PARADOXICAL

"I love you for who you are, including your imperfections."

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:28 PM 0 Comments

You seek your own idea of God while all the time you possess Him substantially. - Jean Pierre de Caussade

Let my heart by broken by the things that break the heart of God.

The deepest longing of the heart is sacred. Only God can fill it.

Joy comes in the morning but there are some dark hours we need to get through yet.

Oh my soul don't grow weary of begging for God's grace and mercy. For I am but a begar before my King.

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:52 PM 0 Comments

"God's mind is different from the thoughts of man. As we follow Him, we discover that we lose to gain, surrender to win, die to live, give to receive, serve to reign, scatter to reap. In weakness, we are made strong. In humility, we are lifted up. And in emptiness, we are made full."

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:51 PM 0 Comments

Three things in life that's, once gone, never come back
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity
Three things in life that can destroy a person --
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness
Three things in life that you should never lose--
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty
Three things in life that are most valuable --
1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness
Three things in life that are never certain --
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams
Three things that make a person --
1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work
Three things that are truly constant --
Father -- Son -- Holy Spirit
I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today;
to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way
God's love is always with you, God's promises are true.
And when you give God all your cares, you know God will see you through!

posted by Resty Odon  # 11:23 PM 0 Comments

I am greatly consoled by this sense from my dear brother, J.: "Receive that the well may overflow. Receive."

His commentary: "It's the tendency of some to give and to give even when the well is almost empty, thinking it's noble. But God wants us to be full and not half-empty. He will provide for the blessings to make us full and even overflow to others. Sometimes, though, we unconsciously avoid or reject blessings or even are fearful of being full. Receive and be filled."

I can't help but be touched by this latest revelation from the Lord. I indeed can be a well that gives and gives untile none is left for me, until none is left of me. And I thought that's good, when it is in fact bad. I wonder, though, how I manage to avoid or reject the blessings that come my way when I am in fact imploring for God's mercy and favor for it. Time to investigate, analyze.

posted by Resty Odon  # 8:03 PM 0 Comments

Song:

"Like the woman with the issue of blood,
We press in, we press in.
Like the blind man waiting patiently,
We press in through the crowd.
Then suddenly, a touch from heaven,
Jesus came and rescued me.
Suddenly, a touch from heaven,
Jesus came and set me free."

Comment: Let's patiently wait for God's healing. We may pray for it, induce it even, but even healing must be grace.

**

Did it ever occur to you that part of our suffering is a suffering for the many sins of our forefathers, aside, of course, from its being a consequence of other people's crime against us? Aren't we like the suffering Christ, in a way? The good news is our cross can be used by God and turn in it into crown.

**

Victory awaits those who are willing to embrace the cross of Christ. Glory is revealed to those who suffer in faith. The crows is given freely to those who wait in hope. For an all-powerful and loving God is present even in the midst of extreme pain and suffering. Though the human mind may find difficult to accept and understand, but (?) only through the Spirit that the truth will be known.

**

A quote from Bishop Fulton Sheen: "We suffer for the salvation of others, among other reasons, which include so we can be more compassionate and our selfishness will vanish."

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:48 PM 0 Comments

Butterflies don't know the color of their wings, but human eyes know how nice it is.

You don't know how good you are, but people around you know how special you are.

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:46 PM 0 Comments

"The universe moves at the command of God, and men and women are at all times under that command. It is in obedience to the command that we will find our full freedom. - Elisabeth Elliot"

posted by Resty Odon  # 5:54 PM 0 Comments

Please hug me. Embrace me. Do not reject me. I am worth it. I promise I am. I am a gift, please understand that, just as you are God's gift to me, to yourself, to everyone. At first, I didn't understand that myself, so I imagine it would be hard for you. But I hope you realize I am worth loving because God says so.

You wanted to kill me. Please don't. How could you? You didn't want to do that, did you? I wanted to live. I'd love to live because I love life. I'm a person who's very excited to know all the fascinating things life has to offer.

Do not reject me. I may not be perfect, but I'm not that bad either. I'm already "broken, mutilated, and wounded." You don't want to do any further damage. I already feel like an outcast. I feel so down I'd have to dig my own grave, dig deep down to recover what little else is left of me.

I love you. Or at least I'll try to, after all that you did.

Why can't you love me? I hate you. I hate you for not loving me, for even contemplating on killing me. It's hard to love someone who doesn't love you back. It pains me to say all this. I didn't have to say this to the whole world, but I feel like I need to. That's how you've hurt me. I couldn't contain all that pain.

Please don't leave. I need you. I think I need someone like you for me to heal.

I can't breathe. Stop whatever it is you intend to do. How can I live with this terrible torment, this awful baggage? I'd rather you didn't give me a chance, but now the damage is done.

I'll try my best to forgive, though; to love even if I don't know how, because you didn't love me first. I'll find a way. Or Love will find a way because Love is greater than all this. Or supposed to. Because love is supposed to be unconditional. I hope to acquaint myself of that kind of love because you didn't teach me, but instead distorted what it all means.

I am shattered and shredded, but because of that kind of love, I still can love.

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:14 PM 0 Comments

I am looking for healing, the healing that has evaded me for so many years, because I want peace. I don't want to live a contradictory life. I want to live life fully. I want to be whole. I want to find meaning and fulfillment. I want the reassurance that I'm doing okay with God. I want to achieve great things for God. I wish happiness and contentment with who I am. I'm looking for love. I want to be loved. I want to love.

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:11 PM 0 Comments

I was driven to sit inside a razed, decaying structure. It was a depressing sight. Then I looked outside and looked up. The sight of a forest of tree branches reaching upwards struck me.

And the Lord said: "Like a termite-ridden and demolished house, you've been brought low, but like the tree branches you see outside, all reaching for the heights, I will raise you up. I will build yourself a new house."

"You've emptied yourself out. I will fill you up as in an empty vessel."

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:04 PM 0 Comments

Understanding the reward of faith: "Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand." -St. Augustine

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:40 PM 0 Comments

Prayer is like incense. It doesn't cost a great deal. It doesn't seem to accomplish much as we mortals assess things. It soon dissipates. But God likes the smell. -Elizabeth Eliot

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:38 PM 0 Comments

half of the secret in life
is to live for the day
like a flower or a bird

the other half is
to live for eternity
like a prayer or a poem

eastwind

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:25 PM 0 Comments

When we look back and wonder how we ever made it through, we realize it's not because we've been clever, but because God has been wise; not because we've been strong, but because God has been mighty; not because we've been consistent, but because God has been faithful.

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:18 PM 0 Comments

No pain, no gain
No guts, no glory
No cross, no crown.

**

Trials, like a washing machine, twist us, spin us, and knock us aroung, but in the end, we come out cleaner, brighter, and better than before.

posted by Resty Odon  # 6:13 PM 0 Comments