Change of Seasons

Change of seasons has its rituals here in Europe. Welcoming winter requires some life adjustments to the city and its inhabitants, not only referring to some Christmas decoration on the streets, earlier hour for turning on the light posts and Anti Slippery snow ready tires, but also about the preparations put in place to receive such a harsh season. what was truly catching my attention is how they dealt with greenery and trees, the beautiful sight of "dead" colorful tree leaves displaying a splendid array of red to orange colors will soon all fall to leave naked thick "scary" branches. They know end of Autumn comes with heavy winds to bring down the leaves, but also shake off the dead branches. For that, they go around trimming and cutting off loose branches to avoid that this beautiful autonomy looking tree doesn't turn into a life threatening block falling on the heads of pedestrians or crushing down cars. Cutting away and Trimming the tree to Make it safe and ready for the trials of Blowing winds and loads of Snow!

You know that you and I are branches hanging to the Tree of Life, Branches extending from our Lord. I love tis passage in John 15, where Jesus talks to us about the power of abiding in Him, Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine/tree, neither can we bear fruit unless we abide in Him. But the second verse of this passage might be shocking to some:

"Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." (John 15:2 AMP)
«أنا الكَرمَةُ الحَقيقيَّةُ وأبي الكَرّامُ. كُلُّ غُصنٍ فيَّ لا يأتي بثَمَرٍ يَنزِعُهُ، وكُلُّ ما يأتي بثَمَرٍ يُنَقّيهِ ليأتيَ بثَمَرٍ أكثَرَ. (15 يوحَنا:1-2 )

Yes, We will be cleansed and trimmed to bear more fruits, we will go through tough cutting to be ready for the winds to come and for the snow to carry. God, Through His loving Hands, knows how our dead branches can crush the ones around us, how falling leaves can leave a mess and slippery grounds on our path of life. It is tough yet His caring hands and Holy Spirit will allow and take us through to bring us to make you and I bear richer, and more excellent fruits. 

Heavenly Father, Here I am..Make me ready for the change of seasons...ready to stand firm and strong abiding in You when the wind blows and winter tests..for in Spring by your glory I shall flourish your Love to the world and bring shade to the ones in need.

Let the trimming begin my friends!

Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood (Chaperon Rouge) next to the fact that it is quite a "scary" tale, it gave me a chance to learn another lesson from Farida. Watching the story, specifically when little red riding hood arrived at her grandma who just got devoured by the wolf, Farida jumped out of her seat yelling at the little girl "Take care...you do not need to ask about her ears or nose, stop talking with her...just listen to her voice...It is NOT your grandma sleeping there, surely not her sweet voice...It is clearly a villain one, it's the WOLF...Run Now..RUN!" She looked at me with that worried gaze in her eyes and told me "you know pa, when I go to answer the door I ask who is there, if it is you or mami, I recognize right away your voice and open...but if it is another voice...I literally run to whoever is in the house and ask them to come and check. It gets me scared sometimes!"...and THAT was Enough for me to get my lesson of the day!

Reading through John 10 in the famous sermon of Jesus about the Good Shepherd, the following verse kept me hanging there in awe:

When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call. (John 10:4-5 AMP)
ومَتَى أخرَجَ خِرافَهُ الخاصَّةَ يَذهَبُ أمامَها، والخِرافُ تتبَعُهُ، لأنَّها تعرِفُ صوتَهُ. وأمّا الغَريبُ فلا تتبَعُهُ بل تهرُبُ مِنهُ، لأنَّها لا تعرِفُ صوتَ الغُرَباءِ». (10 يوحَنا:4-5 )

I always knew about the sheep who recognize the voice of the care taker, food provider and shelter provider, their shepherd...but caught by surprise seeing that they not only refuse to follow a strange voice, yet Run Away...run back to the one they know PERSONALLY. How many times have we heard and followed strange voices, sometimes we listen and start negotiating, while we know safety lies in fleeing..specially when this strange voice knows your weaknesses. Our Shepherd knows us by Name, and we are invited to sit at His feet and feel His presence, cherish His guidance and receive His abundant blessings for the Shepherd said "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give my sheep eternal life. They will never die, and no one can take them out of my hand. My Father is the one who gave them to me, and he is greater than all. No one can steal my sheep out of his hand. (John 10:27-29 ERV)" AMEN!

Do not fall in the trap of the wolf, Red Riding Hood listened to the strange voice!

