Bite your tongue!

"True escape from the world is for a person to know how to control his tongue, wherever he might be" Abba Tithoes

Recently, I came across an article about human sex-trafficking that really disturbed me. The issue itself is a major problem on its own, besides what happens as a result of it - to the family, the girls, their future. As I read the article, I kept getting more and more sick to my stomach. Why would someone make a beautiful young girl do this? You'd think that maybe a regular person would not be able to relate to something like sex-trafficking, until I continued to read on.

 "I've always been viewed as a h*. Once you’re called something enough, it’s like ‘Well, I already am.’ ”

Can you believe that? From the amount of times she was called something, she kind of took on that form because it was all she heard! What I've seen recently starting with middle school kids, possibly even earlier, is that friends call friends with all these types of derogatory terms. It starts off with things that we think are okay, such as 'dummy, idiot, etc' and turns into 'b****, sl** wh***' - all common jargon in a public school hallway nowadays. Even being around that can hurt us. St Antony the Great said, "Whoever receives a man speaking evil or a calumniator, associates with a murderer." Did you catch that? Associates with a MURDERER!

One story my priest told me once, and I'll never forget, has to do with controlling what we say --
There was once a boy who used to curse a lot to others, and his father told him that for every curse he said, he had to put a nail in the fence surrounding their house. Before you know it, the whole fence was full. The young boy noticed his wrongdoing and tried to change. His father told him that for every day he didn't curse, he could take a nail out of the fence. Finally, after a long time, the fence was clear of all the nails. 'Daddy, daddy, look! the nails are gone!' His father was very pleased, but told the son, 'Now, take a look at the fence, all the nails are out, but those holes will remain forever'.

That story will always be in the back of my mind, alongside with what this young girl said. Maybe, if we start calling each other saints, it can work the other way--- ya think?

The most SUCCESSFUL UNSUCCESSFUL event

"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor" - Truman Capote

Failure is relative. Of course not when it comes to an exam or anything of the like, but in many cases it is relative. Some people thrive from failures, some stay down, some are motivated, and some just frown. (Didn't mean for that to rhyme, but why not!).

In terms of service to God, several people have different ways of gauging whether they 'succeeded' or 'failed'. If a lot of people showed up, if there were enough chairs, if the prep was done properly, if people were baptized, or anything. God never ceases to amaze me that truly, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiaih 55:8-9

Yesterday in my parish, we held our first big local community event. We planned for a huge outdoor BBQ and a 'Movie under the stars'. We did EVERYTHING to make sure this day was perfect. From Google docs to Google hangouts, from early advertising to last minute Costco runs, we were ready. What we wanted to do was to just show our local community (Stony Point, NY) that WE as the Church were there for them. God cared for us, so we should care for them. We had no hidden agenda, no undercover Bible study, just wanted to share God's love with those around us. So from the preparation to the presentation, (man, i'm on a roll with rhyming today huh!), everything was executed perfectly. We split up into teams for games, decorations, food, welcome table, tour guides, parking, everything. We had pamphlets made, sign in sheets, individually wrapped chocolate. We EVEN had a bouncy house. After prayer and prep, we were ready - at 5:30, we were just waiting for the swarm of people to come in. The plan was to come in, meet some people, enjoy a free BBQ and watch Despicable Me on a huge outdoor movie screen that we rented, next to a bon fire with smores. There was not a detail left undone.

We handed out over 450 flyers, going from house to house and then the local police and fire department, the delis and bagel stores, the ice cream shops and shop rites, we did it all. We even went to the local library to hang up a flyer, and the people who worked there had already heard about the event, it had actually become to talk of the town! Now, what do you think happened? Not a SINGLE person showed up, can you believe that? Let's think about this, if we had spread the word so much and people had agreed to come and even to the point where people knew about it that we didn't advertise to, we would expect AT THE MINIMUM, one or two families. No, not one person from the community showed up. Is that a coincidence? I think the only way possible that nobody came, is that it was an act of God, it must have been. What are the chances that zero people show up, if we had verbal agreements from people, flyers, word of mouth, everything. In my opinion, God didn't want anybody to come that day.

