~ Reflecţii ~

                  Confucius spunea că "există trei metode de a învăţa înţelepciunea: prima este prin reflecţie,                         metoda care este cea mai nobilă din toate; a doua este prin imitaţie, metoda cea mai facilă; şi a treia                                                         prin experienţă, metoda cea mai amară din toate".

A venit iarna, şi nimic nu se compară cu o plimbare pe aleeile înzăpezite, cu vântul puternic jucându-se pe străzile pustii, şi James Blunt zăpăcindu-te cu vocea lui extraordinara; să te întorci la o casă caldă cu miros de portocale şi un ceai fierbinte, un pat bun si o pătura calduroasă, o familie care te iubeşte necondiţionat, un job bun, prieteni faini, o viaţa bună per ansamblu.
Anul acesta a fost un an frumos pentru mine. Într-adevar am avut parte de lupte şi încercări , însă am ieşit învingătoare din toate. Mai cu inima în bucăţi, mai cu hainele facute zdrenţe, dar învingătoare. Am învăţat că, în viaţă atât timp cât îţi doreşti, orice e posibil; că viaţa poate fi bună chiar şi atunci când totul pare să meargă prost; că nu totul e ce pare a fi, că toţi oamenii sunt normali până ajungi să îi cunoşti. Am învăţat că atât timp cât lupţi, poţi obţine orice, dar şi că, în viaţă sunt anumite lupte care nu trebuie purtate. Că dacă nu eşti fericit de un anumit lucru trebuie să iei măsuri. Că viaţa poate fi o aventură zilnică, că poţi fi fericit chiar dacă ai mai puţin, chiar dacă nu ai ultimul telefon de pe piaţa sau pantofi Christian Louboutin.
Am întâlnit oameni faini anul acesta, am întâlnit câţiva de care mă puteam lipsi, dar hey... de la toţi putem învata câte ceva. Am legat nişte prietenii de aur. Am descoperit că nu toţi prietenii rămân, că alţii fac promisiuni pe care nu le pot ţine, prieteni care te îndepărtează fără motiv şi prieteni care nu renunţa la tine indiferent cât de mult te închizi în tine, care te urmează în cele mai adânci întunericuri, în cele mai periculoase neanturi. Am învăţat că oamenii se schimbă, dar amintirile nu.
Am învatat să renunţ la naivitate. Că nu toţi oamenii sunt buni, că nu toţi sunt sinceri. Am învăţat că lumea aceasta nu este plină doar de intenţii bune. Că sunt oamenii care au o plăcere perfidă de a se juca cu sentimentele tale, de a te ridica pe culmi ca mai apoi sa te împingă în gol.
Am mai învăţat că atât timp cât vei lua în considerare toate vorbele spuse cu răutate de cei care nu cunosc o iotă despre tine, nu vei putea trăi liber şi fericit. Că atât timp cât încerci să-i mulţumeşti pe toţi indivizii din jurul tău, nu vei reuşi niciodată să te cunoşti pe tine. Nu vei şti niciodată ce îţi face cu adevărat plăcere, ce te reprezintă, deoarece ai încercat prea mult să te modelezi după ideile lor, pentru a le face plăcere, încât ai uitat cine eşti.
Am învăţat să mă intereseze doar ce crede Dumnezeu, am învăţat că restul sunt doar detalii, mici gândaci conduşi de invidie şi prostie.

Am aflat că deşi se spune ca nu există magie, lumea e plină de ea! Am învăţat să deschid ochii cu adevărat; să nu privesc doar la suprafaţă. Am văzut că oamenii tânjesc dupa dragoste şi că am posibilitatea de a iubi. Aşa am descoperit bucuria de a dărui si de a iubi. Am învăţat să privesc cu atenţie la oamenii pe care îi întâlnesc, să nu judec ci să înţeleg şi să iubesc indiferent  dacă vor sau nu, să fie iubiti. Dragostea întotdeauna cucereşte!
Mai mult decât atât, am învaţat să mă iubesc! Una dintre cele mai importante lecţii pe care le-am învatat în acest an. Am învăţat ca există un alt fel de a trăi! Această cale Noua pe care am descoperit-o, citind “Presiunea a dispărut! de Dr. Larry Crabb, m-a învăţat să trăiesc liber, fără nici o fărâmă de presiune. Am învăţat să mă bucur de prezent, să uit trecutul furtunos şi să privesc cu ardoare spre viitor. Am învaţat să mă bucur de fiecare                  clipă, că în următoarea aş putea sa nu mai fiu.  

