Love

Love your neighbour.
Love your friends.
Love your enemies.
Love your colleagues.
Love your siblings.
Love your parents.
Love your kids.
Love the homeless (wo)man.
Love the business (wo)man.
Love the student.
Love the teacher.
Love your husband.
Love your wife.
Love the shop assistant.
Love the ones that are easy to love.
Love the ones that make it difficult.
Love the ones that love you.
Love the ones that loathe you.
How?
I don't know.
Ask Jesus.
Love Jesus.

Little Emotional

So, I think I need to find a psychologist of some sort - I am such an emo, it's really unbelievable. I'm not emo in the sense that I would cut myself or only wear black or what ever it is that their stereotype tells us about them. What I mean is that it takes literally almost nothing to get tears in my eyes - like watching X-Factor - someone got voted off and I didn't even see her crying, she was just hugging her dad and I was almost crying. I was watching What Not To Wear and there was this emotionless girl who finally sort of showed some emotion and I was almost crying. I heard a beautiful song by Mariah Carey and I almost cried. 

Like.. what the heck. Where is this coming from. What is happening. How come I can't say nothing makes me cry anymore. I don't understand. What do I do? :D Help!? 

New Lesson

I think I'm learning how to be a friend right now.

When I hear that my friend has a problem or is not happy or just is going through a difficult time, my first thought is - how can I fix it. And then I try and try and try to fix it - fix them... to the point where they don't feel like they can come to me just for a chat because I will start trying to fix them, immediately, giving advice they haven't asked for, telling them things they're tired of hearing... when all they need is just someone who would spend time with them, like good old times. Like they aren't broken, like they're not just a project. The dumbest thing in all this is - I try to help and help and help (even though they haven't asked me to) and then I get frustrated because they're not taking my advice and they're not getting any better. Hah, what a silly goose.

So, the lesson I've just learned, is , I think, a really good one. I can show the love of Jesus without punching them in the face with a Bible. Yes it does indeed make sense.

Blown away

Sorry to everyone who now has a Carrie Underwood song stuck in their heads. The title has nothing to do with the song. The title has everything to do with my thoughts after reading the first chapter of the book of Job. Every time I read that book, I am absolutely blown away by this incredible man. 

He was a wealthy man, living a wonderful life and one day, suddenly out of the blue - 

1st messenger says: all of your 1000 oxen and donkeys are stolen and all but one servants killed. 

2nd messenger says: all of your 7000 sheep were burned alive along with all but one of the shepherds.

3rd messenger says: 3000 of your camels have been stolen, all but one servants killed. 

4th messenger says: all your kids and their buddies were in a house that collapsed, all but one - dead!

Now, if I found out that, say, my purse was stolen, or one of my friends was in an accident, or our flat burned down - even just one of those things - I would probably think, why God, why. 

Job's reaction?

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,and naked I will depart.The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." (Job 1:20-22) 

Blown. Away. 

Women Of God

This is the post mentioned in the previous post. 

The thing with this.. 'Women Of God' stuff, is that it normally makes me cringe. Any time I hear that there is a service where a woman is preaching, I immediately think 'oh no..'. Because, it seems that when ever they preach, how ever good the message actually is (and it can be very good!!), I feel like I should be on standby with a tissue because they seem to be bursting into tears very very very soon and very suddenly. I could not think of a worse pastime than a women's conference where women tell other women that it's okay to be in charge and take responsibilities. BORK. I'd rather wash our entire apartment building inside and out with my toothbrush. "Let's have a girls only prayer and sharing night." There's always that tone to it, isn't there - let's share our problems and concerns. Shivers down my spine, could we go to a men's only prayer night instead? I can't deal with so many emotions. I'd honestly rather dress up as a man for the rest of my life and go to one of those than endure this gooey candle-lit sharing let's-hold-hands and discuss-our-biggest-problems-as-we-cry-our-eyes-out nights. 

