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My Identity
Have you ever been asked who you are? What was your answer? For those who are successful they will tell you I am a doctor, engineer, a business man/woman who owns that and that.. they identify themselves with their possessions or achievements but what happens when you don’t have all those things, when you feel like a failure. When you have battled with your identity all your life and it dawned on you that you haven’t accomplished anything.
Some people will describe themselves as No One important or I am ‘Nobody’.
When I read in Bible; Jeremiah 1 vs 5 it says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." God told Jeremiah that he was of importance. He knew Jeremiah from the beginning. He knew who he was and who he was going to become.
He was born and ordained to be a prophet and that shows that every each one of us was born and ordained to be someone.
In Bible Psalms 139 vs 13 – 18, David knew who he was. He knew his origin:
[{13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14: I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15: My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16: Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. 17: How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18: If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.}]
We sometimes compare ourselves with other people and we fail to understand that God ordained us differently. Some prophets like Jeremiah, David as King, some as artist, some as ministers and so on. God created us in His own image. He knows who we are as a person, He knows our purpose. Today let’s go back to the very roots where we came from and ask God to show us our identity, our Purpose in Him.
Above everything else, know that you are a child of God, a daughter or a son of the king. Knowing this with confidence will phase out all the problems we struggle with identity.
@american
Don't Give up on Loving ...
I used to think love was just one thing, the same thing that everybody looked for. When found, love had the same face, the same laugh, the same deep teary eyed feeling of unspeakable joy. How could I think that love was only one thing, one feeling that never changed? Love changes, it grows deeper and stronger. And, it dawned on me, no one's love ever matched a single other person's love. Everyone's love has a different and unique look, taste, feeling, music, joy and indescribable complexity.
The only thing that is the same about all love is that it all "adds" to the ocean of love. Like attracts more of itself. The world is not complete without your "special addition" of love. Love, in an infinite number of unique ways, reaches out to embrace, help, and cause others to rise up to a greater awareness and joy.
I was headed out the door the other day with my mom. We were going to drive to the local grocery store to pick up a few odds and ends that we had run out of during the week. I shut the door quickly because my dogs were already barking at being left behind in the house. We headed down the hill to my car, climbed inside, and buckled our seat belts. Then I reached into my pocket for the car keys. They weren’t there. I tried my other pockets with the same result. Shaking my head, I walked back up the hill, opened the door, and saw my keys still dangling from the hook where I always hang them.
This, of course, isn’t the only time I have forgotten something recently. In fact, it seems to be happening more and more. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t forget something and then remember it later in the day or misplace something and have to go looking for it. It seems that our aging minds begin to have trouble after a while remembering the million and one things that we need to remember every day to function in our modern world. They say not to worry about it and to take it with a smile. I am doing my best to do so.
I think I will be alright with my forgetful mind too as long as I can keep remembering the important things in life. I don’t mind misplacing my keys as long as I can remember that God loves me. I don’t mind forgetting what I came into a room for as long as I can remember what I am in this life for. I don’t mind being a bit absent-minded as long as I am being loving-hearted.
May you always remember the important things in life: You were created in love. You were created to love. You are called to kindness and made for joy. You can make a difference in this world with every choice you make. You can live your life in God’s light today and forever.
@american
In the end, the organizers didn’t have any tough decisions to make, because only 19 people showed up for the test and passed. So out of a starting pool of over 400 candidates, we ended up with 19 winners and one scholarship that went to me because of my scores. And eventhough I wasn’t the ideal candidate because of reasons beyond my control, I got into the program through the things that I can control, by showing up and trying my best. I applied for the scholarship less than six months ago and I'm already making more money in the internship than from my "regular" job. Once I get my degree, I'll have doubled my old earnings and have tons of chances for growth and promotion I wouldn't have otherwise with only a master's degree.
It’s easy to lose hope when the odds seem so bad. And it can be scary to work on something without being 100% certain you will succeed. But the odds often aren’t as bad as they seem at first. And the willingness to show up and participate is a highly underestimated tool. So if you see your dream opportunity out there, reach for it. The odds might not be as bad as you think.
