Category: Poetry Monster

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Poetry Monster

God’s Work Ethics

God’s Work Ethics

GOD’S WORK ETHICS (genesis 1 and 2)

God has work ethics which when followed will definitely lead to a successful career. These work ethics are embedded in the creation system.

One of the greatest secrets of life is seen in work. How you work, when you work and your general attitude towards your work will determine how fast you grow in it and how far you can go in the ultimate.

You can see God’s work ethics outlined in genesis verse one and two.

They are basically:

1) God never stopped working until He completed the basic creations. He continued doing the creation work till He was satisfied with every one of them (HE saw it was good). He never stopped on the way, He completed every phase of creation and ultimately satisfied His demands of creation.

2) He rested less than He worked. To the ratio of 6:1, God worked six days and rested only one day. This shows how important He took His works. He never did the works haphazardly because He wanted to rest, rather He put in more effort for a longer period of time than He put in rest. In working, rest lesser than you work and see how far you will grow in your chosen career.

3) God treasured His work and rest. He took His creation work so seriously that He was particular and precise in creating each thing. He treasured His rest to an extent HE hallowed it as a special day. He never took lightly any part, both the work and rest aspects were cherished deeply and He thoroughly maximized them. For a balanced life, treasure your work and your rest, give each time their real place.

4) He was systematic while working (every step births another one). God is orderly. He is systematic in His approach to work, He took each creative process One at a time. Before the plants came, the land was in place, before, the fishes, the seas were there so, he created each thing with the other thing in mind. It is also important for every person to be very articulate in business, career, academics or ministry. This will save you from confusion.

5) HE insured sustainability by appointing someone who is like Him (man). This is very important because no one can understand the magnitude, and importance of the created thing more than His very own image and likeness. So by creation man has the abilities of God in place, that gave man the insight on what to call each animal as they were. In work, recruit people with the same mindset, associate with people who have the same visions. Partner with those whose values resonate with yours. The easiest way to collapse in any thing, is having a value clash. Therefore, avoid such and work with the like minded.

Finally, work is the only provision for distinction. Work places you on a platform of continuous growth. However, your attitude to work determines the level you will attain to. If you noticed how God worked, you will recognized that He worked smart and hard. So as His image and likeness, adopt His work ethics

Shalom.

#seedtract



Source by Kalu Chijioke Harvard

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Poetry Monster

Article Writing – Revealed – 4 Priceless Methods to Make Money Through Article Writing

Article Writing – Revealed – 4 Priceless Methods to Make Money Through Article Writing

1. Use your articles to brand yourself as an expert in your field. Securing an expert label is crucial for all internet marketers. You must know that online users will not surely buy from you unless you’re an authority in your chosen niche. You can show them how much you know about the subject that you’re discussing by giving them complete, in-depth information through your articles. It would be great if you spill out trade secrets and insider tips instead of general information.

2. Build links for your website. Inbound links are seriously being considered by the search engines when they are indexing a website. The more links pointing to your site, the higher your ranking. You can build unlimited inbound links for your website by simply writing and distributing your articles to ezines and directories where you can insert URLs on your resource box.

3. Use your articles for your list building campaigns. Most people these days will not subscribe to your email marketing list unless they’ll get something for free. Aside from giving them product samples and ebooks, you can also offer them with expertly written articles that contain useful information.

4. Sell your articles. If you’re not into affiliate marketing and if you’re not running your ebusiness, you can still cash in from this endeavor by selling your articles. Do not worry as the demand right now is pretty high. This is because every internet marketer knows that the key to succeed online is to use compelling articles on their website/blog and on their article marketing campaign.



Source by Sean Mize

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Poetry Monster

71 Ways For A Writer To Make Money

71 Ways For A Writer To Make Money

There are so many ways for writers to make good money by writing Some people love to write, even as a hobby. You can turn your writing skills into income. Here are a brief list for your reference.

GENERAL WRITING:

1. Copywriting for television commercials

2. Copywriting for radio commercials

3. Copywriting for newspaper and magazine ads

4. Professional letter writing

5. Creating plots for other writers

6. Writing correspondence courses

7. Travelling writer

8. Newspaper feature writing

9. Writing for weekly tabloids

10. Writing humour

11. Writing greeting cards

12. Writing witty sayings for bumper stickers

13. Writing fillers for newspapers and magazines

14. Ghost writing

15. Script writing for movies

16. Scrip writing for television

17. Writing plays

18. Resume service

19. Writing non-fiction

FREELANCE WRITING FOR:

20. Daily newspapers

21. Professional journals

22. Consumer magazines

23. Confessional magazines

24. Poetry magazines

25. Fiction magazines

26. Farming-dairy-poultry- livestock journals

27. Technical journals

28. Manufacturers’ trade journals

29. Retail trade journals

30. Sports magazines

31. Teenagers’ magazines

32. Children’s magazines

33. Gag magazines

WRITING A NEWSPAPER COLUMN ON:

34. Crafts

35. Art

36. Celebrities

37. Street interviews

38. Travelling

39. 25, 50, 100 years ago today

40. Local street names

41. Gossip column

42. Personal problems

43. Gardening

44. Cooking

45. New products

46. Child care

47. For teenagers

48. Children’s question-and -answer

49. With humour and jokes

50. Sport

51. Pets

52. Shopping

53. Cars

54. Hunting and fishing

55. Do-it-yourself

PUBLISHING:

56. A newsletter

57. Sportsmen’s bulletin

58. Bulletin for the handicapped

59. Apartment bulletin

60. Club bulletin

61. A tourist guide

62. Restaurant guide

63. A home-business guide

64. Part-time and free-lance help directory

65. Teachers’ yearbook

66. Small newspaper

67. Magazine

MISCELLANEOUS

68. Proof reading

69. Free-lance editing

70. Become an author’s agent

71. Teaching English

Good luck for your writing and wish you get some ideas for which areas you want to write to from the list.



Source by Julia Tang

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Poetry Monster

Secrets of Academic Success: Passion

Secrets of Academic Success: Passion

Chinua Achebe started school at St Philips Central School, Apkakaogwe Ogidi in 1936. He was asked to proceed to the religious class where pupils engaged in singing and sometimes dancing of the catechism, chanting of English rhymes, and general entertainment. After he had spent a week in the religious class, his teacher, Rev. Nelson Ezekwesili sent him to the higher infant school because the child exhibited signs of intelligence. Achebe became the finest English reader and during dictations lessons, he would normally get excellent marks. He possessed the best handwriting in the class and performed well in recitations, especially when reciting either poem or essay on stage. In these years, his academic work in primary school was consistently excellent.

In late 1942, Chinua Achebe proceeded to Nekede Central School because his elder brother John took Chinua to stay with him in Nekede, Owerri. Before his departure, the headmaster of St Phillips Central School opposed Achebe’s exit from his school. He objected because Achebe was the kind of student who made him proud of the school.

