we don't get what we want. but if, instead, we prayed for Him to do His will in our lives, then we wouldn't feel disappointed, because we know that He knows best and we trust His will for us. like i've said before, He has an optimum plan for our lives. while we have free will to do what we choose, He has an optimum plan for us and all we have to do is choose it and choose Him.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
~ Jeremiah 29:11

plans for the weekend got scrapped. i was supposed to go the vegas with the familia, but it turns out that my aunt who's moving there won't receive her stuff until next weekend. we were supposed to go to help her move it, but there's nothing for us to move in! so my family's going next weekend i think. i can't go. sux.

soooo, what shall i do with this nice and open weekend of mine? i think the beach sounds good. and shopping... yeahhhhhh! i haven't gone shopping in forever, mostly cuz i can't afford it. but last week, i had no bills to pay for, so for once, i have extra money to play with. thank you Lord! hmm, maybe i'll even go to the outlets... yeahhhhh, who wants to go to cabazon? oh and i need a massage... maybe glen ivy? crap, but they're so expensive and i wasn't even too impressed by their massages. i wonder if dexie's around... i could give her some business.

ooh, and we get to leave early! it would've been great if i were leaving for vegas, but oh well, early's early! i ain't complainin'!

what are you doing for the long weekend? happy july 4th!

i'm not so good at writing these nice reflections. lucky i get enough of them through the mail to share with you. here's one for all of those times we think God's not moving:

In God's tender care

HOLDING PATTERNS

Many times God will allow a painful situation or a painful
circumstance in our life to "swallow us up." This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can't move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have
our undivided attention and speak to us.

God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his
heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no
colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat,no interference's, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and
pray. When we're deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can
talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about
ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

A Few Of God's Holding Patterns:

1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed, but
God has not healed you yet, you are in a holding pattern

2. When you are having problems with your
children and you have put them on the altar, but God has not delivered
them yet, you are in a holding pattern.

3. When you have been praying for the conversion of a loved one and
they don't seem to change, you are in a holding pattern.

4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over
to God, but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.

5. When the doors slam shut before you can knock on them,
you are in a holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no
interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit,
think, meditate, and pray. We cannot run from God because there are no
mountains that are high enough, valleys that are low enough, rivers that are wide enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden enough from Him. We must remember to praise Him while we're waiting and remember three things:

1. The pattern has a purpose.

2. The pattern has a plan.

3. The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He'll
keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, "I love
you."

thank you, Lord!