Peer Pressure

“Pa, can we please get a dog PLEASE..just like the one Amy has! or a smaller one like the one of Sara. Ok?” After few weeks at school, you start realizing the impact of peer pressure your kids go through. I know you parents out there are not surprised when your kids start asking for what their friends own starting from toys, pets up to houses with several swimming pools. Suddenly back to school or kids birthday turned into a burden on the parents who have to manage their kids needs seeing what others are enjoying or bragging about. I love how kids are so transparent in their emotions, they do not need to hide or mask the influence they get from their peers at school. They will absorb and reflect that at home in a simple question format a need captured from their friends…yes, Peer pressure is a reality starting this early age.

We, sophisticated adults, seem to be more clever in hiding our needs, yet we know for sure that we are equally impacted-if not more-by that peer pressure. We pretend being immune to what our surrounding brings on our plate everyday, to the way our close circle acts and reacts. “Show me your friends, I will tell you who you are” is a true and wise statement. We know that deep down we start copying the attitudes of our surrounding, we absorb and reflect the need in acting it rather than speaking it out loud like our innocent kids. This goes specially to attitudes and way of life we believe we lack and dream of having. We like those Go-Getters yet give a deaf ear to the wrong doings on the way to get the goal, we like having this trendy look yet neglect the border line flirty side it brings, we yearn for this over empowering “charismatic" presence yet accept its side effect selfish attitude. Actions and attitudes do make an impact, specially if they get copied…they are contagious in a peer pressure way.

No wonder in proverbs, influence of peers and societal pressure was clearly stated:

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20)
20المُسايِرُ الحُكَماءَ يَصيرُ حَكيمًا، ورَفيقُ الجُهّالِ يُضَرُّ. (امثال ٢٠:١٣)

I am not seeking to open your eyes on the choice of your surrounding (You are mature enough to chose)..but rather I am asking each one of us to reflect on who we are to our friends and society..Are we the wise or the fools? Do we realise the power God has created in us to impact, influence and change…do we realise that we are created to Shine and Keep shining His Light?

What type of “Peer Pressure" you are spreading today? I hope the Up-lifting one!

Big Black Cloud.. Again

Here comes again the big "Black Cloud-السحابة السودة"..Isn't it a pity that such a perfect weather month like October is ruined by such an unexplained phenomenon! I remember enjoying outdoor activities as Summer heat fades away and winter (the bit we have back home) didn't yet crawl its way into the streets of Cairo. You can not be around a group of people these days without hearing their endless complaints of such horrific pollution and how disastrous it is to their overall health and moods. Just a thought hit me...what about the ones who are producing this pollution, the ones starting the fires and burning the so called "قش الرز". Are they feeling guilty with such wrong doing? Are they realizing the suffering they are creating to millions around them? Do they even still smell or see the same smoke the way we do? I guess they got used to it, or so embedded in their ways that in fact they like it! Their personal benefit in such an act BLINDS their eyes and gives them a fictitious peace of consciousness.

I just reflected on the Black Clouds you and I do create in our lives. Numerous sins and wrong doings found their way to pollute our soul, yet I guess we are blinded exactly as the "black cloud producers". The personal benefits we get from a lie, a cheat, a treason, or a look sedates our consciousness and makes us co-exist in a Smoke filled inner-self. My fear that this black cloud can (and will) hit the ones around you, they will smell it and eventually bear the consequences with you, yes, the consequences are one sin's most terrifying realities.

I love David for the man of God he was, yet he committed adultery and sinned. He knew he could blindly accept it and find excuses, yet he Prayed with tears asking God to fetch his soul and open his eyes, showing him what to clean:

"Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)
اختَبِرني يا اللهُ واعرِفْ قَلبي. امتَحِنّي واعرِفْ أفكاري. وانظُرْ إنْ كانَ فيَّ طَريقٌ باطِلٌ، واهدِني طَريقًا أبديًّا. (139 المَزاميرُ:23-24 )

Dear Lord, I had enough starting fires, seeing smokes and accepting it. How far do we need to go to realize the pain we are creating to our selves and the disgrace we bring to the ones around us. Till when will we keep our eyes on the cloud of others yet accept the fumes we spread around. Open the eyes of our heart Lord to the blind spots we let go and the accepted failures we nurture within. I want to scream out loud with the born-blind healed by Jesus "“But I do know this: I was blind, and now I can see.” (John 9:25) 
In Your Glorious name, Amen.

When you see the black cloud, remember your own.