What was my take-away? Unity. Throughout the book of Acts, the phrase 'in one accord' is said many times. That's how our team was. From praying together for no rain, to meetings, to dividing responsibilities, we were on the same page. One thing I'm very proud of, is that the group wasn't discouraged. We ended up eating some food and watching the movie on the lawn anyway, (just to get ready for Despicable Me 2 this week!). God has a plan for this group, a great plan, and I think without this SUCCESS, we wouldn't have seen it. We would've thought we did everything by our own efforts. Yes we would've 'thanked God', but inside we would've been so proud of ourselves.

Food for thought? - "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good" Gen 50:20. God has different plans than we do most of the time. Whether its to be thrown in a pit to later become a leader - or to have no one show up to your party to later finding space to accommodate 3,000 people - God ALWAYS has a plan. Don't ever give up or be discouraged when you are serving God. So was this a failure? Nah, just one big step in the right direction!

Pentecost 3000 - We're back in 2013!!

"...and the Lord added daily to the church those who were being saved" Acts 2:47




Hello all! I hope everyone is partaking of the Holy 50 days with feasts upon feasts - for your spirit of course, not just body ;)

Now its time to put to practice what we've gained during lent and are absorbing during these Holy 50 Days, which is also known as the Pentecost Period.

Last year, parishes from all over the world, including USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Kenya, Australia, and many others partook of what the Lord commanded us to do and empowered the disciples and us on the day of Pentecost.

This year, we invite you all to help us continue the work that Jesus Christ started and lets fully anamnesis, (re-live) the Feast of Pentecost!

Excited?! I am! Just imagine if hundreds of parishes throughout the world, held an outreach event to share the love of God with their local communities, all on the same day - Pentecost! The possibilites are ENDLESS to make this Pentecost unforgettable. We'll declare with our actions that famous line of the Orthodox Creed "Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit", and really see His divine ability to change the world and bring people to know the truth of who Jesus Christ is.

For more info on how to get started, please visit www.pentecost3000.com for all your needs. There is downloadable starter kits, information pamphlets, flyers to advertise, everything you need!

Any other questions, email info@pentecost3000.com

Zambia Mission Trip Video

This is just a small video I put together that captured most of the trip.

The first thing I said when I came back from my first mission trip was "What I learned about serving in Africa is that you don't have to go to Africa to serve" Of course I went back!

What I meant by that is that there is so much going on around us and at times we feel that we just can't do anything. I reached that point and needed to go back to get recharged to better my service back here. This of course doesn't mean we forget about our brothers and sisters abroad.

Whether its your calling to give your life as a missionary in another country, or to experience it a few times - I urge EVERYONE if God gives you the opportunity to go on a trip anywhere to serve, DO IT! Just don't stop when you get back home, it should be just the beginning!

For more information about serving in Africa, visit http://www.copticmission.org

or email me any questions:  samuel.beshara@gmail.com

The heart of a child - Lessons from Zambia

Click to watch my interview with him!

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" - 1 John 3:1

How awesome is that? Looking into the original Greek word for children is the word τέκνον pronounced tek-non. It doesn't just mean child - but it more accurately means someone who depends upon something. More leaning towards a child rather than a son/daughter. 

If you check out the video here, my friend Rapson allowed me to interview him shortly on his life in Zambia and what the Church has done for him.

Before I get more into it, just a little background of the service in Zambia. The Coptic Church has a health clinic, (free to those who can't afford it) a school, (also free to those who can't afford it) and most importantly an open heart to anyone who needs comfort.

Upon asking him what the Church has done for him, he talks about the school, learning, etc.. and closes with saying "teaches us to be a good servant". I continued with other questions, but in my mind I was screaming, WHHATTT?!? How old is this kid? This is what he thinks about? When I was 11 years old I was picking my nose and playing Super Mario Bros. It's pretty amazing that he is on this thinking level, but let's take a step back and see what caused this.

He said the Church has helped him learn these things and give him a home among other things. I would rather focus on how we can do that, as opposed to criticizing our kids and churches here, especially the latter.  We would see a video like this, or hear it anywhere, that churches provide many things for people, and we could just become bitter towards our church that it may not do the same things, and leave it at that. 

What about the fact that WE are called to be the church? Yes, we may not have all the resources to start our own school or hospital, but look past that. When can we become the place for nourishment for yearning souls? When can we become the well to draw from? When can we become what we are called to be like - created in the Image of God? "God is LOVE" 1 John 4:16

"For to love is to give, give until it hurts. Because when we have nothing, God becomes everything" - Mama Maggie

Freedom in Prison - Lessons from Zambia

Fr Abraham preaching to prisoners in Zambia - click for video!