@american
My Cousin's ...
We were all trying to figure out what to do for the funeral. We realized that the funeral would have to be held in Texas where Liz had lived for the past eight years. My Aunt Dawn had said that she and Liz were having a conversation a couple of years ago about what they would want if something happened to one of them. Liz had said that she would want to be cremated.
A few days later when we where getting ready for the memorial service I managed to keep my cool until I realized why I was seeing these familiar faces. I remembered back to the last time I was seeing my family was at the wedding. I was thinking that we should be at Liz's wedding, not her funeral.
My mom told me about the memorial service that was held in Texas and about all the people that wanted to talk about how Liz had touched their lives and how special she was. I had no idea that so many other people felt the same way I did. My mom said that her pastor gave a incredible sermon that touched her heart. He said that she found herself, then her God and then her destiny. She worked her whole life to become the awesome person that she was. She lived with intention every single day.
Your life can change drastically at any moment. Don't take life or the people that you love for granted, you're only here once. Loosing Liz this summer taught me that living every day intentionally and purposefully is what I intend to strive for. I am sorry that I had to loose her to realize that.
@american
Water and books are both in crises: water from too much usage, and books from lack of usage thereof.
@american
The Secret Of True Friendship
At each stage of our life, we meet different kinds of people. Some are funny, some teach us lessons in life while others occupy a special space in our hearts. At every stage of life, the one thing that is common for each of us is a "best friend". In our childhood days, the term "best friend" might have meant the person who was always by our side, whether it may be in class or in the dining hall. But as we grow older, our definition of a best friend changes. People in our life come and go...but some people stay. These are the people we should never lose. According to me, a best friend is a person who loves you for who you are and helps you become who you should be.
True friends are those who will never desert you in times when you need them the most. They are the people who bring a smile on your face whenever you think of them. They are the people you first remember during your most happiest and difficult times. They are always there for you and love you when you forget to love yourself.
The best feeling in the whole world is knowing that we have a person for us, who always prays for us, always has us in their thoughts and will always be there for us no matter what...more than wanting for a best friend, the thing that gives us happiness in life is being a best friend to someone.
Friendship may not necessarily be based on age...rather friendship is based on mutual understanding. Even our parents can be our best friends! But the greatest friend we can ever have is God, who is always by our side. To truly understand this, all we need is complete faith in him and trust that whatever he does is for our good and he knows what is right for us. Even if the whole world is against you, the one person who will always be with you is God.
So let us build our faith in God and try to see the good side of everyone!
@american
Be a Giver! Be like God!
We as the humans always want to take without giving. First you have to give before taking something. Why we are unable to maintain relationships? Because we expect a lot and give very little sometimes not at all.
God is the best giver. The greatest quality God possess, is that he always gives, and if he takes something, it is for our progress. God gives us everything but at the right time so we have to wait for that right time to come.
When you see a group of people laughing together, you also start laughing even when you don't know what the matter is. This is called vibrations, what we are receiving at that moment. Vibrations are very important and what type of vibration you are spreading positive or negative are of monumental importance. What you give is what you get. Look carefully whether your think positively, do you think good about others? If yes, then you yourself filling the happiness in your life. Our pleasures and sorrows depends upon the vibrations we are giving out.
Love is the most positive thing in the world. The person full of love is the happiest person. So give love because love is the first thing which gives pleasure to the giver and the receiver.
How can you be loved, when you are not giving. Whatever you expect first give it then expects to receive. “Life’s like an empty box. It doesn’t matter what you get out of it. What really matters is what you put into it.”
My Grandpa was an angel. He dedicated his whole life in the service of others. His work was to take others' stress to solve their problems and give them relief He tried his best throughout his life to spread happiness. He lived for others' sake and when he went from this world there was a smile on his face. It seemed that he was satisfied fulfilling his God given duties. A day before his passing, he was saying tomorrow God is coming so decorate all the stairs, and next day he said final good bye to everybody and slept forever.
His death taught us how to live and how to die.
