Sacred Ponders of the Heart

Emotional Challenges in Trying Times

2011-08-12T14:38:00.002-06:00

We are in trying times. Emotional challenges in trying times can look very different than when in non-trying times. When stressed, one tends to have more awareness of the world around them and less awareness of their own inability to handle that world. So the best time to develop a strategy for handling emotional challenges is when the atmosphere is calm and peaceful. It is not the best strategy to attempt long term solutions when the air is peaked with testy testosterone or feisty estrogen. Sometimes, trying times and emotional challenges can lead us to challenge the tenets of our faith.

Faith challenges often take us to the core of our beliefs. These challenges can affect our emotional health and vice versa. What you believe affects how you behave. A popular psychologist, Albert Ellis, developed Rational Emotive Belief Therapy (REBT) in the mid-1950's. His basic premise was that it is your belief about life and things that causes you to have internal discord. Without going too deeply into a discourse about REBT, which is not the purpose of this discussion, it is important to note that Ellis (1959) determined that individuals have the capacity to change their outcomes by changing their beliefs about a situation. A theologian, Dr. Paul Carlin (1997) coined his intervention, Belief Therapy and the Therapon Institute to treat disorders related to what people believe. Dr. Carlin believes that "people do what they do because they believe what they believe." He admits that his Belief Therapy is based on Ellis' REBT concepts yet integrates the value of scripture.

So why a discourse on beliefs? Beliefs impact and directly influence our emotional selves. What we believe about ourselves directly impacts how we feel about ourselves. If we believe that we will get through a difficult situation because we are strong, capable individuals, then we will get through it. Yet, if we believe that we are incapable of handling anything, we will have anxiety about getting through a difficult time. Inherently, our internal self-talk motivates our outward behaviors. Who we are on the inside dictates our outward appearance. Have you heard it said, "you are what you eat?" In other words, adolescents who eat high fat diets can have a higher incidence of acne. If you eat too much food in general, you will gain weight beyond your ability to carry that weight. It is the same way with what you believe. If you believe that you are ugly, you act in ugly ways either in attitudes, or in the way that you dress. So how does one change what they believe? It is important to look at truth. For Christians, our source of truth, is the Scriptures. We find out who we are by looking at God's Word. We know who we are by reading the words written to us by a loving, Heavenly Father. Words that state that we are "fearly and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139.14) and that nothing can separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). If I believe that I am wonderfully made, then I can believe that I am special. If I can believe that nothing can separate me from the love of God, then I can be securely attached to God knowing that nothing I do can separate me from His love. These are truths that can be anchors when in emotional turmoil. Beliefs are not only about spiritual things. Beliefs are about everything that we hold to be true. They are about the world that we know. Individuals often get shaky when their political beliefs are challenged. Some individuals cannot handle having their beliefs under a microscope. Their belief system is so entrenched that for anyone to begin to look at what they believe is interpreted as an attack against their person hood. Yet, for growth to take place, one MUST look at their belief structure. It is important to understand whether or not you can allow others to have their beliefs without challenging your own beliefs and vice versa. Accepting another individuals beliefs does not mean that you have to embrace them, it just means that you've come to understand them. There is wisdom in understanding. Much of the conflict in today's world is based in the inability to understand one another.

So how do we get to a place of peace and calm in the midst of such a tumultuous time? The first act that we can make is to acknowledge that faith in an unseen God is a choice. Secondly, personal beliefs are just that, personal beliefs. The restructuring of belief is something that is done not through brow beating, bullying, forcefully demanding one's own way, or by ramming of ideology down one's throat, it is accomplished through loving discourse, acceptance and acknowledgement that the other person sitting in front of you is of value and worth. If they want to change their beliefs, they will let you know. If they don't, they will also let you know. Respect acknowledges the difference. Personal peace and calm comes from knowing the truth... for a Christian, that means reading God's Word, memorizing what it says about you, and applying it to your life. There is truth in many walks of life... we can learn from one another if we are willing.