Am conştientizat că bucurie mai mare ca aceea de  a-L cunoaşte personal pe Dumnezeu, nu există, şi că în El sunt mai mult decat perfectă! Că am avut
un aşa mare preţ în ochii Lui, încât a ales să  moară , doar pentru ca eu să pot dansa o veşnicie întreagă la braţul Lui.

Error 404

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed,
Desperate.

Dear Desperate,

First, keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download Tears 6.2 and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update.

If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1.

Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources.)

In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Cooking 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck Babe!
Tech Support

Sursa:
http://www.tomatacuscufita.com/2008/05/11/page-not-found/

Thoughts (Chapter 9) J.O.Y

Have you ever felt like you've messed up things so bad, that there ain't no coming back? I definitely did!

My life was in ruins.  Everything was in black and white. My heart was shattered in pieces. I had people who loved me but that didn't make me happy. I was lost but then He found me. He found me in my darkest moments, in my ugliest hours and He brought me home. He took away the pain, the mud, the chains, all the skeletons from my closet and gave me a new identity and  a brand new heart. From that moment on, everything has changed for me. I found myself waking up with a smile on my face or smiling at random people with no reason. I bet most of them thought I wasn't sane. It was like I was high or something. I couldn't control it. I was so full of joy and love that it overflowed around me.
My life suddenly became worth living. He gave me a vision, a purpose, a call. The happiness I found in Him is irreplaceable. All my fears were swept away, my doubts, my insecurities, my worries; all of them- like they've never been there. He saw right through me. He saw all my flaws and my sins and still stood there in front of me, calling me His love! Lately, I've been asking myself what did He saw in me, so worthy to be saved? Cause I feel like such a failure... God saved me, loved me, took me in His arms and carried me when I hadn't the strength to carry on and I still have days when I turn my back on Him and walk away like I don't care. I mean, what in the world it's wrong with me? And it kills me...hurting Him. Sometimes I just wanna give up cause this thought - that I will never be good enough, cause in the end I'm human and I'm going to fail anyway- is messing with my mind. But then I think at all of the things God made for me, all the joy he brought into my life and I know, I wouldn't be able to live without Him in my life and even if I could, I wouldn't want to, cause He's the best part of it.
And I know...I know I mess up all the time, I know I am not a good person all the time. That I hate sometimes, I envy, I'm not offering my help when I should, that  I close my eyes on things I shouldn't... I know I don't make Him proud every day and I constantly let Him down, but I just can't quit on trying. I can't imagine my life without Him. I can't imagine living my life like nothing happened. Like He's not there...when I know He is, when I saw and felt Him, when I know He is real and He loves me in spite of everything, when I know what He sacrificed for me...I just can't! That's why every single time I feel like giving up or to ashamed to ask Him for forgiveness I read Lamentation 3:21

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."


God is LOVE and He is JOY and He is FORGIVENESS. He doesn't want the death of the sinner but the redemption. He FORGIVES and unlike humans, he FORGETS.
                                                               
                                                                    So, you've messed up?
                                                      Tell your Daddy! He'll know what to do!

                                    Maybe you can't turn back the hands of time to undo what you've done,
                                                      but there's always hope for new beginnings!

