Life can seem unbearable at times, but don't let it keep you down. Meditate on God's goodness, talk to Him, and know that He hears you. When life knocks you to your knees, you're in a good position to pray.
Friday, April 14, 2006
The Sun Will Still Shine...
I just can't help not to share these beautiful images captured in my camera. These photos have been taken weeks ago but I just got to upload it lately because our worship leader borrowed my digicam. It was actually them who took these breath taking pictures.
Ate Marose, our worship leader is a lover of God's wonderful creations, sunsets being one of them. Going to Baywalk has become one of her favorites things to do when unwinding. She borrowed my digicam because they'll go trekking or hiking in some place but the event was cancelled. Since it is only every weekends that we get to see each other, she got to capture pictures of the scenic sunsets in Baywalk with the use of my camera. It's just sad that I wasn't able to join them because I am currently having a hard time getting sleep in the morning and I still have graveyard shift at that time.
Well, enough with the talk. I'll let the pictures speak now.
I like the color of this one. My officemate's comment about this photo was it looks scary, I don't know why, but I find it soothing.
This is my favorite photo. Ang ganda talaga.. It was Archie who took this picture. Ang galing. Yung timing nya sa position ng boat, the sun, the colors... and this is only with the cam in Auto mode. Nothing set manually. Thumbs up to you Chie!
Look at the rays! The orangey color reflected in the water, and the cruise ship from afar. Nice!
Even with the ball all covered, it just can't stop showing it's glory with its rays trying to show up behind those heavy looking clouds. And the red-orange color it made below... great color combination.
The sun taking its last peek. Bye bye... See you tomorrow. (^_^)
I can't couple this entry with some insightful words or quotes like some of my blogging friends who are into photo blogging, for I can't think of anything at the moment. I was just so awed with the images that I'd like to share it to everyone.
Oh if you want to know, these pictures are taken using a Canon Powershot A510, in 640 x 480 resolution, with the camera set in Auto mode.
While reading this part of Elisabeth Elliot's Passion and Purity book, I was amazed at how exactly Beth was able to describe the process of letting go in this example.
The growth of all living green things wonderfully represents the process of receiving and handing over, gaining and losing, living and dying. The seed falls into the ground, dies as the new shoot springs up. There must be a splitting and a breaking in order for a bud to form. The bud "lets go" when the flower forms. The calyx lets go of the flower. The petals must curl up and die in order for the fruit to form. The fruit falls, splits, relinquishes the seed. The seed falls into ground...
There is no ongoing spiritual life without this process of letting go. At the precise point where we refuse, growth stops. If we hold tightly to anything given to us, unwilling to let it go when the time comes to let it go, or unwilling to allow it to be used as the Giver means it to be used, we stunt the growth of the soul.
This doesn't only apply to letting go of someone we have dearly loved, but applies to everything that we have been afraid of giving up. I have always wondered why we have to come to a point where we have to give up something that we have been comfortable of having. Now, seeing Beth's example in her book made me understand why. Most of the time, we become bitter to God when He takes something from us, the fact that everything in this world, including ourselves were owned by Him. Most of the time I find people questioning God very hard why He would take something when we have already found our happiness and comfort in that thing, while they will see the answer if they just looked around. Observing just how nature behaves (in the case of a flower) will give them the answer.
I've come to realize then that hard feelings are part of the process of letting go. We cry, we yearn, we regret, and we blame. But these are all part of preparing us to receive something better. As the saying goes, "Gold is purifed by fire".
We can't avoid going through the hardships of letting go, but this should not be a reason for us to stop at our tracks. Maybe we might put it this way: "I might have lost something that has become very important to me, but I know God is preparing something better, and so I should not worry about it. I should instead be thankful that I've had some time to experience the happiness that that thing had given me".
The end of the chapter goes like this:
The more you perceive God's purpose in your life, the less terrible will the losses seem. The seed does not "know" what will happen. It only knows what is happening---the falling, the darkness, the dying. We were being asked to trust, to leave the planning to God. God's ultimate plan was as far beyong our imaginings, as the oak tree is far from the acorn's imaginings.