With that... I lovingly take my leave....
Ramy

The End of a Decade - 2009, The Pruning Process

2010-01-02T00:51:00.005-07:00

It amazes me how fast time seems to fly past me. It also seems to be only yesterday that we moved from Nashville to Denver, yet it has been over a year. This year was not as easy as I wish it could have been. Dad fell ill in late May and after four weeks in ICU and multiple infections, went home to be with the Lord Jesus. A short 12 days later, his brother-in-law, my uncle, also passed from this life to the next. Shortly after that death, my dad's other brother-in-law passed away. Only 11 weeks total from the time Dad breathed his last. So my cousins and I have all endured significant life change, learning to live life without our fathers.

My dad considered so many different aspects of life, but in the last six years continued to decline. He was a generous man, yet conservative in almost all of life. After all, my mother and he were married just short of 57 years.

Before coming to Denver, we had to leave our apartment as well as our house in 2008. These changes were not easy for my children to walk through. I am still struggling with some of the ramifications of why we lost our houses, yet I know that each life challenge brings growth rings to our existence.

Have you ever looked at a tree when you cut it down? Each year, a ring grows around the trunk of the tree. Smaller rings represent lean years, and thick rings represent lush years. Now, I am one who doesn't really aspire to be a tree trunk, but the lesson of the tree I do understand, mainly that there are seasons in one's prosperity. There are years where there is a lot of pruning of overgrowth, or pruning of dead wood. Skilled pruners only prune during the late fall or early spring before the growing season begins. I believe these observations can be applied to the dead areas of our life that are not producing fruit. Every time a tree is pruned correctly, it produces a greater harvest not necessarily the very next year, but the year following. It obviously takes time to recover from the seasons of severe pruning.

Many Christians seem to think that every day of every part of their life should be a happy one, especially because we know that Christ lives within us. Yet, I truly believe that Christ wants to perfect in us true character that is free from dead wood. I think that it is important to welcome the pruning years. Without them, we would be living trees that are vulnerable to limb breakage, overcrowding, and non-productivity. This doesn't mean that the Gardener (Christ) abandons us in the midst of our pruning; rather, He watches carefully to make sure that the cuts are clean, appropriately placed and sealed so disease cannot permeate our being. In this way, the Lord Jesus skillfully and gently brings us forward in our unique placement in and amongst a very human society. There are attitudes, belief systems, and actions that all affect our ability to be light in dark places. When we submit to the skillful Gardener's hands, we, in essence, agree to the pruning process. If we agree to this process, we cannot then complain about it as we willfully agreed to be pruned. The hope is that by ridding our lives of negative attitudes, destructive beliefs, and reactions, we become bright, effectual life changers.

Therefore, when death knocks at your door or at the doors of your loved ones, be willing to look at the places that grief has a tendency to expose that are in need of pruning. Take the opportunity to consider where you have traveled, where you are traveling now and where you want to travel in the future. Your success depends on complete submission to the process of getting rid of the undesirable, yet instilling desirable qualities. As we walk forward into 2010, it is important to consider what goals are worthy of pursuing, how to develop the weak areas of our characters, so that they become strengths, and to take the time to renew our minds.

All in all, it is a good place to be... humble, honest, and honorable. Pruning teaches us to persevere, to produce, and to prepare ourselves for the greatest harvests of our lifetimes. I look forward to what the Lord Jesus Christ will produce in me. How about you?

Take care and have a safe New Year!

With Love,
RamyB

(C) 2009, Ramy Bakke, Bakke Music Group

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2009-07-04T02:16:00.001-06:00

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Valley of Regret

2009-03-29T12:36:00.006-06:00

By Ramy A. Bakke, MMFT

"You don't want to squander your wonderful life, to waste your precious life among the hardhearted. Why should you allow strangers to take advantage of you? Why be exploited by those who care nothing for you? You don't want to end your life full of regrets, nothing but sin and bones, Saying, 'Oh, why didn't I do what they told me? Why did I reject a disciplined life? Why didn't I listen to my mentors, or take my teachers seriously? My life is ruined! I haven't one blessed thing to show for my life!' " (Proverbs 5:7-14, The Message, Used with permission)

Have you ever been through a season in your life when things just didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to? Have you regretted things you’ve said? Or done? Have you wished you could do it all over again with the perspective that you’ve gained from being on the other side of the season? I have. I bet you have too.