In 1944, Achebe was admitted into Government College, Umuahia. About 3,000 boys usually applied for the 30 places available. And all the candidates sat for the entrance examination at centres throughout Nigeria and Western Cameroon. Only the best candidates are admitted.

It was not long before William Simpson, the school headmaster singled out Chinua Achebe as one of the most promising students. Achebe was promoted from Class One to Class Two in his first year at Government College, Umuahia. That same year he was awarded a scholarship because of his learning and character. Achebe wrote the best English in his class and was the editor of the school magazine. He won a poetry prize because his brilliant academic performance was unthinkable. The final examination taken by Achebe’s class at Government College became the apex of his outstanding secondary school career. His results were impressive. ‘As’ In History, Physics/Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Bible Knowledge, and Mathematics; high ‘Cs’ In English Language and English Literature.

Achebe wrote an examination for entry into the new University College, Ibadan. In those days, the fashionable courses at the university were engineering and medicine and John Achebe, his official guardian and sponsor, took the decision that Chinua was to study medicine. Achebe accepted his elder brother’s decision and was admitted as one of the recipients of a major scholarship to study medicine.

Achebe’s first-year academic work in the university was not commendable. He could not handle the rigorous demands of the department of medicine. The workload was intense, and it became clear to him in that first-year that the grinding work in physics and ultimately in medicine necessitated a different interest unlike the one he had brought from secondary school. For the first time in life, Achebe passed without performing very well. It became very obvious that he would never do well as a medical student. At this point, he lost interest in science and medicine.

Achebe now took a decisive decision for the first time concerning his career and academic interest. He went to the Dean of Science towards the end of that first year and informed him of his intention to change his course of study. His interest was now in Arts. Fortunately, he was accepted into the faculty of Arts. Unfortunately, he lost his scholarship, since the basis on which it had been granted no longer existed. Losing his scholarship was a great setback but he was determined to pursue his passion.

Achebe became a member of the Faculty of Arts and selected English, Geography and History as his subjects. Thus, his studies at the University College, Ibadan, commenced in earnest in the faculty of Arts. Achebe soon became one of the best in his faculty.

He was scoring alphas in most of his subjects. By 1950, Chinua Achebe settled down sufficiently as a student in the Faculty of Arts to express himself as a writer. He began to write many essays and stories which Includes; ‘Polar Undergraduate’, ‘In A Village Church’, ‘ The Old Order In Conflict With New Year’, ‘ Mr. Okafor Versus Arts Students’, ‘ Dead Man’s Path’ and so on. It was in this faculty that some of the seeds of creative and critical work were planted in Chinua Achebe.

His book ‘Things Fall Apart’ published on 17 June 1958 went on to become one of the most important books in African literature. Selling over 8 million copies around the world, it was translated into 50 languages, making Achebe the most translated African writer of all time.

Fondly called the “grandfather of Nigerian Literature, Achebe is a recipient of over 30 honorary degrees from universities in England, Scotland, Canada, South Africa, Nigeria and the United States, including Dartmouth College, Harvard and Brown University.

Lesson

Put a lizard in a river it will struggle to survive. A fish will not survive for a long time on land. The Creator of all things has designed every man for a particular discipline. Put differently, we were created to solve a specific problem or to satisfy a particular need. The problem you are programmed to solve is not the problem I am fashioned to solve because God has put in us all we need to solve our assigned problems. Therefore, you cannot solve my own problem, and I cannot solve yours. Our brains are designed to fit the problem we are destined to solve. Bill Gate is known for Software, Michael Faraday for electricity, Wright Brothers for aeroplane, Henry Ford for motor vehicle, Tiger Wood for golf, Chinua Achebe for writing and so on.

Therefore, everybody must not be a doctor, lawyer, or an engineer because these are not the only problem we have on earth. It is unreasonable to choose to become a solicitor because your father or uncle is successful in the legal field, or because you like the legal profession. A father told his son that he must be a solicitor because the former has spent a fortune paying lawyers for loads of court cases he had.

Nobody should force you to study any course you don’t have an interest in. People are not following their passion because they want to pursue name and money. That is why there are quack building engineers, killing thousands every year because their buildings are not solid. We have doctors who carelessly kill their patients because they are not called into the medical profession. We see lawyers sending innocent clients to prison because their brains are not tailored to suit the discipline. Your wealth and fame is in your purpose.

I hear some student say: “I am studying a professional course.” We have been deceived that there are specific courses that are professional. There is no professional course or major course anywhere. The day you become very skilful in your area you have become a professional and made you field a professional field. Every field is a professional one. Anything you are a master in is your profession; therefore, any occupation can be professional field.

That is why we have professional footballers. Football is a professional career. Therefore, shoemaking is a professional course, a horticulturist is professional, and sport is a professional field. You must not be a doctor, engineer or solicitor to be a professional; every field is a professional one.

The day you know your purpose or area of interest is the day your study commences in earnest, that is the day you become a student. Until you have passion for a course not ambition, you will never be successful. Nobody should force you to study any course that you don’t have an interest in. Pursue your passion and possess your vision.

Neglect your passion and suffer malfunction. If you locate your area of interest, you will become a master overnight. Allowing somebody to choose a field for you is suicidal; you can seek counsel from professionals. Learning becomes cheap and interesting when you are in your place of interest. Ben Carson said “If we recognize our talents and use them appropriately, and choose a field that uses those talents, we will rise to the top of our field.”

How can I know my area of interest?

Ask God: It is the producer that knows the functions and capacity of His product.

Read wide: There are some fields or courses of study you don’t know. Read biographies, autobiographies, professional journals, in fact, read every good book or publication.

Know your passion: There is something you do with joy, without stress and without payment.

Seek advice from a professional or an experienced person.

Be original: Don’t wish to be like anybody. You are unique; there can never be another you. You can have a mentor in your field when you have located the field but be yourself.

Resist every pressure from any angle to force you into any area you have no interest in, because it is only you that will suffer or regret later.

Take every subject in school seriously. You may not know the area you have passion for.

Achebe would have failed as a medical doctor.



Source by Anyaehie George Kelechi

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Poetry Monster

Indian Wedding Customs – Eastern and Western Indian Wedding Traditions

Indian Wedding Customs – Eastern and Western Indian Wedding Traditions

There is no such thing as a typical Indian wedding. Surprised? That’s because in this land of diverse languages and traditions, wedding customs are equally varied.

Here’s a look at how people residing in the eastern and western regions of India celebrate weddings.

Eastern Indian marriages

Eastern Indian wedding ceremonies are not as opulent and extravagant as their North Indian counterparts but are equally elaborate in their own way. There are scores of simple but meaningful rituals, many of them very interesting and actually rooted in ancient logic and reasoning. Weddings in India are also an occasion where long-lost close friends and relatives bond and share memorable moments during this happy occasion.

