Simplify Your Life- The Key To Lasting Contentment

Unfulfilled desires make us frustrated and unhappy. When we desire anything, we come up with complex plans to attain the goals of our desires. Thus, our lives become complicated. And the more complicated our lives become, the more disappointment and frustrations will set in when we fail to achieve the goals of our desires. THE SOLUTION? SIMPLIFY OUR LIVES AND FORGO ANY DESIRE EXCEPT THE DESIRE TO PLEASE GOD AND GIVE GLORY TO HIS NAME. The Bible says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1a). It is not wrong to plan and dream but be sure that our plans and dreams are in the will of God. If we surrender our lives to Him, then we cease to desire things for ourselves and become content with what God will ordain for us. The key here is living a simple life free from complications and grandiose designs that do not correspond to the will of God. Many people have delusions of grandeur. They think so highly of themselves that sometimes they become arrogant and ruthless. Too much ambition kills the virtues inherent in the soul. Thus, one lives by the norm of dog eats dog as their motivation in life. He lives by the worldly appetite for pleasure seeking and the pursuit of happiness. Success may be obtained but at what price? The eventual loss of one's soul and one's direct communication with God. Better be content with what God will provide for us through sheer hard work but for His glory alone. SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE AND ALIGN IT WITH GOD'S WILL AND YOU WILL FIND CONTENTMENT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Simplify Your Life, Key To Lasting Contentment, Unfulfilled Desires, Frustrations, Unhappy, Goals, Desire To Please God, Give Glory To God's Name, Delusions of Grandeur, Ambition, Arrogance, Ruthlessness, Dog Eats Dog, Pursuit of Happiness

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational

Would You Exchange The Hereinafter For The Here And Now?

When we were kids, we asked so many trivial things from our parents which they sometimes gave but most of the time, they focused more on the more important and lasting needs of their children. They prepared their children for a better future by sending them to the best schools and nurturing them to the more important and valuable lessons in life. If our parents have treated us this way, how much more will our heavenly Father ordain nothing but the best for His children. But people are preoccupied with the here and now than the more important and eternal hereinafter. Many Christians are also guilty of this. They focus more on their own personal needs and relationships and bombard God with all kinds of petitions for the trinkets of life. But God is never the Father to pamper and spoil His children with things that will destroy their very souls later on. He will never ever sacrifice the eternal for the temporal, the heavenly for the earthly pleasures most men ardently seek after. God looks from a different perspective which is centered on the needs of the soul than the wants of the body. He willingly let His children suffer temporary discomfort and trials so that the temporal will be replaced by the eternal characters in them. Like a good Father, He knows what is best for His children and gives only what is valuable for their spiritual development. Let us not exchange the hereinafter for the here and now but instead cooperate with God to unfold our long hidden eternal virtues. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

"Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given unto you." (Matthew 6:33)


Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Hereinafter, Here And Now, Eternal, Temporal, Destruction, Eternal Life, Mundane, Heavenly, Spiritual, Wordly, Children, Petitions, Prayer, Faith, Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, Word of God, Bible

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Spiritual/Motivational

There Is Always Light At The End Of Every Dark Tunnel

Are you experiencing a mountain load of problems that seems to push you down to your knees? Is light so elusive as you pass through that dark tunnel of your energy sapping trial? Are friends nowhere to be found in your moments of anguish? Has the thought of ending your life always passes through your mind? Banish these negative thoughts and concentrate on God's wonderful promises to bring you comfort and joy in your moments of misery. You are experiencing the passage through the dark tunnel of your soul. You are traversing that desert plain that makes your tongue parched from spiritual water and nourishment. Like the ancient Israelites, you must wander through the desert of fear, uncertainties and testings before you reach the Promise Land of deliverance and abundance. It is really sickening and debilitating if you are experiencing this inevitable episode in every Christian life. We are passing through the Refiner's fire to burn all the dross materials in our soul. The experience is really painful and very agonizing but it does not last very long. As soon as we learned the lesson we have to learn and develop the Christlike character God wants us to develop, then we will experience God's mighty deliverance and showers of blessings. So if you are in a dark tunnel right now, take heart, trust God and soon you will see the first light of the glorious day of deliverance.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." (1Corinthians 2:9)


Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Light, Tunnel, World, Man, Experience, Trials, Desert Experience, Deliverance, Promise Land, Israelites, Christian, God's Promises, Testings, Faith, Hope, Joy, Peace, Word of God, Bible

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Spiritual/Motivational

Stigmata- Miracle or Fraud?

