Elpis kai Aceso: Summer of Hope and Healing: Live in the moment.

The Hydrangea

The hydrangea flower is a symbol of friendship, devotion, and understanding...and some say it represents all heartfelt and sincere emotions. My hope is to authentically love and sincerely serve the women in Bangalore, that friendships grounded in comfort and consolation would flourish over the six weeks. My hope is that the women I am serving in India would be filled with an abundance of hope...that despite the pain and brokenness and suffering of their past, that each one would know that they are absolutely beautiful and pure in God's sight, that they have worth and value that is beyond their wildest dreams, that they have the power to live new lives and be freed from the horror of their pasts. My heart longs to serve these women in a way that will empower them to bloom from roots of compassion and stems of courage, flourishing with hope for their futures.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Live in the moment.

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.  And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.” Psalm 39:4-7

At church today, I stared into 80 pairs of little eyes that glistened with light…that despite their lives in the slums and all they’ve seen, sung their hearts out to the Lord, thanking Him and praising Him for His blessings. I watched them dance and clap and pray and testify to the way God has provided for them…

Jered gave a message on “Living in the moment,” and I felt more alive in that moment than I have in some time. In being reminded of the fragile nature of my life, I was filled with a fervency and urgency to be thankful for the very breath I was breathing, each beat of my heart, each second I was still alive. Every single breath is a gift—not something I deserve, not something that is infinite, and not something that I have control over. Each moment is a privilege, a piece of grace, an opportunity---a chance to live and love that I will never get back again. Each second of my existence has a purpose and a reason that is far bigger than me, far more important than my desires, far more significant than my plans.

But I have a choice. I can live each moment for me, or I can live it for eternity. I can live it with my selfish ambitions, or worry and fret over what I will do tomorrow, or run around “heaping up wealth” and concerning myself with things of this world like money, education, success, or beauty…or instead of being focused on my reputation, I can be focused on the One I represent, and why He has put me here: to be completely humble and gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love, to serve wholeheartedly and with thanksgiving, to be made alive through grace (Ephesians 4:2, 2:8).

I can live my life for me, or I can live it for others. And the only time I have to live—is NOW. I am not guaranteed tomorrow. So the decision lies in my hands. The answers to the questions are up to me:
Who will I live for?
What will I live for?
When will I start LIVING?

4 comments:

The Heald FamilyJune 8, 2010 at 5:42 AM
Emily,
I have poured over your moving words this morning as I can picture you in India loving on these sweet people around you. Their eyes...yes, I know what you mean. There is something so telling in their eyes. Frances and Hallie have pictures around their room of children from India and they talk about their eyes. I pray that they will see Jesus so clearly through you as you serve there. I pray for you as you take all of this in and work through the challenges of being exposed to the hurts of so many who need to know Him:)
praying.....Cathy Heald
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chris.cole.c3June 20, 2010 at 1:05 PM
So true. I've been thinking about this lately too, and you've presented it biblically and beautifully. Thanks for this
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manak bajajJune 24, 2010 at 11:44 PM
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manak bajajJune 24, 2010 at 11:48 PM
beautiful....!
words couldnt be better ....cant explain what i am feeling inside me...i'm happy yet i'm sad...for all good things that could have been done..but never happened because of the selfish nature of man...not just man,even me...with every breath of life comes a different moment..and every moment has a different purpose...you cannot change the purpose of your life or moment but the time you are able to explore this purpose or reoson...u'd see the lord himself in your heart...but be careful,as not always you see the purpose clearly,u see what you want to see, and thus, create a world of illusion....so good luck with that,...
And i know the blog above is not just words but what you felt....felt about the questions in your mind...but u have to realise that even though you wrote down your feelings...these words might change some minds....nd that can be your purpose...u might never know...but there is one thing you should always know and that is "you are here to serve the god even if you want or not,consciously or subconsciously, you are serving him...but you will definately find the happiness and satisfaction when you accept this reality...
and i really admire you for what you felt....:)
nd sorry to bug you if i did...hehe...:P
manak
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Quote of the Day

June 22: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” –John Wooden
June 21: "Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." –Corey Ten Boom
June 20: “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” –Princess Diana
June 19: “A man who won't die for something is not fit to live.” –Martin Luther King
June 18: “There are two ways of spreading light-to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.” –Edith Wharton
June 17: “Without hope, you’ve got nothing.”
June 16: “Do the right thing, in life, the first time around. Its not like you’re going to pass by again.”
June 15: “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
June 14: “When the world says ‘give up,’ hope whispers ‘give it one more try.’”
June 13: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.”
June 12: “Time spend laughing is time spend with God.” A proverb
June 11: “Kind words can be short, but their echoes are endless.” –Mother Theresa
June 10: "If you want to be happy, be." -Leo Tolstoy
June 9: "There's always so much to do, and only so many hours in a day." -Billy Joel
June 8: "To love and to be loved is to feel the sun from both sides."
June 7: "Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine." -Anthony J D'Angelo
June 6: "If you want to get something, give it." -Deepak Chopra
June 5: "Happiness is having an scratch for every itch." -Ogden Nash
June 4: "A flower touches everyone's heart." -Georgia O'Keefe
June 3: "I've stood at the bottom of some walls I thought I couldn't climb. Felt like a Cinderella at the ball, just running out of time. I know how it feels to be afraid, and think that it's all gonna slip away. Hold on." -Carrie Underwood
June 2: "We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are." -Oprah Winfrey
June 1: "Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again." -Joseph Campbell
May 31: "Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, 'grow, grow.'" -Talmud
May 30: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” –Annie Dielard
May 29: “Patience is a companion of wisdom.” –Angnotine
May 28: “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
May 27: “Look at all the beauty left in the world…and be happy.”-Anne Frank
May 26: “I am part of all I have met.” –Alfred Tennyson
May 25: “Some days, there wont be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.” -Emory Austin
May 24: “Only do what your heart tells you.” –Princess Diana
May 23: “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” –Leo Tolstoy
May 22: “The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” –Eden Phipolts
May 21: “An authentic life is the most important personal form of worship. Everyday life has become my prayer.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach
May 20: “Sleep is the best meditation.” – Dalai Lama
May 19: "We cannot hold a torch to light another path without brightening our own." -Ben Sweetland
May 18: "You've got to be hard; you've got to be tough; you've got to be strong; you've got to be bold, got to be real, got to stay together. Love will save the day."
May 17: "Happiness is inward, not outward; so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what is inside us." -Henry Van Dyke
May 16: "I think, if your life is in the gutter, eventually the gutter is going to rub off on you. Instead, make your life full of compassion, and never forget to show it." -Rachel's high school English teacher
May 15: "I've met some go-getters, some difference-makers, small town heroes and big chance-takers. I've met some young hearts with something to prove." -Carrie Underwood
May 14: "Take time to come home to yourself everyday." - Robin Casar Jean
May 13: "Celebrate what you want to see more of." -Thomas J. Peters
This is one of my favorites: "The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Elpis kai Aceso: Summer of Hope and Healing

SUMMER PART 1

SUMMER PART 2

The Hydrangea

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Live in the moment.

4 comments:

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