Roses and Chocolates and Diamonds Too: AWAKEN LOVE AT HER DOOR STEP

AWAKEN LOVE AT HER DOOR STEP

                                         ISBN/ EAN13: 1511592745/ 9781511592741

JACOB

Jacob

Through the friendship and the covenant between God and Abraham, God’s abundant blessings flowed continually throughout his descendants. Even though they were taken to distant lands and start again a new life, God prospered the works of their hands. They also inherited moments of divine encounters like that of Abraham who became God’s friend and confidant. The descendants of Abraham continually (both spiritually and biologically), from Isaac, Jacob down to the present age), encounters God, His Angels and some Holy Saints and messengers.

When Jacob encountered God in his dream, he vowed to make Him Lord over his life once He fulfilled His word upon him. Indeed, it came to pass, that the word of the Lord was being fulfilled throughout his lifetime so that he continually revered the Lord and kept His word holy. This became evident when God was making him successful in everything he did so much so that those around him perceived that the hand of God was working in and on his behalf and even became fearful of him.

Jacob knew and experienced the blessings of God upon His life and upon his forefathers before him. He also knew that His blessings and gifts are all irrevocable. So on one occasion, upon his return to his country of birth, he again encountered God. He took it as an opportune and appointed time that he should not let it pass so he insisted that God would bless him to the point that he even contend with God (through His Angel) for his blessings which he eventually received it. Imagine, a mere man wrestling with God’s messengers and triumph in the end. Although God knew this would happen, He made himself vulnerable to the desire of man and allowed him, according to his faith, whatever he believes to be done unto his life.

RELIGION: Intimacy with God

    

      There was not much written about this man in the Bible but the words that described him suffice it to explain why he was considered to be one of God’s beloveds and favorites. It was written, he ‘walked’ with God (Gen.5:21), meaning, he became so intimate with Him. So much so that the entire Heaven entreated him to be there in one whole piece, body, soul and spirit. So there he was taken up to heaven before his time here on earth ended (the first human who went to heaven without dying). God took him to be  with Him for he loved God so much and God likewise loved him much as well. He modeled how people should commune with God to become also His favorites and intimates.

     But what does it really mean to walk with God? We can’t over spiritualize this matter for it is as simple as literally walking with God. God commune with Mosses from time to time in Sinai, why can’t He not walk with Enoch from time to time? Imagine Enoch walking with God (and entirely not an imaginary friend) anytime and anywhere they agreed to meet.

      There was a story of a dear brother by the name of Lawrence who in his years of service and ministry for the Lord became unsatisfied in mere causal or ‘shallow’ relationship with the Lord in that he wanted to be more intimate with Him. So every day, he set a special time to commune with the Lord and just be with Him conversing or enjoying His presence. For months or even years, I may not get the whole story straight but he never failed to do this and one day Jesus showed himself up literally and told him if he would continue this kind of practice, He promised him that He’ll show Himself up every time he would commune with Him. He never failed even once to do this so Jesus continued to be with Him literally. God honors such insatiable thirst and hunger and will never ever leave it unquenched. That’s walking with God!

     Have you ever had a very close friend, the very best friend at that? Your communication is entirely different as compared with the ones you have with your ordinary friends and acquaintances, isn’t it? Your communication involves more of the nature of disclosures or the divulging of the important matters in life, secrets may be, major decisions and other intimate things. That’s how most probably the dialogue goes between Enoch and God. It is as if both their hearts became entwined as they share and reveal everything to each other. They became one that God made it a point that he should always be on His side forever, so He took him away with Him.

When Little Things are Big

Simple or little things are the main things and the main things are the little or simple things. They might be as tiny as a little key but they meant real big.

One will come to know the importance or significance of little important things when they lost it. Twice, I went somewhere within the city of Phnom Penh to take a little tour and for each time I lost my key chain. At times, when we have some little tiny things we tend to become careless in handling them. We even just juggle or play them with our hands. It slip out from our mind their importance until such time that we lost them. They became just the normal little things we become accustomed to and tend to take them for granted. There are many things like that in our lives. 