Stigmata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. The term originates from the line at the end of Saint Paul's Letter to the Galatians where he says, "I bear on my body the stígmata of Jesus" - stigmata is the plural of the Greek word στίγμα, stígma, a mark or brand such as might have been used for identification of an animal or slave. An individual bearing stigmata is referred to as a stigmatic.

The causes of stigmata may vary from case to case, though supernatural causes have never been proven. Stigmata are primarily associated with the Roman Catholic faith. Many reported stigmatics are members of Catholic religious orders. The majority of reported stigmatics are female. ^[1]

The first well-documented case and the first to be accepted by Church authorities as authentic, was that of Saint Francis of Assisi (1182–1226), who first experienced stigmata in La Verna, Italy, in 1224.^[2]

In the century after the death of St. Francis, more than 20 additional cases of stigmata were reported. Stigmata have continued to be reported since, with over 300 cases by the end of the 19th century.^[1][3]

In the 20th century, the number of cases increased dramatically; over 500 cases have now been recorded. In modern times, increasing numbers of ordinary people as opposed to the usual mystics or members of religious orders, have began to report stigmata. Although rarer, cases have been reported among non-Catholic Christians,^[4] including a young black Baptist girl.^{[citation needed]}

The first written record of a woman to have received stigmata is in the Medieval Codex Iuliacensis, circa 1320–1350, reporting the stigmata of Blessed Christina von Stommeln (d. 1312), whose relics rest in the Propsteikirche in Jülich, near Aachen.^[5] It is claimed that one can still see marks from the crown of thorns on Bl. Christina's skull, which is publicly displayed during the octave beginning every 6 November in Jülich.

[edit] Description

Cases of stigmata take various forms. Many show some or all of the five Holy Wounds that were, according to the Bible, inflicted on Jesus during his crucifixion: wounds in the wrists and feet, from nails, and in the side, from a lance. Some stigmatics display wounds to the forehead similar to those caused by the crown of thorns. Other reported forms include tears of blood or sweating blood, wounds to the back as from scourging, or wounds to the shoulder as from bearing the cross. In addition, in some cases lashes on the back can be witnessed.

Some stigmatics claim to feel the pain of wounds with no external marks; these are referred to as invisible stigmata. In other claims, stigmata are accompanied by extreme pain. Some stigmatics' wounds do not appear to clot, and stay fresh and uninfected. The blood from the wounds is said, in some cases, to have a pleasant, perfumed odor, known as the Odour of Sanctity.

Individuals who have obtained the stigmata are many times described as ecstatics. At the time of receiving the stigmata they often have a mystical experience or a vision of Christ. In more recent times an individual’s stigmata is reported to heal within a few hours of its reception. Blood pours from the individual’s wounds for unspecified amounts of time and suddenly dries up, and the wound is healed. Some individuals with stigmata in the past sought medical attention, but neither remedies nor medical treatment of any other sort could cure their wounds. Stigmatics, such as St. Francis were affected by the stigmata for an extended period of time; however, the wounds never rotted or possessed a rank odor or became infected^[6]. Reported stigmatics are usually devout Roman Catholics. The wounded area is most likely to heal in less than 2 hours leaving no mark or trace of a wound.

