Why am I crying?
Why am I lost?
Why did I stop?
Please tell me
When will I grow up?
How long can I stay a child?
Where have I come running from?
Where am I running to?
I had no place to live.
I couldn't find one.
I don't know if I could have any hope for the future.
They always said I was a strong child.
They praised me, saying "you must be strong to not cry."I didn't want those words at all.So I pretended not to understand.
Why are you laughing?
Why are you by my side?
Why are you leaving me?
Please tell me.
When did you become strong?
Since when have you felt weakness?
How long must you wait
for the day you understand to come?
The sun is rising.
I must go soon.
I can't stay in the same place forever.
You will someday be betrayed by your trust in people.
I thought it was the same as being rejected.
At the time I didn't have that kind of strength.
I definitely knew too much.
They always said I was a strong child.
They praised me, saying "you must be strong not to cry."
The more people said things like that,the more even laughing became agony.
I was born alone.
I'll go on living alone.
I thought that surely that kind of life is appropriate.
Original Lyric by Ayumi Hamasaki.
Translated by I-Don't-Know.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Pieces of a Family
It was... ...
A scream that I never heard before in my life. It is very extraordinary, indeed.
How broken into pieces of a family. Family?
Tears keep on falling down from the eye ; the eyes of a beautiful women.
How sad.. How pressurable it is.. Actually?
No idea about it. As I.. want to cry aloud too. But i just couldn't allow my tears from falling down. The tears damped the area of my eyes. Tears?
My heart.. Are you crying? Yes. It is crying indeed. Be tough.. As this always happen in life.
How sad when he walked away.. I was behind him. So far as i could see. Stop?
Please.. Don't go too far as I was left behind. Alone.
Why did you have to do so? No, please change your mind. Change?
As pessimist, extreme. Change to be more optimist as life would be more better, a little bit.
What we gonna do? I don't know. God?
This is the life. The Child's Life. The Story of a Child.
A person who grown up to be a man.
- The Broken Family of a Child -
"As God always listen to His child's prayer and rectify the needs. Amen."
Child,
Never fail to love the Family of yours.
Never abandon your family No matter how complicated the situation is.
And don't give a cold-shoulder toward your family.
Like I Do.
Love your family as Jesus said :
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." - 1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV)
[5. "Honor your father and your mother...so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." - Ten Commandments.]
[第五誡 "當孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和華─你神所賜你的地上得以長久。"- 十誡]
That how a Family should be.
Thank you.
A scream that I never heard before in my life. It is very extraordinary, indeed.
How broken into pieces of a family. Family?
Tears keep on falling down from the eye ; the eyes of a beautiful women.
How sad.. How pressurable it is.. Actually?
No idea about it. As I.. want to cry aloud too. But i just couldn't allow my tears from falling down. The tears damped the area of my eyes. Tears?
My heart.. Are you crying? Yes. It is crying indeed. Be tough.. As this always happen in life.
How sad when he walked away.. I was behind him. So far as i could see. Stop?
Please.. Don't go too far as I was left behind. Alone.
Why did you have to do so? No, please change your mind. Change?
As pessimist, extreme. Change to be more optimist as life would be more better, a little bit.
What we gonna do? I don't know. God?
This is the life. The Child's Life. The Story of a Child.
A person who grown up to be a man.
- The Broken Family of a Child -
"As God always listen to His child's prayer and rectify the needs. Amen."
Child,
Never fail to love the Family of yours.
Never abandon your family No matter how complicated the situation is.
And don't give a cold-shoulder toward your family.
Like I Do.
Love your family as Jesus said :
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." - 1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV)
[5. "Honor your father and your mother...so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." - Ten Commandments.]
[第五誡 "當孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和華─你神所賜你的地上得以長久。"- 十誡]
That how a Family should be.
Thank you.
