Only one thing is needed

God-Shaped Hole

by Plumb

Lyrics:

Every point of view has another angle
And every angle has its merit
But all comes down to faith
That's the way I see it

You can say that love is not divine and
You can say that life is not eternal
'all we have is now'
But I don't believe it

There's a God-shaped hole in all of us
And the restless soul is searching
There's a God-shaped hole in all of us
And it's a void only he can fill

Does the world seem gray with empty longing
Wearing every shade of cynical
And do you ever feel that
There is something missing?

That's my point of view...


♬ Plumb: God Shaped Hole

An important part of friendship: JUST PLAIN OLD PUTTIN UP WITH EACH OTHER

My nurse's aide just opened up the subject. And this very definitely is the next step we take as true friends. I've talked for a long, long time about what makes a good friend, and how to develop good friendships. But this here must be a component in friendship if we want a friendship to last: tolerance.

You see, I treated my aide unkindly last night, and I feared that today she was going to be angry. I'll back up and say, I could tell that my words and actions hurt her feelings. And it was wise of her to allow me to see that. You see, I had already opened up on the subject of my insensitivity, that I was aware of it and concerned about it. So today I wanted to let her know that I felt bad for hurting her.

What she answered I felt was the essence of friendship. She said it was fine, that she was familiar with how I get sometimes, and you gotta take the bitter with the sweet. She expressed that she valued me as a friend, and was not going to allow the way I behaved to make her feel bitter towards me.
...and I have to confess, this was the next step in my recovery! I needed someone to stop using my weaknesses to threaten me! To stop making me feel as if I was hugely indebted to them for putting up with me!

And so, a very important part of friendship is that when love is sincere, it cannot be shaken by one or the other person's mistakes. Mistakes are part of being human. If we really wanna have friends, real friends, than part of keeping a friendship going is resolve. And the tough part of this is knowing there will be times when they will hurt our feelings. There will be times when we hurt them. But we keep it going.

 ♬ Suzi Quarto and Chris Norman: Stumblin' In

Being our own friend --anyone actually good at it?

I will answer this question as for myself. Surprisingly, though I have been very loyal to myself, there have been too many types of situations where I have not had the boldness to say and do what is in my own best interest. But we have a God who adores the humble. There is a verse which reads, "He raises up those who are bowed down". So in other words, when we do not have any strength left, He pities us, and takes over.

You see, realistically, on the ground level, we cannot love ourselves. But our shame is provided for. It is not just words, that Jesus Christ substituted for us at the Cross. He wiped away all uncleanness from us.

This is why I often say, "you have a criticism of me? Take it up with the man who gave His life for me, I no longer work in that department."

And so, yes, we struggle with self-esteem. It is something none of us has mastered. We all grope with questions about what we should do and say. What set of beliefs we should adhere to. What rule of thumb we should be applying to our lives. Me? I would recommend taking it to Jesus. But I will be fair and say, it works for me. You might have something you feel works better, and I'll respect that.

♬ Mr. Mister: Kirie

Climbing the steps to feeling loved

ll well well! It's been almost a full month since I last produced a blog, and I'm sure some of you must have wondered, what on earth has happened to her?

Well, as I look at it all now, all I can say is, I was having terrible terrible equipment problems. The device that I was using to create was so old and antiquated that I was really having to sweat it out every time I wanted to do the smallest thing.

Finally the battery went caput, and a few days later, my Dad went and bought me a brand new, top of the line phone. Well, I can not believe how much easier it has made my life!

So anyways, the subject I wanted to talk about has already been expressed in an episode of a TV show that appeared on a channel called, PAX-TV. PAX-TV was a truly family friendly channel, and it aired a series called, Twice in a Lifetime. Twice in a Lifetime was a lot of fun to watch, and there was always something heartwarming to be learned from it. But this particular episode specifically expresses my take on what I have experienced of late, and it pertains to friendship as well. I would really love you to try to take a look at it.

♬ Gloria Estefan: Coming Out of the Dark

Billy Preston "He Brought Me Out"

He brought me out
He brought me out
All praise to Him
My way was drear
My course in doubt
Praise the Lord! He brought me out

He brought me out
He brought me out
I'll sing to Him
Now I have a new song
I'll sing and shout
Praise the Lord! He brought me out

I was walking in darkness,
No light could I see
That was before He brought me out
I heard Him say child,
Come here and follow me
Praise the Lord! He brought me out

He'll do the same for you!

He'll bring you out
He'll bring you out
Just trust in Him
From shades of night
To blades of light
Praise the Lord!
He'll bring you out!

If you're drowning in deep waters
Going down for the last time
And you need someone to bring you out,
His outstretched hand
Reaches out to every man
Take hold, he'll bring you out.

He'll do the same for you
He'll bring you out
He'll bring you out
Just trust in Him
From shades of night
To blades of light
Praise the Lord! He'll bring you out!

Help me sing it choir

He brought me out
He brought me out
All praise to Him
My way was drear
My course in doubt
Praise the Lord! He brought me out!

Praise the Lord! He brought me out!
Praise the Lord! He brought me out!
Praise the Lord! He brought me out!
Praise the Lord! He brought me out!

Special Friends

What makes someone a special friend? Recently someone behaved in a way that defined it for me. A woman came in for the 11-7 shift, and, without going into the details, let me just say that I had had a difficult day, and I went off on her. The 2 days or so that followed, she did not come in, and I realized that I had made a mistake by being so mean to her. I became conscious that she was a very good friend and a true friend. So it came to me that with valuable friends, it is only right to overlook any faults they have, as they too, overlook mine.

After a few days she returned. She entered my room hesitantly, not knowing whether I'd still be angry. I told her how very sorry I was for my abusive behavior. I was not sure how she was going to feel about me or whether she would forgive me.

The young lady forgave me everything! She conducted herself like we had never argued. I was thrilled! She didn't care about the wrong I had done at all. She heard my apology and accepted it. She forgave my misdeeds. But what makes her special is that she also was willing to forget, and put our friendship back into mint condition.

Why does anyone forgive and forget in this way? It happens when someone understands that he/she is deeply needed by the person who wronged them. A parent spends his lifetime forgiving this way. A person who forgives and forgets sees that his/her friend has a deficit in an area that that may not be able to be helped for a time. I know my boyfriend says and does things sometimes where I just need to let it go. I've been seeing him for 11 years and have come to understand the way he thinks. I know what I can and cannot expect from him.

A true friend sees what's in the best interests of his/her friend and knows when it is necessary to lay aside his/her own.

♬  Stevie Wonder: If You Really Love Me

If I Know You

Very proud of this one folks! The way I was able to attach these animations to each other and then to a song, it's a dream come true for me!