Extra long post alert: read @ ur own peril
You guys/ladies, I am here for YOU. If I cared absolutely nothing about Michael, or anything, I wouldn't be here. I care about those who have loved him, in life and death. I care about those who desire to carry on the legacy, whether it be through music, humanitarianism, spirituality, etc. I care about your well being.
life isn't easy for everyone. For some it all seems downright mpossible. And not to make light of anyone's situation, but to maybe at least bring a smile - when life hands you lemons, what do you do? make LEMONADE!!! Sometimes I need to remember that for myself, as well. Keep the faith. keep chuggin along. The litle engine that could: I think I can, I think I can, I ...think... I ...caaaaaan...........I knew I could, I knew I could, I knew I could, I KNEW I COULD!!!**Mind over matter. often easier said than done, I know.
I know this has really nothing to do with LITD. I guess I just felt the need to write something a little bit inspiring??
Justus, inspiring IS the word the describe your post. Thank you for sharing it with us, much appreciated.
God is looking at each one of us. Challenges and problems always exist. It is a fact. But I always learn a lot from them. But God is*ALWAYS*with us. The storms always go away. So no need to worry because God is taking care of everything. He is the great commander and is always guiding us in the ways of life.
You can say that again,
Ash. :yes:
Asedora, nice to see you back. I was actually wonderin when someone would post the Spike Lee video for This is it. I watched it on his website when it launched. I am a great fan of his work anyhow, his collaborations with Michael, but also his entire body of work. I thought it was very touching and very well made, thank you for posting it over here as well, cheers.
queen g, if u'll have the guy with the mustache and everything, then it means u're leaving me the gorgeous guy with the killer smile. I wonder where HE was all my life lol. Oh wait, i know - somewhere far in time and space.
Folks, I don't mean to highjack the thread, but I had written down a selection of reflections dealing with strength and faith and the meaning of Christmas that I was hoping most of you would appreciate. Sorry before hand for the length of it all. Credit goes to Jack Hayford and Stormie O'Martian.
If you have gone through a tremendous loss, you might have thought “Why did God let this happen?” But only He knows the answer to that. All I know is that when these things happen, if we draw near to Him in praise and worship, He will get us through and He will somehow bring good out of it.
We don't praise God for a tragedy; we acknowledge His greatness and worth in it and through it. We are not joyful about the tragedy...we recognize that the joy of the Lord is still to be found and we will find it again. We understand that no matter what happens, even in the midst of the most devastating loss, the Lord has comfort for you.
Have you ever talked with someone who was asking for advice, but wouldn't stop talking long enough to hear what advice you had to give them? That's often the way we are when we come before God.
God can do anything. Nothing is impossible to Him. But that doesn't mean He will choose to do everything possible. He does His will. So when you are praying for the impossible it doesn't mean He will do it. He may. Or He may not. But, praising Him invites Him to do what He wants in our life which is always greater than anything we can imagine anyway.
May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. (1 Thessalonians 3:16)
There are often unpredictable turns in the road of life. Along the way, we may encounter overwhelming obstacles of conflicts, loss and suffering. But our Lord, Jesus has given us His peace to carry us through every troubling, fearful situation. (John 14:27) This is no ordinary peace. It is the peace of Jesus Christ - a peace that is greater than the temporary illusions of calm the world has to offer.
It is the peace that surpases all understanding (Philippians 4:3).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who....has begotten us to a living hope. (1 Peter 1:3)
It is the song of the Gospel and the message of the Kingdom of God “Let the hopeless find hope, let the broken be healed, let the oppressed go free!”
What is it about the Kingdom of God that offers such a promise of breakthrough? It is not a matter of fortune or luck. It is a matter of love. It is the way of the King, He reverses situations, He turns impossibiliteies on their heads.
He transforms darkness into dazzling light and plants living hope in the lives of all who come to Him.
If you....know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give you the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11:13)
As our heavenly Father, God delights in His children who pursue Him with passion, persistance, obedience, and worship. He responds not merely to our emotions or reasoning, but out the intimacy of our relationship with Him.
We may not only call Him “Father”, we may call Him “Abba” (Hebrew for daddy). It is because we have chosen to align our will with His that we enjoy this personal relationship, only to discover that it leads us to praying for what He longs to do anyway.
Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:24)
You never need hesitate to ask God for something just because you asked for something else earlier.
Any hint that heaven gets too busy with previous requests to have either time or supply for the next is pure folly. Here's what u need to remember:
1.You have a friend in the Heavenlyu Father. He's on your side and available anytime, in every circumstance.