There are many things to give. Just count your blessings like you can give your smile, you can spread happiness, love, your time, your attention, even if you have ears to listen and hands to serve others, a good advice, a positive attitude which can change someone's life, there is still a lot to give. Giving our things to needy people is the biggest charity because the things which are not used bring negativity so it is better to give them away.
Give less receive less, give more receive more. It is a law of nature. In the bible Luke 6:38 says: “Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”
You have to give one tenth of your income, or the pocket money etc to needy people, or you can give blessings, just say God bless you to everyone you meet every day. Still, there is lot to give which I am unaware of.
Try to be a giver without any expectations like God. God gives us life, parents, siblings, God has made air to breath, sun for sunlight, trees for shadow, river for water etc without any expectations. “Love the giver more than the gift.” -Brigham Young.
We can love God by taking care of his things. Grow the trees for our next generation, they will need it very much because of rising pollution, stop the pollution so that the water can remain clean, don't spread the dirt so that people don't get sick, quit smoking so that people can get fresh air to breath etc. “Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.”
@american
Every Shade of Skin is Beautiful
Jennifer and I told Sophia that after 1 whole month of going poop on the potty, she could pick out a special prize. She, of course, picked a new doll.
The obsession is real. While we were checking out, the cashier asked Sophia if she was going to a birthday party. We both gave her a blank stare. She then pointed to the doll and asked Sophia if she picked her out for a friend. Sophia continued to stare blankly and I let the cashier know that she was a prize for Sophia being fully potty trained.
The woman gave me a puzzled look and turned to Sophia and asked, 'Are you sure this is the doll you want, honey?' Sophia finally found her voice and said, 'Yes, please!' The cashier replied, 'But she doesn't look like you. We have lots of other dolls that look more like you.' I immediately became angry, but before I could say anything, Sophia responded with, 'Yes, she does. She's a doctor like I'm a doctor. And I'm a pretty girl and she's a pretty girl. See her pretty hair? And see her stethoscope?' Thankfully the cashier decided to drop the issue and just answer, 'Oh, that's nice.'
This experience just confirmed my belief that we aren't born with the idea that color matters. Skin comes in different colors just like hair and eyes and every shade is beautiful.
@american
Don't Give me the Odds!
I just got myself into a really good internship and wanted to both share my happiness here and illustrate how the odds often aren’t nearly as bad as they seem.
I had already been through higher education once. I got a worthless 4-year degree, got tired of engineering work, tried a few things but the jobs I found were all pretty low-paying. I started to think of getting qualifications so I could get a better job. I looked at a few options, getting an apprenticeship, going to trade school, etc, when my Dad emailed me an opportunity that sounded perfect. I’m keeping the details anonymous, but it was a paid internship plus they would pay for the first year of a two-year Phd degree so I could get a well-paying job in a field. The internship was already half again what I was making at my current job, and it was similar to the job I already had and enjoyed.
Here's the part that worried me. They mention that they are specifically looking for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and people who haven’t had as many opportunities for success. The only qualifications are a masters degree. And while my current job pays horribly, I do have a master's degree and my family makes very good money. I’m also white and wasn't even twenty at the time. So on paper, I felt like I wasn’t what they were looking for at all. And they would only take 40 people into Phase 2, which was a 12-week emotional intelligence class. After that, they only had 20 slots for the actual internship and scholarship. But while on paper, I wasn’t the ideal candidate, I knew that I was a great candidate for the final job, since I was already in the workforce for one year, had a professional mindset, and already had a background in a similar field. So I applied, even though I knew it was a long shot.
There were over 400 people who applied for these 20 spots. By the time of the first aptitude test, we were down to less than 300. Not because a hundred plus people didn’t pass, but because they didn’t even show up for the test. Maybe those people had good reasons, maybe they just lost hope, or they got better jobs, or they didn’t check their email. But for whatever reason, my odds just got a whole lot better, and all I had to do was show up.
After that, the organizations involved made some decisions, and I made the cut to Phase 2. I got the call kinda late, so I think there were a few others who were placed higher than me, but they also declined or failed to respond, so I got bumped up again because other people dropped out.
