RANDOM THOUGHTS (International Blog)

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Divine Providence

DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Have you ever been so financially short in your life that you worried about where you will get your next meal? Do you find it harder and harder to make both ends meet? Do you always find yourself always in debt and your expenses always outstrip your earnings? Do you sometimes feel like your pocket has holes in it and that money is so easily lost? Have you worked yourself to death only to find out you still have no security for your future? Stop for a moment and survey your life, your thoughts and your philosophies in life. We must first accept that money will never be enough. As long as we are slaves to our cravings for material things, then we will always be short of everything. We must first take stock of ourselves, what we can do, the talents we have, what we are good at, the connections we have, the opportunities on hand and how we value money in our lives.

The Lord said that by the sweat of our brows shall we live. That means all must work to earn a decent living. Paul said in the Bible that, "those who do not work will not eat." So God taught us the value of hard work and honest living. But He also taught us to pray for our daily bread. He did not say for our weekly, monthly or yearly bread because God wants us to focus on our immediate needs and entrust the future to Him. To those who worry about what they shall eat or what clothes they should wear, He told them that the birds in the air neither sow nor reap yet your heavenly Father feeds them in time. And the lilies of the field neither spin nor weave yet not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like them.

We must acknowledge first that every good thing comes from God and God will always help those who help themselves. We must live simple lives always contented with what we have and always expectant of the very best from our heavenly Father. He said, we must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things else will be added to us. We must first enrich ourselves with heavenly treasures before we strive for worldly treasures. Those who seek only the riches of the world at the expense of their soul will find death so terrifying because they are so bankrupt of the riches of heaven. Trust the Lord and His divine providence. "BUT MY GOD WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS." (Philippians 4:19)

Tags: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Divine Providence, Trust in The Lord, Heavenly Riches

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Inspirational/Motivational

Saturday, September 20, 2008

A Reprint From Judie (Please Read This Post And Let It Melt Your Heart)

REMEMBERING ALETAIn the late evening hours of January 7, 1968 a star was born. Two minutes later, another star was born. And from that moment on my life was catapulted into the hectic days and nights and months and years of raising twins, along with their older sister, the first star.

And the first-born twin was Aleta. She was beautiful, with eyes that sparkled and twinkled, a laugh that tinkled, and a hearthat went out to anyone in need...her family, eventually her children, her patients. For she became a nurse and she was much loved. Once, in college, she went to where there were homeless people and talked with them, trying to understand why their life seemed so hopeless. She loved fiercely.

Excerpt from a teen letter to mom while she visited her older sister: "Dear Mom, Hello! I love you alot and boy do I miss you. I just thought I'd write to let you know how much I love you and that I'll never stop thinking about you. You're the best mom anyone could ever have!............... "

Several years ago she became a single parent. She worried about her children all the time. Having grown up in a single parent home, she had emotional needs I never knew about until she was grown and told me. My heart loved her even harder then.

A pre-teen little league cheerleader

Once a hopeful bride.

A beautiful young lady.

One of her children was Lindy, and Lindy had Down Syndrome. She called Lindy her little shadow and chuckled when she said it. She took Lindy everywhere: shopping, swimming, camping, working with her one-on-one, teaching her to sign, teaching her about life. A wonderful mother.

<>If you walk through a park and see a lady sitting on a bench with her hands over her face, shoulders shaking, that's me....grieving. I lost her on Sunday, May 4 in a freak ATV accident in the mountains in the Tahoe area. I never liked it there, even when she first took me there years ago. She loved it. She thought those God-forsaken, ugly, Nevada/California mountains were so beautiful. Not me. She never had a chance as an adult to see the wonders of the Blue Ridge mountains, the Shenandoahs, the Poconos. So she settled for the shale-covered, barren, whatever mountain range that is. Those mountains took her from me, and I hate them. But it's where she wanted to be.

<>If you hear a loud, haunting wailing in the darkness of the night, that's me, calling for my child to be returned to me. Or perhaps it's her twin, searching for the spirit of her other half.

<> Exerpt from an email I received on Mother's Day, 2006: "Happy Mother's Day Momma! I want to take this minute to explain that it is because of you that my life is so great. I have taken all your words of wisdom and am practicing them now. It's working just fine. Thank you so much for guiding my life the way you do. I miss you so much. Check your mailbox this week to grab your surprise. It may be late but at least I'm consistent, never without you in my mind as the best momma for me!!! I love you..........God Bless you......Rainbow."

That was her nickname. Rainbow. And she was.

The thoughtful one.

Always a talker.

Aleta, a hero. She saved her daughter's life before she lost her own. When she was on that icy incline, she put the child off and told her to wait while she got back to a safe place. That's where Aleta's fiance found Lindy - standing by the road waiting for her mommy to come back up that mountainside she slid over, that heavy machine on top of her.

Things she loved:

- Those mountains
- Guinea pigs and bunnies
- Family
- Especially her twin
- Camping and Quadding
- Her precious two boys and one girl
- Her work as an R.N.
-Her fiance
- Life
- Smiling

Excerpt from a note she left me July 2001: " I love you so much....I'll take care of you forever whenever you need me......(heart, heart, xoxo) Dr. Black, BSN, RN"........We always called her Dr. Black!

Her fiance told me she woke up that morning in the campsite and said" Isn't it wonderful to wake up next to someone you love?"

The week before the tragedy she went to see her twin, and when she got home she sent her beloved twin a bible and a picture of Jesus, with Matthew 5:3-12 marked. She wanted her sister to apply these lessons to her own life. There is a heaviness inside me that won't go away. One third of my heart is broken off, and though it will eventually heal over, it will never be repaired or replaced. And how can a twin left behind ever heal? There is no creativity left in me. All my paints are now put away. I am colorless.

ALETA GAYEL BLACK

Just like a beautiful flower. She grew, she blossomed, then she was cut from the stem of life and perished. I am grateful only that she found her spiritual self before she left. I love you my child.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.THIS BLOG IS CLOSED.