Compassionately Cold

Compassionately Cold:
The 2nd week of January experienced a Strike of cold weather onto Egypt. Cairo was colder than London across some days! "Cold" was the most common word in all conversations, tweets and posts. Yes, we were at home under layers of covers, drinking our hot drinks, yet feeling our guts trembling with these low temperatures. I have noticed that suddenly everyone became very compassionate towards the poor lacking decent clothing, the homeless suffering the cold bites sleeping on the freezing pavements, the mothers who had to keep their babies warm. Thinking and praying for them, collecting blankets, offering shelter, and much more was done as their suffering suddenly became so relevant, vivid and real to us as we all lived and EXPERIENCED a small glimpse of their harsh Cold Pain.

Celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ opened my eyes to a new blessing, a new reality. In the light of this cold I read Hebrews 4:15 with new eyes:

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. (Hebrews 4:15 AMP)
لأنْ ليس لنا رَئيسُ كهَنَةٍ غَيرُ قادِرٍ أنْ يَرثيَ لضَعَفاتِنا، بل مُجَرَّبٌ في كُلِّ شَيءٍ مِثلُنا، بلا خَطيَّةٍ. (4 العِبرانيّينَ:15)

Yes, Our God knows it all..He knows your pains..if you feel betrayed, He lived it, if you suffer injustice, He went through it, humiliation...hatred...pain...prosecution...He has been through it all. You are no longer alone, His Compassionate heart feels all of you exactly as you felt the suffering cold of the poor. If we, with hearts of stone, were moved by this cold...what about our Father's heart, source of all true love, coming in flesh to live it all with you and Me!

Whatever it is you are going through, bring it to Him in prayer...He is no stranger to your pain!

2015...A New Pace of Faith

2015...A New Pace of Faith:

One of Festivities blessings is getting to meet loads of people you might rarely bump into during the whole year, not only friends of your age but as well their kids, parents, relatives and so on.Last week during Christmas mass, sitting on one of the benches, I saw one of my friend's father walking down the church aisle sooo slow, with a painful looking curved back, shoulders and arms pulled down and eyes to the ground. I was saddened and shocked how time passes and hit hard. This man last year was standing tall, walking with full confidence, and a relatively fast paced..yes, nothing stays the same! Suddenly he stopped walking, went down further...I felt he was about to fall.. but no...Up again, his posture changed...Back Straightened..Head up high...and started walking big steps..but this time lifting a baby boy..his grandson! A mystery revealed. He was deliberately slow-walking curved-down as he was holding His 2 years old grandson hands walking him down that aisle..He was walking his grandson's baby steps...up to the moment he picked him up and started his Grown up Pace..taking bigger leaps around the place.

On the last day of the year, I have been always fascinated by the mood and mindset swings that one can have between a day and another. From a 31st of December full of hope, dreams, joy welcoming with open arms a new year to a 1st of Jan bringing Worries, doubts, fears of the unknown the new year will bring. From a confident fast paced step towards a new beginning into doubting shy baby steps as the year unfolds.

In 2015, I am inviting you to stop limiting His mighty powers by your baby steps, sometimes we think He is slow but in fact we are the ones limiting the speed. Jesus wants your hungry big faith to take you to a deeper than you feet can walk or your arms can swim. Remember the two blind men in Matthew 9. They believed He can Liberate them from darkness, they had a plan and didn't limit it to baby steps. They Planned according to HIS Powers not their capabilities. When they came to Him, He asked them, 

“Do you believe that I am able to make you see again?” They answered, “Yes, Lord, we believe.” Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. (Matthew 9:29-30 NIV)
ولَمّا جاءَ إلَى البَيتِ تقَدَّمَ إليهِ الأعمَيانِ، فقالَ لهُما يَسوعُ: «أتؤمِنانِ أنّي أقدِرُ أنْ أفعَلَ هذا؟». قالا لهُ: «نَعَمْ، يا سيِّدُ!». حينَئذٍ لَمَسَ أعيُنَهُما قائلًا: «بحَسَبِ إيمانِكُما ليَكُنْ لكُما». فانفَتَحَتْ أعيُنُهُما. (9 مَتَّى:28-30 )

In this new year, I pray that we all can Dream His Dreams, Plan His Plans, and Walk big Steps..in His Arms. In 2015, Do not Limit God's love and powers into your small box...just Open your Heart to His Spirit..to His Borderless Flow of Grace.

