Happy Birthday to You!

When birthdays come near, we just judge automatically how long this person still has to live among us..obviously someone turning 15, we don't write on his facebook wall "Rabena ytawellena fi 3omrak..Rabena ykhalik lina"..we take for granted that he still has long life..unlike birthday wishes of someone in his late seventies!

I just cant help myself thinking of all the lives that left us to a better place earlier than we thought...lives that blessed us, and encouraged us, so many examples, Nathalie, Raja, Meral,... Sad but true, first thing I do, when i read that someone left us, specially young ones, i go and check their "facebook" page..suddenly a whole life is revealed in front of my eyes..you see posted in their "timeline" their days, their actions, trips, comments, thoughts, memories, a whole life giving a deeper meaning to separation..a different ache in the heart..a real close one!

It just made me think, of what is written in James (يعقوب)

هَلُمَّ الآنَ أيُّها القائلونَ: «نَذهَبُ اليومَ أو غَدًا إلَى هذِهِ المدينةِ أو تِلكَ، وهناكَ نَصرِفُ سنَةً واحِدَةً ونَتَّجِرُ ونَربَحُ». أنتُمُ الّذينَ لا تعرِفونَ أمرَ الغَدِ! لأنَّهُ ما هي حَياتُكُم؟ إنَّها بُخارٌ، يَظهَرُ قَليلًا ثُمَّ يَضمَحِلُّ. (يعقوبَ 4:13, 14 AVDDV)

Yes, our life will be on this "timeline" we leave behind, be it on facebook or in the hearts of people around us! What posts or uploaded memories we want to be tagged in..thank God we can edit and delete what's on our wall..but real life doesnt have that luxury!
I thank the Holy spirit that James continued it perfectly in the next verse:

فمَنْ يَعرِفُ أنْ يَعمَلَ حَسَنًا ولا يَعمَلُ، فذلكَ خَطيَّةٌ لهُ. (يعقوبَ 4:17 AVDDV)

Dear God, I thank for telling us
"Be on your guard [constantly alert], and watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come. (Mark 13:33 AMP)"

I thank you for letting me know that every day is a precious gift, that i should embrace every minute of it. I pray to have the open eyes and heart to see what i leave behind me..and to know that you are there watching over me. In Jesus name, Amen!

Lets be ready my friends!

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!

Pray Big!

We have been busy this past week working on budgets for the coming years..and as human beings we tend to be conservative when it comes our expectations. We all hate feeling disappointed..we put it in a nice way saying "that we neeed to manage expectations" to avoid being hit by a different result (ba3d el shar)!
Even with my kids, when i ask them to swim, read, draw, run..i tend to simplify it and make it doable..i love the feeling that they make it and surely they do too..i cover up for them to make sure they wont fail..!
Thinking about it, i found that this is happening in our spiritual life too(at least mine). How many times we have Held ourselves from BOLD BIG PRAYERS...how many times, we put barriers for what we can bring to Him. I think the fear that our prayers wont be answered leads us to "manage expectations" with God. This means we ask for less, expect less, and satisfied with less because we are afraid to be disappointed and lose our faith in Him!

BuT JESUS said loud and clear in Luke 
"What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him! (Luke 11:11, 13)

This leads to a question we can not escape: Does God really give His children what He promised? Does He keep His promises or not? Do my prayers and actions give evidence to my belief?

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray today for faith..i pray for the Holy Spirit to guide my words and prayers, align them to your will, make me live knowing that i can bring EVERYTHING TO YOU in prayer..and believe these words "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. (فيلبي Philippians 4:6)". Amen

Be BOLD 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!