Thoughts (Chapter 8) L.O.V.E

When life kicks you, you have to kick her back, right? Never fall, never quit. You see, you're not just a survivor - YOU ARE A WARRIOR! Life might put you down sometimes but eventually you always get back up again and fight. So, let's talk about those moment when you're felling low.
Sometimes you find yourself at the crossroads without knowing which way you should take.You're looking for answers but they're nowhere to be found. You're feeling confused and lost, wondering what's the point of this life... So, let me tell you this: I felt that way. I've been there and if it wasn't for God and his love ... I would've been the first to jump off a cliff, cause I've always wanted to fly...even for a couple of seconds. ( 'thing is, I don't know how to swim lol) Seriously, if it wasn't for Him, I would've been dead long time ago. He saved me and gave me new perspective. This life is pointless without Him. It's all dust and rust, garbage and emptiness. A big, fat joke. People who were supposed to be your friends, stabbed you in the back. Problems at work, problems at home, sleepless nights, bills to pay, diseases, partner's infidelity. All those things can really bring out the worst in you. You know it, I know it so...
Let's just get honest for a minute. Stop right now... stop fooling yourself, because we all know how things are. You're clubbing, drinking,having sex,doing drugs just because you're feeling empty, numb. You're trying so hard to fill that hole you're feeling inside, but you're doing it in the wrong way buddy. The answers you're looking for, are not there. You're looking for God's love, but you just don't know it yet. You heard about it before, but you just keep rejecting it. You're afraid to step out from your comfort zone and somehow I can understand that, but you are a WARRIOR so act accordingly.
One of my favorite writers, Max Lucado, explains it so beautiful in his book "Just like Jesus". Allow me to quote him...

"God loves you just the way you are. If you think his love for you would
be stronger if your faith were, you are wrong. If you think his love
would be deeper if your thoughts were, wrong again. Don’t confuse
God’s love with the love of people. The love of people often increases
with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God’s
love. He loves you right where you are.
God’s love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him.
Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil
cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith
does not earn it anymore than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesn’t
love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God’s love never ceases."

Keep that in your mind, please. God loves you! Just come to Him. Just give Him a chance to hold you and I promise you, you will never feel numb,empty, hopeless,alone,unhappy, full of sorrow, again - as long as you stay close to Him.
GOD is what are you looking for! Trust me! I've been there! I know how you feel right now. I know... and I know the remedy too! God is waiting for you to come home! He will never abandon you!
Come to your Father!
COME!

You've only got one heart!

I've always taken such good care of my heart until now. Well, is not broken or anything like that. Just painfully annoying. I must say that I never was and I'll never be the kind of girl that would get into a relationship just because everybody does it or just because it's fun. My whole love thing theory is pretty simple.  Erich Fromm  once said : 'Love is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise. If love were only a feeling, there would be no basis for the promise to love each other forever. A feeling comes and it may go. How can I judge that it will stay forever, when my act does not involve judgment and decision.' I totally agree with him. There has to be some understanding between those two: passion and reason. Somebody told me once ' Just go with the flow'. If your heart demands something just give her whatever she wants. Just do it. Wrong. Our hearts are pretty sneaky and easy to be tricked. Some nice words and they melt right away. I know...  I've been fighting with her for a couple of months now. It hasn't been easy. Sometimes I just wanna give up and take whatever I want without considering I might lose so much more. Sometimes my heart hurts so bad, I can barely breathe. There are times when I would fly away and never look back; days when I don't even have the will to get my butt outta bed, when I can't sleep, I can't eat and so on. When all I can think about is that thing. <- And that's what I hate the most. I don't wanna feel that way. You might say 'Go and get it if you want it!', but all I can think about is ' Is it really worth it? ' You might think I'm weak for not taking risks or that I'm too rational. The truth is I've only got ONE heart. One beautiful heart and I wanna take good care of her so that when I'll finally  meet the one, to be able to look into his beautiful eyes and let him know my heart waited for him faithfully. So, you call me weak? Think twice!

Now, you all know Kahlil Gibran. He was a Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer and he is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book 'The Prophet' <- beautiful book. I'm gonna post a paragraph about reason and passion, from it, so make time and read it because it's... "pure art".

"Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against your passion and your appetite.
Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul, that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody.
 But how shall I, unless you yourselves be also the peacemakers, nay, the lovers of all your elements?
Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul. If either your sails or your rudder be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas.
For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.
Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion, that it may sing;
 And let it direct your passion with reason, that your passion may live through its own daily resurrection, and like the phoenix rise above its own ashes.
I would have you consider your judgment and your appetite even as you would two loved guests in your house.
 Surely you would not honour one guest above the other; for he who is more mindful of one loses the love and the faith of both.
Among the hills, when you sit in the cool shade of the white poplars, sharing the peace and serenity of distant fields and meadows -- then let your heart say in silence, "God rests in reason."
And when the storm comes, and the mighty wind shakes the forest, and thunder and lightning proclaim the majesty of the sky -- then let your heart say in awe, "God moves in passion."
 And since you are a breath in God's sphere, and a leaf in God's forest, you too should rest in reason and move in passion."