The most striking feature of a Bengali wedding, however, is the fact that the groom’s mother does not attend the wedding! She awaits the happy couple at home, ready to perform all the welcoming rituals.

A typical East Indian groom is traditionally clad in dhoti and kurta, and he carries a mirror all the time right till wedding ceremony is over. The groom’s party is accorded a welcome with fresh flowers and much blowing of conches by the womenfolk. Rosewater is sprinkled on him and then both, the bride and the groom get ready for the actual nuptials. The bride is beautifully dressed in a heavy red Benarasi saree and wears a kind of a crown like a princess. She has sandalwood paste decorations on her forehead and face

As a part of the wedding ritual, the bride has to sit on a low wooden stool called pidi that is lifted by her brothers. The bride is then taken around the groom seven times in circles by her brothers, signifying their eternal union. Interestingly, all along she shields her eyes from the groom with a betel leaf. The bride then proceeds to sit on a highly decorated pidi (low wooden stools), similar to the one on which the groom is seated, all through the chanting of the priest. The women folk gathered blow conch shells to mark this highly auspicious moment.

This is followed by the exchange of flower garlands between the bride and groom, to the accompaniment of the chanting if scared mantras (Sanskrit verses). The bride and groom again take seven steps around the sacred fire. The groom then applies vermilion onto his bride’s head, the symbol of a married woman. After this, the bride is handed over to the groom by her maternal or paternal uncle.

The newlyweds reach the groom’s home where more rituals and ceremonies follow. Hiding the rings of the bride and groom, playing with a vessel full of rice are some of the wedding games to make the new bride feel at home.

Interestingly, the married couple has to stay separately that night and it is only the next night, after all the rituals have finally been completed that they can enjoy conjugal bliss!

West Indian marriages

Western Indian weddings, especially Maharashtrian weddings, usually take place in the morning. Prior to this, the engagement ceremony, known as Sakhar Puda (exchanging of a sugar packet) takes place to formally declare the betrothal.

In the morning, a puja is conducted to worship Lord Ganesh (the elephant-headed God of prosperity). The groom’s family arrives in the morning at either the bride’s residence or the mandap and is treated to a lavish breakfast.

After this, as per the auspicious time already set in consultation with various astrological almanacs, the girl’s maternal uncle escorts her to the Mandap (marriage hall). Tradition dictates that the girl and boy do not see each other while the Antarpaat ceremony takes place. In this a silk partition (Antarpaat) is placed between them. Then the shlokas are chanted by the priest after which Antarpaat is removed. The friends and relatives gathered shower unbroken rice on the couple as an auspicious sign. The bride and the groom then exchange flower garlands and take the Seven Steps (Saat Pheras) around the ceremonial holy fire.

After the marriage ceremony, another puja, known as Laxmi Narayan puja, is held, in which the bride and groom are symbolically worshipped as Goddess Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth) and Lord Narayan, respectively. Like in all Indian weddings, the girl is then formally ‘handed over’ to the groom by her father or maternal uncle. This ceremony is known as Kanya Daan all across India.

Gujarati wedding ceremonies also begin by offering prayers to Lord Ganesha and seeking his blessings. Traditionally, the bride and the groom exchange Jaimala or flower garlands twice. The first time round, the groom is made to sit on a higher platform than the bride, symbolizing that the bride has not broken his ties with his friends and family. The second time, they are at an equal level. In what is known as the Madhuparka ceremony, the groom’s feet are washed and he is plied with honey and milk. Even as this ceremony is in progress, the bride’s sisters and cousins attempt to steal the groom’s shoes, a tradition that is followed in almost all the Indian marriages. There is much laughter and good-natured teasing. The groom has to ‘bribe’ these girls with handsome financial benefits in order to get his footwear back!

Then comes the tying of the groom’s shawl to the bride’s sari, readying them to take the customary Seven Steps around the sacred fire – the central part of all Indian weddings. The couple walks seven times around the sacred fire, taking their seven vows, to the accompaniment of the mantras being chanted by the presiding priest. Formally married, the couple seeks the blessings of their parents and other elders. This concludes the wedding which is followed by a grand and lavish reception party.

Traditions and customs form the backbone of an Indian wedding. It is rich, colourful and vibrant, hiding a wealth of meaning in its many interesting and, sometimes perplexing, customs that have their roots in its ancient heritage.



Source by D K Mukherjee

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Poetry Monster

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Poetry Monster

Latino Author and Educator Provides Tools for College and Life Success

Latino Author and Educator Provides Tools for College and Life Success

Bertha Barraza’s new book The Sense of Belonging, as its cover declares, is “An Ethnographic Autobiography of Marginalization.” In other words, it’s her life story about being an immigrant from Mexico to the United States. She came to this country as a teenager with her family. She knew little at the time other than that she had to work hard to make a living, and work hard she did, at several minimum wage jobs until one day she had an awakening. She had not finished high school and no one was going to promote her without a high school diploma.

Bertha now knew what she had to do, but a high school diploma wasn’t what she wanted. She decided to quit her job and go to East Los Angeles College and fill out an application. She had no idea of what really lay ahead for her. She only knew that getting a college education was the first step to bettering her life.

I won’t go into all the details of Bertha’s journey because she describes them all in the book. What is important, however, is that this book is not just her biography. It’s a look at the processes Bertha underwent to earn an education and it serves as a guide to students today who want to do the same. Bertha details everything a student would need to know to get through college, especially Latino students like herself. She discusses everything from using a day planner to how to apply for grants and scholarships.

Bertha also knows that it is next to impossible to succeed on your own. She knows how difficult her journey was, which is why she’s written this book-to encourage future generations who may be in the same position as herself to have a better life. She also encourages students to seek out role models and mentors who can help them. She has a chapter on the power of networking. She also has a chapter on the Puente program that she joined-an organization for Latino students-which allowed her to meet and excel with fellow students like herself. This program’s curriculum also led her to discovering Chicano literature, in which she found stories of people she could relate to that encouraged her to succeed and to make the world a better place for herself and other struggling students.

A Sense of Belonging is appropriately titled because it also explores how we can find our place in this world. It teaches us to pursue our destinies and not give up until we have achieved our dreams. During the course of her journey, Bertha went from working in a fast-food restaurant without even a high school diploma and barely speaking English to graduating from college, getting a job working at a community college, and even earning a PhD. Today, Bertha is the embodiment of the American Dream, and living proof that anyone can succeed if they put their mind to it and work hard.

Beyond all of this book’s wonderful advice about what skills you will need in college, how to manage your time, how to take advantage of various resources that universities offer, and an overall guide to a college education, at its core is a deep sense that inner strength will pull you through. Bertha is the epitome of having courage in the face of adversity. And despite all her hard work, she remains humble and grateful for the success she has achieved because she knows none of it would have been possible if others had not given her a helping hand.