Once in Phase 2, all we had to do was go to a class once a week. No homework, no tests (well one test but we’ll get to that later), all we had to do was show up and participate every once in a while. Still, we went from 40 to 30 just from people dropping out of class. I want to make one thing clear. I don’t think that I’m better than those who didn’t stick it through. Making time to come to a class once a week for no pay can be a big barrier for a lot of people. I was friends with my classmates and I was sad to see some of them not advance. But at the same time, I was there to get the job, and if by sticking it through when others didn’t is what set me apart, then so be it.
We did have to take a phd placement exam to make sure we could enroll in the program, and some people didn’t pass. However, the organization that hosted this program was eager to see everyone succeed, so we were given two chances to pass. In between, we were given access to tutors to help get our scores up. But a lot of people who didn’t pass the first time simply did not show up for the second test. Who knows whether they would have passed or not. But I know two people who were very nervous about the test but still showed up. Both of them passed and are now in the program.
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My Cousin's Death
It is amazing how many things we take for granted. We make plans for the day, and don't think twice about how those plans can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I never thought much about it myself, until I was faced with the shock, and undeniable truth of my cousin's death. I don't think anyone really thinks about tragedy until they are actually faced with shocking news.
My mom had been going to school in Greeley and staying at my Aunt Margaret's house. My mom had suggested that I go back with her and visit family, shop, go to movies and just spend time together.
I woke up Tuesday morning excited for the day I was going to spend with my mom. I was sitting at the kitchen table drinking fresh coffee listening to my mom and aunt tease and joke around about how paranoid my mom was about doing well in everything. Our plan was to go to one of mom's friends with her, and then on a tour of UNC and then we were going to go to dinner and a movie.
We were interrupted by a phone call from my dad. My mom was still joking and in a silly mood when she started talking to my dad. Suddenly the conversation turned from joking to dead silence and my mom started crying. She tearfully asked, "Is she ok? Was she alone?" I was thinking my sister went riding and fell off her horse or that something had happened to my grandma.
She kept on saying " OH MY GOD, NO". Aunt Margaret asked "What happened? What is going on?". And then Mom told us; Elizabeth, my cousin was in a car accident last night and she didn't survive. I felt as if I was paralyzed, I felt that if I moved it would be real. I just had this blank look on my face. I had no reaction at first and I wanted to deny it, all of it. I kept saying to myself, no it isn't true, they made a mistake. To my complete horror I was wrong.
My mom kept saying "I've got to go see Dawn. I need to be with my sister" My mom ran down stairs to get ready to go, I followed her and just stood there, still paralyzed. She hugged me and said that she loved me. I had never seen my mom so panicked. She went into the bathroom to take a shower and I could still hear her sobbing through the door. I was all by myself, now. I was standing in the middle of the family room as the words "She's dead" pierced my heart like daggers of ice. I was screaming OH, GOD NO, NOT HER and started to cry uncontrollably. The realization that I would never see Elizabeth again struck me.
I come from a big family with many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. As I was standing there all alone I thought back to the time when I got to spend a week with Liz. Almost a year ago to the date, most of the family was together for my other cousin's wedding. All the cousins sat at the same table and we had such a good time together. Liz was twelve years older than I and we had never really spent much time together, but we really connected last summer. She was a busy person, she had so many things that she wanted to accomplish. She helped me through some tough times when I was growing up, and now, I would never get the chance to tell her how I felt and how much she helped me. My chance was gone and so was she.
We drove to my cousin Jamie's house and as we saw my aunt Dawn. The look on her face was very unbearable. My aunt was in a daze and still in denial. My mom held her older sister like she was her child. My aunt screamed "MY BABY"!
We found out Liz's fiancee, Steve, went to pick her up from the airport in Houston, Texas. They were on their way back home to Austin, TX where she lived. She had said that she was really tired and wanted to sleep. She was sitting in the front seat and had her seat belt on. She was in the front and had the seat reclined. Somehow, Steve lost control of the car and Liz was thrown out of the car through the back window. She was killed instantly.
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