"It was the first time in my life that I felt prisoners had more freedom than I did" - that was the thought that kept resonating in my mind as soon as we walked out of that prison.

Just a few days ago, I returned from a mission trip to Zambia where I spent just under two weeks. I will spend the next few posts talking about the amazing experience I had, not only to share it with others but also to not just make it an experience for me but something to bring back and turn into daily life practice.

"How could I bring a mission trip back home?" was a question I had asked myself since my first mission trip to Kenya in 2009. I had my thoughts and tried a few things, even had some success (in my own opinion) - but there was something else.  I learned the full answer to that question this past trip, upon meeting one of the greatest guys I now know, Fr Abraham. Fr Abraham is a missionary who lives in Zambia with his wife Dalia and their son, Josiah. They moved to Zambia about 7 years ago after hearing God's call for them. Maybe I'll spend another post on them and their journey, but maybe after I get permission from them :).

I learned about two prisons when I was in Zambia. First, the actual prison we went to visit. We had a hard time getting in and bringing all the other missionaries in, so we prayed kept our head up, and about an hour later they let us in! Once we were in, it was a different world. We were praising God like no other. We sang some songs, did a skit, and shared some messages. (Refer to video for Fr Abraham's message above). Everyone was so eagerly sitting and listening to the Word of God. Fr Abraham was telling them about freedom and forgiveness and God's mercy and that we are all deserving of a second chance. "If you want to be free, make Jesus' presence known inside this prison" That statement led to cheering and clapping and revival inside! After this, Fr Abraham prayed for everyone enclosed in those walls, and I have never felt a prayer like that in my life. The best (or worst) part about it, is that it was nothing I haven't heard before. The best because such simple words, with a simple accepting heart like those in the prison, can do WONDERS! The worst part, is because those words have become numb to me.. but not that day. "These are Your children, you can never abandon them.. put Your hand of Mercy and Grace upon them".. Those words have never left my ears since then, and why?

That's my second prison - the prison I live in. Being so caught up in the world back here, so numb to HUGE promises from God, and not noticing it for a second.. So back to my original question of "How could I bring a mission trip back home?" - That's what I learned from Fr Abraham and his wife Dalia. The simplicity of God and obeying His word will change your life. That's why when I saw them, it seemed as though they had been there for just a week, not 7 years. Why? Their love for God, acceptance of His promises, and their obedience to Him no matter what, has given them such zeal and passion to serve Him faithfully and with a huge smile :)

To be or not to be?

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day" E.B. White

One of my good friends and I were talking about different ways to serve those around us, and she said this quote above. Once I read it, BAM! It just sunk in really quick, and made things so clear.

Normally, we like things to be in the gray area. We don't like the "If you're not with us you're against us" mentality.  We like to play both sides of the spectrum at times, and we think it helps us out in the long run - but we are only hurting ourselves! Speaking from personal experience, learn from my mistakes, please! I used to 'enjoy the world' and then try to 'improve' it - thinking I'm cancelling out the stuff I did wrong, and boy was that a wrong mentality! I managed to get myself into thinking that it was true, imagine that? A conscience that I forced to give in to the checks and balances idea, and more harmfully, got me thinking God was like that too. "Let me just do more good than bad, and I'll be alright" - WRONG!

Many of us heard the verse from the book of Revelation about being lukewarm, here is it from the Message translation to give a little different perspective, "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot - far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit." Rev 3:15. Sounds a bit harsh right? We need to hear this sometimes because we get into the trap of telling ourselves something to ease our consciences and in the long run end up confused when we find ourselves in a ditch.