That gratitude is displayed today in her role as a professor and counselor to students at a California community college where she helps them navigate the work/school/life balance so they can also succeed. Beyond that, Bertha also loves to travel and experience new cultures. And travel she has-everywhere from Moscow to Barcelona to Dubai to Zimbabwe. Her journeys have taught her that at the most basic levels, we are all humans and all want the same things. She embraces deep and rich cultural experiences and brings them back to share with her students so they too can become world citizens. She also reaches out a helping hand to those in need around the globe. In Zimbabwe, she traveled with a missionary group that adopted a school. In Nigeria, she attended a school’s grand opening and donated books to the students.

Bertha Barraza is one of our unsung heroes. It wouldn’t be going too far to call her the Latina Oprah Winfrey for the good she has done and for the message of hope and success she has spread to countless students. The Sense of Belonging is the perfect book to gift any student who might be struggling through high school or college or who simply needs a boost in self-esteem. I would especially encourage giving it as a high school graduation gift.



Source by Tyler Tichelaar

Categories
Poetry Monster

The Merchant of Copan [In English and Spanish]

The Merchant of Copan [In English and Spanish]

English Version

The Merchant of Copan

[480 AD]

Advance: The ballgame at the Honduras courtyard in Copan, the year was 480 AD, Copan’s 3rd ruler, Mat Head, whom succeeded Quetzal Macaw, whom was the founder of the city is now the new ruler. Mat Head, was a female, the spouse of Quetzal Macaw, and here is where the story begins.

There was a main ballgame ready to start, the competition was extremely high, as usual you might say; that being, if the game was not played the world would end, so they believed, and so rain or shine it was to take place.

The opposing team had eleven players, all ornately dressed and painted for the competition. They had leather padding around their waists, over their shoulders, about their arms and legs; able to withstand the blows of the solid rubber ball. The weight of the ball was one kilo. The ball was now thrown into the play, and each player knew they could not let it touch the ground or their hands.

Mat Head was watching the game with intensity, knowing her sister was part of a bet of which, if the opposing team won, she’d be [she being: her sister] the property of a local merchant, a very wealthy merchant, the most wealthy merchant in all of the Copan Valley; she would be his property, to do with as he pleased; but if the merchant lost, he would lose all his properties to the brother-in-law, riches, and be vanished from the city of 27,000-inhabidents, Copan; perhaps to the Yucatan. It was not uncommon for such wagers; it was deadlier than the exhibitions at the Roman Coliseum, in Italy. That being, the losers of this game would forfeit their heads.

But the Merchant of Copan, as I have said, was very rich so much so, he provided flint, lime, and pottery to the elite of the city, the whole city and thereabouts. And the Brother-in-Law of Mat Head was married to her sister, the most beautiful young woman in Copan.

The Merchant of Copan, had watched her at a number of previous games, and could never take his eyes off her beauty, her shape, and lusted after her with eyes like a hawk’s. To him, it was worth the chance to bet on the game, all or nothing; he didn’t know how much Mat Head’s brother-in-law cared or didn’t care for his wife, but he knew he was insatiable, and made the bet nonetheless and he accepted it; thus, his instincts were correct; for he could not longer withstand the burning pain he had inside of him watching her walk among the temples of Copan, and wishing she belonged to him, at any price, and a hungry soul will do most anything to impede that hunger.

–The ballgame had started, as I had already said, and the ball was in the air; some of the players were kicking their feet, and thrusting their hips, as they knocked the ball back and forth, in the I-shaped field, 25-meters long, 10-meters wide; all the players not wanting the ball to touch the ground, which would end the game, and eleven-heads would be severed.

All of a sudden the game stopped…a silence took hold of everyone, eyes were being shut by eleven players; oh it was a great thing to die, to be sacrificed for the game, but on the other hand, it would have been better to have to do it at a later date, I’m sure most of the players felt that way.

The spectators took in a deep breath to see who won and lost. History would not favor the brother-in-law today, unfortunate for his wife to be sure. Yes, yes, fortune smiled on the Merchant of Copan; I’m sure my readers are now downtrodden on this matter but it is as it is what I can say.

Thus, the lucky fella grabbed her like a wild monkey grabbing a banana out of the feeder’s hands, and rushed her to his domicile. He threw her on the bed like an animal pelt, his eyes sparked with lust and passion, and he melted into her body like heat on ice; if anything, she was hurt beyond all understandings.

‘How could he do this?’ she moaned as this fat, ugly and rigid man pouncing on her. Yet she told herself, at least he wanted her. He was willing to give all his money for her; whereas, her husband sold her for a game ticket, and a bet. It was beyond her youthful comprehension.

Several years passed, and the fat old merchant got fatter and older, but other than being over lustful over her, he was a good provider, and gave her all she wished for. She became well known as a business woman, and at his 67-birthday, he died on the bed, as I suppose he wished it to be. Consequently, she was now the inheritor of the estates he once own, for there were no children involved.

She then made a deal with her ex-husband, knowing he liked to gamble, and wanted money. She made the same bet, well almost, a similar kind of bet anyway with him, as the Merchant of Copan had done before; she bet all her properties on the next game, that her team would win, and should he lose, her ex-husband, he’d have to give up his head, like the losing team had to. Well, he felt he could win her back should he lose the bet or win, and thus, took his chances and made the bet. But again, life did not favor him, he was not meant to be a gambler for sure, and after losing he begged her for his life, to take him back, saying in essence, they both could enjoy the riches she acquired, and their old position in the kingdom.

Oh gosh, she was such a caretaker, and told him she’d go home and think about it and make up her mind tomorrow. Well, he thought that was fine, at least it seemed better than losing his head today, and just the fact she was thinking about it was enough to enlighten him, feeling he would have the final victory, and that was the one that counted, he’d have her back and the treasures, what more could he ask for.

But as I had told you before, fate was not always in his pocket, that night the ruler, Mat Head, asked for the head of her Brother-in-law, being he had lost the bet. He begged for her to wait for her sister tomorrow and she’d strengthen it all out, but she said:

“A bet is a bet…and it must be paid.”

Can’t remember what else she said but his head was off within a heartbeat.

Upon Mat Head’s sister’s return the following morning, she asked for her ex-husband, and found out by her sister, the Mat Head, she had beheaded him. She cried a tear, a very big tear, and then smiled at Mat Head.

Dedicated to Jorge, 7/3/05

Spanish Version

Versión en Español

El Mercader de Copan

[480 Después de Cristo]

Avance: Juego de pelota en el patio de Copan en Honduras, el año era 480 después de Cristo, el 3er gobernador de Copan era Mat Head, quien sucedió a Quetzal Macaw, quien fue el fundador de la ciudad ahora el nuevo gobernador. Mat Head, era una mujer, la esposa de Quetzal Macaw, y aquí es donde la historia comienza.

