Saturday, May 11, 2013

Mother, May and Eden!

Yes, it is the month of May! And in many parts of the world, mother’s day is celebrated in this month. In Norway, we celebrated it in the second sunday of February.

This post will be about mothers and the month of May and my sister Eden.

My definition of a mother:

Mother

M- Management

Managing her home, her children and household.

O- Outstanding

For she sacrifices a lot for her family.

T- Talented

She has the ability to think or to find solutions to whatever problems her children are facing.

H- Hardworking

She gets up early and sleep late to provide for the needs of the family.

E- Empathic

She has the ability to identify herself mentally with a person or thing and so understand his/ her feelings or its meaning.

R- Remakable

Worth noticing, exceptional, unusual

And this is for the month of May according to the word of God

May-

M- Master

Identifying the real master

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despised the other. You cannot serve God and Money. Matthew 6: 24

A- Affection

Control the way we live

Above all else, guard your heart. For it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4: 23

Y- Yoke

What Jesus meant by it

Matthew 11: 28-30

Come to me all of you who are heavily laden and I will give you rest.

The last part of my post is dedicated to my sister Eden who wanted to know what God says about her name. I searched in the Bible and I found these words.

Eden

E- Endurance

What God requires

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

Revelation 14: 12

D- Darkness

When you feel surrounded by darkness

Send forth your light and your truth,

let them guide me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you dwell

Then I will go to the altar of God,

to God, my joy and my delight.

Psalm 43:3-4

E- Effort

Getting to know God takes effort

Ask and it will be given unto you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

N- Need

Trust in God

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Phil. 4: 19

In Wikipedia:

Eden (Hebrew: עֵדֶן) as a given name, has several derivations, from the Biblical Garden of Eden, meaning 'delight, pleasure and place of pleasure.

Septuagint note that Eden is similar to the Hebrew word (eden) meaning finery, luxury, delight

(2 Samuel 1:24, Psalm 36:8).

So my dear sister you are a delight, a pleasure, finery, and luxury. The best is yet to come to you.

To all the mothers: Happy mother's day and may you all blossom in this month of spring:)

JOY

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Day's catch!

Spring flowers in my garden

Primula Vulgaris

Scilla sibirica

spring crocus

Inside..the flowers of this plant smells so good.

wax fragrance windrow

My husband's catch for the day!

Cod fish

This atlantic halibot weights 7 kilos

Haddock and flatfish

Sunsets outside our window

Thought for the day

Intimidation always precedes defeat.

If you are not sure which way to go,

pray and move towards the situation

in confident trust.

John Mason

Monday, May 6, 2013

The winners of the " Letter To God Contest"

It's me Joy in front of St Johannes Church in Stavanger

Finally, I have now the name of the winners of the " Letter To God Contest" which Michelle Griep from " WriterOfftheLeash" ( author of " Undercurrent" and "Gallimore" books) had chosen.
Thank you so much Michelle for doing this favor for me. God bless you much in return.

She said: After much consideration and a rating system I used for creativity, emotion, clarity, and how they stuck to your stated guidelines ( poetry, letter to God, letter about God) here are the top winners :

First prize: 100 $

Una Carta A Dios ( A LETTER TO GOD)

by Kelvin S. M.

: http://kelvinsm.blogspot.no/

UNA CARTA A DIOS ( A LETTER TO GOD)

by Kelvin S.M. / 2013

....and when I thought thou make a man in me

thou grinn'st: 'child, I am not done yet.'

O, Lord -

Do you (really) hear this voice?

This little bird-song inside my throat that

greets the morn in many a summer-day?

This fragmented psalm I throw in the air that

furtively haunts many a quiet-night?

Sometimes cold, dark and dreary, but

always hungry -
hungry to be heard

Do you hear me clear, O, Lord?

Do you ( really) see this man?

This little child that ne'er grows old ere your eyes?

Do you look at the curves in my face I re-

arrange each day? ( or) Do you prefer to read the

history I map into my skin?

Do you see me there, O, Lord?

Do you ( really) speak this tongue?