[edit] Famous stigmatics

• Lucia Brocadelli of Narni
• Saint Catherine of Ricci
• Saint Catherine of Siena
• Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
• Saint Francis of Assisi
• Saint Gemma Galgani
• Saint Veronica Giuliani
• Saint John of God
• Saint Faustina Kowalska
• Saint Marie of the Incarnation
• Sister Therese Margaret
• Sister Mariam Thresia
• Therese Neumann
• Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (aka Padre Pio)
• Saint Rita of Cascia
• Zlatko Sudac
• Haile Selassie (of the Rastafari religion)

Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Stigmata, Crucifixion, Stigmatics, Church, Faith, Hope, Man, Wounds, Belief

Sourced From: WIKIPEDIA
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Mystery

Stop The Killing of Dogs in China (A Re-Post From Sharm of World United Bloggers)

EMERGENCY POST

Pet dogs are well loved in China, but why is there this shocking and cruel killing of dogs in some Chinese restaurants that cater to dog eaters?

Please watch this video which I re-posted from Sharm of World United Bloggers and be horrified with the extreme cruelty of these Chinese restaurant's crew in killing and cooking meat from the so called "man's best friend."

Stop killing dogs in china
it is hard to watch this clip

Inspite Of Everything, This Is Still A Wonderful Life

We are what we think we are. We are the sum product of the totality of all our thoughts. If we think positive and good thoughts, then we are living in a veritable paradise. But if we focus on all the faults of men including our own in this world, then we are living in a hellish world inhabited by negative people who keep on pulling themselves down to their own quagmire of defeats and frustrations. One way to make our world a wonderful one is to focus on what is right with us and others and not what is wrong. In other words, we should always count our blessings. If we focus on all the good things God has done for us since we were born including all our answered prayers, then we will realize that we have a perfect and loving Father who have provided us with all the beautiful and sensible things in life. Remember, God looks at things from a vastly superior point of view and will not mind making us suffer a little if we will be able to accomplish an improvement in character that is far more effective in carrying out His divine purpose in our lives. God knows exactly what He wants from us and will not stop until He accomplishes His purpose for our lives. So we suffer untold miseries and pains every time we move on the opposite direction of what He really wants from us. Until we finally learn that our very purpose for life is to please Him and give glory to His name. In spite of everything that is happening to this world, it is still a wonderful life that we are living.

Tags: Wonderful Life, Wonderful World, God, Man, Life, Joy, Beautiful, Pleasing, Focus, Positive, Dream, Character, Purpose, Glory, Name, Noble

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational

A Re-Post From Emmyrose' Dancing With Butterflies

I enjoin all my readers and friends to please pray again for sis Emmyrose of Dancing With Butterflies. She is suffering from lupus, fibromyalgia and herpes and has just undergone an operation on her thigh. She is in a wheelchair and could not do things on her own without the assistance of others. Her spiritual reserves are too low and she's too depressed. Let's all pray for her and be like an angel to minister to her spiritual and emotional needs. Thank you all very much. God bless us all.

Mel Avila Alarilla

It’s A Bit Gloomy

June 8th, 2009

WARNING: The content of this entry contains a lot of ranting and sad emotions, it’s your discretion to continue reading…

For the past few months I have been suffering a lot because of my illness. It started last June of 2008 when I was stricken with Herpes Zoster in my right forehead which extended in my right eye that almost lead me to blindness. The headache back then was intolerable, I had to have my pain reliever with me every time and what’s annoying besides the awful look on my face was the four kinds of eye drop that I have to put in my eyes…

This is how I look like after some blisters are starting to dried out, it was so awful and painful, and it took so long before the blisters left my face I had to put a lot of face concealers just to look presentable.

After the Herpes Zoster I was able to live normally again, it was in August when I went to Singapore and for once I was able to enjoy myself together with my college friends…

After that wondrous trip, I went back to work and do all the things that I wanted to do.. September was fine but when October came I had to be hospitalized again because of my kidneys…

October is my favorite month because of my birthday but during this month I wasn’t able to walk and I have to wear a mask everywhere I go. My mom also got me a personal nanny that I found annoying because it made me feel helpless.

Months passed by and everything was starting to be normal again, I was able to do the things I love and I was happy. I feel normal once more despite having a nanny (which is not bad after all) I was enjoying myself and I’ve been going out with friends on my own again, traveling to Manila on my own and going to work in Makati on my own. It was a nice feeling although I have to wear a mask everytime, it doesn’t matter I just want to be out in the house.