We need to realize this, and make a clear cut decision. Are we going to improve the world, or enjoy it? We CANNOT do both, plain and simple. Make up as many excuses as we want, and they will be just that - excuses. I will be the first to publicly admit my fault in this, and I need to keep reminding myself of this quote to make it a reality. We need to be a little harder on ourselves and tell ourselves "if we are not with God, we are against Him" - while always keeping in mind but not taking advantage of the fact that we see God's love for us when He says "For he who is not against us, is on our side" Mark 9:40

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

  

   
    I love watching remakes of old movies! I got to see Snow White and the Huntsman this past week with my brother and cousins. The cool part is when they look at the story from a different angle, or another character’s perspective. Of course there is always a little love story in there, but what really stood out to me was the Queen. I’m not evil or siding with her, but she interested me the most. 
     We've all heard the famous quote from the movie that says “Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” – The Queen only wants to hear one answer "You, my Queen, are fairest of all". If she'd ever hear anything else, it wouldn't be a happy day - like when she found out that Snow White was 'fairer' than her. 
     I do this ALL the time... well, I don't quite talk directly to my mirror, but you know what I mean =). We just hate to hear the reality of things nowadays. Whether it be a loved one in a rough situation, or a truth about someone that we just don't want to believe - but I want to focus more on ourselves. I heard a great quote that said "Irresponsibility is the hardest thing to see in the mirror". I had to think about this one for a while, and it's very very true. People can come down on themselves and say things like 'I need to work harder at this' or 'I keep procrastinating, but I'll get it done', but we seldom tell ourselves, 'I know what it is, I'm just irresponsible".  Now, if you know me, I wasn't the most responsible person just some years ago (some will argue that I still am not, and Dad - I can hear you in the back of my head right now!) 
     There just comes a point in our lives where we have to realize what we do affects the people around us. Unless we live in a cave and interact with absolutely nobody, everything we do has somewhat an effect on those around us - our irresponsibility usually becomes another's responsibility. I tried to find who to point the finger at, but it always ended up being directed back to me. I learned this the hard way throughout college, and am still learning throughout the workforce. 
     Buoyancy - remember that word from physics? I heard a great analogy of a biblical principle that can be seen easily here. St Paul says in Galatians 6:7 ".. a man reaps what he sows". I don't need to be all-knowing to understand that if I don't study for an exam, that I probably won't do that well, or if I smoke cigarettes that it can cause damage to my body. If bad things come across our lives, we usually look up to God right away and blame Him, or better yet - question Him. Why does God do this or allow me to lose my job - He probably hates me. On the contrary, its because He LOVES us so much, that He gave us this principle beforehand so we can abide by it! Now what does this have to do with buoyancy? That's the principle in physics that determines whether something will float or sink. Some things in our life either sink, or they float - we don't necessarily have to correlate them to bad and good, but it's just a principle. Just like when people build boats and ships, they have to abide by that rule. God isn't sitting up in heaven and pointing saying "you can float, you sink, sink sink, float, etc" It is just a principle - if the builder adheres to it, it will float every time. Sometimes we need to just take responsibility for certain things and quit playing the blame game with God.
     The last thing I just want to touch on is something that we may not have thought as a responsibility, but is very essential as a Christian - and that is sharing the Good News with others. Understood, some people are meant to be in the spotlight on stage, some hold the lights, some do the backstage work - but that does not excuse any of them from having the same goal, which is to be a part of sharing a great show. St John Chrysostom says, "Each one is responsible for the salvation of his neighbor" If we look at it like our salvation depends on the salvation of others, then it is our full responsibility as sons and daughters of Christ, to share Him with everyone we encounter. After all, who would enjoy a wedding feast if they were all alone?

The Holy Spirit is here!! - now what?

“The Saviour and the Comforter, two Persons of the Godhead: the One ever saves from sins, and the Other comforts him who is saved. Their very names are taken from their deeds, and are always actually justified. He comforts! The Holy Spirit comforts the believing soul, as a mother comforts her child.”
St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

One of my favorite feasts, Pentecost! Comfort is one of most needed feelings this day and age. We had a great weekend serving in "Pentecost 3000" which you can read more about this week on my friend Mena Mirhom's blog. Anyway - everyone needs comfort in their lives. Whether it be because they lost a job, lost a loved one, going through a rough time, or need some encouragement - comfort is the greatest support. God knew this and for that very reason, sent us the Comforter (Paraclete), as St John of Kronstadt says that after Christ saves us from sin and death, the Holy Spirit comforts him who is saved - (not 'saved in a moment' - rather the Orthodox concept of 'was saved, being saved, and will be saved'). So I am thankful that Christ said "It is good for you that I am going away"-John 16:7

So now that the Holy 50 days are over - now what? We were all on our spiritual high during lent, and even more so in Holy Pascha Week, and celebrated new life with Christ during the Joyous 50 days of Resurrection and we're all kinda back to our normal grind, right? Are we the same person we were on Good Friday? or Resurrection Feast? I'm not - and Christ knew that also. I think that's why He waited almost 2 months and then wanted to send us a reminder.  We read in the 3rd hour of the Agbeya "renew Him within us" - and I think the Church in Her wisdom did it exactly for that. Some of us may have fell off that peak we hit during Holy Week and Resurrection, and we needed to be reminded - and the Holy Spirit did just that.

