brother Sam. a story of a lifetime

June 4th, 2012.

This is the date I actually got to sit down with a great man. He's knows as "brother Sam" and brings bagels to our friends' house. He knows they give the bagels to the people in church. Just one glance, and I'm impressed by him. His way of shaking my hand, and the keen look reveal a strong and yet gentle man.  My husband and I stood there, in our friends' yard, and listened his life story for 3 hours. I listened how he met his wife, how they both got saved, how they started their life together. I was amazed to find out that, at 16 years old he worked every day, 45 minutes in school's cafeteria to earn $4 in one month (can you imagine that!?) in order for his mom to keep their washing machine.

"It's nothing the same when your wife is not here anymore". He took another bite from his slice of bread and continued. " Wives have a lot of work. She cleans, she cooks, she irons. Now I have to do it all by myself. No ironing. I don't do any ironing." He turns over to my husband, pointing to me "Take care of her, ok?". His hands are crooked from all the work he's been doing all his life. Still, his strength is so visible, almost tangible. "If I move here, I'm gonna help you with things near the house" said my husband in his broken English. 

The man next to him responded in an almost imperative way: "You help Ilie!" I couldn't believe this white haired man, with strong arms and a face that betrays a handsome man in his younger years that's sitting in front of me, at 98 years old, talking as if he's the strongest man on the earth. I couldn't understand his care for others. This lonely man, longing for the love of other people, puts others before him. I take a glimpse at him and I wish his wisdom could be contagious. At my husband's attempt to make him understand his intention, thinking he didn't hear well, he said 2nd time, more imperatively: "You help Ilie!"

I glance at my husband. He's puzzled, but his eyes betray his admiration for brother Sam. I look back at our guest and I think how lucky I am to stay in front of him and hear a drop of his wisdom.

That Sunday, I didn't take a nap (as I usually do). But I learned that there is no wisdom greater than kindness. 

Ask, seek, knock

{source: Pinterest}

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 

(Matthew 7:7)

The oddness of knowing something for a long time is that you stop thinking of its deep meaning - and there’s the risk of missing its own beautifulness just because you know it. Quite the same happened with this verse I read this Wednesday. I know it since I was a kid, and I’ve used it more than hundreds of times in different situations. 

Just this week stroke me its fullness of meaning. Pretty much all the time we get quickly to the last part, “knock and the door will be open to you”, not even thinking there must be a way to get to the door. My husband and I came to an important fork in our path. Important decisions are to be made. There are 3 opportunities opened for us, each one of them with its pros and cons. You can imagine the pressure of choosing what will be the best for our future, too, not only for present. In situations like this, I would love to be able to ask God what to do, be quiet and then, a voice from the sky to tell me which way to go. Relating this to the verse, it’s exactly what I said earlier - I want just the door and the knock, forgetting the importance of researching, and discovering (ask, seek...).  A friend of mine, pointed out that, God arms us with all equipment we need to make decisions, but then, in order for us to grow up, we have to make our own decisions. True. 

For some reason, I’ve observed, we are all about “God doing His part of work” - and we get focused on this, we forget we even have our own part of work which we neglect because we’re focusing on the wrong things. Then, when we get in the front of the wrong door and it opens, we blame God (which is convenient), never even crossing our minds to get back to the beginning and not start with the last step. 

Today, I want to dare you to take a moment and reflect if you're not knocking on random doors. Today, I stay in prayer, learning to trust my Creator, learning how to search His guidance instead of quick answers. Today, I'll start asking, and seeking, knowing that, at the right time, my husband and I will get to the right door, we will knock and it will open. And all will happen in God's best timing.

the best...

... idea I got this year. My arts and crafts office is finally done. One little important detail: I'm in search of a good quality lamp. 

Now, let's get creative!!!...

Note: Of course, I forgot to take a "before" picture, but if I tell you this was a closet full with clothes that weren't worn, I rely on your imagination to create an image in your head of a "before" picture. :)

Would you pay the price?