Monday, September 15, 2008
How to Spread God's Word and Why
How to spread God's word is a question that can be difficult sometimes if we don't have the true understanding of how we as Christians should go about it. Keep in mind what Paul said, "I will not ...speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me." Paul didn't place glory in what Christ had done for him, but in what Christ was doing through him. Now did you get the understanding of that?
Matthew 17:2-3 tells the story of the day that Jesus took his disciples to the top of the mountain where he was transfigured before them: "His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him." Peter was so caught up in this spectacular event that he wanted them all to stay there. In verse 4 of the same chapter he says "Lord it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
As you read further into the chapter, you can see that Jesus thought it more important to continue ministering and spreading His Word. Verse 14 begins the story of the demon possessed boy who suffered severe seizures that Jesus healed. The message we can take from this story is that there are definitely rewarding experiences when following Jesus' teachings but you'll never reap those rewards if you don't put the work in and focus on the goal at hand, which is spreading the Word of God to everyone.
Now we all know, as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ that it is a great thing to have such a spectacular experience with our God and Father; but we also know that as followers of our Lord we can't stay there. We have a lot of work to do if we are going to follow in his footsteps, and we as Christians have been called to do it.
Now that we know our Lord works through us, we have become God's vessels by means of Paul's statement and it's time for us to open up our hearts and start spreading the word to others as those who approach us with God's word. Now that our lives were saved through Jesus Christ through the use of God's vessels we have become God's vessels. Now that we are God's vessels, is it not our duty to spread the word as those who approach us?
Take notice how Jesus' disciples followed him throughout his ministry and they all had a different point of view yet at the same time leading to God's message. Their story varied a little bit, but when you read all their stories, you'll discover that one story will help you to better understand the other. It is the same as when your reading passages in the Bible, one passage will help you to understand the other.
You see brothers and sisters, we are all unique individuals and we all have our own way of relating God's message. Since we are all unique in our own way, we are given a different point of view on scriptures. Now, because of our uniqueness, one individual will find passages that will lead to the understanding of another passage where another individual may be having a difficult time with that passage and that is where you come in.
The point I am trying to get across is this, we all have a knowledge of certain scriptures that can help others and at the same time others have knowledge of scriptures that can help us. Why is it like that? You will find that a lot of us have our special books in the Bible that we keep going back to over and over again and after a wile you start to specialize in that book. Because now you start focusing whenever you hear someone giving their point of view of scriptures that relate to that book. Then in turn , you go back and check it out, therefore giving you a better understanding. Therefore, by us all working together this will lead us to the true understanding of Gods knowledge and help us to grow stronger in God's word and at the same time we are showing others how to spread God's word.
Now that we are doing our part in spreading the word and giving people a better understanding of Gods knowledge, we are helping them to grow stronger. This is because they can now see all the great and true benefits as a result of following our Lord Jesus Christ. As they keep growing stronger in God's knowledge by Christ working through us (God's vessels) it won't be long before they to will start spreading God's word (and this would be a good thing in God's eyes.)
Now let us look at this to get the full understanding of what we are accomplishing by taking our part in spreading the word.
1. By us doing our part in spreading the word and opening up our hearts and allowing Jesus Christ our lord and Savoir to work through us, there are a lot of lives being saved just as we have been saved.
2. Through us spreading out our knowledge that we specialize in, you never know who will come across it and cause them to do a farther investigation and at the same time the Holy Spirit is pressing down on them.
3. Doing what we are supposed to be doing through passing along what we have learned so that others may also have this golden opportunity.
4. By us doing our part in spreading the word, we are not only doing our part, we are also showing others how to spread Gods word. Now stop and think for a moment and give this some serious thought. By us doing our part through showing others how to spread Gods word, if you use your imagination you will see how far this will branch out and it started from you.
What is imagination? Ability to visualize: the ability to form images and ideas in the mind, especially of things never seen or experienced directly. Does that sound familiar to you?