Let your faith meet His Pace!

Happy Blessed New Year 2015 and Keep Shining my friends!

Grown ups Santa

No one can deny the importance of Santa Claus Figure in the festivities of Christmas. Looking from afar you can guess whose name is leading the Billboard of this Season...It is Santa. Kids, as a matter of fact, become so attached to the figure knowing that he is the one bringing them the "icing on the cake" and the ultimate "joy" of the season...The Gifts under the tree. We, grown ups, look at their enthusiasm with a sense of pity not looking forward to that moment of truth when they discover who do really receive their "Dear Santa" Letters and bring these toys. Our kids are getting older, and we know that this inevitable truth is knocking their doors. The good thing is that once this truth is revealed to anyone, the whole "Santa Concept" changes and gratitude starts taking a different form, or better said, gratitude gets directed to the right people, to the parents, family and friends offering them this small act of love wrapped in a gift paper under the tree.

We, grown ups, seem liking this Santa idea and keep holding to it with nails and teeth. The only difference is that our Santa takes different shapes: Santa Work, Santa Promotion, Santa Dollar, Santa Outing, Santa Sport, and may Santas we believe are the source of the true happiness we seek in life. How many letters have we written with our wish list to each of these santas...and how many times have we felt our letter did not reach that santa..or may be the gift is less satisfying than we thought! I did fail seeing who truly was behind these Santas until I read:

"Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:16-17 NIV)
لا تضِلّوا يا إخوَتي الأحِبّاءَ. كُلُّ عَطيَّةٍ صالِحَةٍ وكُلُّ مَوْهِبَةٍ تامَّةٍ هي مِنْ فوقُ، نازِلَةٌ مِنْ عِندِ أبي الأنوارِ، الّذي ليس عِندَهُ تغييرٌ ولا ظِلُّ دَوَرانٍ. (1 يعقوبَ:16-17)

Christmas seems to be a good time of reflection who your Santa really is..and what gift are you seeking? Not talking about earthly gifts, but referring to an eternal gift no one else could bring..only One Whose name meant what Gift He brings..a Deliverance from Sin...a Break from Bondage..a Sight to the Blind...a Savior named Jesus.

Who's your Santa my friend?

Have a Blessed Merry Christmas...

The Anchor

Presentation skills...The most abused "corporate course" ever! I believe you agree with me. Just mention the needs for training courses in the company and this will surely pop up on the top of the list. Frankly, it is quite true as everyone feels vulnerable and weak standing there alone to tell a story and do it right. One of the most impactful tips is the Eye contact with your audience, not only a generic contact but I find myself always having one or two main persons in the audience to refer to in this "eye contact" trick. This person is whom I call "The Anchor"...and usually he is your boss or someone knowledgeable and influential enough in this session. This Anchor person eye contact might signal to speed up, slow down, raise your voice, or just nod with a smile confirming you are on the right track! Take care as the rest of the audience might be amused with your talk, or just sending you fake smiles and head nods "out of courtesy" regardless your message is clear or not...yet on the other hand, the anchor knows the message you need to get through and will make sure that you deliver it. This Trick is a must have for me!

What about our "Presentation of life"? Don't you believe that we are living a non-stop on stage moments...where we are exposed each and every second, being watched, being assessed, and receiving confusing signals about how our performance is developing. Do we pose for that moment and seek an eye contact with our one and only "Anchor" or just go on based on the applauds we receive from the generic audience? Do we check if our message is reaching a goal or we are just sending words with no consistent meaning..empty words leaving the audience confused.

David knew His Anchor..knew this Presentation Skill Tip when he wrote:

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:8, 11 NIV)
جَعَلتُ الرَّبَّ أمامي في كُلِّ حينٍ، لأنَّهُ عن يَميني فلا أتَزَعزَعُ.
تُعَرِّفُني سبيلَ الحياةِ. أمامَكَ شِبَعُ سُرورٍ. في يَمينِكَ نِعَمٌ إلَى الأبدِ. (16 المَزاميرُ:8, 11)

Dear Lord, Let us seek our Eye contact with your Ever Righteous ways..Let us sit and reflect if we are riding the right path..if we are sending the right message..Your eyes O Lord shall keep our feet free from falling and we shall sing again "My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net. (Psalm 25:15) for You only have the Power I need when I feel LONELY out there, lost, on the Stage of life.

Presenting throughout your day, Remember your ANCHOR!