Act on love.

People are more fearful than you think.

If acceptance isn’t what determines your choices, what is?  How would your life be different if you couldn’t be judged?  Would your actions change if you could never feel shameful?

There are only two things that motivate your actions - Love and Fear.

Writing down my very specific goals for 2013 felt comfortable and familiar. I was inspired, motivated, brave, happy. About a minute later I read over the long list of expectations and an unsettling, fearful, terrible, negative feeling overcame all of it. Uncertainty started taking its usual place and I thought about the past, I thought about my failures. I thought about influence and responsibility. I thought about abandoning the list altogether, but I didn’t…

I was reminded of an unchanging love. A perfect love that’s far from expected - because nothing perfect is ever really expected in an imperfect world. Nothing unchanging is expected in a place where change seems to be the only thing constant. But this love is constant, and it’s pure. It cancels out all fear.

Someone taught me something life changing a while ago. I didn’t know it then, but I always remembered it - replace the word “love” with “God”. God is perfect love, and it’s far from expected…but it’s real. Here’s where the word “faith” comes in.

It takes courage and strength to act on love. When I find myself running toward fear, I’ll cling to this tremendous love and find my courage there. Don’t settle on fear, dream big.

I feel thankful for this security, and I feel thankful for His love.  I don’t call this a religion.

2 Jan 2013
4 Dec 2012
We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love.
— Robert Fulghum, True Love (via kari-shma)

(via sweetmouth)

Link to Source
3,721 notes
2 Aug 2012
Everything I once held dear, I count it all as lost. Rid me of myself, I belong to you. Lead me to the cross.
— Lead me to the cross Hillsong
2 Aug 2012
15 Apr 2012

That is all.

“God is love…he wanted to make you in order to express his love.” Rick Warren

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

Don’t judge and generalize our faith. It’s just love…that is all.

1 note
13 Apr 2012

Don’t forget.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

1 note
11 Apr 2012
Dan, an incredible man! (rhyme*)  I met him at Starbucks of course (too much coffee - story of my life). He smiled at me and said hello! :) I see Dan sitting in the same seat using his iPad all the time. Almost everyone takes a quick glance at him when they walk in. It’s difficult not to notice a man in a wheelchair navigating through his iPad with a sensory pen in his mouth. Dan has cerebral palsy so his arms are legs are pretty much immobile.  His speech is a little impaired because he’s also deaf.  It was difficult to understand him in the beginning..…but with the help of his hearing aid and ability to read lips our conversation went on for about 3 hours! Dan experiences devastating situations every day.  I’m not sure if I would have the willpower to stand up to it.  People hurt him constantly and take advantage of his disability.  I’m not going to discuss the details here, just out of respect for his privacy.  He managed to save a positive light for me…of course…and told me he also has great friends who treat him with kindness.  I believe him!   Now…..here comes the expected goodness!  I ALSO learned he received his PhD from Columbia University, ran the marathon SIX TIMES (takes him about 10 hours to complete), has a teenage daughter with excellent grades applying to ivy league schools (super duper proud father! even showed me her grades in an email lol), and a member of the board of directors for Cerebral Palsy Associations.  He’s also writing a memoir, but running into complications with important people in his life disagreeing with the validity of his story. They are being quite….……mean (just my opinion). To be honest, I was confused…and I have a really hard time trying to adjust my facial expressions.  I told him if I were in his situation I would probably just lie in bed all day and feel sorry for myself.  Then I thought, I am an IDIOT!!! Why would I say that to him directly?! IDIOT!!!!! Sigh.  Thankfully he wasn’t offended, and kindly disagreed. I asked him what his motivation was, he claimed not to have an answer..….but went on to say this! “People don’t expect me to do anything, but I’m not ordinary. I wanted to make a difference in other peoples lives. The secret is, there are NO LIMITS. God doesn’t give you what you can’t handle.” Sometimes it takes a ton of courage just to wake up in the morning and confront the new day. Dan makes conscious decisions to personally mold the value of his life.  The only thing constant is change; sometimes they’re thrown at you, but other times you can create it! What do you do in the face of adversity?

Dan, an incredible man! (rhyme*) 

I met him at Starbucks of course (too much coffee - story of my life).

He smiled at me and said hello! :)

I see Dan sitting in the same seat using his iPad all the time. Almost everyone takes a quick glance at him when they walk in. It’s difficult not to notice a man in a wheelchair navigating through his iPad with a sensory pen in his mouth. Dan has cerebral palsy so his arms are legs are pretty much immobile.  His speech is a little impaired because he’s also deaf.  It was difficult to understand him in the beginning..…but with the help of his hearing aid and ability to read lips our conversation went on for about 3 hours!