If it is in your heart to spread the word and you don't know how to spread God's word and want to reach out to many, than give the internet some serious thought by using it as your vehicle. Blogging ,writing articles, start an email newsletter, build a Christian website, these are all good ways to get the word out. And the best part about using these tools is that you can find them on the internet for free to low cost.
Matthew 17:2-3 tells the story of the day that Jesus took his disciples to the top of the mountain where he was transfigured before them: "His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him." Peter was so caught up in this spectacular event that he wanted them all to stay there. In verse 4 of the same chapter he says "Lord it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
As you read further into the chapter, you can see that Jesus thought it more important to continue ministering and spreading His Word. Verse 14 begins the story of the demon possessed boy who suffered severe seizures that Jesus healed. The message we can take from this story is that there are definitely rewarding experiences when following Jesus' teachings but you'll never reap those rewards if you don't put the work in and focus on the goal at hand, which is spreading the Word of God to everyone.
Now we all know, as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ that it is a great thing to have such a spectacular experience with our God and Father; but we also know that as followers of our Lord we can't stay there. We have a lot of work to do if we are going to follow in his footsteps, and we as Christians have been called to do it.
Now that we know our Lord works through us, we have become God's vessels by means of Paul's statement and it's time for us to open up our hearts and start spreading the word to others as those who approach us with God's word. Now that our lives were saved through Jesus Christ through the use of God's vessels we have become God's vessels. Now that we are God's vessels, is it not our duty to spread the word as those who approach us?
Take notice how Jesus' disciples followed him throughout his ministry and they all had a different point of view yet at the same time leading to God's message. Their story varied a little bit, but when you read all their stories, you'll discover that one story will help you to better understand the other. It is the same as when your reading passages in the Bible, one passage will help you to understand the other.
You see brothers and sisters, we are all unique individuals and we all have our own way of relating God's message. Since we are all unique in our own way, we are given a different point of view on scriptures. Now, because of our uniqueness, one individual will find passages that will lead to the understanding of another passage where another individual may be having a difficult time with that passage and that is where you come in.
The point I am trying to get across is this, we all have a knowledge of certain scriptures that can help others and at the same time others have knowledge of scriptures that can help us. Why is it like that? You will find that a lot of us have our special books in the Bible that we keep going back to over and over again and after a wile you start to specialize in that book. Because now you start focusing whenever you hear someone giving their point of view of scriptures that relate to that book. Then in turn , you go back and check it out, therefore giving you a better understanding. Therefore, by us all working together this will lead us to the true understanding of Gods knowledge and help us to grow stronger in God's word and at the same time we are showing others how to spread God's word.
Now that we are doing our part in spreading the word and giving people a better understanding of Gods knowledge, we are helping them to grow stronger. This is because they can now see all the great and true benefits as a result of following our Lord Jesus Christ. As they keep growing stronger in God's knowledge by Christ working through us (God's vessels) it won't be long before they to will start spreading God's word (and this would be a good thing in God's eyes.)
Now let us look at this to get the full understanding of what we are accomplishing by taking our part in spreading the word.
1. By us doing our part in spreading the word and opening up our hearts and allowing Jesus Christ our lord and Savoir to work through us, there are a lot of lives being saved just as we have been saved.
2. Through us spreading out our knowledge that we specialize in, you never know who will come across it and cause them to do a farther investigation and at the same time the Holy Spirit is pressing down on them.
3. Doing what we are supposed to be doing through passing along what we have learned so that others may also have this golden opportunity.
4. By us doing our part in spreading the word, we are not only doing our part, we are also showing others how to spread Gods word. Now stop and think for a moment and give this some serious thought. By us doing our part through showing others how to spread Gods word, if you use your imagination you will see how far this will branch out and it started from you.
What is imagination? Ability to visualize: the ability to form images and ideas in the mind, especially of things never seen or experienced directly. Does that sound familiar to you?