God's answer to everything we don't understand is simple: TRUST ME.
********************* This entry is reposted upon Jay's request. He's a new found friend of mine and we've known each other for 2 months by April 8 (am I right Jay? ^_^). We were talking over the phone yesterday when I've just thought of sharing this particular blog post of mine. This is actually one of my favorites. Part of the classics ^_^.
I've read those lines from one of the books I've decided to buy and read during the times I am having difficulty in the relationship I'm in that time. I've made reading inspirational books about relationships as part of my "therapy" in the process of letting go.
It never fails to inspire me up to this day. This entry has helped me realize that pains exist for us to be better persons, and this reminds me that if I not welcome such circumstances in my life, I am stunting my own growth and maturity. And it also helps me set a better view of the future, it made everything clearer.
To my friends who are currently undergoing the pains of letting go, this post is especially for you. May you be inspired by the things around you. Don't let any of those bad things blur your view of the beautiful things God has for you. You might be missing a lot. God is good, ALL THE TIME. And that includes bad times.
I noticed that I have not been blogging as often as I did when I started. I also got affected by the blogging craze before, but I never thought the ethusiasm in me would die down. I was able to make a few new friends through blogging, and I admit I miss them so much, even if our friendship only limits to the thoughts we've shared through our blogs, and the greetings exchanged through our tagboards and comments boxes. Blogging has opened my mind into a whole new different world, where I found that most of the time, the kind of people you get to know when you read their blogs are not exactly the kind of people they are when you get to meet them in person. It will not always mean that whatever person you come to know when you read their thoughts doesn't always be the person you'll see when in front of many people. That's what I just felt, based from my own experience, for I have some blogger friends too who I know personally and yet they are not the same person in blog and in the real world. In the blogging world, you may find the deepest thoughts they have which you don't expect they can think of. People can get so deep in blogging.
I miss my blogging friends. You may not know it but I sometimes just silently lurk into your blogs and read your thoughts or just keep myself updated. I might not make my presence known, but I do visit your blogs from time to time.
And to those who still visit my space, I really appreciate it.
I don't intend this to be my life's chronicles but I might write some of my experiences here.
Even so, everything that's written in here are either products of my excessive contemplation, or just plainly, pure boredom.
In any case, I still try to write as sensible as possible, for what I really intend to do and I hope is achieved in every writing,
is to impart or share some of the things I learn and sometimes, some struggles in life. Don't expect all seriousness in everything in here though.
In short, this blog is my outlet. My noted thoughts and reflections.
About Me
Name: Goldi
Home: Pasay City, Philippines
Birthday: June 2
Hobbies & Interests: Jesus, music, books, journals, internet, computers, tech stuff, gadgets * sound tripping, singing, playing musical instruments (I know guitar and flute recorder, I just wish I can play them well), watching movie with a tub of popcorn drizzled with melted butter (yum!), reading * observing, pondering, reflecting, learning * laughing or making people laugh (though I'm not good at it) and laugh with them, make people smile, or just listen to their stories. Minsan, trip ko lang din mang-asar =p
About Me: I'm a simple, idealistic but down-to-earth, & friendly person. Quiet most of the time, but friendly enough to have a nice talk (or even a hearty laugh) with anyone. "I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 NLT
Principles I live by:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4
"If people talk negatively about you, live in such a way that no one will believe them."
"God is a God of happy endings. If you're not yet happy, it's not yet the end."
"It's not what we know but what we do that counts." -Our Daily Bread
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -Dumbledore, Harry Potter 2
"Girls should assume that until a guy expresses interest, they're just friends." -J. Harris, Boy Meets Girl
"True love doesn't just wait; it plans." -Boy Meets Girl
"Eros will have naked bodies; friendship naked personalities." -C.S. Lewis
"Ideals are like stars; we will not succeed in touching them with our hands but by following them, as the sea faring man in the ocean, we will reach our destiny." -J. Harris, Boy Meets Girl
