Don't Judge Others

Don’t Judge Others

I had watched World News with Charles Gibson last night and I saw this story about a “middle-aged Scottish woman who says she’s never been kissed has become an international star after shocking judges with her singing on “Britain’s Got Talent." You had to hear this lady sing which I had receive chills as I heard her sing “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical “Les Miserable’s”. All the judges’ faces were in shocked as this Scottish lady was singing her heart out. At the end of her song please read the following: “The other two judges looked on with gaping jaws as Boyle turned the crowd’s cynicism into tear-soaked adoration."

"When she had finished, the theater erupted into a tsunami of cheers and applause as Boyle started to walk off the stage. She was stopped by Cowell, who reminded her she needed to hear from the judges.

First was Piers Morgan, who told her, “That was the biggest surprise I’ve had in three years on the show.” His vote, he said, was “the biggest yes I have ever given anybody.”
Cowell completed the judging with the third resounding yes. “Susan Boyle, you can go back to the village with your head held high,” he said. “It’s three yeses.”
A huge smile erupted on Boyle’s face as she made a fist and danced in place in her white pumps.”

The Lord brought to my attention to not judge others or else you will be judge. We all have fault in ourselves and all of us are not perfect. Please read following verse that has to do with judging others at:

Luke 6:37-38

Do Not Judge Others

37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.[c]”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30226936/?gt1=43001


Isleen

Words of Life & Death

Words Of Life & Death

Did you ever think that you can bring life to someone or you can bring death to someone with the words you speak to family member, friend, co-worker, classmate, manager or someone you love? What I mean words of life is mostly positive such as, “ Awesome job on that project Mary Sue” or “ You are encouragement to me, Judy.” These words of life can make you feel confident about yourself and make you feel like you are doing awesome job in what you are doing in life.

Word of death is mostly negative when you speak to someone such as “ You didn’t do a great job on that project and you need practice on writing, Billy Bob.” or “ You make me feel little of what you say to me, George.” These words can make you feel negative about yourself and most likely make you want to react in anger towards the person who is commenting towards you.

In my past, words of death made me feel negative about myself. I stood my ground and took charge by speaking against the words of death when someone had text me today. I was not going to let the enemy take my joy today. I said, “ devil get the behind me.” There was silence for a moment… Then the storm had passed away. The sun came out and it was beautiful night to in the end. Don’t let the enemy take your joy today and stand your ground when words of death come in your path. When negative words come in your life pray for the person who was negative towards you.

verbs 15:4:
NIV Bible Translation

4 Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit

Isleen

Gold Fish

Gold Fish

A child like faith could not stop this little girl to believe that her fish would come to life. My sister first separates the fish in separate bowl from the fish tank with the dirty water. When she was done cleaning then she adds the fish into the clean tank. One of the Gold fish looked like it was dying. The Gold fish body had turned upside down and my niece, Lily had decided it was time to pray for this poor fish. My sister was about to flush the Gold Fish down the toilet to save the grief from my niece the next morning.

Then this morning Lily had called her grandpa to tell him a surprise. “The Gold Fish is alive!” My little niece is only five years but has a child like faith to believe that her fish can come alive. Some of us adults need to have a child like faith like my niece and not to fear what when negative things happens to us. We need to have faith that G-d is in control of every situation.

Passage Matthew 19:14:
14 But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.

Isleen

Spring

Spring

Spring has arrived and winter has passed away. Have you noticed that when spring arrives everyone seems to come out of hibernation because of the winter season? People start to cut their lawn again and pull out the weeds to have new a clean look in their lawns. Children start to play again outside than be stuck in their homes each day because of the cold weather. People start to plant new flowers in their garden to make their houses beautiful on the outside.

This is a new season is a new beginning in our lives for a lot of us. I started to realize there a lot of things that I have been holding back this winter season. It is time to come out and work on those things in my life. My expectation is one of the things I need to let go. When I graduated last year I thought I would have it easy to get into my career. I was so wrong to myself to even have this expectation in my career. It is hard to get in my field because everyone else is trying to find a job in this country but I have learned to hold on to the Lord and let go my expectations. I tried to keep my life busy by doing small projects that I could not do a year ago.

