Trust

Found this great article on Trust in one of the Girlfriends in God daily devotions I subscribed to. It's definitely a keeper.

July 18, 2008
Trust by Dori J. Thornburg

Today's Truth
Proverbs 3: 5-6.Trust in the Lord with all your heart & lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Friend to Friend
What do we have when we trust someone we love? We have the unwavering faith that they are always truthful with us. Truth in the words they say, truth in their actions, truth in the way they live out their convictions. Sometimes the truth hurts, but when said in love, can make us grow into better people.

When we begin to place our trust in someone, we begin to reveal our true selves to them. We break down the protective wall that was once wrapped tightly around our hearts, and we begin to let them in. We reveal our past, our hopes, our dreams, our disappointments, and our expectations. We, in essence, allow ourselves to become vulnerable.

When we trust someone, we assume he or she has our best interest in mind and we begin to love them unconditionally. We believe whole-heartedly that they wouldn't do anything to hurt us.

Our security in the relationship is strong and unbreakable when we trust. Our stamina to brave the storms is unwavering. We feel like we can conquer any trial life throws at us because we trust each other. Two are stronger than one. We are finally our true self.

But what happens when that trust is broken? Truth turns into lies. Revealing turns into confusion. Unconditional love turns into nit-picking. Our security is ripped apart and our vulnerable and true self is buried once again in the self-protective shell of our broken heart.

I have asked myself many times, why is it that we (I) trust someone and they always end up hurting us whether it be intentionally or unintentionally? The question that I should be asking myself is why do I place so much faith in human beings? We are all so flawed and eventually we all disappoint someone we love. Why do I not remember that I should only care to play to an audience of One, when He is the only one I will have to answer to at the end of this life?

Let's Pray
Lord, please refresh my mind each day to remember all of the good things in life that You have given me - a home, a husband, my healthy children, a job and friends who genuinely care about me. I trust You, Lord, to take my disappointment in others and mold my brokenness into a tool of trust and hope no matter what is going on in my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now it's Your Turn
Wake up each day and thank Him for all He has given us.

Start a gratitude journal. Write one thing each day that you are thankful for even if it seems small. Write down what you will trust Him with and be specific.

More from the Girls
We often put our trust in our spouse or friends to make us happy instead of keeping our eyes focused on the One who is always truthful with us, always has our best interests in mind and loves us so much. We must remind ourselves that God is with us through every storm and disappointment that life brings us. He knows our true vulnerable selves, and He loves us more than we will ever know.

The Skylark's Bargain

Got this piece of wisdom from my dose of Daily Wisdom. It's a keeper so here it is:

The Skylark's Bargain - July 30, 2008

Someone once said, "Feather by feather, the goose is plucked." That applies to geese, and to us.

G.H. Charnley, in The Skylark's Bargain, tells the story of a young skylark who discovered a man who would give him worms for his feathers. Worms were the bird's favorite food, but a lot of work was necessary to occasionally enjoy this delicacy because they were scarce. The thought of an easier, better life was very attractive to the young skylark, so he offered the man a deal--one feather for two worms. The man accepted.

The skylark thought he had it made–no more hunting and working for food. The good life was his!

The next day the lark was flying high in the sky with his father. The older bird said, "You know, son, we skylarks should be the happiest of all birds. See our brave wings! They lift us high in the air, away from danger, and nearer to God."

But the young bird did not hear his Dad, for all he could think about was the man with worms. Down he flew, plucked a feather from his wings, and had a feast. Day after day this went on.

Then autumn came, and the man with the worms was gone. It was also time to fly south. The lark's family and all their friends began gathering for the long journey.

As everyone else flew off, the young skylark had to stay behind to face the harsh winter all alone. Why? Slowly, day by day, he had exchanged the power of his young wings for worms.

How Does This Apply to Our Lives?

The lark was surrounded by positive examples he could follow in life. Wise advice was available. But the lark rejected all of that. Instead, he was determined to satisfy his immediate desires, and failed to calculate the long-term costs of doing so. Consequently, he faced a harsh winter, doomed.

Thomas Jefferson said, "Do not bite at the bait of pleasure 'till you know there is no hook beneath it." Many careers, marriages and lives could be saved if Jefferson's advice were followed.

Most of us try to avoid making the big mistakes in life. But just as a goose is plucked feather by feather, we can create difficult situations for ourselves step by step. Whether it is untruths that are uttered, gratitude that is unexpressed, or faith that is not built and maintained, we are tempted to make and repeat small mistakes over time. As a result, we can end up like the lark--unhappy, alone, and maybe even doomed.

Don't take small steps toward big problems. Focus on developing strong wings of character and faith that will enable you to soar away from daily temptations that are so alluring.

And remember the lark–you also face a constant temptation in life to exchange wings for worms. Guard against letting that happen.

"A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool throws off restraint and is careless."
Proverbs 14:16

- Contributed by Rich McLawhorn to Daily Wisdom.

Heard Before Di!

"Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person?"
(Francois de La Rochefoucauld, 1613 - 1680)

That is so true. I will begin to tell some interesting story and my listeners, mostly family members ('cos friends will politely hear me out), will come back with "You've told me, already."

So potong steam.

New Toy

You definitely know you are in your second childhood when all you buy on a trip to KL is a toy but this is such an adorable toy. I simply could not resist it.

The picture is frozen in time so it doesn't really look all that interesting. You should see this solar powered smiley baldy shaking his head from shoulder to shoulder and, at the same time, make his feet alternately go up and down. It'll put a smile on your face as well!

My Vow

To love is nothing, to be loved is something, to love and be loved is everything (Claire Dempsy). I have everything.

Once in a while in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale with a happily ever after ending. It's been 25 years and today, once again, I pledge to love you, to share my life with you, to be your friend, to stand by you, to treasure, cherish, honour, obey and submit to you.

I Don't Understand

Why does a bite of Char Koay Teow taken off someone's plate taste so much better than a whole plateful of your own?

Why does the little snippet of news gleaned from over someone's shoulders, or from the nasi lemak packaging, seem so much more interesting than when you have the whole newspaper to yourself?

25 Years

Time: 7.30pm
Day: Saturday, 19 July 2008
Venue: 32 The Mansion @ Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah

We were gathered to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. God was there that evening as He was with us right from the very beginning.

Ken & Mel after 25 years of togetherness

Has it been 25 years? Where have the years gone? I suppose it's true that time flies when life is good and as Kenny said, it's been heaven for us. (Do visit Pam's blog to understand why it has been heaven for us.)

Our anniversary cake with our replacement rings
nestling among the sugar flowers

The whole anniversary was sweetened by the presence of loved ones and great friends. What is joy if it is not shared with those we love and who love us? That night we were surrounded by the closest, dearest and the best among family and friends. We are blessed.

"Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be" - Source Unknown