Longing for you!

"I TOLD you 10 times to take care and not to put on this MESS..see what you've done...now, you're grounded, punished, GO to your room and think about the wrong you made!" 

Usually this sentence is performed with a loud "LOUD" voice..and a finger waving in the air, looking down at this little creature with tears already filling his/her eyes! It is THE triumphant moment  when we as parents think we are giving the hard lesson to the kids and showing who sets the rules around here! A favourite moment of achievement for so many!

In fact, I do have another favourite moment related to that incident..the moment of "Waiting"! Yes, they are the few minutes I stand there "waiting" for my daughter to come to me and tell me "Sorry Pa!"...I sometimes stay there next to her room, listening, waiting and knowing that she will come...this moment is not a sadism supremacy but rather it gives me the chance to take her fully in my arms to show her how much I love HER, but don't love the ACTS she does! These are the minutes, in my arms, when I know she will really listen and keep these words in her heart, feeling safe in that hug talking with a low voice looking in her eyes..and she will surrender to the lesson she's getting with love!

Guess what, our Heavenly Father treats us with a love beyond this father/daughter..He is there WAITING and LONGING to be gracious to us..wow! "Longing" shows that He is not gracious because He promised, or because He has to be it..He is Gracious because He Wants it and waits for this relation of Love with you and me..therefore He will rise up to show you His compassion. This verse made it straight to my heart and I pray it gets to yours as well:

ولذلكَ يَنتَظِرُ الرَّبُّ ليَتَراءَفَ علَيكُمْ. ولذلكَ يَقومُ ليَرحَمَكُمْ، لأنَّ الرَّبَّ إلهُ حَقٍّ. طوبَى لجميعِ مُنتَظِريهِ. (إشَعياءَ 30:18 

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18 NIV)

He is there waiting for you..don't you ever lose hope in His Love...Just come and His Grace will surround you and make you New again!

Just Come as you are, my friend!

The Kieso Accounting Bible

I will never forget my first few months at work..so many learnings and eye openers! Here I am a fresh graduate..so looking forward to jump into the professional pool..kicking behind me all the studies, books and boring classrooms! In fact, I did pack all my reference study books into a bag in the attic "في السندرة" with a big smile on my face and a good bye kiss!

Until one day I was struck by this incident and it goes like this:

• Me: ya Hani, I am facing a mental block..don't know how to treat this accounting entry..debit walla credit walla eih belzabt?
• Hani "replying with a laugh": bas keda basita awy..hatli yabni Kieso men 3andak..you ll find it there on that desk..
• Me: kieso da yeb2a meen 7adretak..kees meen elli btetkalem 3aleih?
• Hani "with a louder laugh": Kieso ya ragel..it is THE MOST famous accounting reference book..it is the bible of accountants! If you wanna do the right accounting...flip these pages...you will find the way!

Funny enough, I took "Kieso" in my hands and started reading with full passion and hunger..I was seeking knowledge on how to do my job right..i did care being the best employee i can be..and prove to my new company that I can add value. So ironic, I had my own copy of "Kieso" trapped in a bag in the attic not knowing that it had what I needed to do my work right..it was THE same kieso that drove me to sleep every time i read few lines in it during those study days..I didn't have a real purpose reading it that time..it was so abstract..but then came to life when my life needed it! Since that moment, all my university reference books left the attic and became  tools to achieve my professional goals!

Doesn't it sound familiar?! Sure it does to me...amazingly similar case with my own Bible..THE Bible. It was so boring, so covered with dust and only used as decoration "blessing or بركة" in my room..next to my bed (at least it didn't make it to the attic). I felt that Its words are abstract and not reaching my reality until my reality was seeking a change. Yes, it is only when I had to face life deciding to be the best Son I can be to my Father...to take my faith seriously..and not for granted..just then, I needed a guide showing what can be done to bring value to this world, to myself, my family, friends, work, and more. I then decided to open this Book with a different eye..an eye of a person that seeks answers..that wants to live how it is meant to be...to bring this Love I hear about into my daily practice..there must be a way, an answer..and the answer is there..in His Words..in the Reference I never had a purpose or drive to read!

