After Silence

How Silly We Can Be

onedesi — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 04:51:41 +0000

15 It is man’s fuel for burning;

some of it he takes and warms himself,

he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

But he also fashions a god and worships it;

he makes an idol and bows down to it.

16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;

over it he prepares his meal,

he roasts his meat and eats his fill.

He also warms himself and says,

“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”

17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;

he bows down to it and worships.

He prays to it and says,

“Save me; you are my god.”

Isaiah 44:15-17

When we take something that God has provided for our benefit and put it on a pedestal treating it more highly than the Provider, we become idolaters.

Education is a tool for the growth of our minds and intellectual. But when we decide that we have become so educated that we no longer need to recognize the greatness of God, or when we decide that education is a prerequisite to serving him, we become idolaters.

Tradition is a method of life allowed by God for societies, communities or families to thrive as it provides familiarity and connectedness. But when we decide that tradition is more important than what God might want in a given situation, we become idolaters.

Finances are for us to use for our benefit as we have needs in this life. However, when we start to pursue money and make financial security of higher priority than pursuing God’s will for our lives, we become idolaters.

Lord, help me praise only Him who is worthy, to pursue only Him who is worthy, and to serve only Him who is worthy.

Benita

Herstory Maker

onedesi — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:21:28 +0000

i am a Christian. i am a Feminist. i am an Indian. i value justice and equality. i will not apologize. i will not retreat. i will not be defeated. i do not owe anyone an explanation. i am independent. i am empowered. i am a woman. and i am writing herstory.

If…then God…

onedesi — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:41:46 +0000

This was an exercise from one of lessons from Beth Moore’s Study on Esther that has to do with thinking through our greatest fears. The “if” is our fear, the “then” is coming to terms with it in light of God’s providence. After the “if” and before the “then”, there will probably be plenty of heartbreak, sorrow, loss, hurt, distance and time…but after the struggle, there will be a “then” and not just a “then” but a “then God”…

If every person I love and count on fails me, then God will still be with me as He promised.

If I am confused and directionless, then God has a plan.

If I am broken beyond repair, then God desires to accomplish something monumental in me.

If I am in need and struggling to survive, then God is going to demonstrate His sufficiency to me.

If people misjudge me, then God knows my heart.

If people take advantage of me, then God will repay.

If I cannot be here for my family, then God will take care of them.

If somehow I miss God’s plan for my life, then God will still love me.

If I perish, then God is still on His throne and all is not lost.

Right now, I’m in between the “if” and the “then” waiting for God…

Remind Me

onedesi — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:20:58 +0000

Have I not wept for those in trouble?
Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

Yet when I hoped for good, evil came;
When I looked for light, then came darkness.

The churning inside me never stops;
Days of suffering confront me.

Job 30:25-27 (NIV)

After Silence

onedesi — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:16:39 +0000

Sometimes I want to tell the sun to wait a while to rise. Darkness hides the debris of an afflicted soul. But the light of morning welcomes His mercies anew. And failure doesn’t scare me anymore.

Protected: Lunch with Dad

onedesi — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:53:19 +0000

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Contemplations

onedesi — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:06:01 +0000

Give without expecting the golden rule to return the favour. Serve without the need for appreciation. Let your work be inspired by sincerity and not just the drive to succeed. Take time to hear people out, and not just the ones who speak your language. When you fall in love, let it be unexpected.

Sometimes, you find beauty in what is ugly on the surface. You can find treasure if you take the time to look deeper. God doesn’t judge you based on what people think of you. So don’t let yourself judge others because they don’t look as polished on the outside.

It’s not the easy road. But it’s simple and it’s honest.

I live in a city where everyone looks good. I look around me and people look fabulous all the time. The lawyers that stop by starbucks for their coffee three times a day seem to have it made. The fashionistas I see on the street on a day to day basis sure seem to have it all together. But I wonder, if I could take the person out of the environment, what would they be like? Who would you be without the perfect body and fabulous wardrobe? Who would you be without your swanky downtown office and power suits? Who would you be if we stripped away the exterior and looked inside your heart?

I know one thing. It would be cool to look amazing everyday, have a respectable job, and have the world think I’m wonderful. But I know that the day the facade cracks, the world will leave me out to dry and find the next best thing to devote their attentions to.

Let me not end without saying that if you have it made and life is good, then that’s great and I’m happy for you. But I don’t respect you any more than the man on the street to whom life hasn’t been quite as wonderful.

Find yourself and don’t let go. If I am misrepresented. If they disapprove of what I’m doing. If I never amount to anything. It doesn’t matter. Because I know who I am.

As for me, I want to live a simple life. Unassuming. Unpretentious. Not without difficulties, but joyful amidst them. And full of love.

The Bright Side of Darkness

onedesi — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:32:11 +0000

Jesus said, “Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They’ll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.” John 10:29-31

It’s interesting, that part about “troubles”…kinda just thrown in there at the end but an important point nonetheless. Having gone through several really dark and troublesome periods in my life (and I’m sure there are many more to come), I have been trying to find the bright side of darkness, the benefit of trouble. Common sense would count me crazy. But there is a lot to be learned in the most turbulent seasons of our lives. Trouble in the life of a Christian is a vital sign.

They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, which means that we should be able to handle what comes our way, and when we feel weak, He is strong. So when problems inevitably intrude upon our lives, there is always an opportunity for growth or something good to come out of it.

In the life of a Christian, you can be certain that if you aren’t doing anything radical to shake the kingdom of darkness, obviously you’re going to have a sweet life. It’s when you make those bold moves, step out into the unknown in faith, decide to go where none has gone before–that’s when you become a target and things get messy. But you’ll find that in those turbulent times, God covers you under His wings and you’ll find Heavenly peace. Remember that under the shadow of His wings, it may be dark, but you’ll be safe.

You know, when you decide in your heart to truly follow after Christ, to identify with Him in His suffering, to love people as He loved, and to deny yourself for the sake of His Gospel, and you actually begin to live out that life, you’ll lose out on everything the world has to offer. The world may think that you’re wasting your life, your time, your talents, but that is the greatest investment because it’s an investment with eternal rewards. It’s all part of that “Great Reversal”. God’s Kingdom priciples are opposite to that of the world. Don’t lose heart!

The verse talks about losing home and family. I think often when you step out radically for Christ, it’s the people closest to you who can be the most discouraging. You may feel guilty because you’re choosing something else over them. You may feel like you’ve betrayed them because you aren’t looking out for their best interests. You may feel incompetent because you no longer want or strive for those all great things they want for you because it is the cross and love and justice which are the driving factors of your life. But God promises that such a sacrifice is never a waste. True, troubles may abound. In the eternal picture, however, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Objectives

onedesi — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:53:43 +0000

Lots of people make lists of things they want to do in the next ten or twenty years or before they die. Here’s my list of life goals. I know they’re not concrete and measurable. But I wrote them to be more directive rather than something to be achieved.

1. Walk with God
2. Serve people
3. Inspire others
4. Lift up the weary
5. Mirror Christ
8. Share the Gospel
9. Offer hope
10. Educate people
11. Fight for justice
12. Love like Jesus

For His glory,

Benita