Second, is to love unconditional with people around me. A year ago, I didn’t even have the time to speak to someone behind the counter at the store. I am finding out there are a lot of people who need to speak to someone about their issues. Yes. A lot of us want to reach out and touch someone to help us through the tough moments in our lives. I have come to understand that it takes time to listen to someone than just to walk away. You never know that you might bless someone in their day. What are some new things have you come to find out in your new season in your life?

Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. —Philippians 2:3-4

Isleen

What Are We Holding On To?

What Are We Holding On To?

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. —1 Timothy 6:12
Tolkien’s classic The Lord of the Rings trilogy came to life in recent years on film. In the second epic story, the hero, Frodo, reached a point of despair and wearily confided to his friend, “I can’t do this, Sam.” As a good friend, Sam gave a rousing speech: “It’s like in the great stories . . . . Full of darkness and danger they were. . . . Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.” Which prompted Frodo to ask: “What are we holding on to, Sam?”

It’s a significant question, one that we all need to ask ourselves. Living in a fallen, broken world, it’s no wonder that sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the powers of darkness. When we are at the point of despair, ready to throw in the towel, we do well to follow Paul’s advice to Timothy: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12).
In life’s battles, let’s hold on to the fact that good will triumph over evil in the end, that one day we will see our Master and Leader face-to-face, and we will reign with Him forever. You can be part of this great story, knowing that if you have trusted Jesus for salvation you are guaranteed a victorious ending! — Joe Stowell

Though weak and helpless in life’s fray, God’s mighty power shall be my stay;Without, within, He gives to meThe strength to gain the victory. —D. De Haan
http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

What are you holding on to during these rough times? Each day as I read the newspaper and look at my checkbook with no money it is getting rough. It is getting point where I am running out of food money this week but so how I am making it by being creative and cooking something instead of going out to eat. I don’t know how you feel these days but I am looking to the Lord for my needs. I am thankful each day as I wake up and go to my job. Yes. I wake up with the Christian radio encouraging me with The Word as I get dress in the morning. There are times when I am applying my mascara and praying at the same time. How many gals do you know do this? I am not afraid to pray with my eyes open while I put my Cover girl mascara.

A message to the believers & pray warriors: This is the harvest season for those to come to the Lord. I have spoken to 3 people this past week who are open to the Gospel. This is the season. Keep the faith and spread the word to others who are hurting.

Isleen

10 REASONS WHY TO BE JOYFUL IN THIS RECESSION

10 REASONS WHY TO BE JOYFUL IN THIS RECESSION

1. 
   80 percent off at the sale rack at my favorite store (I am serious! 80 percent off on clothes! The price was right on that day!)
2. 
   I can get free shipping because I can bargain with the sales lady on the phone to get discount on ink for the computer.
3. 
   Collecting coupons and trading with the gals at the office like it is baseball cards ( This is my first time to collect coupons and I am having a ball on saving$$$)
4. 
   I get great help from the sales man or the lady at the store. (Before the recession, I could not get help because the sale staff was too busy to help me.) I can actually have a long conversation with the sale clerk.
5. 
   Ice cream man can come by your job if you want ice cream. I had a ice cream truck stop by my work place to ask if I wanted ice cream which I said "no".
6. 
   You can by one dinner and get one free at your favorite restaurant. (It was so expensive to eat out with your buddy but now you can actually treat your buddy without spending a dime on them.
7. 
   You can get a huge discount on hotel rooms because they need your business (I called one of the hotels to get discount for one of the housekeeper family member in downtown Austin and they were willing to give me a room at the last min. If you work in hotel industry this is unheard of because the hotel industry is hurting right now.
8. 
   When you are at the stop light you can have someone clean your windshield windows at a small price (Before the recession you had to clean your own windshield.)
9. 
   You can get a good bargain on buying a house or car. Before the recession the interest rate was very high to pay but if you have the cash it is time to spend $$$$ on a car or house you want.
10. 
    At the grocery store you can find cheap items on sale than before. A month ago, I was the grocery store and I found orange juice on manager special for around $2.00 compare to $3.00 price tag.
    
    You gotta love the recession no matter how much negative you hear. Be positive and save as much as you can.
    
    Isleen

The History of Valentine's Day

The History of Valentine's Day

What is history Valentine’s day is all about one man had asked me this past weekend? So, I went to my blackberry to goggle the information from History.com please read the following article which is really interesting:

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.


One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)
Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

http://www.history.com/content/valentine/history-of-valentine-s-day