Había un juego de pelota principal listo a comenzar, esta competencia era extremadamente interesante, como siempre podrías decir; esto es, si el juego no era llevado a cabo, el mundo se terminaría, o eso era lo que ellos pensaban, y entonces lloviera o soleara éste debía jugarse.

El equipo contrario tenía once jugadores, todos adornadamente vestidos y pintados listos para la competencia. Ellos usaban algo acolchado hecho de cuero alrededor de sus cinturas, sus hombros, sus brazos y piernas; que les permitiría soportar los golpes de la pelota de caucho sólido. La pelota pesaba un kilo. La pelota ahora fue lanzada en el juego, y cada jugador sabía que no podían dejar que ésta tocara tierra o sus manos.

Mat Head miraba el juego con intensidad, sabiendo que su hermana era parte de una apuesta en el cual si el equipo contrario ganaba, ella (su hermana) pasaría a ser propiedad de un comerciante local, un comerciante muy rico, el comerciante más rico en todo el Valle de Copan; ella pertenecería a él para hacer lo que a él le antojara. Pero si el equipo contrario perdía el comerciante perdería todas sus propiedades, que pasarían a manos de su cuñado, sus riquezas, y sería expulsado de la ciudad de 27,000 habitantes, Copan; quizás a Yucatán. Esto no era raro en esta clase de apuestas; esto era más mortal que las exposiciones en el Coliseo romano, en Italia. Esto era, los perdedores de este juego perderían sus cabezas.

Pero el Comerciante de Copan, como ya lo había dicho, era muy rico tanto que él proporcionó sílex, cal, y cerámica a la elite de la ciudad, a la ciudad entera y sus alrededores. Y el cuñado de Mat Head estaba casado con su hermana, la joven más hermosa en Copan.

El Comerciante de Copan, la había mirado en un número de juegos anteriores, y nunca podía sacar sus ojos de su belleza, su forma, y lujuriaba detrás de ella con ojos como de halcones. Para él, era valiosa la posibilidad de apostar en el juego, todo o nada; él no sabía cuánot el Cuñado de Mat Head se preocupaba o no se preocupaba por su esposa, pero él sabía que él era insaciable, e hizo la apuesta sin embargo y él la aceptó; así, sus instintos eran correctos; por que él no podía soportar más el dolor ardiente que sentía dentro de si mismo al mirarla caminar entre los templos de Copan, y deseando que ella le perteneciera, a cualquier precio, y un alma hambrienta hará algo más para impedir aquella hambre.

— El juego de pelota había comenzado, como ya lo dije, y la pelota estaba en el aire; algunos jugadores estaban pateando, y empujando sus caderas, mientras ellos golpeaban la pelota hacia adelante y hacia atrás, en el campo de forma de “I”, de 25 metros de largo, 10 metros de ancho; todos los jugadores queriendo que la pelota no tocara el suelo, el cual terminaría éste, y once cabezas serían cortadas.

De repente el juego se detuvo…un silencio se apoderó de cada uno, los once jugadores cerraban sus ojos; ah! era una gran cosa morir, ser sacrificado por el juego, pero por otra parte, habría sido mejor tener que morir más adelante, la mayoría de los jugadores sintieron de esta forma, estoy seguro.

Los espectadores respiraron profundamente para ver quién ganó y quién perdió. La historia no favorecería al cuñado hoy, lamentablemente para su esposa por seguro. Sí, sí, la fortuna sonrió al Comerciante de Copan; estoy seguro que mis lectores están ahora oprimidos sobre esta materia pero esto es como es, que puedo decir.

Así, el muchacho afortunado la agarró como un mono salvaje agarrando un plátano de las manos del alimentador, y apresuradamente la llevó a su domicilio. Él la lanzó sobre la cama como una piel de animal, sus ojos brillaban con lujuria y pasión, y él se derritió en su cuerpo como el calor sobre el hielo; si algo, ella fuera herida más allá de todo entendimiento.

‘¿Cómo podría él hacer esto?’ Ella gimió, mientras este hombre gordo, feo y rígido se le echaba encima. Sin embargo ella se dijo que al menos él la quería. Él estaba dispuesto a dar todo su dinero por ella; mientras que su marido la vendió por un boleto de juego, y una apuesta. Esto estaba fuera de su joven entendimiento.

Varios años pasaron, y el viejo comerciante se volvió más gordo y más viejo, pero aparte de ser lascivo sobre ella, él era un buen proveedor, y le dio todo lo que ella deseaba. Ella se hizo conocida como una mujer de negocio, y en su 67 cumpleaños, él murió sobre la cama, como supongo él deseó que esto fuera así. Consiguientemente, ella era ahora la heredera de las propiedades que él una vez tenía, porque no habían hijos implicados.

Entonces ella hizo un trato con su ex-marido, sabiendo que a él le gustaba jugar, y que quería el dinero. Ella hizo la misma apuesta, bien casi la misma, una clase similar de apuesta con él de todos modos, como el Comerciante de Copan había hecho antes; ella apostó todas sus propiedades sobre el siguiente juego, que su equipo ganaría, y si él perdía, su ex-marido, él tendría que ser decapitado, así como el equipo vencido. Bien, él sintió que él podría reconquistarla así perdiera o ganara la apuesta, y así él acepto la apuesta. Pero otra vez, la vida no lo favorecería, él no fue hecho para ser un jugador, por seguro, y después de perder él la rogaba perdonara su vida, que lo aceptara de nuevo, diciendo en esencia, que ambos podrían disfrutar de la riqueza que ella había adquirido, y su vieja posición en el reino.

Ah ¡mi Dios!, ella era tan cuidadosa, que le dijo que iría a su casa y que pensaría en esto y lo decidiría al día siguiente. Bien, él pensó que esto estaba bien, al menos eso le pareció mejor que perder su cabeza hoy, y solamente el hecho de que ella lo pensaría era bastante para iluminarlo, sintiendo que él tendría la victoria final, y que era él quien contaba, él la tendría de vuelta y los tesoros, que más podría él pedir.

Pero como ya lo había dicho antes, el destino no siempre estaba en su bolsillo, esa noche el gobernador, Mat Head, pidió la cabeza de su cuñado, como que él había perdido la apuesta. Él pidió que ella esperara por su hermana hasta el día siguiente y que ella lo arreglaría todo, pero ella dijo:

“Una apuesta es una apuesta…y ésta deber ser pagada”.

No puedo recordar que más dijo ella, pero su cabeza fue cortada en un segundo.

Cuando la hermana de Mat Head volvió a la mañana siguiente, preguntó por su ex-marido, y descubrió por su hermana, Mat Head, que ella lo había decapitado. Ella gritó un rasgón, una lágrima muy grande, y luego sonrió a Mat Head.