We need the Holy Spirit to renew our zeal so we see He is just as alive as He was in the book of Acts. Christ says that He wont leave us orphans - and says "because I am alive and you're about to come alive" (John 14:20, MSG). About to come alive! I love that translation. The Holy Spirit is come to make us alive and renewed - which is why St Paul says in Acts 20 (my FAVORITE passage in Acts) Speaking about him being compelled by the Spirit - to be crazy. He says "being led by the Spirit not knowing the things that will happen to me there. except that the Holy Spirit testifies that in every city chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me" vs 22-24.

That is the renewed Spirit I'm praying for - to be able to be so confident that the Holy Spirit is with us, comforting us, and on our side. So we can be just as bold as St Paul and not care whether trials or tribulations await us - and go big. 

Why I didn't blog on Monday

I love my YouVersion Bible App! It's like that little angel that sits on your shoulder telling you what you should and shouldn't do - in an app! I get to pick a reading plan that's good for me, check off when I'm done - and get reminders when I fall behind!

And that's why I didn't blog on Monday, as I normally do.  I've been very behind on my reading. I'm not talking about just reading to check off a list - but real, sit down, one on one with God, quiet time kinda reading.  You wanna know what the worst part is? The distractions are not big outside issues, they are more 'busybody' type distractions. I think this goes back to the Mary vs Martha discussion.

I just picked up a book a few weeks ago called Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.  It's a great read so far - (Yes, i'm behind on that as well!). It talks about the misconception many people have with running around and doing services here and there, and also talks about the other side where God doesn't want someone just sitting in their room their whole life praying about things and changes, when we could be the ones doing it!

One of the best things I've heard a great man say before was, "Don't let prayer be a scapegoat". At first, I said to myself "Heathen!!" - then I came to my senses and realized there is much more behind this phrase. We can sit and pray and read and pray and read and fast about things and look for answers, when God is telling us to get up and do it! Bishop Paul of Mission Affairs in Africa said this to a few people - when they were inquiring about going to Africa.  They had the time off, the money, the group, everything - but they said "Lets pray about it". Now don't get me wrong, I'm NOT saying that is wrong - but when that is given as an answer too much, it may appear to be a 'scapegoat' from doing what God is asking us to do, no?

On the other side, serving too much without down-time is not beneficial either. We can be blinded by the fact we are doing so much that we may think we're okay. When all we are doing is forgetting about the inside of the cup.

Balance is very imporant, which is one of the key principles this book talks about.  It was said of St Gregory of Nazianzus that "His ideal of Christian perfection was a balance between action and contemplation. He sought to embody this ideal by alternating between periods of active ministry and solitary, prayerful, scholarly contemplation."

I need to focus on not overloading one side of the scale - do you feel this way as well? Is there one side of the scale that is taking over?

Pentecost - 3000!

Pentecost is supposed to be a big huge deal in the Christian faith, but more often than not, all we see is a longer liturgical service...and that's all. Well, it looks like The Holy Spirit wants to stir things up a bit through connecting the Coptic Orthodox Church all around the world.


What if, in addition to the powerful liturgical re-experiencing of the first Pentecost, we also invite the world around us to meet the God we love and cherish? Crazy things are bound to happen. We might even have some mass conversions on our hands and get a nice case of Pentecost deja vu.


The best thing about this idea is that it seems to have the best of both worlds; the legitimacy and backing of our Fathers, the Clergy (as His Grace Bishop David is fully backing this idea) and also the excitement of a grass roots movement that will be executed by dedicated youth all over the world.