This language of man that kills a living, (and)

gives life to a dying soul? This trumpet of sins that

curses my whole, (sometimes) loathes the world,

(sometimes) betrays my Lord's behest? but,

no, this tongue forgets naught of repent

and of love - yes-

love, love, love

Do you speak of me, Lord?

Do you (really) feels this act?

This broken dance of my little bird's feet that

hops and hops from boughs to boughs of

your extend'd grace after ev'ry rain? This care-

less walk o'er your scatter'd reamins that

fossilizes foot-marks I make with thee?

Do you feel me here, O, Lord?

O, Lord-

let you be the ear that listens to song I sing;

let you be the eye that reads my lips when I

look down a river;

let you be the tongue that sings of praise and of light;

let you be the skin that shelters a weary soul.

O, Lord, let you be the firmanent I look up each morn,

ah, let you be the senses I wear everyday.

Second prize: 75 $

Let the light in

by Imelda : http://mywordwall.wordpress.com/

"I opened the window this morning
and praised your Holy Name
as the window invited the sun in
so my soul begged your blessing

What will a day be like
when Your light isn’t there
Shadows will hover over me
chase away joy, bring in despair.

I have been through those days
countless times, My Lord
when everything I did was routine
without meaning nor reward.

How easy it was to bewail my lot
and envy another’s fortune
blame You, Lord, for all I lacked
sing my hymns with listless tunes.

So, let Your radiance in, My Lord
brighten the corners of my soul
guard the beauty you blessed it with
make this humble castle Your abode.

Then at night, before I sleep
may this be my prayer -
that Your Face shine through mine
my heart rest always in Your care."

Third prize: 50 $

From: http://bagotilyoako.wordpress.com/

Dear Lord

I was lost….

I am trapped in a place where I see nothing but darkness

The undisturbed silence gives way to hear the fearful beat of my heart

I took a few dubious steps in search of hope and truth

The steps turned into walk, walk turned into journey

I didn’t know where to go, then there came You and lit my path

Lord, I did not find You; You found me

I was unworthy…

I live in a world where wrong is forced to be right

And breeding the egg of evil seems to be the favorite hobby of man

At a certain point I became one of them, unconsciously…. or maybe consciously

I’m sorry for disappointing You, I was unfaithful and careless

The love You gave, the forgiveness You’ve made

Lord, I did not deserve any of it but You gave it to me wholeheartedly

I was hopeless…

In the abyss of my solitude, I feel so alone

Trials just keep on coming like heavy rain on rainy days

I want to run, and think that escape is the only solution I got on hand

I was in despair when a shaft of light coming from the sun touched my face

Suddenly a rainbow appeared, beautifully painted on the sky

Lord, You provided a rainbow after the rain; a reason in each problem I overcame

I am loved….

When I think of the cross, I think of my weakness

The sins I committed were unimaginable, likewise, unforgivable

But instead of judging me, You offer your hand to yank me up

I looked at it and see the nail-pierced hole, blood gushing out from it

I turned my sight into my hands and see the hammer on the right, nails on the left

Lord, the cross reminds me of my weakness, but moreover, it reminds of your undying love

I am favored…

Every day I wake up and fail to see that life itself is a miracle

Sometimes I was so busy earning a living that I forget how to live

I chased the wrong things and overlooked what is really important in life

Today , let me just express my gratitude to You , to You who always provide

Thank you for your unlimited patience and overflowing blessings

Lord, I really don’t know what did I do to be loved by You

I am victorious….

My life has so many ups and downs, twists and turns

I’ve been through bad times and placed in life’s edges

I managed to surpass them all not because I am strong

But because my God is strong… and loving…. and caring

Whenever I achieved something or reached a new milestone in my life

Lord, I know you are there smiling like a proud father

You are the busiest being I’ve ever known

So, I need to end this letter before it turns out to be a novel

Neither did I play with the words I’ve used here nor rhyme everything

For simplicity never fails me to express the deepest emotions I have

I believe that it’s not the words but the pureness of my heart that reaches Yours

Lord, this letter is my prayer, this letter is my life written only for You

P.S. I Love You

Your son,

Moises John

The fourth place goes to Debbie Mitchell

My Love Letter To God

I was asked to pen a story

A letter, a poem, a note,

My first thought, fear and worry

But, here goes...this is what I wrote:

Dear God

How do I love Thee?