Source by Dennis Siluk Dr.h.c.

Categories
Poetry Monster

Knowing God Part 1 – Finding God, Knowing Him, and Doing His Works

Knowing God Part 1 – Finding God, Knowing Him, and Doing His Works

This message was preached in Nyagatare, north eastern Rwanda on May 3rd, 2005.

Thank you for your very warm welcome. In the evening of last night Bishop Bernard Munanira and his wife and others were sitting around the table talking about what we might do today? The bishop recommended that I do some teaching on how to walk with Jesus Christ; how to walk in the kingdom of heaven; how to walk ready for the Lord to come back to the world.

I think one of the best things to remember is that if we can live in heaven here on earth, then we will live our best both now and forever. Sometimes when we are very lonely and we are quite depressed in ourselves, we bow our heads. Sometimes when the pain is too much on us, we hide ourselves away completely and we just roll up into a little ball and we don’t want anybody to find us.

But Jesus wants us to be a whole person and Jesus wants to make us grow. Amen? And Jesus puts his Spirit into us. Amen? And when he puts his Spirit into us and we start to come to church and we listen to the pastor’s instruction and some of the instruction is a little bit hard on us, but the pastor says, “There is one inside of you who is greater than the world and he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)!” And you believe him; and make a little streeeetch to that idea.

You can stretch a little bit. Not a lot. But you can grow just a little bit. For example, you keep coming to church, and you adjust yourself with a little discipline, and after a while you think to yourself, “Yes, I have grown a little bit, just like the pastor said, but that’s enough for me. I don’t need to stretch any more than this that I have already done.”

We think, “I am a Christian now, and I can look at all of those people who are not stretched and they are different from me. I am so wonderful and so good, I have stretched a little bit.”

But then the Lord says to you, “You must achieve even more. You must become a new person. You must not merely be the old person who has stretched in his or her attitude a little bit. The old person must actually pass away and a whole new person must be born.”

But you think, “Yes, but I have already stretched enough!”

He says, “No, no, no. I am going to stretch you even more.”

And God brings you into situations that challenge you and you start to stretch, like all your world is being stretched and strained just to accommodate the new things and the new ways of thinking.

You think to yourself, “Oh, don’t do that to me God. Don’t stretch me, Lord! It’s better like I was before. Before you ever came into my life. I was happy how I was…well, more or less happy. You know God, sin is not so bad. It’s better than this stretching you’re doing to me!

But the Lord says, “No, no. Listen to your heart. Come and stretch out here with Me, where I am.”

After a little you yield and you do stretch a little bit. You start to trust God. Then after a little while you think to yourself, “This is actually quite good! Life is actually better out here than before. Even though the stretch was pretty strange and painful even, it was all worth it.”

Then one day the pastor comes to you and says, “You need to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and talking in tongues.” One day in a service, the Holy Spirit was really powerful and he did that and all of a sudden…. arghh!…a big stretch! And you even stretch in your head just trying to get all your ideas together about this amazing new experience in God…arghh!

But when it’s all over you think to yourself, “Ah, now I have found Jesus Christ! Now I am really a Christian. Now I can relax and just live my life in peace and quiet.” But then one day your pastor comes along and says, “I need people to come with me into Tanzania to do mission.”

You put your hand up, “Hey! Take me! Take me!” So you go on the mission team and the mission stretches you even more! You come back and tell everybody, “This is how it was in Tanzania! We walked everywhere! And we did things in the Holy Spirit that stretched us everywhere! Yeah! It was so way cool. And people got saved, and healed, and the pastor did this amazing deliverance on one guy out in the bush. Oh, God is awesome guys! Really!”

But then later on, the Lord comes and whispers in your heart saying, “Now, I am calling you to become like a pastor.” And you think to yourself, “Ah, no, not me! No, I am nobody!”

But the Lord says, “I can do this in you. You can’t do this in your own strength, but I can do it in you if you will stretch even more.”

You count the cost in yourself, weighing up all your skills and experience and knowledge and trying hard to overlook all your shortcomings and you say, “But Lord, this is as much stretch as I have got!”

And the Lord says, “Oh, no, no, no. I am the one who is stretching now. If you will just stay with Me, I will stretch and you will stretch with me.”

You say, “Okay God. I accept, Lord. I am now going to be a shepherd. OK, so change me so that I can look after my sheep. Bring these sheep to me, Lord. Bring it on.”

Then you are praying and you are praying and the Lord is stretching you into a place where you never thought you had so much stretch. You are really becoming a person of God now … a responsible person in the kingdom of heaven here on earth. You have your own mission to do, and you’re beginning to do it.

You’re coming through the town and you’re seeing the people who have no stretch and the glory of God comes onto you and you can now say, “Listen hear people, the Lord Jesus Christ can make you greater than you are. He can help you to solve your problems and not make the same mistakes in the future. He can bring God’s glory into your life, and you can become a whole new person in him if you’re willing.”

Now you start to work with the bishop and you start to work in all of the churches, preaching and healing and then you get great breakthroughs and the Lord stretches you even more…even more…and even more…and just when you thought you had no stretch left in you, even more!

Then God takes you and he makes you into a heavenly citizen. You’ve been doing a pastor’s works in the world but just as a saved human being of the earth. Now he stretches you every which way. Amen?

Amen! Glory to God! And this is who we all are, stretched people of God, and heavenly citizens now. Jesus can stretch us to anywhere we want to be! He can take us anywhere. Amen? This is who we are becoming.

Now we are going to talk about finding God. Now that you know that you can be stretched to a place where you can find God. In the beginning seek God. We don’t know him, and we want to find him. Then  we believe about God, we believe in God. But then we decide to make Jesus the Lord of our life and we come to a place where we actually find God; and God also finds us. We know God, and we know that he knows us personally. Finding God is a most wonderful thing that can happen to us. But then what follows after that is that we start to reveal God to other people, just as Jesus revealed the Father to us when he was on the earth among us. Revealing God is the most excellent thing to do. Of all the jobs we could choose from in the world, revealing God to people is the highest job there is.

You show people by God’s power that they can be more than what they think they are. God can turn us all into more and we can do more than what we already believe.

THE MAN WHO OVERCAME THE WORLD

When I first wanted to find God myself, God led me to one man. This man was a very unusual man. He said that he had found God. Not just God in the Word and not just loving God, but in himself he had been changed so that God and he in his person were able to be like the same person.

He would sit all day and he would sit all night. He was completely soaked in the world and yet he was not of it at all. If he didn’t eat, it didn’t matter to him. If he didn’t drink, it didn’t matter to him. If the mouse came and started to eat his toes, it didn’t matter to him. He was completely lost in God and was completely disinterested in his body and the world.

