Sunday, January 21, 2018

Step lighter!



I’ve had a very tough week.
The theme of it? The lesson? Be light, walk in a lighter way on this journey. Carry less. Let go. It will allow the Lord to take me to places, farther place, more easily. 

The image of the pencil grip came to my mind. 
If we push hard on the pencil while writing, it will tire us faster, it takes much more effort to write, and we will have more difficulty erasing our mistakes. 
If we have a lighter grip on that pencil while writing, we will write more smoothly, faster, with more ease. The experience will be more pleasurable. And thus we will end up writing more. 

Walk in the same way through life. With lighter feet. Carrying almost nothing. And you will walk to further places. More smoothly. And mistakes, wrong turns, will be easily corrected. 

Monday, October 3, 2016

The Lion and the Lamb

"So do not fear, for I am with you;do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. " 

-Isaiah 41:10

google images

I have been meditating in the past few weeks on the image of God, the Lion and the Lamb. Never thought it would strike me this much!

God has been manifesting Himself to me through my life as the Lamb: as the God who bows down and listens, cares, empathizes, forgives, forgets, redeems, gives time, gives affection, gives peace, is patient, is tolerant, is bountiful, always exceeds expectations, ever-present, He died for us... to say the least. I'm sure I needed this face of Him to get through life and grow year after year in my knowledge and trust in Him. 


Little did I know that I got so accustomed to this side of God that I downsized Him unconsciously and categorized Him as sweet little Jesus. I started building anxiety and noticing that I am taking matters into my own hands thinking I am helping out God to make things better. This implies that when situations got uglier it was hard to trust that God is ABLE to do something about it. Until one day, through my meditation, I felt pretty shaken by the image of a roaring Lion, a King, feared and awed by his kingdom. And it hit me. Why don't I emphasize more on the Resurrection part of the story? The victory? On the roaring Lion, who is jealous on me and on my time, who wants to prove His Might to me? 

He is strong, mighty to save, and fearless in protecting his own. He will help me, He will uphold me, He will fight for me. Yes He will! He is not only capable but Willing and Waiting to do that and more for me.



If only I trusted Him more and trusted in His power, wouldn't my outlook on life be totally different?

Thursday, August 18, 2016

In Him All Things Hold Together

"He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. " 

-Colossians 1:17


The image of the daisy flower has been formed a few years back in my mind, but I promise you it was one of the milestones in my spiritual life. 
Back in the days, I used to lose my peace very easily. Every time one of my many number one priorities would hit the ground, my life got shaken: God, relationships, love, family, academics, career, service, health. I was overwhelmed by every wave that hit me, until one day the Lord spoke to me through the daisy. 
Every priority areas in my life are represented in one of the petals of that flower. God Himself cannot be anywhere but in the center, the "eye" of the flower also known as the flower head. The center is the flower's source of life. Through my research I was surprised to know that "the daisy itself is not a single flower, but a combination of individual flowers arranged around a central disk."

God is not just another thing that I should hold through life.
HE is holding my life together. No matter the circumstances in my life, as long as the center is still there, the flower still stands tall, unshakable, and confident. I pray that I keep reminding myself of this spiritual truth, and that I stand upright in the midst of life's waves.


#MiraclesDoHappen (PART II)

Yes!! There is a part two, and I forgot to post about it- I'm sure it's because I was super excited!

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So, I was overwhelmed with the miracle and I testified about it to my community, my doctors, and my surrounding. I was surprised to see the ripple effect it had on people. People were mostly touched by the part where I thought I did not need to let go of a cross I thought I should live with, especially that I thought it will be replaced by a more difficult one. But no, the Lord clearly wanted to give me rest, there certainly are many answers in heaven for prayers that are not being voiced out.
Anywayyyyy, a month after my healing, I was in a prayer meeting, a massive one, on the feast of the Pentecost. Through the end of the meeting, while we were interceding for Lebanon, Syria, and the neighbouring countries, a man came up to the microphone because he felt a word from the Lord: Someone has been suffering from discomfort/disease for a long time now and the doctors aren't being able to figure it out, today you will be healed.Yes, yes, yes it was the exact same word of prophecy that led to my healing the first time! Isn't our God AMAZING! I'm sure you figured out the rest. I asked for prayers by my two friends sitting next to me and joked about tattooing a sleeve of cow patches if I get healed this time too. A few minutes into prayer, my friend leans in and whispers: you are healed.
The God who is so attentive to the smallest of details ever is in full control of my life, and He is listening to every prayer, every cry, and every word. Like the blind who came to the Lord twice for full healing in the New Testament, the Lord never works halfway. I know now and I TRUST that  
 He who began a good work in me will carry it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. -Philippians 1:6


I ate and ate and ate till I felt I should visit the doctor again to validate the miracle once more. I will not hide it, I was still a little skeptical, and that is why I kept pushing the appointment. I did not want to be deceived. To cut the story short, I was healed, perfectly healed, and left with zero food allergies. ZERO! God exceeded my expectations big time. That was so time in May 2015, and until today I am wrapped in a bubble of joy and peace I never experienced yet. 