Good question You might say,

Is my love small, is it big?

Do I let other things get in the way?

Things and people tend to occupy my time

And I fear that sometimes I forget to say,

That I truly adore You, Lord

And I am trying my best to not stray.

To stray from Your will....Your ways

From what You would have for me,

Among the chaos of my daily life

Something I must, simply must always see.

I must see through Your eyes

To follow Your lead,

So that no matter what comes

In my life, it's Your will I will heed.

So, how do I love Thee?

Where does my heart and soul live?

Within Your arms...upon Your lap

For You are my Daddy.......to Whom my heart and soul I give.

Love,

Your daughter, Debbie

From Debbie Mitchell: http://redemptiondrawsnear.blogspot.no/

The winners will be notified by e-mail.

Again I thank all the participants for bringing glory to God

by joining " Letter To God contest"

God bless you all! Your letters blessed us all readers. A gift to

God!

A bouquet of flowers for you all!

JOY

Saturday, May 4, 2013

The final entry to " Letter To God Contest!

And now for the 24th and final entry for this contest. Entries that really touched the heart of many and most especially God.

This entry is from:

Blog, Poetry and Notion

Koleksiyon ng mga sanaysay, kabalbalan, kwento, opinyon, tula, suhestiyon, obserbasyon, kathang-isip at katotohanan na sumasalamin sa pang araw-araw na buhay ng pangkaraniwang tao. Hindi nito tinatangkang impluwensiyahan ang pag-iisip ng bawat mambabasa bagkus ay inilalatag at inilalahad lamang kung ano ang karaniwang nakikita sa kapaligiran na madalas naman ay winawalang bahala.

http://limarx214.blogspot.no/

Because people have many question.

Because there were questions still left unanswered. Because life itself is a question to answer.

Sometimes we are closing our eyes not to get some sleep or to rest our fading mortal bodies but to ignore for a while the chained and unending difficulties in life, savoring the hurt and the pain that destiny brings.

You have tried not to cry and teardrops not to fell from your gloomy eyes but you've always failed.

You're wounded but you still have to suffer from these eternal trials. A wound that is painful than a dagger that was pricked in your flesh.

You have tried to deny the sorrowfulness by your loudest laugh, your fake smiles and your sweetest pretension but you cannot hide the heaviness within your heart. There were questions running through your bothered mind, questions that are endless and no infallible explanations. Though you'd like to scream and escape from this suffering but you feel helpless, you're like a prisoner lockup from a room of desperation and your dingy hands is handcuffed by laxness. You did all your best but all your best was useless, senseless; just like water in the palm of your hands you're seeing it but you're not really holding it.

Though you found no answers in staring blankly you're desperately still doing it, no amount of consolation or no words of encouragement from anybody can calm your disheartened feelings.

You cannot turn back the hands of time but what's the use of it if you have the power to do it? Where do I go from here? What will I do? For how long does this suffering will end? Do I have to go through this? Am I that sinner to deserve this kind of grief? Or is it the prize I have to pay for all my sin and silliness?

The so called light after the darkness were not there, you still haven't seen the sunlight of the morning, is the rainbow after the stormy rain were just a fiction? All you see is darkness, you are tired, your desperate mind is looking for answers and solutions. There were thoughts that your breath slowly leaving you. You're spiritless. Listless. Lifeless. But the people were not grieving for you but you are the one crying...crying for help, crying for luck, crying for miracle...from someone, from somebody.

The hurt, the suffering, the problems, the trials, the sorrowfulness and frustrations were part of our lives but who would like to be in this kind of negative aspects of life for forever? Ah, we just can't evade from it, it's like a wave striking the rocks of an ocean. Careless, merciless. There's no heart of stone in life's catastrophe, there's no brave man in destiny's challenge, there's no wise man in life's tangled moments, there's no steel that can't be melted, there's no strong man that can't be defeated.

