8 Things To Convince You Of A Man’s Character

I thought this post was fascinating.
Written by Jen Smidt on the Mars Hill Church website (October 03, 2012).

Click here. 



Picture taken from: http://mandikaake.blogspot.ca/2010/09/what-godly-man-should-look-like.html

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Roses

 I was once prophesied over saying that I would be like a rose.

I didn't understand it at first, but then I realized that it's a metaphor.

Roses are beautiful to look at; they come in all sorts of sizes and colours. But one thing that makes the rose beautiful are the thorns.
The thorns protect the rose from most of the humans that would like to pick it up. People know that if you go to grab a rose, like you would a dandelion or a tulip, you would prick yourself with the thorn.

Now think about this:
Isn't it kinda the thorn's job to keep the rose beautiful, pure and untouched?


Thinking about this now... I don't know what to think. Because, well, roses, once their thorns are gone, wither.

So if my thorns were to be taken off, would they grow back?
Or would I be a thornless rose?
Or would I just wither?


Questions, questions, questions.


So here is a challenge:
Be a rose, whether it be in studies, in purity or anything that it could be applied to.
Keep those thorns because they keep you beautiful. 





(I hope this makes sense to you. It's late, and I had this on my mind.)

And just a quick fact: I love roses :) 

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Interesting Quotes

I have some interesting quotes saved on my laptop, and my phone... I thought I'd share it here.

• The most deadly sin do not leap upon us, they creep up on us.
• We can face any fear when we know the Lord is near.
• Wise is the person who knows what to say and when to say it.
• The seeds we sow today determine the kind of fruit we’ll reap tomorrow.
• Large asking results in large receiving.
• God’s plans always lead to victory.
• Delay is not denial. So keep on praying.
• Where will you spend eternity?
• Follow Christ, not the crowd.
• Worry is the interest you pay on borrowed trouble.
• Better to hear the hard truth than a soft lie.
• You can’t put your sins behind you until you are willing to face them.
• If God controls you on the inside, you’ll be genuine in the outside.
• Worry is a burden that God never meant for us to bear.
• Nothing happens unless something moves. 
• Success without a successor is failure. 
• You miss the forest for the tree. 
• The teacher's goal is for the student to become like them. 

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Faithfulness

This morning, as I was on the bus, I heard someone talking about their family.

Now don't take me to be an eavesdropper or a nosey-body; this person was right behind me.

This man, let's name him person A, was talking to his companion, let's name the companion person B. A was telling B about how his family doesn't care about him; the only family that he speaks to is one of his cousins. Person A went on to say that if he needed any money, he would ask his buddies because he knows that his family wouldn't give it to him. He goes on to say that he's received up to $1000 from his friends. Person B, throughout the story, just says "hmm" and "oh yeah?" Person A said this: "even if I asked my family for $5, they wouldn't give it to me", and that is where my heart broke for him.

Even though my family has it's flaws, I know that they would provide me with the money that I ask for (given that I have a valid reason for it, which does not include drugs-which I do not do). I know that if I ask my dad for $5, he'd round it up and give me $10, just because he loves me and he cares for me.

Now if my earthly father gives me $10 instead of $5, imagine how much more faithful my Heavenly Father is.

In Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV), this is what it reads:

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7&version=NIV)

God tells us, very frankly, that if we ask, it will be given to you. If you seek something, you'll find it. And if you knock on a door that's closed, it would be opened to you.

As I hope most of you know, the Bible is actually the Word of God. And so, whatever is written in it is straight from God's heart, and none of it is a lie.

There are things that we have to ask God for with our mouths; even if God knows that you want or need it, He sometimes just wants you to say it out loud.

And there are always things that you want, but you don't say out loud, but God sees your heart and eventually gives it to you (this has happened more than once for me).

So God is definitely faithful and He does not lie when He says that He'll give it to you.

My God is faithful, and when I ask Him, if it is according to His will, and if it benefits me, He will give it to me.

And sometimes, He even gives me the bad things that I ask for, so that I'd learn a lesson, or something of that sort.

I hope that one day, that person A would find God, and realize that even though his earthly parents didn't give him what he wanted/need, our God in Heaven would do that 100x better.

faith·ful

  [feyth-fuh l] 

adjective

1.

strict or thorough in the performance of duty: a faithful worker.

2.

true to one's word, promises, vows, etc.

3.

steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant: faithful friends.

4.

reliable, trusted, or believed.

5.

adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original; accurate: afaithful account; a faithful copy.

(Taken from dictonary.com-http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/faithfulness?s=t)

I know my writing may be just a little bit scrambled, but bear with me; I'm only starting to blog again, and it feels weird to make everything make sense. 

(When I write in my journal, I write how I think, and so everything is everywhere. Writing so that other's understand me is somewhat foreign, and pushing myself to do this is kinda hard.)

I hope you all have a blessed day.

And remember: Our God is always faithful. 

(image taken from this site: http://www.truevined.com/2011/02/faithful-god-hd-wallpaper-and-others.html)

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8 Profitable Ways to Read the Bible

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"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."

- Coco Chanel

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The Heart

There's one thing that I could always do that I didn't realize how significant it was until this very moment.

I have this thing. No, not a deformity, and not some kind of growth. But, if I can put it this way: an ability to be able to see the outside of a person (physical appearance) as well as their potential (I guess you could call this their heart?).