...and you've only got one heart! Take good care of her...

Traiesti?

Viata e scurta, stii? Azi esti, maine nu. Te gandesti sa traiesti clipa din plin ca si cum nu ar fi un "maine". Si alergi...Alergi in dreapta, alergi in stanga, mai faci un pas in fata, inca o suta in spate, incerci sa umpli golul ce-l simti inlauntrul tau. Golul acela pe care incerci atat de mult sa-l ignori. Mimezi fericirea, gandindu-te ca pana la urma o sa devina realitate... Nu te insela...
Nu de mult am vazut un batranel lovit de o masina. Nu stiu exact cum s-a intamplat. Eram in autobuz si priveam in gol pe fereastra, cand batranelul acesta a aparut, parca, de nicaieri. Niciodata nu am vazut un accident pe viu. Cand vezi la telvizor accidente, te cuprinde poate tristetea si compatimirea pentru oamenii in cauza, insa cand se intampla chiar in fata ochilor tai e diferit; cel putin pentru mine asa e. Nu-mi amintesc sa ma fi simtit asa de rau decat atunci cand a murit bunica mea. Un sentiment straniu si urat...urat de tot, mi-a cuprins intreaga fiinta. Imi venea sa plang, sa strig, sa fug... Sa fug... Chiar a fost ciudat. Era ca si cum ar fi fost moartea acolo; raul acela care staruia in aer. Si sentimentul ala nasol m-a insotit intreaga saptamana. Mi-am dat seama atunci ca intr-o clipa se poate duce totul... Si ce-ai facut atunci? Unde te trezesti?
  Traiesti ziua de azi ca si cum ar fi ultima si esti mereu pe fuga. Alergi cat poti, sperand ca moartea nu te va ajunge.  In maratonul acesta te alimentezi cu ce poti , cu ce gasesti in drum, iei in graba toate nimicurile care iti apar in cale dorind sa "traiesti" cat mai apuci sa o faci. Adevarul e ca aceste lucruri nu fac decat sa ii dea putere mortii. In loc sa umpli golul, il maresti...si te simti tot mai pustiu, tot mai mort. Aceasta nu e viata pe care ti-ai imaginat-o cand erai doar un copil inocent. Ce-ar fi sa te opresti din alergat, sa iei un loc pe banca, sa privesti spre cer si sa-l chemi pe Creator sa umple golul din inima ta? Ai cautat destul prin resturile lumii acesteia. Ce cauti tu, nu vei gasi pe acest pamant. 
In tine, e o parte care tanjeste dupa mai mult. O parte din tine stie ca exista ceva mai mult decat lumea aceasta. Da-i mai multa putere acelei parti. Curaj sa te intinzi dupa aripile copilariei. Curaj sa te intrebi, curaj sa cauti, curaj sa schimbi mersul vietii tale. Nu te cunosc, habar nu am cum te cheama si care e viata ta, insa daca simti golul acela in inima ta, te rog opreste-te din alergat si cheama-l pe acela care s-a dat pe Sine pentru tine. Iti promit ca merita. Nu o sa fie usor dar merita. Vor mai fi furtuni in viata ta, incercari si zile proaste, am avut si eu multe, diferenta e ca intotdeauna vei avea un brat puternic de care sa te sprijini, un prieten care iti va fi MEREU aproape, indiferent de cate ori o dai in bara,  si promisiunea unei vieti vesnice alaturi de cel mai maret Dumnezeu si cei mai tari oameni care au trait vreodata. -> and an ENDLESS PARTY!!!

Take some minutes to watch this video... Then take some time to think about what God did for you. Someone wrote once : "I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than to live my life as if there isn't  and die to find out there is." This life can be awesome too without all the shitty things you do "for fun"... Don't fool yourself, you know you're missing something... >:d<