This is the product of my fertile thoughts. I am recreating them here and am sharing them with you, dear bloggers, for whatever benefits, if any, you could derive from them. I wish you could be more open and share with me your comments and suggestions so that I can improve on my blog. Thank you, God bless and have a nice day. Mel Avila Alarilla
What was the sin of Lucifer before he was cast out of heaven and before he was thrown down to earth to become Satan? Was it not the sin of pride which caused him to rebel against God and the heavenly hosts (angels)?
Lucifer was the highest, the most intelligent and the most beautiful of God's creation. He was almost like God but was never God.
In his worship like admiration of himself and all his superlative attributes, self pride caused him to aspire to become God. He was able to win over his side one third of the heavenly hosts and they rebelled against God and the remaining heavenly hosts.
The faithful heavenly hosts of God, led by a lowly archangel by the name of Michael, defeated Lucifer and his rebellious angels who became demons. (Lucifer was ranked as the highest Seraphim. Seraphims and Cherubims are of the highest rank- the first order in the hierarchy of angels while angels and archangels are on the third and lowest rank).
The worst enemy of man is pride. As the saying goes, "pride goes before destruction." Pride originates from a very high estimation of one's self. A proud man does not want to depend on God but wants to stand on his own two feet alone. In fact, he rebels against God's authority over him and does not want anybody to reprove him when he does something wrong. The poetic line from the poem "Invictus" characterized him most. "I am the captain of my ship, I am the master of my soul."
This is in direct contrast to God's admonition to man when He declared, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
James 4:6b says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." God loves those who are of a humble heart but abhors those who are proud in their minds. In fact, God gave these three attributes as His most admired ones, and humility was at the top of the list. Isaiah 66:2b says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."
You want to please God? Humble yourself before Him and acknowledge His sovereignty over your life. Remember, pride goes before destruction.
Whatever pain you may be suffering in your heart, however heavy the load maybe on your shoulder, however cold and dark your nights may be, remember that, "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn shining ever brighter till the full light of day." (Proverbs 4: 18)
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
Man strives for that one shinning moment in his life, that one in a million, chance of a lifetime when he can etch his name in immortality and fame. He marvels at the pantheon of the immortal greats of history- Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, and others. He marvels at the great minds that shaped the philosophical and intellectual world of mankind- Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, Freud, Emmanuel Kant, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Albert Einstein, to name a few. He spends a lifetime of planning and plotting to achieve that one in a million, chance of a lifetime shot at fame, glory and fortune and a place among the immortal greats. It does not matter whether he risks his life in order to attain that one in a million, chance of a lifetime ticket to fame, fortune and immortality.
Many have perished because of these quixotic quests. Many have fallen by the wayside in their attempt to achieve worldwide recognition. And they died disillusioned, broken and in anguish. Man has time and again, became victim of the illusionary goals of this world. They swam with the collective mindset of the world, established by that great enemy of man- Satan. Like the rats of old, they march to the hypnotic tune of the Pied Piper of Hammelin to the edge of the cliff and to their eventual doom. They strive for greatness only to end up in disaster and doom.
Why? Because God never gave us the one in a million, chance of a lifetime to be great. Instead He gives us little stones scattered all over our lives, to pick up each day until our lives become clean and wonderful, devoid of any litter and trash of this world. We then become a shinning testimony of God's greatness in our lives as we reflect His wondrous glory. Then we become a light of the world and a salt of the earth, reflecting and magnifying God's glory to the world.
One In A Million - Hannah Montana
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
(Day 1) When tempted to ask the Lord the question why? Remember that throughout all the ages, from Job down to Paul, His answer had always been and why not? For He is God, sovereign Lord over all His creation. Let us learn to uncompromisingly trust in His unfailing love and know that, "All things work together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8: 28)
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
We work ourselves to death trying to accumulate wealth for our children to hedge their future against all kinds of uncertainties in life. We buy all kinds of insurances to ensure the future welfare of our loved ones. We send our children to the best schools that our meager resources could afford just so we can ensure their future prosperity. There are times when we even sacrifice our scruples and throw our principled integrity to the waste bin just to accumulate the much sought after wealth to ensure the future of our loved ones. We worry ourselves to death regarding the future of our children, how they will fare in this jungle of existence where the norm is survival of the fittest and dog eats dog.
