Life is 2 short 2 be lived carelessly

i was at a funeral this afternoon...


it was tough. Stefanie (the girl who passed away) was my age...18...turning 19. she used 2 be in my standard and i knew her from several church camps we've been on. although i didn't know her that well i felt very moved. the church was packed - i rate 500 people maybe - and i was glad to see that so many had come 2 show their love and support for this grieving family. the service was very special, many of her friends and family made heartfelt contributions. one thing stood out to me: Stefanie was dearly loved, she impacted hundreds of lives and from what i heard about her...wow! this girl lived a full life! And everybody mentioned her contagious smile, her positive attitude, her enthusiasm! what is especially comforting to know is that Stefanie was a believer - she knew Jesus as her Lord, God as her daddy...how wonderful 2 know that she is in heaven now...where her smile will live on forever...


funerals also always get me thinking about my own life. it is a good reminder to evaluate our own life. do i take my days on this earth for granted? do i tell my parents, my brother, my family, my friends...how much i love them and do i put this love into action? do i enjoy being alive, being able to run, laugh, sing, learn, hug...? i think Stefanie can be an inspiration to us all - a reminder for us to live our lives to the full and to thank God for every day he grants us with the people we love...

Our deepest fear

Yesterday evening i went to watch the movie "akeelah and the bee" with my brother and cousin. It's a really great movie - definitelly recomendable.
This qoute was read in the one of the scenes and since i love qoutes i decided to look for it on the internet... here it is. think about it, reflect on it....is it true for you?

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

our presence automatically liberates others.”

- Marianne Williamson.

Happily ever after?

Every day when i drive back from varsity i see this huge billboard next to the road...

I actually like it quite a lot...it's a stunning picture, portraying love, beauty, peace, security and contentment...its one of those images where i would say "a picture says more than a thousand words..." :)

But what do the 3 (or 4, depending on how you see it) words below the image say?

"Invest in ever-afters"

This company is encouraging people to buy insurance and so invest in their own peace of mind, in a happy and secure future...an ever-after. This is definitely a wise thing to do as insurance does provide a certain sense of security...at least for this life.

But what happens after that? What happens when life on earth comes to an end...it is the harsh reality: even the happiest "ever-after" can only last so long. Do we still feel as secure about our future in that light? Do you know where you will end up once you life on earth has expired...where will you spend forever?

Maybe it is a good idea to invest not only in this life but also in our forever.

Here is the truth:

God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really
die.
John 3:16 (The bible)

All you have to do to be saved is believe in Jesus Christ.
Yes, that's how easy it is to invest in your forever-after...

Miracles

"These are the days when we can see miracles, God's wonders everywhere..."

Earlier this year my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer...he has a tumor in his throat. It was a big shock for my whole family. The doctors said the cancer is already at such a late stage that an operation to remove the tumor would not be possible...the cancer had also spread to his liver and lungs. All they could do was put him on chemo and hope to keep him alive a bit longer. One doctor even stated that he might only have a few months left. What can one do in such a situation? As a christian...and maybe even as a non-believer, you start to pray...pray hard...and that's what we did. We told everybody to pray and I'm sure more than 100 people prayed for my grandpa in the last few months.

Now, why have i chosen the heading "miracles"? Do you even believe in miracles? Have you ever witnessed one? I certainly have!!

Listen to this...last week my granny calls and says "Guess what! The tumors in his lungs and liver have disappeared! the main tumor in his throat has shrunk and the doctor said now an operation might even be possible! His doctor even admitted that he has never had a patient who has responded this well to the chemo therapy!" Well, now isn't that a miracle?!

I sure think so :)

"Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe." - Saint Augustine

well, well, well....

...wat do we hav here? a new blogger? an interesting specimen...i must say...lol!

i guess i decided 2 make my life a public matter...haha...just joking.

blogging just sounded like sumthing i should start, something i'd njoy. i love writing and it gives me an opertunity 2 share my wisdom with the world ;) haha

dont xpect daily updates - as an ot student i got no tym 4 such silly things! mayb more like monthly updates...if i'm lucky and God allows me an extra potion of tym it might even b a weekly matter :)

hey, the thing with tym....God really is the 1 in control so it wasnt even a joke and i hope u didnt laugh. wat i'm sayin is that God decides wen ur life starts (he wanted 2 hav u here @earth) and we neva kno when the end of our life could come....a 19 year old girl i kno just passed away recently...thats my age! hey, would i b ready 2 die now? no ways! but i guess if its my tym and God decides 2 take me home.....? thats 1 matter we dont hav a say over.

another aspect on the whole tym thing is that God in a way also controls how much tym we get 2 spend on certain things....like i think wen we put him first he will allow there 2 b enough tym 4 all the other important things in our life! it will all fall into place :)

but i betta get back 2 studyin now. writin psyc exam on wednesday! shuks....thats the life of a student....

kewl man...till next tym....

b gud :)