How many times do we have to drown to realize that we're still on the waters?

How many times do we have to get wounded to realize that we're still not numbed?

How many times do we have to stumble to realize that we're still hurting?

How many times do we have to awaken by noises and troubles to realize that we ain’t have a peace of mind?

How many times do we have to experienced nightmares to realize that we're still sleeping?

How many times do we have to die to know the meaning and importance of life?

The memories that once brings you joy are now the one who haunts your loneliness, the songs that once your best friend are now the one who fuels your tears, the moments that once make you feel glee are now adds up to your desperation.

You've ever thought that it is better to live alone than to live with your loved ones but full of anguish and affliction?

You've ever thought that is better to have no hearing at all than to have ears but all you can hear is laments and grievances?

You've ever wish that you would forever be a child to ignore and feel the life's cruelty?

Where is the people you can count on this rough situation? Are they so busy with their own battle or they are enjoying the happiness?

Where is now your trusted and loyal friend? Are they so busy handling important things for you not to be remembered?

Where are the people you helped when they are in deep trouble? Are they not ready yet to comfort you now you're in distress?

Where are the proud people who always offer help in case you're in ordeal? I should not be asking 'coz they're too busy for being proud...

You cannot even trust yourself because your mind has a cloud of doubts that you cannot even separate the right things from the wrong.

* * *

Oh Lord, YOU are the only one left that can be hoped and trusted.

And we know it saddens YOU that we only think of YOU when our life is in disarray and full of troubles. But still YOU are willing to accept and forgive us despite of these.

Lord, YOU are so good and we did not deserve YOUR kindness.

For the nth time, I know YOU will save me from all these troubles; YOU will answer all my prayers.

Tomorrow, when the problem solves and the sufferings subside.

I am breaking my vow; I am breaking my promise... as I always had.

I am thanking all who joined:

1.Senyor Eskwater : God is to blame

2.Diane : writerwannabe763 : Letter to God

3.Debbie Mitchel: http://redemptiondrawsnear.blogspot.no/: My love letter to God

4.Jay Asinas: orangewit.blogspot.com : Its me, Your Prince

5.Zaizai: http://simplycomplicatedzai.blogspot.no: Why Whisper

6. Marjorie: http://coffeehan.blogspot.no

7. Melvin ( Mecoy) http://akosimecoy.blogspot.no/ : Unto the Lord

8. Imelda: http://mywordwall.wordpres.com/ : Let the light in

9. Kelvin: http://kelvinsm.blogspot.no/ : UNA CARTA A DIOS

10. Poy:iamemoterongbulol.blogspot.com : Dear God

11. Empi: http://marcopaolo24.blogspot.no : God is my best friend

12. Genskie: Genskie's Written Voices : My note to God

13. Olivr: http://oliver125.blogspot.no/ It's a date

14. Joanne: http://jhoweiyne.blogspot.no : Dear God, Can I ever thank you enough

15. Mhie: http://www.travelentz.com: I'm sorry Lord God

16. Cyron: http://agustincyron.blogspot.no/ : Dear God

17. Stacy: http://shallowdeepanastacia.blogspot.sg : To the symphony of my life..

18. Jayson Juan: http://venturerjuan1990.blogspot.no/: My Remorse and Rejoice To Thee

19.Gerard Cayco : http://gerardcayco.blogspot.no/ : I'll always be yours

20. Erin: http://thenuttythoughts.blogspot.no : Dear You

21. Rix: http://rixsays.blogspot.no Dear Father

22. Tabitha Joy: http://tabjesjoy.blogspot.no/: My letter to God

23: Moises John: http://bagotilyoako.wordpress.com Dear Lord

24: Ramil : http://limarx214.blogspot.no/: Questions

Entries were forwarded to dear Michelle Griep of: http://writerofftheleash.blogspot.no/

So let us just wait and see for the outcome. Again, thank you all for bringing smile to God by your lettters. For His glory!

You all deserve a bouquet of flowers:)