BE Attitudes

Be understanding to your perceived enemies.

     Be loyal to your friends.

·         Be strong enough to face the world each day.

·         Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.

Be generous to those who need your help.

·         

   

Be frugal with that you need yourself.

Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.

·         Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.

·         Be willing to share your joys.

Be willing to share the sorrows of others.

·         

   

    

    Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.

·         Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.

·         Be first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.

·         Be last to criticize a colleague 

    who fails.

Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.

·        

           Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way.

·         Be loving to those who love you..

·         Be loving to those 

    who do not love you; they may change.

Above all, be yourself!

Be blessed

Denise

One Flaw In Women

Hi there!

It's been a while since my last post. I've been really busy with well...life! I'm in my final year of A-level now so things are starting to heat up a bit, but I'm so glad to be almost done with "high school"! My older sister sent me this email and I just thought I'd share it...

One Flaw In Women

By  the time the Lord made woman,

He  was into his sixth day of working overtime.

An  angel appeared and said,


"Why  are you spending so much time on this one?"


And  the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on  her?

She  has to be completely washable, but not plastic,

have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable

and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,

have a lap that can hold four children at one time,

have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken
heart

-and she will do everything with only two hands."


The angel was astounded at the requirements.

"Only two hands!? No way!

And  that's just on the standard model?

That's  too much work for one day.

Wait  until tomorrow to finish."


"But  I won't," the Lord protested.

"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own
heart.

She  already heals herself when she is sick

AND can work 18 hour days."


The angel moved closer and touched the woman.

"But you have made her so soft, Lord."


"She is soft," the Lord agreed,

"but I have also made her tough.

You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."


"Will she be able to think?" asked  the angel.


The Lord replied,

"Not only will she be able to think,

she will be able to reason and negotiate."


The angel then noticed something,

and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.

"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.

I told you that you were trying to put too much into this  one."


"That's not a leak,"

the Lord corrected,

"that's a tear!"


"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.


The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her  joy, her
sorrow,
her pain, her disappointment, her love, her  loneliness, her grief and
her
pride."


The angel was impressed.

"You are a genius, Lord.

You thought of everything!

Woman is truly amazing."


And she is!

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness,

love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about

a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care
about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideals.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER,  IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

*Blessings*

Denise

We must keep our lamps burning...

As a young woman, I often find it difficult to be selfless, to think of others before myself. Sometimes,it's so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves and our worries and cares, that we forget the true meaning of what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ. His message was one of love...in fact His death on the cross was the most precious act of love that can ever be shown. He wanted to be an example to us so that we could go out into the world and love others as he did us. 

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

-1 John 4:7-12

This is one of my favourite quotes, explaining that loving our neighbours doesn't have to be a huge thing that we have to do every day;




"Don't think that love, to be true, has to be extraordinary. What is necessary is to continue to love. How does a lamp burn, if it is not by the continuous feeding of the little drops of oil? When there is no oil, there is no light and the bridegroom will say: "I do not know you". Dear friends, what are the drops of oil in our lamps? They are the small things from everyday life: the JOY, the GENEROSITY, the LITTLE GOOD THINGS, the HUMILITY, and the PATIENCE. A simple thought for someone else. Our way to be silent, to listen, to forgive, to speak and to act. These are the real drops of oil that make our lamps burn vividly our whole life. Don't look for Jesus far away, He is not there. He is in you, take care of your lamp and you will see Him."


                                                                                                           -Mother Teresa

True love for your neighbour must be sincere, it must come from your heart. When we love each other, we grow more in the love we have for our Lord. In the end, it is this love that will save us from ourselves...

Denise

The Book of Eli

This has to be one of the best movies I've watched in a while...I loved it!! I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't watched it yet, but in the movie, Eli (Denzel Washington) must fight to protect a special book...the last of it's kind, from the people who want to use it's power for evil.
It's an awesome movie and the actors did a great job =)

I'm loosening my grasp...