Sunday, January 3, 2016

Pense-y toi!

"Pense-y toi". Je te réponds que j’y pense.





Don Dolindo Ruotolo, prêtre napolitain qui vécu et mourut en odeur de sainteté, a écrit ce
Précepte sur l’abandon à Dieu, qui lui fut inspiré par Jésus.

"Pourquoi te confondre en t’agitant ? Laisse que je m’occupe de tout et tout s’apaisera. En vérité je te le dis, tout acte d’abandon à moi, véritable et absolu, produit l’effet que tu attends et résout les situations difficiles. S’abandonner à moi ne signifie pas se tourmenter, s’inquiéter et se désespérer en m’adressant ensuite une prière. S’abandonner signifie fermer les yeux de l’âme, écarter la pensée des tribulations et s’en remettre à moi pour que moi seul, je te fasse trouver l’autre rive, comme les enfants endormis dans les bras maternels.
Ce qui te bouleverse et te meurtri, c’est ton raisonnement, tes pensées, ton observation : vouloir remédier toi-même à ce qui t’afflige.

* Que de choses je fais lorsque l’âme, dans ses nécessités aussi bien spirituelles que matérielles, se tourne vers moi, me regarde, ferme les yeux et se repose en me disant :"Pense y toi !:"

* Tu obtiens peu de grâce lorsque tu te tourmentes à les produire ; tu en obtiens beaucoup lorsque tu t’en remets à moi par la prière.Dans la douleur, tu pries afin que j’ôte ta douleur, mais pour que je l’ôte comme tu le souhaites… Tu te tourne vers moi, mais tu veux que je m’adapte à tes désires; tu n’es pas de ces malades qui demandent au médecin un remède, c’est toi qui le lui suggères.

* Ne fais ainsi, mais prie comme je te l’ai enseigné dans le Pater :"Que ton nom soit sanctifié "(c’est-à-dire qu’il soit glorifié dans ta requête) :"Que ton règne vienne :" (c’est-à-dire que tout concoure à ton règne, en nous dans ce monde) "Que ta volonté soit faite :" (ce qui est l’équivalant de :"Pense-y toi :"). J’interviens avec toute ma puissance et je résous les situations les plus fermées. Le malheur s’acharne contre toi au lieu de disparaître, Ne t’agite pas, ferme les yeux et dis-moi en toute confiance :"Que ta volonté soit faite, pense-y toi :" Je te dis que j’y pense en intervenant comme médecin et, lorsque cela est nécessaire, j’accomplis aussi un miracle. Tu t’aperçois que le mal s’aggrave ? Ne t’inquiète pas, mais ferme les yeux et dis :"Pense-y toi :". Je te réponds que j’y pense.

* La préoccupation, l’agitation et le souci des conséquences sont contraires à l’abandon. On peut les comparer à la confusion que font les enfants, lorsqu’ils prétendent que leur mère subvienne à leurs besoins, mais veulent y pourvoir eux-mêmes, entravant ainsi son rôle avec leurs idées et leurs caprices enfantins.

* Ferme les yeux et laisse-toi porter par le courant de ma grâce. Ferme tes yeux et laisse-moi faire, sans penser à l’instant présent.Ecarte tes pensées du future, comme d’une tentation. Repose-toi sur moi en croyant en ma bonté et je te jure sur mon amour, qu’en me disant ces paroles :"Pense-y toi :" j’y penserai, je te consolerai, je te libèrerai, je te guiderai.

* Et lorsque je te conduirai sur un autre chemin que celui que tu envisages de prendre, je te soutiendrai en te portant dans mes bras, car aucun remède n’est plus puissant que mon amourJe n’y pense que lorsque tu fermes les yeux. Mais tu es "insomniaque", tu veux tout évaluer, tout scruter, penser à tout; ainsi tu t’abandonnes aux forces humaines ou, ce qui est pire, aux hommes, en te fiant à leurs inventions. Voilà ce qui entrave mes paroles et mes projets. Oh ! combien je désire ton abandon pour te venir en aide et combien je m’afflige de te voir agité!

* Voilà ce que cherche Satan : t’agiter pour te soustraire à mon action et te jeter en proie aux décisions humaines. Remets-toi donc à moi seul, repose-toi sur moi, abandonne-toi à moi en tout. Je fais des miracles en proportion de l’abandon total à moi et de l’absence de confiance en toi : Je dispense des trésors de grâces lorsque tu te trouves dans le plus grand dénuement.

