Olive Oil in Jars of Clay

I love olive oil...in salads, with fish, on labnah, even law ghamesto lwa7do! Lucky that i am livinh now in the biggest oil producing country world wide :) Last night refilling our olive oil jar, made me look back when this product meant business..it was again one of these state controlled commodities during Roman times. It was used for eating, annointing, religiuos rituals, even for oil lamps. It was VITAL!

To my wonder, i read about its history, and came to find about a small hill in Rome called "Monte Testaccio"..probably you havent heard of it yet as well! it s an artificial hill in Rome with a circumference of nearly a kilometre and stands 35 metres high, though it was probably considerably higher in ancient times, composed almost entirely of fragments of broken amphorae (clay vessels-fokhar) used for olive oil transport dating from the time of the Roman Empire, containing the remains of an estimated 53 million empty useless vessels! It stands a short distance away from the east bank of the River Tiber, near the Horrea Galbae where the state-controlled reserve of olive oil was stored in the late 2nd century AD.
!يعني من الاخر كان اكبر مقلب زبالة في هذا الزمن

Basically, with all the production/imports they had during the Roman empire, they had quite a problem of recycling their packaging material! These vessels at the end didnt mean anything, it was cheaper to throw them away..eventually creating this hill! Cause their value is in WHAT THEY CONTAIN and the SOURCE it came from!

Wow..this brought a total new perspective of what Saint Paul refers to, talking about what we really are..and where our power/value comes from. He wrote it perfectly in his letter to Corinthians:

"However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. (2 Corinthians 4:7 AMP)"

(ولكن لنا هذا الكَنزُ في أوانٍ خَزَفيَّةٍ، ليكونَ فضلُ القوَّةِ للهِ لا مِنّا. (كورِنثوس الثّانيةُ 

It was that clear to him that the value created in you and I..the value we bring to others around us, the good works we struggle to spread and the unhuman forgiveness we are to offer..is coming from our God..dwelling in us, through His Holy Spirit..it can not just come from these fragile clay breakable vessles!

Dear God, I thank you today knowing that it does not depend on me, but the power comes from a Higher source, i pray that I am filled everyday with your Holy Spirit, the Oil of your presence making it known that this vessel is just uncapable ALONE of going the extra mile you asked us to go. In Jesus name, Amen!

Salty SALARY!

IT IS today...First day of the month..yes...time to check the bank account...THE SALARY is here! I know many of us wait for that day to come impatiently, for the salary means paying debts, buying stuff, medication, rent, etc. Salary is a sweet word to our ears, it has been linked to your value and worth for your company and the market place!

Made me wonder where this word comes from? I found out that salary comes from "SALARIUM" which derives from SALT. yes, salt ملح! During Roman empire, salt was "the salary" paid to soldiers, salt in the times of Jesus was not sold in Carrefour or عم مصطفى البقال, salt was scarce, was a necessity of life. It was used for seasoning (to give a nice flavor), preserving material (keep from turning bad..there was no deep freezer we talaga om babein), and sometimes to disinfect wounds..do you know that major reason for conquering lands was to secure salt back to "headoffice".. romans had soldiers guarding (Via Salaria)..the salt road leading back to Rome!

No wonder when i read Jesus words now i get a total different perspective of what we He what He tells us we are or ought to be! He said:

«أنتُمْ مِلحُ الأرضِ، ولكن إنْ فسدَ المِلحُ فبماذا يُمَلَّحُ؟ لا يَصلُحُ بَعدُ لشَيءٍ، إلّا لأنْ يُطرَحَ خارِجًا ويُداسَ مِنَ الناسِ. (مَتَّى 5:13

Am i expected to be that valuable..i am created to be a necessity of life to the community..are you a necessity? Do you make a difference in your surrounding like salt does, or you are tasteless, with a lost identity..like salt that does not salt!

Dear God, i pray today seeking your guidance, on how to pour my pinch of salt today..make my heart open for knowing where to act..makes my eyes see where salt is needed..difference is needed..and make it, In your name. Amen!

Throw in your "Pinch of Salt" my friends!

A child's art...in an office!

I remember well one day going in the office of one of the directors of our company..he had a wall deocrated with a painting..not really artistic i would say, but it had the center piece of His wall...it was too loud in colors, uneven lines, zigzags, too much contrast..with lots of dark tones and cheerful colors..mel akher keda (7aga 3ak shwaya)! But knowing the dutch and their love of paintings, from Rembrandt to Van Gogh..i was sure it was something worth the value to be in this Big Director's office! Frankly, couldnt hold myself and asked him, what's that special painting? He looked with bright eyes and said it is the most expensive piece he has in his collection, he couldnt even tell me its price..i asked about the painter. He told me "it was made for me by my 5 years old son...just before passing away"!

With a shock silencing me, i just then realized that the value of the painting is not in not in its beauty, but rather in the one who made it...it is the painter that gave it the value it has...it is the love behind it that makes it priceless...no matter what critics say, no matter what people think...its value for this father is priceless.

Dear Heavenly Father, i thank you that my value is not in who I am or what I do..no matter what i do, how i fall, how i win, or lose...my value is in my creator...I thank you i am priceless in your eyes, i am priceless because YOU MADE ME and GIVE ME VALUE! Keep me walking in your love, in Jesus name! Amen!

Nutritional Facts

Nutritional facts..for some people it is as scary as "the Exorcist (most famous horror movie lelli mesh 3aref)"..reading those calories counts and fats makes you think is it worth the VALUE it brings to me! Is it nutrious for my kids? What vitamins are there? All this salt, no 3andi el daght 3aly! 500 calories, ya3ni nos sa3a running fel track..balash a7san! What VALUE is it bringing?Makes me think if we are examining our hearts, our actions, our words to check their "nutritional facts" for people around us? What value are you bringing to your kids, wife/husband, colleagues, church, and your country? Let me tell you that the more Christ we get, the more we move from "wanting to be valued" to wanting to "add value"! Service and thinking outside of self unlocks the Christ in you.

لَكِنَّهُ أَخْلَى نَفْسَهُ، آخِذًا صُورَةَ عَبْدٍ، صَائِرًا فِي شِبْهِ ٱلنَّاسِ. وَإِذْ وُجِدَ فِي ٱلْهَيْئَةِ كَإِنْسَانٍ، وَضَعَ نَفْسَهُ، وَأَطَاعَ حَتَّى ٱلْمَوْتَ، مَوْتَ ٱلصَّلِيبِ. لِذَلِكَ رَفَّعَهُ ٱللهُ أَيْضًا، وَأَعْطَاهُ ٱسْمًا فَوْقَ كُلِّ ٱسْمٍ، (فِيلِبِّي 2:7-9 )

Finally my friends, check your hearts, and Add value if you want to be valuable.

Your value is in what you bring, not what others bring you as value!