Dan experiences devastating situations every day.  I’m not sure if I would have the willpower to stand up to it.  People hurt him constantly and take advantage of his disability.  I’m not going to discuss the details here, just out of respect for his privacy.  He managed to save a positive light for me…of course…and told me he also has great friends who treat him with kindness.  I believe him!  

Now…..here comes the expected goodness!  I ALSO learned he received his PhD from Columbia University, ran the marathon SIX TIMES (takes him about 10 hours to complete), has a teenage daughter with excellent grades applying to ivy league schools (super duper proud father! even showed me her grades in an email lol), and a member of the board of directors for Cerebral Palsy Associations.  He’s also writing a memoir, but running into complications with important people in his life disagreeing with the validity of his story. They are being quite….……mean (just my opinion).

To be honest, I was confused…and I have a really hard time trying to adjust my facial expressions.  I told him if I were in his situation I would probably just lie in bed all day and feel sorry for myself.  Then I thought, I am an IDIOT!!! Why would I say that to him directly?! IDIOT!!!!! Sigh.  Thankfully he wasn’t offended, and kindly disagreed.

I asked him what his motivation was, he claimed not to have an answer..….but went on to say this!

“People don’t expect me to do anything, but I’m not ordinary. I wanted to make a difference in other peoples lives. The secret is, there are NO LIMITS. God doesn’t give you what you can’t handle.”

Sometimes it takes a ton of courage just to wake up in the morning and confront the new day. Dan makes conscious decisions to personally mold the value of his life.  The only thing constant is change; sometimes they’re thrown at you, but other times you can create it!

What do you do in the face of adversity?
5 notes
26 Jan 2012

:)

1. Today, my 75-year-old grandpa who has been blind from cataracts for almost 15 years said to me, “Your grandma is just the most beautiful thing, isn’t she?” I paused for a second and said, “Yes she is. I bet you miss seeing that beauty on a daily basis.” “Sweety,” my grandpa said, “I still see her beauty every day. In fact, I see it more now than I used to when we were young.” MMT

7.  Today, I operated on a little girl. She needed O- blood. We didn’t have any, but her twin brother has O- blood. I explained to him that it was a matter of life and death. He sat quietly for a moment, and then said goodbye to his parents. I didn’t think anything of it until after we took his blood and he asked, “So when will I die?” He thought he was giving his life for hers. Thankfully, they’ll both be fine. MMT

17.  Today, I was driving home with my grandfather when he suddenly made a u-turn and said, “I forgot to get your grandmother a bouquet of flowers. I’ll pick up one from the florist at the corner down here. It’ll only take a second.” “What’s so special about today that you have to buy her flowers?” I asked. “There’s nothing specifically special about today,” my grandfather said. “Every day is special. Your grandmother loves flowers. They put a smile on her face.” MMT

23.  Today, due to Alzheimer’s and dementia, my grandfather usually can’t remember who my grandmother is when he wakes up in the morning. It bothered my grandmother a year ago when it first happened, but now she’s fully supportive of his condition. In fact, she plays a game every day in which she tries to get my grandfather to ask her to re-marry him before dinnertime. She hasn’t failed yet. MMT
hahahahahahhahahahhahaha this one is my favorite. 

you know what…just read all of them lol

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/11/20/60-tiny-love-stories-to-make-you-smile/


4 notes
16 Dec 2011
I told one of these strangers that she was beeeaaauuutiful…and I meant it. It had nothing to do with her looks, although she was very attractive! It was her spirit. I only spoke to her for about 3 minutes, and maybe if I really got to know her I wouldn’t have thought the same (orrrr maybe I would). Anyway it doesn’t matter because all I got were those 3 minutes. Then!! It hit me…everywhere you go, everyone you meet, for however long you stay, you leave some kind of mark. Make sure you’re aware and proud of what you leave. Exact words: “you’re really beautiful”. Not gonna lie…I may have looked like a creeper (but I am, so it doesn’t matter).

I told one of these strangers that she was beeeaaauuutiful…and I meant it.

It had nothing to do with her looks, although she was very attractive! It was her spirit. I only spoke to her for about 3 minutes, and maybe if I really got to know her I wouldn’t have thought the same (orrrr maybe I would). Anyway it doesn’t matter because all I got were those 3 minutes. Then!! It hit me…everywhere you go, everyone you meet, for however long you stay, you leave some kind of mark. Make sure you’re aware and proud of what you leave.

Exact words: “you’re really beautiful”. Not gonna lie…I may have looked like a creeper (but I am, so it doesn’t matter).
1 note
14 Dec 2011