I thought to myself, “This is a wonderful thing. How does a human being experience so much closeness of God? This is just different from reading about God. This is being made into a Godly person by God himself.”

Sometimes in our dreams when we are sleeping at night, God comes into our mind and we feel that we are filled with God, don’t we? Then we wake up in the morning and we are just a little ordinary person again, but we know God has touched our minds somewhere.

When we become Christians, we start to understand that God can completely move into our self, and so I started to do what this man did. He told me what he did in order to know God like this.

He said, “I asked myself one question. When I was a young boy of fourteen, one of my uncles died and I went to the funeral. Here was my uncle laid out for the funeral and I was just a young boy, just watching. I asked myself the question, ‘What is it that dies? Where is the person that dies?’

“I went home to my house where I was staying and I really wanted to know the answer to this question. So I laid down on the floor and I held my breath until I could find the answer: ‘What was the thing that was going to die?’

“I held my breath for only about half a minute and then something from within me sprang forward and it seemed to fill the whole universe, and it was also filled with the presence of God.

“From that time onwards I have just been sitting in peace with this which I am in God. From that time on I just sat in peace and God who was in me, and I who was in God, overcame all the world quite effortlessly.”

When he was about the age of forty-five he developed stomach cancer and he died. Someone came to him and said, “You have cancer. Doesn’t it hurt you?”

He said, “No. Pain is just a pressure.”

“Does it matter to you that you are going to die?” they asked.

He said, “No. When God is so much in you, there is no difference between being alive and being dead. Death is just a word…a reflection…it’s not real.”

So I want to end that story now by saying that there is a way of knowing God intimately because God can fill us up completely in our self. We can sit in God and God can sit in us.

We can merge the one into the other, and it can make a difference in how we relate to everything, even the world itself.

But God doesn’t call many men and women to live like that man, so I want to show you the more common way that God calls people to know God. Yet, even then, in the common way, many people spend time being rapt in God, even if only for a few moments while they are worshiping.

A MORE COMMON WAY TO KNOW GOD

If we open up the Bible and we look for perfect men who have known God, we see that we find Enoch in Genesis 5:24. He was perfect and he pleased God, and God took him from the world.

In the book of second Kings (2:11), we see Elijah-and Elijah was perfect; and God took him from the world.

Both of these men were perfect according to God’s idea of perfection-they pleased him because they perfectly did God’s will. But, as perfect as they were, both of these two men didn’t do as good a work as Jesus did when he was here.

Jesus came to save the world from its sin, but neither Enoch nor Elijah did that work. Amen?

We know that for Jesus to do the work of saving the world from sin, Jesus the man must have at least been as perfect as Enoch and Elijah. Amen? Otherwise either Enoch or Elijah could have saved the world from its sin. But they didn’t, and couldn’t. God didn’t give them that dominion and authority, even though they were spiritually perfect and walking in all of God’s perfect love that they could.

So now we ask ourselves, “Forgetting Enoch and Elijah for a moment, as spiritually perfect as they were, how did Jesus find God?”

Jesus was the Son of God but he was born a little baby. He didn’t go to school every day saying, “I am the Son of God!” He went to school saying, “I am Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary, and I have brothers and sisters in this school also.” He didn’t really find out about being the Son of God until God fully revealed that to him at his baptism, when God said the words to him about how he also pleased him.

So we know that there is Jesus the human being. He is growing up into the perfection of God. Before he can become the “Son of God” who is saving the world from its sin, he must first become the “perfect man” because the ordinary man is not capable of doing the work of saving the world. He must at least become the same as, if not better than, Enoch and Elijah.

So we look at Jesus and we ask ourselves, “When did he become perfect? When he became perfect, he must have already completely found God. And if he has found God, how does he demonstrate that he has found God? Because he must be able to have found God first of all, if he is then going to do the work of God.”

If your pastor sends you to Tanzania to go on mission, you must at least have found your pastor and been in discussion with him. Amen?

So when we find Jesus, we look to him and say, “What is he doing with the heavenly Father? Because if we can do what he is doing with the heavenly Father, then we will be drawn into knowing God also-in just the same way as Jesus is knowing God.”

When God took Enoch, Enoch “pleased” God. The Bible uses the word “pleased” to mean “perfect in God’s eyes”. But Enoch is perfect and yet he is not given the job to save the world. As soon as he becomes perfect…whoosh! He is taken from the world.

At the same time that Elijah is taken from the world, we know that Elijah has reached perfection too. To be taken from the world in fiery chariots of God’s power is the same as saying they are spiritually perfect in God’s love.

Now, let’s come into the book of Matthew. Let’s have a read from Matthew 3:16 and 17. In English it says,

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

We see here that God is “pleased,” but this is a special pleasing. If Jesus was a man or woman like us, we would expect him then to be taken by God to heaven. But something different happens here.

Jesus comes up out of the water, and then while he is standing in the water the heavens open above him and the Spirit of God comes to him and this is the start of his new mission. For the first time in the world now, we see a perfect human being doing an extended mission of God.

We can also understand that when the Spirit of God comes on him, the Spirit of God gives His vision for that mission.

We are standing in a church and it has been built because somebody had the vision to build the church here. It comes into your imagination and God touches it and you believe God is going to help to make this happen.

So here is Jesus and he is receiving the vision from God to save the world, and with the vision comes the Holy Spirit’s power to do that. With that vision comes the full remembrance, “I am the Son of God.”

And now the human Jesus mind and the Son of God mind become the same mind. He is now Jesus on earth, but he extends right up into the heavens to the Father as well. Amen?

He knows God. He not only came from God, but as a human being he has grown up into the normal range of knowing God that we all can grow into. So, he is the perfect person to ask our question: “How do we find God?”

We look at Jesus and we find that he does only one or two things to tell us. Come with me into Romans chapter 1, verse 17. In English it says,

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

So we have found here in Paul’s writings and experience that Jesus’ relationship with the Father, which is wholly righteous-right with the Father-is pure faith. Amen?

Now, if we come into Deuteronomy, in chapter 30 we see God making human beings choose. God puts a high value on us making a choice. In verse 19, God says,

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life.”

When Jesus ministers in the world he says the same thing, “Choose the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 13:44) In the beginning of his ministry he just says, “Choose me. Choose me. I came from heaven. I am the way to the Father. Choose me.”

After he sees that the Jews have a hard heart, he says, “If you can’t choose me, at least choose the Father because of my works.”

So we start to see here that the righteous, they live in faith but they must make decisions.

Now come with me into John 5 and let’s look at verse 19. In English it says,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.”

That tells us that we are righteous and we live by faith, but faith is not just hoping that God is going to do something. Faith is making decisions. When we look at Jesus, we see that when Jesus makes decisions he only does what the Father shows him to do.

So we ask ourselves the question, “If we can do only what the Father shows us to do, can we find the Father? Can we find God in that way?”