As for me, fortunately, I was able to find it for each instance. But going through the hustle was somehow a waste of time. Or so I thought. But for each time, as I pondered why or what's even the purpose of it having to lost something as 'profoundly' significant as keys, I thought that it has some benefits. Far be it that I am trying to rationalize things. May be yes or may be no. But for each instance, I was able to connect and form a relationship with these significant people, first to my landlady who went through my trouble sharing her precious time with me to solve my seemingly profound, very important and pressing matter at hand, looking for my lost key. Second, to my neighbors and friends who helpped me wransacked my door and retrieved my key inside. For each time, I am profoundly and exceedingly gratelful the events turned out, to the people involved,  and above all to God almighty. The word says, everything works together for good and the things that the enemy tried to use to harm us, God will turn it into our favor, advantage and for our own good.

The morale here is that:

1. Little things have profound impact to our lives no matter how we view it. At times, no matter how seemingly miniscule and little they are, they are still the main things and the main things are the little things. (This is entirely different from the notion of being pesimistic or too negative or magnifying something much less a problem). As this was exacting the saying, 'The sum of the parts is not greater than its whole itself.' We need each things that directly affects our living no matter how small we view them (except the problems of course). Like for instance, Jesus thought the disciples to value the "left overs." Now, left overs are not that so important as to make them the presents or to feed others (far be it). It is just that, we should value them as not to waste the grace we received. The world is fast becoming pre-dominantly on the "non-recylable" and "fast-food-type" phase of environment. In some affluent countries, they produce so fast that which they could not consume and would just turn out to become waste. Or we buy or accumulate to many that which we can not use. And we tend to despise and even become ungrateful to the little things we have or we have received. And so much more application of this idea such as when it comes to conserving our environment (our perishable herritage).

2. Spiritually speaking, all things work together for good even the seemingly little or insignificant aspect of our lives (as we see them). And whatever the devil intended to use against us to harm us, God uses it for our own good.

God cares for us even the smallest detail in our everyday life. God cares for the simplest things from the minute we were conceived in our mother's womb. In fact from things such as protecting our skin from the scorching heat of the sun to major things as giving us jobs; from having conducting or celebrating an occasion to letting marry the right woman and living at the right specific place; from granting providing our daily needs to fulfilling our desires and dreams.  

So, whatever we have, whatever we receive we should be grateful, learn to value them, we should maximize them at an efficient state, we should simply be careful, .... 

Life's Shell-Fishes Blog

The blog was entitled as such to capture or at least get a sense of the expression "selfie." Here, 'selfie' doesn't necessarily mean all about "the self" or the blogger's "selfishness" of speaking mainly about his life but more on sharing life's escapdes, insights, ideas, experiences or words that he hope could give some form of enlightenment, inspiration, instill hope, give encouragement etc. The title also speaks about how life could be likened to the ocean or to some life forms in it. 

             Life could be as colorful as the ocean floor which is filled with assorted life forms like the multi-colored corals, fishes, shells and the like. Sometimes it could be as hard as a shell but no matter how tough it might be you just have to suck in the marrow of it to end up in a nice feat.

Or like the seashore forever swayed by the waves of the sea, it is not so much of what you can give but how much you can receive waves after waves of life's blessings not to hored it for selfish gain or greed but so that it can also overflow to the lives of others. 

INSPIRATION

In life, whenever you ask the question, "What would you like or want in life?" People would almost always wanted to answer, "I wanted to become successful." Most guru, teachers, leadership speakers and motivators would agree that there is no short cut to sucsess but there are ways, principles or laws as most of them call it that you can follow in order to become successful. One of the principles to ensure one can attain success came from Ralph Waldo Emmerson when he said, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." But where does enthusiam comes from? Is it just merely a feeling or a part in us wired in the fiber of the human soul that you can just click whenever you want or like it? Given you can muster the sense of being enthusiastic whatever situation you are in, where else can you pull such a resource if ever you find yourself devoid of energy and seemingly could no longer go another distance or when the going gets rough and tough? I believe the answer to that question comes from the things we hold dear in life - from the things that inspire us.