* Si tu as des ressources ou si tu les cherches, tu suis le parcours naturel des choses, qui est souvent entravé par Satan. Aucun raisonneur ou modérateur, n’a fait de miracles, parmi les saints.

* Seul celui qui s’abandonne à Dieu agit divinement. Lorsque tu vois que les choses se compliquent, dis en fermant les yeux de l’âme: "Jésus, pense-y-toi :". Et distrais-toi, car ton esprit est clairvoyant…pour toi, il t’est difficile de voir le mal. Remets-toi, souvent à moi en te distrayant de toi-même. Fais ainsi pour toute nécessité. Fait ainsi et tu verras de grands, continuels et silencieux miracles. Et je te le jure par mon amour. Moi j’y penserai, sois-en assuré.

* Prie toujours avec cette disposition d’abandon et tu obtiendras paix et satisfaction, même lorsque je te ferai grâce de l’immolation de réparation et d’amour qu’impose la souffrance. Cela te parait-il impossible ? Ferme les yeux et dis, du fond de l’âme :"Jésus pense-y toi :" Ne crains rien, j’y penserai, et tu béniras mon nom en t’humiliant. Tes prière ne valent pas un pacte d’abandon confiant; souviens-t-en. Il n’y a pas de neuvaine plus efficace que celle-ci :

"Ô Jésus, je m’abandonne à toi, pense-y toi"
"Abandonne-toi à mon cœur … et tu verras :"

* Je veux que tu crois en mon omnipotence et non à ton action : que tu cherche à me faire agir et non pas toi à travers les autres.

* Recherche mon amitié, exauce mon désire de t’avoir, de t’enrichir, de t’aimer comme je le veux. Laisse-toi aller, laisse-moi reposer en toi, laisse-moi exercer constamment sur toi mon omnipotence. Si tu restes près de moi et si tu ne te préoccupe pas d’agir pour ton compte, de courir pour sortir, de dire d’avoir agi, tu me prouveras que tu crois en mon omnipotenceet j’opèrerai intensément en toi, lorsque tu parleras, iras, travailleras, prieras,ou dormiras car "je donne tout à mes bien-aimés pendant leur sommeil" (psaume 126). Si tu restes avec moi sans vouloir courir, si tu ne te préoccupes pas de tes besoins mais me les confies entièrement, je te donnerai tout ce dont tu as besoin selon mon dessein éternel. Je te transmettrai les sentiments que je veux de toi, une grande compassion envers ton prochain et je te ferai dire et faire ce que je voudrai. Alors ton action sera les nouveaux qui naîtrons de moi.J’en ferai d’autant plus que tu auras voulu être un véritable fils comme le Fils Unique, car tu sais que "si tu fais ma volonté, tu seras : mon frère, ma soeur et ma mère"pour me faire croître dans les autres, car Je créerai de nouveaux fils, en me servant des véritables fils . Ce que tu feras pour réussir n’est rien à côté de ce que je fais dans le secret des cœurs de ceux qui aiment. "Demeure en mon amour…si tu demeure en moi et si mes paroles demeurent en toi, demande ce que tu veux et cela te sera accordé" (Jean 15)

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

#MiraclesDoHappen


"Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me." -Psalm 103:2





One Sunday, Before receiving communion (a piece of bread in the Greek catholic rite) in mass and after hesitating to eat that much gluten, I felt the Lord saying: "This IS the piece of bread that will Heal your gluten intolerance". I figured I was making assumptions given that it was the FIRST time I approached this issue with a desire to be healed from that wheat allergy and expectant faith that it will happen.

I took communion and a surge of peace and happiness filled me.

After mass the Bishop called me behind the alter with other people to finish the remaining blessed pieces of bread. I was laughing a lot because I felt weird telling the Bishop no thank you I'm allergic. He gave me around 13 pieces to finish- I felt overjoyed.

Later during the prayer ministry of the meeting I was in, while I was interceding for others, a friend felt a word of knowledge from the Lord:
Someone has been suffering from discomfort/disease for a long time now and the doctors aren't being able to figure it out. Another girl said after him that she is feeling that a person has a discomfort in the stomach and will be healed today. I stood up for prayers with assurance that this word was for me given that early that same week my 8th doctor felt discouraged by my case.

The next day, it so happened that I had another appointment with that same doctor to test me again for gluten intolerance. And to her surprise my body tested 100% free from gluten traces!! She tried to repeat the test several times to validate the results. I am still allergic to dairy products but am completely healed from my wheat allergy! She was amazed by the story and by God's intervention, and deep down so am I!