The possibilities are endless here as we band together to make this Pentecost weekend the most special one since the one in the first century. We'll declare with our actions that famous line of the Orthodox Creed "Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit." We believe in His divine ability to change the world. We believe in His transformational Presence in our lives and hearts. And we believe that He can stir hearts and lead seekers to be able to be able to declare the divinity of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:3)


Join God in this incredible work! Visit www.Pentecost3000.com, download the starter kit, and take steps to making it happen in your community! He's been planning this for a very long time...let's join Him. 

Community - that's where it all started.

     One week after celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.. how do you feel?! All churched out? Giving yourself the extra notch on your belt from all the food? Yes, I feel a little similar as well :) How should we really feel? The whole pinnacle of our faith is based on this event. St Paul says, "And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" 1 Cor 15:17.  St Gregory of Nazianzus calls it the "Feast of Feasts". What do you call it? Or better yet, how do you live it?
     A big emphasis I keep trying to focus on is living the true Christian life.  The reason I'm doing so, is to help remind myself of things I need to do and focus on, as well as help my brothers and sisters who are in the same boat.  St Athanasius emphasizes that a spiritual life without a liturgical life is lacking much, and a liturgical life without a spiritual life is just rituals.  They can't be separated, and the Orthodox Church really puts a big emphasis on this in many aspects - liturgical worship, communal prayer, fellowship, and community.  Community is something that seems so easy to have, but if not taken care of, will reveal the opposite of what it should be!
     I am really excited about the new St. Timothy and St. Athanasius Church starting this weekend in Arlington, VA - Fr Anthony Messeh discusses it here. This church, as well as every other, should be a welcoming home for any person.  I'm not talking about the building, I'm talking about the 'Church' that Christ is the head of - yes, us. We must be able to really represent the body of Christ, which He gave for all. My favorite contemplation on the Cross is that Christ was nailed with His arms wide open, just to emphasize the fact that everyone is welcome, unable to pull it closed.
     St Athanasius in one of his Festal Letters that is sent out every Resurrection Feast, says "For this is the marvel of His loving-kindess, that He should gather together in the same place those who are at a distance; and make those who appear to be far off in the body, to be near together in unity of spirit." I love that! We all know the CEO Christians (Christmas Easter only), so did St Athanasius.  That is exactly why he chose this to be part of the message to be delivered on the Feast of Resurrection - to emphasize that community is an essential part of the Feast. It all started when Christ took our flesh to be among us, it all started with community.
     With that being said, let's do something about it. I function well with having deadlines and goals, so maybe it will help a few others, too.  During these Joyous Fifty Days of Resurrection, let's put an emphasis on the Community in our Church (whether it be actual church or yourselves), to make us more welcoming and loving to all, which will in turn create a whole new congregation - and even generation of a place where anyone can look to us and say "I want what they have." - because we have Christ in us. And the best thing about it, is we can give what we've freely received.

Too old for Dr. Seuss?

"UNLESS, someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Dr Seuss, The Lorax

So last week, I got a chance to see Dr Seuss' The Lorax.  I am a sucker for these kinds of movies - and I'm not ashamed! Once on a plane ride, I was watching Dr Seuss' Horton hears a who - only to find a 10 year old girl next to me crawling up to tell me she didn't know 'old people' liked Dr Seuss. (I am NOT old!)

The quote that was the foundation of the movie should not be overlooked.  We've all heard a million times that one person can make a difference, and we even tell it to our young ones - but do we believe it? "I'm not gonna vote, one vote won't make a difference." "It won't matter if I attend this youth meeting, or go to this liturgy, or just stay home". Guess what? It matters.

In the course of history we've seen many people leave big impacts, yet we still find it hard to be one of those people, why? History doesn't remember groups of people, but rather the individuals behind certain movements or regimes.  We hear of both good and bad, Ghandi and Hitler, Martin Luther King Jr, Michael Jordan, the list goes on. Also in the Orthodox Church, we have great Saints like St Athanasius and St Cyril who helped shape Christianity for almost every Christian denomination today.  Billy Graham said it best, "Jesus Christ is the only person who walked across time and history." Can you believe that? We hear these great names, and sometimes may forget the ones from a few hundred years ago, but the only name that has resonated through history with such great effect, is that of Jesus.

Can we do the same? Of course we can! St Basil, in Gateway to Paradise, writes "He heals the sick and revives the dead.. if He finds a tax-collector He makes a disciple; if He meets a fisherman He produces a theologian; if He find a persecutor He makes an apostle who can spread the faith.  Through the working of the Spirit, the weak can escape the strong, the poor become rich and the ignorant surpass the wise."