I was just talking to my friend when I realized that if I really was as superficial as her, I probably wouldn't even be her friend.
Just from her outward appearance, she's angry, blunt and, well, shallow. But why was I drawn to her? In all honesty, I didn't tell her this, but I saw what she could become. I saw the potential locked inside her. And two years ago, when I first met her, I thought she was just another passing friend. But here I am, two years later, with this girl being one of my closest friends.

It's weird how life turns out eh?

And even take in my best friend for 8 years.
This is really sad to say, but I didn't talk to him because he was, well, not amazing looking, to put it simply. At that point in my life, I only looked to be friends with good looking people. I wanted to surround myself in beauty (as dumb as that sounds).
But you know, I noticed that beautiful people are very vain and some even narcissistic. So what's the point in having a beautiful physical appearance when your inside is complete garbage?

I guess that's when I stopped looking at how people looked on the outside, and started praying that God would reveal at least some of how they are on the inside.
And by doing that, I've found some great friends (who still have some issues, but it'll all work out, I'm sure).

Now, when I say these things, please don't take me to be a perfect, sinless, not-shallow person, because I am not. Definitely not.
I do have my flaws and I am working on them. So don't take my words as hypocritical.

So here's a challenge (and a very frank one at that).
For all those who only look at the outward appearance, stop. What is the point.
Looks will fade anyway. And in Heaven, well, all of us are going to be beautiful anyway.
Being shallow and superficial doesn't have it's benefits if you think it does. And if you get into a relationship, thinking only about looks, well good luck because either one of you are going to get hurt.
Get a grip on yourself, and don't boost your ego and other's too much.
Remember, pride comes before the fall.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Just thought I'd say hi.
And happy thanksgiving, since it's thanksgiving day here in Canada...

The weekend has been pretty good so far. It was my mum's birthday yesterday, and well, we had a little party today with the Sinhala community that we're apart of.
It was quite nice.
And this family lives like, some where in the wilderness . I honestly don't understand how people can do that. I'm a city girl. I like the hustle and bustle of the city. But then again, I do like parks and such.
Just in conclusion, I don't plan on moving into a forest.

I really need to cut my hair. It's dyed blonde, as you can see, and the only way I can get my dark hair to that colour is to use bleach. So you can imagine just how spit the ends of my hair are.

Anyway.
The Love Story 3 is coming up in November. We're starting rehearsals for that.
Today's supposed to be the day I learn my trio song... We'll see how that goes.


Hope y'all had an amazing week.
And for all those who are going back to their university residences, I hope you have safe travels.

Happy thanksgiving (again)!

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Sometimes, it's the little things

Have you, today, stopped and looked up at the sky? It's a wonderful shade of blue, not too bright, and not too dark.
And what about the grass? The freshly cut lawns look calming and pretty.

Recently God's been telling me to take a step back, to take a breath, and look around. I'm the kind of person who likes to get from place A to place B in a certain amount of time without taking any breaks. However, with university and the gap between classes, I have a lot of time on my hands. With this time, God has been speaking to me: God created everything around me, and I realized that I didn't take the time to appreciate it.

You know, it's the little things that make me smile.
The squirrel looking for food so it can make a storehouse for the winter.
The birds chasing each other, having not a care in the world.
The clouds that gently move across the sky.
The breeze that carries the chill of autumn.
The sun that warms me up after that chilly blow.
It's the small things.

As thanksgiving weekend is coming up, I realize that there is so much that goes unnoticed or unappreciated.

I'm thankful for oxygen in the air; that I don't have to walk around with an oxygen tank on my back so I can breathe.
I'm thankful that the sky is blue and not blood red, and the grass is green and not burnt orange.
I'm thankful that my body is working, and is healthy.
I'm thankful for my arms and legs, that I can use them.
I'm thankful for my brain, that my body is able to function without me having to think about every little minute activity that goes on in my body.
I'm thankful that I can see, and see with colour + 20/20 vision.
I'm thankful that I can speak, and even sing.
I'm thankful that I can hear (even though at times it's sometimes bad....).
I'm thankful that I can smell all the wonderful (and atrocious) smells that there are.
I'm thankful that I have a roof over my head, warm meals every day, and clothes to cover my body.

Sometimes it's the everyday things that we take for granted, the things that we see, feel, hear, touch and smell. So I urge you to take a step back from your busy life, pause and look around you. God has made everything very good, and He knows it (Genesis 1:31). So just as God did, when He created everything around you, take a time of rest and look around.

Blessings.


[Image: beautiful day by Kelvyn Ornette Sol Marte / © All rights reserved / http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=3551196698&size=large ]

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The First

It's hard to start a new blog. And I'm not quite sure how to start this one.
I guess, just as an introduction, this blog is going to be for random thoughts, ideas, devotions, encouragements and perhaps some rants.
I know that blogs can get addicting (trust me, I've experienced this before), but I'm going to try and keep this under control.

So for some information, my name is Michelle and I'm a first year student at University of Toronto, St George campus.

My major at the moment is English, but we'll see how it goes as the years go by.

I want to be a teacher after I graduate, but we'll see where God leads me.

Oh yes, and I'm a Christian. The kind that believes that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour, that there is the Holy Trinity (Father, Spirit, Son) and that there is no other way to Heaven than through Jesus. I try not to be too obnoxious about it and force it down your throat.

At the moment, I am a worship leader at Church on the Rock, as well as one of the sound engineers (I'm really not as pro as that title sounds, but that is what I do).

I have great parents. (And as most parents do, they get on my nerves).
I have a brother and a sister, both younger (who also get on my nerves).
And I have my adorable Bichon-Poodle dog, Melody (whom I will probably talk about a lot).

So far, that's all I really have to say.

I hope y'all enjoy your day.

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