I am thankful beyond compare and honored to be visited by my Lord in such a special way!

I added the wheat symbol to my tattoo as a daily reminder that the Lord is ALIVE and above all that His intervention in my life is tangible now. 

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Pray About It!

"Have you prayed about it as much as you talked about it?" -Matthew 21:22

This specific question has always provoked me. 
Those who know me the least, know that I'm a walking-thinking being! I tend to think a lot about everything and anything- trying to find the best possible solutions in line with the will of God. Then, if all is "sorted out", I go to God in prayer thanking Him for everything. If not, I go to Him, obviously as a last resort, and present Him all the mess in my thoughts and He, Oh so gently, touches my mind and heart and gives me an indescribable peace in the midst of my chaos. 
And mind you, I exclaim, after every similar experience, that this will be the last time I leave God as the last resort.

When I say I surrender my all to God, I suppose this means my thoughts too! Strange that this is a revelation to me, but it really does make the whole difference in my life. If there is something that I learned over the years, it's that I CANNOT save myself. The Lord is so near to me, His ear is constantly towards my cry. He loves me and wants to soothe my pain and confusion. I should start sparing myself the trouble of trying alone and immediately take all that I am and all that I have- from thoughts to fears to dreams to plans to intentions- to Jesus, comforter of my soul... to Him who has a solution, to Him who is able to make a difference. And that, in my case, would be every time i draw a breath and every time my heart beats. He is near. Very near. And He understands. He loves me. 

Friday, November 7, 2014

God Does Not Need Me

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else." -Acts 17:24-25


One of the biggest revelations I have had this past month is the simple yet life changing statement that God does not need me, He never has, never will, ever. 
At first it sounded as if I am not worthy to be used by Him, but when I came to ponder that statement I found it more of an ultimate  compliment to me. 
God does not NEED me, God is not desperate for me to follow Him because He has a lot on His plate and needs helping hands; He WANTS me. I am not indispensable to God, but out of His immense love and mercy He is giving me the privilege to be an instrument in His Holy hands and is allowing me to be cleaned, healed, loved, blessed (...) every time I am willing to be used. I can never stand in the way of His work, I can only benefit of His graces through the process. 
How soothing it is to know that He is not expecting anything from me, He is not waiting for me to save the world, all He wants is for me to follow Him and to be loved by Him, and then through me, through that process, He will save the world.



Monday, October 13, 2014

Zipa Deedo Dah Day!


"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought." -Peace Pilgrim


What a consolation it is that there are new days!
Imagine a life without mornings, without the chance to start again, without the chance to shift perspectives. 

Today, I choose joy.
Today, I choose to be thankful.
Today, I choose to keep my eyes up towards the Source of Life.
Today, I choose to smile back at memories and not dwell on the pain.

Today, no matter how I am feeling, I choose to hold fast to God's promises to me, and to live accordingly.

... and something tells me today ain't gona be no ordinary day!!! :)

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Rearview Mirrors

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." -C.S. Lewis

Sitting in the terrible traffic this morning got me thinking (as usual!). I was staring at the multitude of rearview mirrors in front of me and through mine could see the ones behind my car. 
Rearview mirrors... I can't imagine a car without one... (actually I can because of my many near death experiences with the cabs in India who are not fans of rearview mirrors!)

Anyway, this got me thinking about my journey through life and the important role my past has in it (given it has shaped me to be who I am today). It's quite tricky to find an appropriate way to deal with the past... and HOP! an analogy arose. 
When I am driving, it is necessary to keep glancing at the rearview mirror. 
I remember, back in the time when I started to learn how to drive, how my father made it a point: "Joy, the mirrors." "Are you checking the mirrors?"...




The past is like using the rearview mirror in the car. I believe that our past is not meant to be deleted from existence. 

Through life's journey, it's good to glance back at my past- 
to remind myself and be empowered at how far I've come, 
to smile at the many memories and cheer up, 
to resurface the lessons I have learned from failed experiences, 
to realize that things do get better when I thought they never could, 
to acknowledge that life goes on...



BUT if I stare TOO LONG at the rear view mirror I would definitely miss what is right in front of me. Hahaha and believe me I've been there- both in the car (BOOM! into the car in front of me) and on my journey in life (dwelling and drowning in the past). What I need to remind myself too is that objects in the rearview mirror appear to be closer and bigger, same as memories and past experiences. They are here to guide and not to control me.

I have to keep focused. The view through the windshield is so much clearer than the view in the rearview mirror. I have to keep my eyes on what is to come, on what is in front of me since it is still preventable. I have to look ahead and pay attention on the road. What has happened has happened! I have a say in the present, in what is lying ahead of me... not forgetting to keep glancing at the past and making the best out of it!