That's what I love about God, He takes what we think can be worthless and non-contributing (like ourselves) and does crazy things and wonders with it. All He needs is a little sign of approval from our part to be willing to allow Him in. Do you ever feel a burden inside you towards a certain group that needs help, or a cause, or something? That's God hinting at you to tell you, "Hey, that's where you can make a difference!" All we have to do is recognize it, and allow God to turn us from water into wine... are you willing?

Who Are You?

Again, I don't normally write more than once a week, but who's counting?

Who are you? Seems like such a simple question, right? We have a basic answer, but does it change depending who is asking? Yes, St Paul says "to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" 1 Cor 9:22.

This is not the change I'm speaking about.  What St Paul is teaching us to do here is very very important, and may be the only way to share the message of Christ with everyone.  As stated in my earlier post, HH Pope Shenouda had this ''I'm on the same level as you" mentality, but brought with it much wisdom.

So again, I ask, who are you? The answer I fear to hear (that I myself give many times) does sadly depend on who is asking me.  Do I change my morals or standards or beliefs around others? Am I embarrassed of things I normally do behind closed doors? Is my faith, a 'personal' relationship with Jesus that I don't need to share? Am I two completely different people?

The Coptic Synaxarium, a compilation of the commemoration of events, for today was very interesting.  It is a short and nice read.  Basically, St Macarius the great and St Macarius of Alexandria, were exiled to an island by an Arian emperor.  We may not hear it as often now, but it may be a common idea to us - being exiled that is.  It is pretty rough! Imagine being forced out of your home, city, country - and shipped to a foreign land.  These two saints weren't just shipped off to a deserted island or anything, they were sent to an island of idol worshipers.  What would you do? I would probably hide under a rock until I'd be allowed back home. What did they do? They dealt with love to the people and used the power of the Lord to heal a sick person. Later they preached and ended up turning the whole island into believers of Jesus! How awesome is that?!

Two things I take away from this. First, being true to my beliefs and faith, no matter what.  Second, like Christ does with us, they made the best out of the situation they were in.  They didn't pout or cry or give up.. they simply said, "Hmm.. well lets make this our new home".

Just like the wise words of HH Pope Shenouda after his exile, he was asked "Are you happy that you are back?" Our response, "You better believe it! Woohoo!!". HH response, "I am happy everywhere. Gladness and happiness depends on the relation between man and God - not outside circumstances"

YOLO - so start living!

#yolo (you only live once) has been trending on twitter like crazy recently, and has been the motto of many people at many points in our lives.  Sadly, it has been used as a vice of doing something irrational, and justifying it to your friends, parents, and worse - yourself.

To me, this is actually a very biblical principle gone wrong.  It can be looked at two ways, I think.  "Ah, its only marijuana, you only live once". And the second, "Maybe I should start taking things a little more serious, I can't lose any more opportunities, you only live once." This can either shape our lives into working for a focused purpose, or completely tear us down. I would like to focus on the latter, which may show us why the former may not be such a good idea after all.

The way I like to picture God's plan is like a big puzzle, with roughly 7 billion pieces (estimated world population).  Each piece uniquely shaped to fit somewhere that no other piece can take. YOU are that one special piece that NOBODY else can fill.  God's divine plan is not like a job fulfillment, where if you don't get the job, the employer will find somebody else to fill the position. On the contrary, if you don't do what you were designed to do on earth, it won't be done! So if you go back to the puzzle analogy, you may be able to see the general picture, but its not complete, and that is the key. St Paul says in Ephesians, that "we are God's workmanship". Original Greek word for workmanship is poiema, the same word used for a poem.  How beautifully crafted and thought out and touched up and perfected are poems? God did that with you.

Okay, we've heard that God cares about us and we are special to Him and that if we were the only ones on Earth, He would've come to be crucified anyway.  Do we really believe that? Do we really believe that God sees us differently than the rest of the 7 billion people here? The answer is you better believe it! It is not until you believe it, that you will actually start experiencing it! Think about that again.  St Athansius says that one must believe first, then understanding will come.  You wont understand what sky diving feels like until you jump, you wont understand what an in-n-out burger tastes like until you get that double double, and you sure won't experience the fact that you are the most important person in the world to God, unless you believe it.