If it is in your heart to spread the word and you don't know how to spread God's word and want to reach out to many, than give the internet some serious thought by using it as your vehicle. Blogging ,writing articles, start an email newsletter, build a Christian website, these are all good ways to get the word out. And the best part about using these tools is that you can find them on the internet for free to low cost.
Thanks to Francis Hirak.
Love in Christianity
The Christian understanding is that love comes from God. The love of man and woman, eros in Greek, and the unselfish love of others, agape, are often contrasted as 'ascending' and 'descending' love, respectively, but are ultimately the same thing.
There are several Greek words for Love that are regularly referred to in Christian circles.
Agape - In the New Testament, agapē is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental love seen as creating goodness in the world, it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another.
Phileo - Also used in the New Testament, Phileo is a human response to something that is found to be delightful. Also known as "brotherly love".
Two other words for love in the Greek language, Eros (sexual love) and Storge (child-to-parent love) were never used in the New Testament. Christians believe that to Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and Love your neighbor as yourself are the two most important things in life (the greatest commandment of the Jewish Torah, according to Jesus - c.f. Gospel of Mark chapter 12, verses 28-34). Saint Augustine summarized this when he wrote "Love God, and do as thou wilt".
Paul the Apostle glorified love as the most important virtue of all. Describing love in the famous poem in 1 Corinthians he wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." - 1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV)
John the Apostle wrote, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." - John 3:16-18 (NIV)
John also wrote, "Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
Saint Augustine says that one must be able to decipher the difference between love and lust. Lust, according to Saint Augustine, is an over indulgence, but to love and be loved is what he has sought for his entire life. He even says, “I was in love with love.” Finally, he does fall in love and is loved back, by God. Saint Augustine says the only one who can love you truly and fully is God, because love with a human only allows for flaws such as, “jealousy, suspicion, fear, anger, and contention.” According to Saint Augustine to love God is “to attain the peace which is yours.” (Saint Augustine Confessions)
Christian theologians see God as the source of love, which is mirrored in humans and their own loving relationships. Influential Christian theologian C.S. Lewis wrote a book called The Four Loves.
Benedict XVI wrote his first encyclical on God is love. He said that a human being, created in the image of God who is love, is able to practice love: to give himself to God and others (agape), by receiving and experiencing God's love in contemplation (eros). This life of love, according to him, is the life of the saints such as Teresa of Calcutta and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is the direction Christians take when they believe that God loves them.
There are several Greek words for Love that are regularly referred to in Christian circles.
Agape - In the New Testament, agapē is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental love seen as creating goodness in the world, it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another.
Phileo - Also used in the New Testament, Phileo is a human response to something that is found to be delightful. Also known as "brotherly love".
Two other words for love in the Greek language, Eros (sexual love) and Storge (child-to-parent love) were never used in the New Testament. Christians believe that to Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and Love your neighbor as yourself are the two most important things in life (the greatest commandment of the Jewish Torah, according to Jesus - c.f. Gospel of Mark chapter 12, verses 28-34). Saint Augustine summarized this when he wrote "Love God, and do as thou wilt".
Paul the Apostle glorified love as the most important virtue of all. Describing love in the famous poem in 1 Corinthians he wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." - 1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV)
John the Apostle wrote, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." - John 3:16-18 (NIV)
John also wrote, "Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)
Saint Augustine says that one must be able to decipher the difference between love and lust. Lust, according to Saint Augustine, is an over indulgence, but to love and be loved is what he has sought for his entire life. He even says, “I was in love with love.” Finally, he does fall in love and is loved back, by God. Saint Augustine says the only one who can love you truly and fully is God, because love with a human only allows for flaws such as, “jealousy, suspicion, fear, anger, and contention.” According to Saint Augustine to love God is “to attain the peace which is yours.” (Saint Augustine Confessions)
Christian theologians see God as the source of love, which is mirrored in humans and their own loving relationships. Influential Christian theologian C.S. Lewis wrote a book called The Four Loves.