So exams are REALLY stressing me out right now. I am overwhelmed, I am overworked, I am brain-dead and I just want to give up...And with my toughest week coming up, I lost myself in work. I lost sight of the one thing that means the most to me, and that's the love of the Lord. 
The bible says in Luke 10:27; 

"And he answering said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."

I have to be honest with myself and admit that I failed miserably at that...I've been putting enormous priority on my work. I've had a few nervous meltdowns and I cried my eyes out because of the huge amount of studying that I have to do to even get remotely close to a pass.

But I've realized that I was going about it in the wrong way. Nothing in this world is worth anything if you lose sight of His Kingdom. I realized that to get back that wonderful, enriching peace that comes from His love, I have to deny myself and ask Him to take over all the areas of my life.


I'm useless without Him...He has given me everything I have, and what I am today is because of Him. Surely if He has gotten me THIS far in my academic life, He can surely help me overcome these challenging science papers. 


So for everyone out there who feels weak and tired and just wants to give up, hold on to the fact that our God is an AMAZING God. He knows what he's doing and NOTHING is impossible for Him. He will lift you up to fly on eagle's wings...

"They that hope in the LORD 

   will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; 

   they will run and not grow weary, 

   they will walk and not be faint."

-Isaiah 40:31

Grace be with all of you.

Denise

A Woman's Question

This is one of my favourite poems...

A Woman's Question

by Lena Lathrop

Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing,

Ever made by the Hand above?

A woman's heart and a woman's life,

And a woman's wonderful love.

Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing,

As a child might ask for a toy?

Demanding what others have died to win,

With the reckless dash of a boy.

You have written my lesson of duty out,

Manlike, you have questioned me.

Now stand at the bars of my woman's soul,

Until I have questioned thee.

You require that your mutton shall always be hot,

Your socks and your shirts be whole;

I require that your heart be as true as Yah's stars,

And as pure as His heaven, your soul.

You require a cook for your mutton and beef,

I require a far greater thing.

A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts,

I look for a man and a king.

A king for the beautiful realm called Home,

And a man that his Maker Yah, could,

Look upon just as He did at the first,

And say, 'it is very good'.

I am fair and young but the rose may fade,

From this soft young cheek one day;

Will you love me amid the falling leaves,

As you did 'mong the blossoms of May?

Is your heart an ocean, strong and true,

I may launch my all on its tide?

A loving woman finds heaven or hell,

On the day she is made a bride.

I require all things that are grand and free,

All things that a man should be;

If you give this all, I would stake my life,

To be all you demand of me.

If you cannot be this, a laundress and cook,

You can hire and little to pay;

But a woman's heart and a woman's life

Are not to be won that way.

  Denise

The Lord is compassion and love

Sometimes when I fall short of what it means to be a true daughter of the Almighty, it really tears me down. I often feel empty and everything in my life gets all muddled up and obscure. His Word tells us;

"Let your eyes look straight ahead

and your glance be directly forward.

Survey the path for your feet,

and let all your ways be sure.

Turn neither to right nor to left,

keep your foot far from evil."

                      -Proverbs 4:25-27

What do you do when you yield to temptation? What happens when you fail to listen to God's voice and you stray from Him and take matters into your own hands?

I know that God is never pleased when we succumb to temptation, especially if we already know Christ.


Often it's hard to ignore the voice in my head that's telling me that what I have done will never be forgiven, that I am a horrible Christian and that I he will never take me back because I am too tarnished for his holiness.


But that is a lie. The devil is a lie. It's important to remember that our Father is POWERFUL and MERCIFUL. 

"My soul, give thanks to the Lord,

all my being, bless His holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

and never forget all His blessings.

It is He who forgives all your guilt,

who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

who crowns you with love and compassion.

The Lord is compassion and love,

slow to anger and rich in mercy.

He does not treat us according to our sins

nor repay us according to our faults.

As far as the east is from the west

so far does he remove our sins.

As a father has compassion on his sons,

the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him."

                            -Psalms 103

When you sin, repent and be truly sorry for your sins. Try and avoid the occasions of sin that got you there in the first place. Remember that God is always there to cry to when it fills like temptation is winning over the will of your spirit. He WILL help you fight anything and everything that you cannot fight on your own. He WILL forgive you if you are truly repentant.