So its true, you only live once - but God can give us new life that will be like nothing we've ever experienced before, both here and in heaven.  "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, neither have come upon the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" - 1 Cor 2:9

Does God ask too much of us?

Have you ever had one of those moments? Ever wonder why some people are just nice, for absolutely no reason? After wondering, have you ever gotten mad or annoyed at them - like they shouldn't be that way?

     St Paul says, "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ DIED for us"  - Romans 5:8 (emphasis mine). Lets read that again, while we were still living in lust, chasing after material things, stabbing our friends in the back, Christ was thinking "you know what, they'll come around - I'm going to die for them in case they ever do". Wow!

     That is some crazy love, right? What's the craziest love out there? "There is no greater love, than for a man to lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13. Taking a bullet for someone? - man that is some pretty crazy stuff.  Did Jesus actually live by this motto? I don't think so.  Who do we know that is labeled as the friend of God - Abraham.  He lived a great life and was probably going to heaven, we can somewhat say.  Did Christ die for Him? Well, yes He died for everyone.  What do you think shows greater love, for Christ to die for Abraham or the soldier that was flogging him? We could easily say, "I would do anything for my mom!", but would we be able to say "I would do anything for my boss - who fired me" (Come to think of it, we would probably say, I would do anything to kill my boss - who fired me! - not really kill, but you understand)

     God knows we are weak, so He didn't set the same standard for us and Himself.  He died for His enemies, but asked us to do so for our friends.  He suffered for us, but asked us to just turn the other cheek.  He fasted for 40 days, but asked us to remember that we don't live by bread alone.  You wanna know the 'crazy love' thing, though? He still promised us the same things as Him! "...we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" Romans 8:16b,17a.

     Isn't that something? That's like telling me "All you have to do is watch the show 'House', and you can get the salary of a great doctor" - but times a zillion. We'd be foolish to pass up on this offer.  God didn't have a reason to do anything for us, but still gave up His only Son for us.  Are we willing to live so carelessly, that it would seem as if Christ died for nothing? I can't live with that, can you?

Lets get it started!

No.. I didn't mean the Black Eyed Peas song lol

I meant our spiritual life. I am reading "The Orthodox Way" by Bishop Kallistos Ware. I read bits and pieces of it a while ago, but never really sat down to read it. What better introductory book ''gives a general account of the doctrine, worship, and life of Orthodox Christians".

We need to take our spiritual life seriously. Be responsible and take it into your own hands. My favorite quote so far says "God has children, but He has no grandchildren." This really opened my eyes. We can't rely on others or advisors or anything, even though they are all necessary. "The Creed does not belong to you unles you have lived it" - Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow.

We need to have a direct, personal relationship with our Creator. I am the first one who should take my own advice. I am stuck on this fence, this lukewarm fence, that only God can help me to make the jump over. I think I'm okay because I go to church, serve, take communion, etc. "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach wil be judged with greater strictness" - James 3:1 So being in the position that I am, am writing this mostly for my own benefit, and anyone who may be in the same boat as me.

So to start, we need to make God our friend, our best friend. As I stated in an earlier post, we need to stop thinking "what would Jesus do" and start doing it. Many people look to pray and ask God for help on decisions and choices, but if we make Him our best friend, we will already know what choice He wants us to make, and He will just guide us there.

Look at the book of Psalms, how many times does David say Praise Him, Praise God, Give thanks to the Lord.? There needs to be a reason to Praise Him so much, there must be something special about Him right? I attended a retreat entitled WOW, whose focus was to make us understand how much God appreciates us, then we will learn to be appreciative of Him, proud of Him.

One thing I learned was a great meditation on how much God loves us, to make us realize it, and LOVE HIM BACK. Matthew 13:44 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sels al that he has and buys that field." I always thought that we are the ones who would sell all that we have and obtain the kingdom of heaven. The other meditation I heard about this parable says that God is that 'someone'. He sold all that He has (Giving up His life for us on the Cross), and bought the field. WE ARE HIS HIDDEN TREASURE.

So now lets take a second thought on how we should view our relationship with God. Look at how much He loves us, let us make Him our personal Friend, Father, EVERYTHING!