كُلُّ الكِتابِ هو موحًى بهِ مِنَ اللهِ، ونافِعٌ للتَّعليمِ والتَّوْبيخِ، للتَّقويمِ والتّأديبِ الّذي في البِرِّ، لكَيْ يكونَ إنسانُ اللهِ كامِلًا، مُتأهِّبًا لكُلِّ عَمَلٍ صالِحٍ. (تيموثاوُسَ الثّانيةُ 3:16, 17

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 NLT)

Do you REALLY wanna live your faith? Dust off your Book..and Shine His Love!

A friend's Wifi

Signs of close friendship are plenty...you know you are close friends when you share memories of trips, when you know his/her favorite dish, what sets him off, what music reaches her heart, her preferred moment of the day, his type of milk, likes sugar in coffee or not (and even how many spoons..or may be sweetener)...When you walk in their home, you know where to find the coffee mugs and even make yourself one! Nowadays, I have noticed another sign of close friendship...Wifi! Yup, didn't you notice that once you enter all your close friends homes, your phone is just connected to their supercomplex-password-protected Wifi network. I always get this smile on my face when I see the wifi waves appearing on my screen...because i know I have been here so many times...it s like home to me where getting connected just happens. I don't think you just get connected in any house you go to!

Isn't great to have this same close friendship with the Almighty! I just feel that "connected" with God is also a sign of "close friendship" where you are not just a visitor passing by but rather a relationship seeker, someone seeking to get that close to THE best friend you can have throughout your days on earth! God is close and you can feel His presence..you WILL feel His Presence:

قريبٌ هو الرَّبُّ مِنَ المُنكَسِري القُلوبِ، ويُخَلِّصُ المُنسَحِقي الرّوحِ. (المَزاميرُ 34:18 )

The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent. (Psalm 34:18 AMP)
Come with all your broken heart..sit with Him..talk..listen..build this friendship with time, passion, and sincere love...Your close Friendship with Him is granting you access to His "Wifi"..you will always be Connected to the network of Grace!

Get connected my friends! 

Clear the Way!

In our house, we just prefer a total darkness when it comes to bed time..no we don't usually use a "nawassa". So for waking up at night, and avoiding to bump your little toe in bed (ouch!) or your knee in the table corner, it requires a high infra-red dark-radar-sight photographic memory skill!

After few months in our new house in Madrid, we started knowing by heart the dimensions of the rooms and I could walk blind folded even to reach anywhere i want..funny enough, the kids were better and faster learning it specially the way from their room to ours. Until one night, sleeping in peace i woke up at the sound of a BOOM..Loud noise..then my daughter crying out. I put on the light to find her on our room floor..she tripped over something..yup..it was there, i knew why..i have left my 47 sized shoes in the middle of the way..it was a trap (quite a big one) waiting for somebody to stumble upon and fall..fall and cry! Since then Aline and I took a commitment to discipline ourselves in keeping all the paths of our house "clear" from any traps and obstacles..all should be back in place right where they belong!

This story reminded me of a verse I have close to my heart:

لذلكَ أنا أيضًا أُدَرِّبُ نَفسي ليكونَ لي دائمًا ضَميرٌ بلا عَثرَةٍ مِنْ نَحوِ اللهِ والناسِ. (أعمالُ الرُّسُلِ 24:16 AVDDV)

Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men. (Acts 24:16 AMP)

Yes, I realized that I need in prayer to ask our Heavenly Father for strength in keeping my life and my conscience CLEAR AND VOID of offense not only towards Him but towards my fellow human beings..I need to keep clear any traps of lies, cheating, anger, lust..i need to train my thoughts and seek the Holy spirit liberating my conscience from traps on the way as it has the power to pull me down..and trip others along! I pray for that in Jesus name, Amen.

Commit to keep your conscious clear my friends!