Benedict XVI wrote his first encyclical on God is love. He said that a human being, created in the image of God who is love, is able to practice love: to give himself to God and others (agape), by receiving and experiencing God's love in contemplation (eros). This life of love, according to him, is the life of the saints such as Teresa of Calcutta and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is the direction Christians take when they believe that God loves them.
Envies in Christianity
In Proverbs 6:16–19, it is stated that "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:" (quotes from King James Version translation of the Bible).
These are:
- A proud look,
- a lying tongue,
- and hands that shed innocent blood,
- A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,
- feet that be swift in running to mischief,
- A false witness that speaketh lies,
- and he that soweth discord among brethren.
While there are seven of them, these sins are considerably different in outward appearance from the seven deadly sins list that arose later. The only sin which is clearly on both lists is pride. "Hands that kill innocent people" could be taken to refer to wrath. However, it is possible to imagine a case where cold blooded murder of an innocent would be one of the "hated things" without necessarily being an example of wrath. Practices such as abortion, genocide, and euthanasia can be arguably covered under this umbrella of "hands that shed innocent blood".
The remaining five of the "deadly sins" do not have even this loose correspondence to the "hated things", even if it is easy to imagine how they might lead someone to acting in one of the ways described in "Proverbs". As previously stated, there is no where in the Bible where the traditional "seven deadly sins" are located or listed, although they are all condemned in various parts, along with several others. These "deadly sins" are not necessarily worse than any others that are listed. The New Testament shows that it only takes one sin, which is an act of disobeying God's law, to separate man from a perfect God, placing him in need of redemption and salvation.
These are:
- A proud look,
- a lying tongue,
- and hands that shed innocent blood,
- A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,
- feet that be swift in running to mischief,
- A false witness that speaketh lies,
- and he that soweth discord among brethren.
While there are seven of them, these sins are considerably different in outward appearance from the seven deadly sins list that arose later. The only sin which is clearly on both lists is pride. "Hands that kill innocent people" could be taken to refer to wrath. However, it is possible to imagine a case where cold blooded murder of an innocent would be one of the "hated things" without necessarily being an example of wrath. Practices such as abortion, genocide, and euthanasia can be arguably covered under this umbrella of "hands that shed innocent blood".
The remaining five of the "deadly sins" do not have even this loose correspondence to the "hated things", even if it is easy to imagine how they might lead someone to acting in one of the ways described in "Proverbs". As previously stated, there is no where in the Bible where the traditional "seven deadly sins" are located or listed, although they are all condemned in various parts, along with several others. These "deadly sins" are not necessarily worse than any others that are listed. The New Testament shows that it only takes one sin, which is an act of disobeying God's law, to separate man from a perfect God, placing him in need of redemption and salvation.
Jealousy in Christianity
Many Christian writings do not clearly distinguish jealousy and envy. Only a few verses in the New Testament mention jealousy, and many of these verses appear to refer to envy rather than romantic rivalry:
"But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. (James 3:14-16, World English Bible)
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21, World English Bible)
"For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?" (1 Corinthians 3:3, World English Bible)
"Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy." (Romans 13:13, World English Bible)
These verses indicate early Christians viewed envy as inconsistent with their faith. The New Advent Catholic encyclopedia equates jealousy with envy. It describes envy as contrary to the golden rule taught by Jesus and contrary to the spirit of solidarity that should permeate all humanity--especially the Christian community. Jealousy, at least in the form of envy, is incompatible with the principles of Christian faith.
"But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. (James 3:14-16, World English Bible)
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21, World English Bible)
"For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?" (1 Corinthians 3:3, World English Bible)
"Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy." (Romans 13:13, World English Bible)
These verses indicate early Christians viewed envy as inconsistent with their faith. The New Advent Catholic encyclopedia equates jealousy with envy. It describes envy as contrary to the golden rule taught by Jesus and contrary to the spirit of solidarity that should permeate all humanity--especially the Christian community. Jealousy, at least in the form of envy, is incompatible with the principles of Christian faith.
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