BUT

It turns out that women of God are actually absolutely amazing. While I still do not see myself enjoying a women's conference (seriously, been there, bork) and I would choose to listen to male preachers rather than female ones, women are awesome. God's people, no matter the gender, the race, the age, the status, the disability, the what ever, can do amazing things when we want to. The reason why this 'women stuff' bothers me so much, is because it always seems to be set in a tone where women actually feel inferior and it takes a lot of guts for them to organise some God things without men's permission. Like super quietly and timidly and ugh, emotionally, we just gather ourselves together for prayer, not like men. Men announce it from like the radio and all corners of the earth, WE ARE HAVING A "FREE WILLY" / SAUNA / PRAYER NIGHT, EVERYONE COME, UNLESS YOU'RE A WOMAN, BRING BEER!!! Girls are like... well we are having a prayer and sharing night, if everyone could bake something or bring a snack, that would be great. We can do great things and great things might come out of those quiet little evenings, but I think we need to change our attitude towards ourselves. (I couldn't sound more like a feminist if I tried..) Seriously though, what originally inspired this post was Tina who really rallied me to pray with her for her husband to become a Christian. And you know what, I was really fired up, I said OF COURSE and I got straight down to business, I prayed for him and her and I was absolutely positive that he will become a Christian in no time. I am still positive that he can become a Christian, but the original excitement to make sure it happens, is gone somewhere. But soon after Tina asked me to pray, Kinna told me her amazing story about how her and Vicky met that girl and I was like woooooooooowwwwwww that's amazing. And I still think that's amazing. I KNOW that girls, women of God, have been called to do great things, I just think that we too often think we're not good enough. For what ever reason, or, more often, for no reason at all. Let's take pride in the fact that we are women that God is using and let's just let him use us in the ways we know he can. 

I have to start with myself and start believing in my amazing God, but if you think there's anything that's stopping you from healing the sick or getting someone to church, say get lost devil and get cracking. Right? 

By the way - I absolutely don't mind these girls' evenings, actually. Especially with the select bunch that is reading my blog, can't wait for the next one! :) 

Oh nooooo

So, this thing happened where I had a cool blog post idea and I was really excited about the topic and I even wrote the title and saved the draft and said I will write it very very soon and then.... I didn't ... and now I've lost the excitement over that topic...

So.. to be continued. I will write it, but I have to get excited about it again.

Bye!

Walking with Jesus

I was on a walk today. I figured that aimless walking can be fun, but annoying so I decided to try and see if I can manage to walk from home to Thorntree church by memory. I've been driven there many times, but never have I walked there before. So I set off and walked and along the way some places looked super familiar and I knew where to go, but some places left me doubtful... should I go straight or should I turn left. So I went by my gut feeling and did what I thought was right and turned left (I was right). But as I was walking down that road and was almost convinced I was going the right way I had moments of doubt when the road or the surrounding buildings didn't really ring a bell so I was doubtful whether or not I'd made the right decision. I contemplated turning back, but then decided to trust the instinct and keep going (I was right). And as I had those thoughts on that walk, I thought that this might be very similar to my faith journey. I'll be on my way, convinced that I'm on the right path, making decisions abut where to go next and even though I'm pretty sure I'm going where Jesus has told me to go, I'm full of doubt as soon as the first stumbling block comes on my path. As soon as there's something unfamiliar that I wasn't expecting, I say, 'ummmm Jesus...? Are you suuuure that's where I'm supposed to be going??' And He just pats me on the back and says 'trust me, honey, you'll get there soon, just keep going.' So I keep going... :)

Psalm 63:3

"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you!"

If I had the choice between living and loving God - the obvious better choice for a regular person would be living. But for a Christian, it's not that, is it? If I got to live, but couldn't be with God and would be separated from His love, my life might still be awesome, but utterly meaningless.

If anyone ever came up to me and pointed a gun at my head and said "Jesus or life?", I pray that I would have the courage and the conviction to say JESUS any time of day.

Jesus totally won that one already! :D

Silencio

So this is what Liisu as a blogger has always been like - post post post SILENCE ......................... and one more post, saying that I'll post something else soon and then silence. That's just how I roll and there's nothing I can do about it, really. You can't hold this against me. You can't. Well, you can. But don't. Or do, I don't mind. Oh well. 

What has Liisu been thinking about lately (third person, yepyepyep!)...? 

Liisu is happy. I am happy and it's because everything around me is wonderful. The weather is super, the people are super, the events so far have been super and just... Jesus is super. That's news to no one here reading these words (right, Kinna, Jo, Siku and Krissu? :D ).

I also have had some thoughts to scare myself. Because what is life if it isn't at least a little bit scary - and I mean scary in a good way, if that can be possible - scary in the sense that I don't know what life is going to be like, and there's really no way to know what life is going to be like, except if I keep on living and seeing what it's like. I mean next week, I mean the summer, I mean this autumn and I mean the rest of my life. It's scary, isn't it? But still - good scary!

I wish saying "God knows" and "just trust God" would make everything super easy, but I'm still learning how to do that, so that, too, is in the scary part of life. 

Anywhoooo. 

I have to go - last day at work, I can't be blogging it away ;)

Matthew 5:33-37

³³ You know that God expects us to abide by the oaths we swear and the promises we make. ³⁴ But I tell you this: do not ever swear an oath. What is an oath? You cannot say, “I swear by heaven”—for heaven is not yours to swear by; it is God’s throne. ³⁵ And you cannot say, “I swear by this good earth,” for the earth is not yours to swear by; it is God’s footstool. And you cannot say, “I swear by the holy city Jerusalem,” for it is not yours to swear by; it is the city of God, the capitalof the King of kings. ³⁶ You cannot even say that you swear by your own head, for God has dominion over your hands, your lips, your head. It is He who determines if your hair be straight or curly, white or black; it is He who rules over even this small scrap of creation. ³⁷ You need not swear an oath—any impulse to do so is of evil. Simply let your “yes” be “yes,” and let your “no” be “no.”