But what is inspiration in the first place? My personal definition of it is, the things that we look up to and tightly held dear and treasure in our hearts and that we look forward to. It could be your family, your spouse, your children, your friends, the people you love, your future, the dreams and aspirations you have and so much more. At times, you might find yourself hitting rock bottom or at the worst kind of scenario. I had several worst things that happened in my life but trying to look back at them just makes me grateful to God at how I got out from each one of them. If ever you tried running a marathon, at certain points in your run, you will experience searing pain that would make you give up. At those times, quiting sounds a good option, a temptation which never leaves the mind. Then you would encourage yourself that you can do it or that you’re doing it for something or someone important to you. Now that’s what we call inspiration. It gives you a sense of elation, extra strength to go one more mile.

So whatever might be you’re going through right now, maybe you’re at your wits end or at the end of your rope. Fret not. For there’s always a way out in everything. After the night comes the morning light that shines brighter throughout the day.  

The Adventures of Kourga and Kayan I: The Awakening (Chapter I)

ISBN-13: 978-1514219904 

ISBN-10: 1514219905 

      Still weary, sleepy and disturbed as he was, Kayan, slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look around, being partially blinded by the shimmering rays of the morning sun, he rose up from where he lay and checked where the noise was coming from, which he could hardly distinguished. As soon as his head went out from the bushes that seemingly hid him, he was taken aback by what lies before him.

      Shaking his head once more to wake himself up, lo and behold, myriads of different birds from different families swarmed the entire bank near his new found home. It’s unbelievable, the place became speckled with different sort of colors. They had flocked and surrounded his teeny tiny Islet which became seemingly the center of the place. There were pink and white Flamingos, black and white Herons and egrets, multi-colored Kingfishers, Cranes, Curlew, Gadwall, Plover, Snipe, Stint and many more but much to his surprise not a duck was in view. It was all too glorious to behold, a miracle at that. Overjoyed by the sight that was before him, he moved out from there. Kayan jumped out to his feet into the water saying, as he always does, “Quack, quack, quack!” That was just his way of expressing himself when a jerk of an illation knocks into Him. He was too excited to join the flock as if he belongs in such a crowd. He glided slowly his flappers into the river as not to disturb the other birds. Closing in on each group, he tried to discern whether a certain group was the right one to mingle with. He then moved around from place to place wandering while playing around at the same time wiggling his fair-feathered-tail signaling others to join him. He did this all day long but found no company of birds interested enough in his seemingly worthwhile activity.

     

The night came in and it was now time for him to retire again to his new found haven, a place inside the Islet of bushes where he made himself a straw nest though it’s far from being finished. Tired as he was from the game he played, he went around it, sat as to lie down, bended his neck, inserted his beak inside his wings and then closed his drowsy eyes.

Even the night jungle seemed to have synchronized itself to its inhabitants as though it’s one big living organism making all things in it to come alive as it breathes and sleeps when darkness falls upon it. It’s one mysterious place indeed, turning the tame into wild and the wild wilder.   

It was summer time in that part of the region, even though it was dark, any bird could make out the silhouette of things near it as it was dimlighted by the big and wide open dome above it that was filled with stars and their constellations and the moon smiling down upon the whole land of Tosolang.

As the night went deeper still, while Kayan was fast asleep, he had a dream. In his dream, he found himself surrounded by his Duck family in a lovely place, a wonderland, that only indescribable beauty could be used to describe it. He also saw himself dancing with his bride although he could hardly described her appearance which was like the Mona Kiki. He was captivated by her angelic beauty – She had sweet, tamed-brown eyes, sparkling like the precious gemstones of the east. Her body shines and was as smooth as the nard oil of Arabica. Her red beaks glistens as she bids upon him full of smile that gladdens his spirit and brings him joy forever more. As they dance together, glistening silver and gold dust rain down from heaven. He was filled with the knowledge that when he will meet her sooner or later, he will know, beyond all doubt that she is the one meant for him. It was a moment filled with life’s bliss of happiness that he never felt in his entire life. It is a moment that no one could ever take away from him. But suddenly, in the middle of his dream, he was awakened by the sound of wagging wings, fluttering and flustering bird as it shrieks not far from where he was. But his mind was still being dozed off into slumber, wanting to go back from where he left off in his dream. So he went back to sleep again ignoring what disturbed him, discounting it as maybe just some of his bird mates annoyed by the uncomfortable high and humid temperature of the summer heat in the suburbs of the river.