We can’t look for God under the table, amen? We can’t look for the Father in our pockets, amen? We can’t go to some place in the whole earth and find the Father living there, amen? We can go to the moon and we will not find the Father there. We can go to the ends of the stars and we will not find the Father there either.

It might even be possible to go to heaven and not find the Father, because we find the Father in faith. The Father shows us Himself in the world, but we do not come to actually hold Him until we hold Him in faith, and that faith is in our heart, amen? We do not find the Father by sight or by sound or by touch. We find him by faith and in faith; and that faith which lives in our heart.

So there must be something that we can find in our heart that shows us the Father. Now if we come into the Book of Matthew and turn to chapter 13 and verse 3, we hear Jesus telling the parable about sowing seed. In English it reads,

“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Scripture provides the explanation we are hungry to hear. It says that some of the seed falls into a place where the devil comes along and just takes away that seed.

You might come to wonderfully rich meetings like this and then you go away from here and somebody says to you something that causes argument and you feel that all the blessing has just been taken away from you.

A good example of that is in healing. You come to a meeting and you are prayed for, and then you receive healing and you are healed.

You tell your friends, “I have been healed.”

Somebody says to you, “You have not been healed. It will come back, you watch. I don’t believe those Christians. If healing was so easy, why did your father die? If healing was so easy for you, why did you lose your baby?” And the devil comes along and snatches away your seed-the hope that was in the promise of God concerning your situation.

Then Jesus also explains that sometimes the seed is put here and the weeds grow up around it. You know, you have a weed here in Rwanda that back home we think it is a very special flower-it’s the marigold flower. But outside the door of this church there I can see one plant that I think definitely is a weed both here and back home in Australia also. But either way, when the weed grows up around your seed, it is all of the cares of the world that come in and smother your potential to bloom.

For example, you say, “I want to go on mission with pastor into Tanzania, but I can’t do it because I’m too busy here with my family.

Never mind, maybe next time I will go.” The next time comes along and the pastor says, “We are going over to Congo. Will you come with us?” And you make up another excuse because of the cares of the world that are taking away your focus on God’s work and what God has for your life. You can see after a while that the cares of the world are taking you away from your blessing. The weeds are robbing you of what God has for you.

But there is one seed that when it is sown into good soil it produces very well. Let’s have a look at verse 31 in that chapter 13. In English it says,

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

What we can see here is Jesus saying to us that when we are living by faith we are producing. We are producing in our decisions, and we are producing in our decisions because God and ourselves are making a seed together. And whatever God makes as a seed, it will harvest God’s kind of fruit.

That is such a special thing that I just said.

Come back into heaven with me and listen to the conversation between the Father and the Son.

The Father says, “I need to plant a seed into the universe that has become corrupted by Satan.”

The Son of God says, “I will be that seed! Send me and plant me into that place!”

The Father says, “You must not do your will, you must only do my will.”

The Son of God agrees and together they work out the plan. When they have made the plan, then the Son of God makes the decision, “I am now going.”

The Son of God plans it and he comes and he is sown into the womb of Mary-she is a virgin in that she has never before had a baby. He has made the decision with the Father. He is the Father’s salvation seed and he is this little mustard seed that is going to grow into the kingdom of heaven in the earth itself.

So we can look in heaven and we can see that the Son of God is with the Father. The Son of God is in the presence of the Father and together they make their faith decision.

When Jesus grows up he teaches people, “I want you to make faith decisions with the Father. The Father will put his Spirit in you. You will be able to have fellowship with the Father.”

He says in Scripture, “The Father and I will both come to you. You will have fellowship with us both and in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

When we receive into our heart’s love this Father, and this Son, and this Holy Spirit, and this Jesus the perfect man, we have this power that comes upon us and which Scripture calls the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). The power is that we have the power to enter into our faith believing and in this place we of believing we can meet God; we can find God himself.



Source by Robert Crickett

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Poetry Monster

The Art of Cake Decorating – A Beginners Recommendation For Cake Decorating Books

The Art of Cake Decorating – A Beginners Recommendation For Cake Decorating Books

I am a relative newcomer to the art of cake decorating. However it’s something I’ve been interested in from since I was a little girl and I baked my first cup cake.

Since picking up my icing pallet and fondant I’ve discovered that sugar craft is a creative outlet that has the capacity to delight, not only myself when decorating cakes, but also the recipients. It’s a fun, exciting and challenging hobby which I find continually stimulating and my head is full of ideas of cakes yet to come!

As I said, I am a newcomer to the world of cake decorating so I’ve taken a few starter courses. These have been very helpful, but I’ve discovered that trial and error has served me best. Nothing is more rewarding that sitting down and trying to recreate some cake details that I have seen on-line or in a magazine. After I had completed a few basic courses in sugar crafting I went and bought myself a few cake decorating books which have proved to be a great inspiration to me. Not only in terms of exciting and visually stunning cake decoration, but also techniques and tips that the pros use to create their towering masterpieces.

If you are thinking about taking up this wonderful and fulfilling hobby, here are four cake decorating books that I have found useful so far:

1. “Cakes to Dream On” by Colette Peters

This book is top of the list, simply for it’s ‘wow’ factor. This is a fantastical collection of original, whimsical and artistically detailed cakes. While the book is more geared towards the skilled baker, it does serve as a great source of inspiration with it’s colour combinations and unsual techniques. It is truly a feast for the eyes and something to aspire to.

2. “Cake Chic” by Peggy Porschen

Peggy’s cake work is contemporary, yet classic. With it’s surprising detail and sophisticated lines this book showcases her effortless flair when creating cakes like they are fashion outfits. A wide range of ideas and recipes ensures that there is something for everyone in this cake decorating book.

3. “The Complete Book of Cake Decorating With Sugarpaste” by Sylvia Coward

A good, straightforward cake decorating technique book is worth it’s weight in gold. This handy and uncomplicated book is ideal for beginners. Covering a wide range of techniques which are presented in a project form, it is easy to follow and starts with a number of basics that will be ideal for the beginner.

4. “The Well Decorated Cake” by Toba Garrett

This book is well worth a mention here. Ms Garrett presents easy to follow chapters with wonderful direction which help to build up your confidence. I’ve managed to expand my skill base at a realistic pace with this book and the results have been certainly worth it!

Well, there you are, four cake decorating books which I have found very useful as I have started my journey into this fascinating hobby.

I hope you find them as useful and enjoyable as I have.

Since starting my course in sugarcraft I have found that nothing has been more useful to me that these books. I would recommend that, if you can you take a few basic classes in the starter techniques which will allow you to implement some of the slight more advanced techniques outlined in these books above.

There is no substitute for practice, so even if you are just beginning, get yourself a cake,some fondant and fire up your imagination!



Source by Shana K