Da Finger

We have an interesting painting hanging in the university where I work.

I have walked past it probably close to a million times. 

The first few times I saw it, I thought that it was quite offensive. 

Then I saw it as a bit funny. 

Today was the first time when I looked at it and thought... hey, this is actually quite truthful. And that made me sad. Also, it made me climb back down some stairs to take this picture. 

But isn't this true... God is reaching down, trying and wanting, longing even, to get in contact with His children. Us. And all most of us do is flip Him the finger and say 'Get lost, God, I got this...' 

When I thought about this, I was initially grateful that I'm not one of those finger flippers. 

Then I thought... Maybe that's exactly what I am. Perhaps even worse... maybe I'm the "teaser". I stretch out my hand and right before I get close enough to almost touch, I pull back and tell God to get lost and mind His own business. 

That's... dumb.

To be somebody is longing for God

-above everything else

Longing for God is not longing for an experience

It is longing for a true relationship

It is not about having some knowledge of God

But it is about knowing him

-as a person

-as a friend

-as a confidant

-as a companion

Not to become high on him

But to be conformed to his image

Not to learn more, to increase knowledge

But to love him more

I am somebody when I realise

-I am created to be a God-lover

I am somebody when the very purpose of my life

-is to love God

I am somebody when I am longing for God

-only because of love.

Ah, I don't know... this is one of those times when I have a thought... and when I try to write it down, it becomes a confusing pile of... shtuff.

That's all.

Blah blah blah

Seeeeeee, people talk too much!

Seriously.

I mean, there is a good type of talking, which is what's been happening as well, where people share their testimonies and share about their lives and tell others what Jesus has done in their lives.

But then there is the if-anyone-tells-me-this-crap-one-more-time-I'm-gonna-shoot-myself type of talking, which... well, makes me want to shoot myself in the face.

It's the one where people are constantly saying that things are wrong in their lives and they really ought to change something, start praying more, reading the Bible more, discipline themselves more, get up earlier, go to bed earlier, do their school stuff or work stuff on time, blah blah blah - and then they keep on living the way they are living. To me it all starts to sound like blah blah blah after like the 3rd or so time the same person tells me the same story.

Then I no longer feel bad for them, then I no longer give them loving advice, then I just say - get over yourself and start doing stuff.

I still love them though.

My first ever blog post (from 10th March 2008) :D

Questions that only God can answer!

How old was Adam when he was created? Was he a baby and started to grow or was he a man straight away?

How old was Eve? Did Adam wait until she became a woman, or did God make it so that they wouldn't have to wait?

What language did God, Adam, Eve and the serpent use?

Where did polar bears and penguins live if the Garden of Eden was warm?

If animals lived in peace and there was no killing, how did lions, etc, who now eat other animals, manage their digestion?

If there was no killing, where did God get the garments of skin to cover up Adam and Eve?

What would life be like now, if Eve had stood up to the serpent?

a lack of love

Dear fellow-Christian, if you talk about gays and say they are gross or freaks and they should shoot themselves, burn themselves, hang themselves or kill themselves in other ways - shame on you. 

Dear fellow-Christian, if you gossip behind your church mates and say bad things behind their backs, at the same time perhaps pretending to smile and wishing blessings to that same person - shame on you. 

Dear fellow-Christian, if you serve God only on Sundays and yes, sometimes during the week at home groups, youth events, prayer events or other holy events, but at other times you get drunk, smoke, chase after girls or boys, sleep around, curse or just don't care about any of it, and on the holy days you put your holy face on and pray and feel bad for all the sinners who live such terrible lives compared to you, but who actually live the same life as you, except they don't come to church... Shame on you. 

Dear fellow-Christian, if you ignore Jesus's greatest command - to love each other - shame on you. 

Did Jesus tell us to love everyone, except if they are homosexual, or politicians, non-Christians, bad Christians, the wrong nationality, gender or race, wrong profession, poor, too rich or just different from you? Nope. 

Jesus said (John 13:34): "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Jesus said  (Matthew 22:37-39): “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Jesus said (Matthew 5:22): But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell."

Jesus said (John 13:35): "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The Bible says (1 John 4:19): "We love because he first loved us."

And finally the Bible says (Micah 6:8): "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Jesus has shown us what is good. People, it seems, are just a little bit daft.