March came and I was in high spirits, it was the last week of our Bible class in three public schools so I was busy preparing for farewell parties. I was also busy attending our church gatherings and I am also preparing for my mom’s secret surprise party… which turned out to be a blast and my mom was so overwhelmed and happy. But it was the night when I insisted on going with my church buddies to go to MV Doulos the ship bookstore, I always love to go there and I will never miss it for the world…

MV DOULOS the largest, oldest floating bookstore in the world

It was after climbing the upper deck that I felt the pain in my right thigh but I dismissed it right away because I want to pretend I am fine because I know my church friends are starting to worry because it’s getting late and the butterfly markings in my face are starting to appear but I told them I am fine. The next day I got a high fever, I was chilling and I had a terrible nausea and I couldn’t eat anything… Before I know it I was already being confined in the hospital…

April came and I’ve been sick the whole time but at least I was able to stand and walk, I can also go wherever I want as long as I have my nanny with me but the endless medicines are killing me…

It was May 16, when my nephrologist decided it was time for me to be admitted again, because my right thigh is swelling like a 5 gallon water tank and it’s so heavy I cannot walk anymore. It was also so in flame because it was so red and hot. It was also so painful that by merely touching it will bring me to tears. I underwent xray, ultra sound, duplex scan but to no avail… my doctors still couldn’t find what’s with my right thigh. After that I underwent Biopsy which had pure pus cells alone and the MRI confirmed that I have no tumor, it was only pus cells that’s inside my right thigh and they decided to operate right away. But I have a low hemoglabin and I needed 4 bags of blood, my mom texted everybody she knows because we needed 8 people to donate blood. It seems impossible at first to find people to donate but in just hours our church pastors came, some of our friends too and the people that came to donate was way beyond our expection. That night two bags of blood was transfused and I was scheduled for an operation the next day…

Honestly, I was scared it was my first time to undergo a general anesthesia and I’m not quite sure of what to expect.

The next day, it was around 10:30 when I was fetched in my room and the operating people prepared me for the operation, I could see my mom worried eyes and I feel like crying. The operation was scheduled at 1pm, I’m not sure what happened in between those hours but the next thing I knew it was already 3pm and I was being brought to the recovery room.. It was like I’m in a twilight, I know what happened but I’m not sure, I wanted to speak but there are no words, I told myself do I have amnesia…nope I still know everything I should know but why do I feel like I’m floating… I closed my eyes and fell asleep, it was already 4pm and I finally asked the nurse when can I go back in my room, he said in a little while and I asked him if I can drink water but he said I’m not yet allowed to drink water… so I closed my eyes again anthis time I prayed…

I was released two weeks after and it was a terrible experience. Right now I’m in wheelchair absolutely helpless and I couldn’t even sit on my own let alone stand and walk. I am such a burden to everyone and I just hate every moment that I have to lay down wait for someone to lift me up and carry me to the wheelchair. I even need my mom to dress me up, to bathe me and everything else. I’m losing hair too, not only my weight is starting to drop within normal and my hemoglabin is too low that I have to be injected thrice a week. I also take 10 different medicines in the morning, 5 at lunch time and 10 at bedtime. Being confined in this wheelchair until my operation heals is way too much for me. I feel helpless and I want to tell myself not to lose hope that somehow there will some better days but during my time of pain I just find it hard to believe. There are thoughts in my head that what if I’ll never get better that I’ll be stuck in this wheelchair forever or what if I’ll be such a burden with everyone that they would turn their backs on me eventually. I’m not sure of what the future holds but it’s a bit gloomy for now…

Posted in Personal | 3 Comments »

Tags: Emmyrose, Dancing With Butterflies, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Herpes, Pain, Depression, Hopelessness, Overwhelmed, Prayers, Spiritual Strength, Corporate Prayers, Knocking on Heaven's Gate, We Are All United in Pain and Suffering

Re-posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Philippines

Prayer Request/Unity in Pain