ShiningLight: January 2014

BEYOND MEASURE

"OUR DEEPEST IS NOT THAT WE ARE INADEQUATE.
OUR DEEPEST FEAR IS THAT WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE. IT IS OUR LIGHT, NOT OUR DARKNESS, THAT MOST FRIGHTENS US.
WE ASK OURSELVES: WHO AM I TO BE BRILLIANT, GORGEOUS, TALENTED, FABULOUS? ACTUALLY, WHO ARE YOU NOT TO BE?
YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. YOUR PLAYING SMALL DOES NOT SERVE THE WORLD.
THERE IS NOTHING ENLIGHTENED ABOUT SHRINKING SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE WON'T FEEL INSECURE AROUND YOU. WE ARE ALL MEANT TO SHINE, AS CHILDREN DO.
WE WERE BORN TO MAKE MANIFEST THE GLORY OF GOD IN US. IT'S NOT JUST SOME OF US. IT'S IN EVERYONE.
AND AS WE LET OUR LIGHT SHINE, WE UNCONSCIOUSLY GIVE OTHER PEOPLE PERMISSION TO DO THE SAME. AS WE ARE LIBERATED FROM OUR OWN FEAR, OUR PRESENCE AUTOMATICALLY LIBERATES OTHERS"

(Marianne Williamson - and quoted by Nelson Mandela 1994 at his inauguration!

Thursday, January 02, 2014

Happy and Blessed New Year 2014

With the verse for this year in Psalm 73 verse 28 I greet you all and wish you a Happy and Blessed New Year 2014.

Psalm 73:28

New King James Version (NKJV)

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works.

In Germany, there is a movement that exists for a long time. There, they pray 24/7 the whole year and they pray for verses for the year, for the month and for the day. 

It is good for me to draw near to God.

In another passage God days: When you draw near to me, I will draw near to you (look at James 4:8). 

The whole 4th chapter of the book of James is amazing and one verse builds on the next.

Now, I go back to Psalm 73 which as not written by David but by a man called Asaph.

Asaph , looking at the people who don't honour nor know God is pretty upset and asks God why those people seem to have better lives. I love the way he puts it in verses 3-4: 

For I envied the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles, their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens, they are not plagued by human ills.

He then goes on in that mood for a bit but then turns around in verse 25: Whom have I in heaven but you? 

It is a brilliant Psalm and the last verse is the verse for this year. It is Asaph's conclusion after he had a tantrum:  But as for me, I say it is good to draw near to God! Wow

With this verse I wish us all a Blessed New Year 2014!!!!

Read the Psalm as a whole. It is brilliant and so honest and real!

God bless you

p.s.: 1. picture : this is the small groups I help lead: precious women, 2. picture: my friend Erica