The Lord is Compassion and Love

We cannot celebrate the Lord of love without resolving to be more like Him; for we are built into Him like stones into a Temple erected to give glory to God. We belong to Him.

So be encouraged and keep your head up, striving to the one common goal; that is to be welcomed into the kingdom of God. If rain clouds come or the cold winds blow, the Lord goes before us and in our hearts we know that each new day is a gift from Him and a new chance to be the best that we can be.

Father Thomas Merton

A short excerpt from "Run to the mountain" which is one of the published journals of Thomas Merton (the story of his vocation)...


It is easier to begin praying by glorifying God and remembering His goodness and His mercies, for they are obvious. Obvious, for example, in the consolation of the cool air, or the sun or the rain which falls on the just and the unjust alike - or in the stories of the Saints, or in the miracles of the Gospel, or in Christ's preaching, or in the miracles of the Saints, or in the great solace of Mass and prayer. But in continually asking for things without glorifying God and first being unmindful of his mercies, then prayer becomes sometimes dry and barren and harsh and without solace, and is reduced to mumbling.



I'm really enjoying reading this book. It's the first journal type of book I've ever read and it's interesting to go deep into someone else's daily reflections, especially that of a priest.=)
Anyway, PRAYER is now an extremely important part of my life, and it should be for any other young lady who is striving to be holy. It often feels like the whole world is fighting against you and there are temptations at every corner. But prayer is the one thing that you we can be sure will keep us strong in faith. The Lord, Our Heavenly Father is always there when we need Him.

"I will be with you as I was with Moses: I will not forsake you. Be firm and steadfast..."  
-Joshua 1:5


To really connect to Him, we must talk to Him daily, through prayer! It's not easy though because I often find myself asking for all sorts of things (which in reality I know I don't really need). I have to keep reminding myself that Our God is a Great God.

Dear Father, you are holy and let your name forever be praised. Please help me to remember your mercies that come each day. Help me to remember that without you I am nothing. Help me to serve you better and to be a good example of what it means to be a Christian. 

Christmas and New Years!!

Christmas is a beautiful time of the year...Our Saviour was born on that special day. As Christians we meditate on the great story!

The arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem to worship the Messiah and bring Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:1-12). Since the earliest days of the church, these wise men have been considered to be representatives of all the peoples of the earth. By means of a miraculous star, God showed them that Jesus was born to be not only the King of the Jews, but the Lord and Savior of all nations!

Here are some Christmas photos of me and my family and friends!

Me, Annette and Wacera

 My darling niece, Gabriella, before we cut her beautiful hair =(

Santa hat!! =)

 Wacera =)

*Gabi and I*

Strike a pose

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,

Denise

New Year Wishes!!

Sigh...even though I have absolutely no blog viewers, it never hurts to hope right...=)
In case someone does visit...here's to you...

I wish you Health...

So you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the Love of friends and family...

And Peace within your heart.

I wish you the Beauty of nature...

That you may enjoy the work of God.

I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities...

For those things that really matter in life.

I wish you Generosity so you may share...

All good things that come to you.

I wish you Happiness and Joy...

And blessings for the New Year.

I wish you the best of everything...

That you so well deserve.

Happy New Year! 2011

Blessed Redeemer

Up Calvary's mountain one dreadful morn
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn
Facing for sinners, death on the cross
That He might save them from endless loss

Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading
Blind and unheeding, dying for me

"Father, forgive them," my Savior prayed
Even while His lifeblood flowed fast away
Praying for sinners while in such woe
No one but Jesus ever loved so

Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading
Blind and unheeding, dying for me
Dying for me

Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading
Blind and unheeding, dying for me

Oh, how I love Him, Savior and Friend
How can my praises ever find end?
Through years unnumbered on Heaven's shore
My songs shall praise Him forevermore

Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading
Blind and unheeding, dying for me

Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him on Calvary's tree
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading
Blind and unheeding, dying for me

Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him


One of my fave songs by Casting Crowns