When we are challenged in the seasons of life with either job loss, loss of health, loss of friends, loss of finances, loss of family members, for some reason or another, we often become highly introspective. This is normal. It is part of the grieving process involved in getting through the losses. Introspection, also called, reflection, can be very healthy if we allow ourselves to be changed through the process. It is when we stay on the merry-go-round and continue to repeat the same eternal life lessons that we fail to achieve what the season has taught us. Then the question is, is our reflection or introspection muddied by some other factor? Are there things that keep us from seeing clearly what it is that we are supposed to see or change? All of these questions can have answers that are highly explainable. It is what we do with these answers that makes the difference between future success and future demise. Every single one of us, if we are honest, has had a season or seasons of loss where we are not as productive as we could have been. Is this a negative in our overall outlook? It depends on our perspective. The most important perspective is God’s perspective. Too often, we get caught up in what others think of us as to whether or not we are successful. But, in the end, this is counterproductive.

It matters not what others think of us, but what our Creator thinks of us. In the Proverb above, the writer says to the listener, “why be exploited by those who care nothing for you...do you want to end your life full of regrets… why didn’t I do what they told me?... why didn’t I listen to my mentors?” The writer is squealing both about those around him who care nothing for him, and for the fact that he didn’t listen to his mentors. He went through a season regretting his life for his mistakes and for those around him who he cared about, but who exploited him. This is where the tendency to lose perspective can overtake a man or woman who is lost in the season of low productivity and loss. You can hear the pain in the writer’s voice about those around him who exploited him. He regrets allowing himself to be exploited. You can hear the pain in his voice when he regrets not listening to those who were placed in his life to teach him and lead him. Yet, he has a choice. He can stay in the place called, “regret,” or he can pick himself up and move beyond it towards a new season of growth and productivity. He can practice self-reflection and learn from his mistakes, thereby, getting off the merry-go-round of un-productivity, or he can choose to stay in the place of regret and repeat the cycle of loss.

Either way, His Creator will love Him until He can make the right choices. What kind of love is this that allows us to learn from just such a season? It is the same kind of love that allows us to learn from our choices and to own our part in the consequences of choice. There are many lately who want to legislate choice for others. There are many moral reasons to legislate choices, such as: “Should the drinking age be lowered to 18?” “Should we allow credit card companies to set their own interest rates?” “Should we allow women to be in control of their own bodies?” Many of these questions are hotly debated choices, yet, in the end, we are all responsible for our own choices and the consequences of our choices. We are responsible for how we treat others; for how we love one another; for how we accept one another; for how we live with one another, etc. It is important that we know for certain that our choices are going to be choices we can live with, so life will not be full of regret. For to live in the valley of regret is to live in the valley of loss which is not a happy place to be.

So whether you are in a season of great loss (which many in the nation are) or in a season of rebuilding, or in a season of great success, it is important to practice healthy introspection/ reflection. Evaluate where you are, where you have been and where you are going. Remember that where you have been does not have to dictate where you are going, but it can teach you the important lessons that will help you have a more productive future. Accept the losses as lessons and move forward into life as an active learner. But most of all, know that your Heavenly Father, the Creator of your soul is not angry with you, nor impatient with your learning process. He is with you and nearest to you even in the humblest of times. He believes in you and will cheer you on. Even if you feel no one is with you, He is with you and will never forsake you! And know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are loved… so I invite you to move out of the valley of regret into a place of healthy reflection where you can learn to move into your future with acceptance and grace!