2.Boldness is your privilege. Your assignment is to ask. His commitment is to give – as much as you need.
Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds. (Matthew 7:8)
God's will is that we seek Him. “Ask , and keep on asking”, Jesus tells His disciples.
The hearing heart and all-wise mind of Father God are not componentes in some heavenly computer that might blow a fuse if we ask too much or too often. Heaven's storehouse is never in short supply and God isn't rationing answers to prayer. Let's settle it, He's the Creator.
When you're dealing with the Source of all things, nothing is a problem.
Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. (1 Corinthians 16: 27)
Decorating the house at Christmas is neither a surrender to pagan traditions nor a capitulation to commercialism. Listen....if God commissioned angels to roll back the night and fill it with blazing light, if God provided a celestial choir to serenade a few startled shepherds and graced the heavens with a miracle star, if God went to all this trouble to open our eyes to His entry into our world, there we needn't apologize for festooning our home with a few seasonal reminds!
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the father of lights. (James 1:17)
With every gift you purchase, every gift you wrap, every gift you place under the tree, remember this: God has gifts for you, and in quantities greater than you can dream. These gifts are infinitely more valuable than the tinsel and materialistic toys pursued so desperately by the world.
He has gifts of peace, strength, joy, fullfilment, and significance in life that will draw you out of bed each morning like a magnet.
Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exhalted above all blessings and praise! (Nehemiah 9:5)
Christmas is more than merely “merry”.
Christmas is mighty. Love and laughter, gifts and giving, trees and tinsel, holly and reindeer, carols and bells, pagentry and celestial music – all of it – I mean A-L-L of it – has an inherent potential for mightiness. The qualifying factor is the presence of the Holy Spirit. When He is present, all the accouterments of Christmas have a tender power that can bless, strengthen, heal , restore, and bring entry into God's broad blessing of salvation. When He is absent, carols ring hallow....But where the Holy Spirit is there is power.
His life is the light that shines through the darkness (John 1:5)
Jesus is the central personality of history, and whether Christmas is canned or canonized, packaged in ribbon and sold for profit, or sanctified in a cathedral where humble souls worship, He is the inescapable Christ. The fury of opposition to His praise seeks to ban pagentry and sterilize holy celebration to suit the antagonism of organized unbelief. But Jesus keeps rising again. Every Christmas turn out to be an Easter.
Jesus Christ is still the King of kings. There's no getting away from it.....anywhere!
Sacrifices and offerings You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. (Hewbrews 10:5)
At one moment, the “body” is hardly a body at all. It is but a cell in the womb of a virgin, in a small city, in a tiny nation, in one small corner of a fallen planet. In one microsecond, the primal form of the Son disappears from the throne room of heaven, and in the same split-moment, the Holy Spirit places the life of the Second Person of the Godhead within the womb of a maiden.
The inconceivable has been conceived. The Word will become flesh and God will live and breathe among us.
God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17)
Where is the 'merry' in “Merry Christmas”?
Where is the 'joy' in “Joy to the world”?
Where is the 'happy' in “Happy holidays”?
Answer: the soaring gladness of Christmas is directly linked to God's gift of Jesus to us and for us. Apart from that glorious fact, there is no logic to the season's existence, much less for our festive rejoicing.
The celebration of Christmas derives its meaning and highest fulfillment from this radiant reality: God with us!
This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ. (1 John 5:6).
God has poured out His forgiveness through the death of His Son,
with blood and water gushing forth from His wounds to atone for sine and restore the broken bond between God and man. God has poured out His truth in His Holy Word to bring light to blinded minds and liberty to bounded souls, with streams of truth to cleanse away the debris of confusion and to sweep with eternal wisdom. God has poured out His Holy Spirit that those rivers of living water may course through the Church like streams through a dam's sluice gates, generating power for vital living, loving service and dynamic ministry.
I can only add to this last one:
Jesu, ufam tobie.
I'll leave you now with an amazing Christmas song I discovered today while listening to A Motown Christmas. From the wonderful musical prophet called
Stevie Wonder, it's called
One little Christmas tree.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLjVcHG4B1U
And another favorite artist of mine –
Thomas Kinkade. It is a dream of mine to meet him one day. He truly is the Painter of Light. I'd love to talk to him about his faith and how beautifully it is reflected in his art.
God bless. Trust Him people, He knows what He is doing, in your lives and in the world, even if many times it seems as though He is absent. We are the ones who are blind or deaf, He's always here.