We do all these things and so much more, but there is one basic and fundamental question we refuse to even entertain in our minds. The question is:
HAVE WE PREPARED OUR CHILDREN FOR ETERNITY? Think about that.
"THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMS RIGHT TO A MAN BUT IN THE END IT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION." (Proverbs 14:12)
Chopin - Op 10 No. 3 in E Major (Tristesse Orchestral)
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
La Mer (The Sea) (English Translation of the Song - La Mer by Charles Trenet of France)
Somewhere beyond the sea Somewhere watching for me My lover stands on golden sands And watches the ships that go sailing
Somewhere beyond the sea Somewhere waiting for me If I could fly like birds on high Then straight to her arms I'd go sailing
It's far beyond the stars It's near beyond the moon I know beyond a doubt My love will be there soon
We'll meet beyond the shore We'll kiss just like before Happy we'll be beyond the sea And never again I'll go sailing
And never again I'll go sailing
La Mer (The Sea) - Charles Trenet (1945) - France
The Sea (A Love Poem) Mel Avila Alarilla
Ah, the sea. So many happy memories we shared by the sea. We used to play along the shores like little children. We gathered shells and made sand castles as we weaved our dreams by the sea.
We watched the sun set by the sea and we marveled at the sea birds flying all around. And we pledged our undying love by the sands of the sea.
As long as there were sands in the sea, we swore our eternal love for each other. Nothing could ever separate us, not even time and space.
But you have gone beyond the sea, and I am left alone to wade in the cold waters of the sea. As I watch the setting of the sun, I can feel only the emptiness and sorrow you left in my heart that nobody else can ever fill.
Yes, I am left standing alone by the sea, wandering whether you will still come back to me. The sea. How lonely is the sea. It sings a sad song of emptiness in my heart.
As I retrace my steps back to the shore, I am leaving behind a lonely pair of footprints where before there used to be two. The sea. How lonely is the sea.
It becomes now meaningless without you by my side. And I could feel hot tears of sorrow gliding down my cheeks as I try to drown the deep loneliness welling up inside my soul. The sea. How lonely is the sea.
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Poetry/Literary/Immortal Song/Youtube
The mind is the receptacle of our thoughts, both good and bad, sublime and inane, fanciful and serious. The mind is like the most powerful computer man ever assembled. But the mind is limited to what we feed it. Just like any computer, it's garbage in, garbage out. We do everything to keep our physical body healthy. We eat the right food, we exercise it and we give it plenty of rest. But we forget that the mind too needs our utmost care to keep it healthy.
Most of the time, we let it wander like a wild horse amidst the random and collective thoughts in the atmosphere. We do not give much thought to what we think- good or bad, sublime or mundane. But what we think most of the time affects not only our mental health, but our physical, emotional and spiritual health as well.
We are the products of our thoughts. Or as the philosophers say, we are what we think we are. Out of the collective thoughts that we accumulate in our minds mold that substance that goes to our heart and molds our character. And out of the preponderance of our heart's contents determine what we do or say.
The mind also acts like a powerful magnet. It tends to attract like minded thoughts and repel opposite ones. Just like the old saying, "birds of the same feathers flock together," minds of the same wave patterns attract one another and band together. How often do we feel the holiness of a monastery, the rarefied air we feel there as though we are walking in a heaven like state? And how often do we feel the dread and terror in a prison wall, especially where tortures, riots and summary executions take place? Why? Because negative thought patterns pervade the atmosphere of that place.
So let us think pure, positive thoughts. Let us think of God, not only in our prayers, but in everything we do. Let us think of the welfare of our fellow men, how we can contribute to that welfare. We are limited physically by what we can do for our fellow men, but such limitations do not exist in the mind. We can pray for everybody and that is a powerful tool the efficacy of which is mind boggling and unlimited. Nothing is impossible to him who prays and believes. The Rainbow Connection - The Carpenters (1970s) USA
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7b)
DO YOU NEED HELP? ARE YOU IN THE DARK? CAN'T FIND YOUR WAY AROUND? NEED A FRIEND WHO WILL STICK WITH YOU THROUGH THICK OR THIN OR WHEN EVERYBDOY ELSE HAS DESERTED YOU?
What was the sin of Lucifer before he was cast out of heaven and before he was thrown down to earth to become Satan? Was it not the sin of pride which caused him to rebel against God and the heavenly hosts (angels)?