Source: weheartit.com via Natalie on Pinterest

I didn’t know I won’t be posting last week, and I missed it. Putting down my words, sometimes they sound crazy, other times, it’s a relief and some other times, maybe the silence is a best friend.

Tonight, I won’t talk about friendships – I don’t feel I can say anything worth reading about a great thing like friendship is. Now, I’m going to share with you some thoughts of mine – and I mean to be short.

I’ve dreamed for a really good and comfortable pair of high-heels  for a while now, but I’m not willing to pay the price – so I just cripple in the cheap ones I have that kill me time every time I wear them. And every time, I promise myself I’ll go and spend $100-$150 for a pair of decent shoes. I hear about this nice store that has good quality shoes, and nice sales, I go there, find a great pair and guess what? Not happening. I get to the store and when time is to pay, I just put them back on the shelf.

We do the same thing with our eternity: we want to go to heaven; we believe there is a God; we heard He gave His only Son to die for our sins (John 3:16), sometimes we even “pray the prayer” – but still – when it comes for us to give  ourselves up, we just can’t make ourselves pay the price. And then, we wonder why we are crippled and blame God why couldn’t He make it much more easier. Not even thinking that we have the power to chose.

Take a moment and mediate – what would you chose: the easy way and awful life and awful eternity, or to give up yourself and have eternal life.

Please keep in mind that, giving yourself up cannot be compared to the price God had to pay to redeem you from your filthy sins and horrible life without hope.

love makes it happen

via

A while ago, I started a blog series about friendship - I usually post it on Mondays, but because this week Valentine's on Tuesday and I had the best topic to talk about, I postponed it to today. 

               If you read my blog for a while, you know that I've been married for almost 2 years, and we known each other since I was 17(not that long ago, some would say!). Even though we started "dating" merely a month after we've met, this year is the first year when we're together for Valentine's Day. Well, we had a long distance relationship and then, after 6 months we got married I had to come to USA in order not to lose my permanent residence here. So that explains everything - hopefully. :)

              I know how it is to be single on this day, I lived it in high school when every single girl in my class received a teddy bear and a flower (the lucky ones would chocolate, too). Everyone but me. I know how it is to have a dear one, but to be far away - the sadness and depression can be huge, if you're not focused on God.

               Now, I want to talk about my darling husband - he's my best friend. He takes care that when I fall asleep to be properly covered (he knows I'm sensitive and get sick easily), he is patient with me when shopping, he cooks for me, he gives me massages. And the cutest thing?... when I receive a message at work from him just saying "I love you". He encourages me. He listens to me. And he's funny. He makes sure every morning to let me know in one way or another, that he'll miss me that day. He knows how to tell me without words that I'm important, and crucial for his life. 

             I didn't prepare anything for this Valentine's Day (I was too tired and exhausted), but having my loving husband next to me is the only thing I needed.

Love doesn't make the world go round, 

but it makes the ride worthwhile.

(F. P. Jones)

I linked up here:

follower |ˈfälō-ər|

                    This is a time when everybody does a lot of following. We like to call it "inspiring", because we like to think of ourselves as unique persons. So, we watch the latest fashion show, we scan the best blogs, listen to the radios, look at movies and we add a little something from here and a little something from there to our personality, or our wardrobe. We got to the point where there is a color palette released for each year, and the color of the year will influence our daily decisions.

And then, if you are lucky enough to influence an amount of people, you become a trendsetter.

You will be quoted, your ideas will be considered brilliant, your way of walking, talking, laughing, dreaming will no longer be just yours - since tons, if not millions of people will try unconsciously to be like you.

                  So, in a time like this, why is it a shame to follow Christ? 

           

why is great having friends

{via}

- no matter the time, day, night, working, etc you know you have somebody to rely on.

- cracking jokes together with a friend is much more better than by urself:)

- because no matter how down or tired she is, she just makes everything possible to cheer u up if you're down 

- and you know you do that, too -having a blast when watching crappy movies makes sense only when you're together.

- that's the thing with a good friend: as time goes by, she becomes closer and your friendship better and better...just like the wine:))) 

- a friend's advice is always to be trusted..just like your mom's