RamyB

© 2009, RamyB, Bakke Music Group

Unexpected Delays

2008-12-23T12:40:00.005-07:00

In Denver, Colorado, on December 20, 2008, around 6:18 p.m., a Continental Airlines jet aborted takeoff for some unknown reason and experienced an accident which caused the airliner to come off the runway and descend down a ravine (click on the title above and you can read the Denver Post article). It consequently came apart and caught on fire. 34 people were injured, but there were no deaths. This was for all involved an unexpected delay in the journey we call life. I am certain the families of those involved were all extremely alarmed, yet thankful that there was no loss of life in this tragic airline accident.

What this accident is exemplary of is the reality that unexpected events happen to us. How we respond to these events is what determines our character. If we respond with a lot of anger, disgust and bitterness towards those who have caused the delay, we may not understand what we were saved from. Perhaps, by being delayed at the beginning of the Continental Airlines flight, those on the flight were saved from being killed all together if the flight were to have taken off and crashed in route. We just don't know what would have happened. We only know that the pilot in his wisdom aborted the takeoff. He obviously saw something that wasn't right.

I was changing a switch fixture the other day and the wiring didn't look right. It had been there for 50 years in my parent's house. I told my parents that I felt safer if a hired electrician came and took a look at the switch housing and investigated the wiring. So they asked a friend of theirs, a retired electrician to come and look at the wiring. They were delayed in getting the switched fixed, but when the electrician came, he had to rewire the entire box as it had completely shorted out and had been on fire at some time, but the fire had gone out. Thankfully, my parents had been saved from any damage to their house. Sometimes, delays cause us to look more intensively into a problem in order to find the source of a deeper problem in order to fix whatever is wrong.

There are lots of things that happen to us that we cannot explain. Red lights or construction on the roadway often cause people to get angry because they are kept from getting to their destination. Instead of getting angry there is other responses that are possible. One could choose to take a moment to rest, to breathe, to realize that not all delays are meant to be impediments. Sometimes delays are moments forced upon us to cause us to rethink our direction. Sometimes delays are placed to keep us from accidents that would take our lives.

Sometimes delays are forced upon us because we are too hard headed to rest otherwise. Unexpected delays are not necessarily bad events. It is how we response to delay that proves who our character. This Christmas season, there may be many opportunities to experience delay, perhaps a crowded checkout line, a busy highway, a long travel line, etc., we have the perfect opportunity to display the true Spirit of Christmas and make a choice to respond rightly to the unexpected delays that are presented to us.

It is my prayer that the unconditional love of Christ Jesus be made known to you during this season and no matter what happens in your day to day lives, that you discover the true peace that comes with knowing a love that is deep and far and wide and fully capable of carrying you through any delay, any unexpected happening that may upset your life. May each delay cause you to see an opportunity to rest and take a second look at your direction and know that you have someone who wants your best helping you get to your destination safely.

With love and compassion,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

RamyB

Sometimes Life Happens

2008-01-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever encountered a day where life seems to just happen to you in a way that completely disrupts your routine and re-routes your life forever? Perhaps you have encountered many of those days. I am certain that many soldiers can understand what it is like to encounter disruption when they lose a limb or are injured by bombs. Many civilians are also caught unaware by disruptions such as drunk drivers, car accidents, deer standing in the road, car bombs, doctors telling them they have cancer, etc.

These life changing moments can be overwhelming at times, but God has built into our bodies a mechanism to enable us to overcome these moments. It is a tiny little part of our brain called the amygdala which kicks into overdrive during these times of crisis. It takes over for the conscious mind and runs the body helping us to cope during crisis until the conscious mind can handle coming to the surface again. It constantly amazes me the more I study the human body how uniquely we are all formed. We are created to withstand incredible amounts of stress, yet there is a limit to the amount the human body can withstand before it starts to break down.

I often wonder if catastrophic life events aren't reminders to us to slow down. I am not saying that they are God ordained, I am saying that things happen sometimes for a reason. I believe that God knows everything that is going to happen in the universe and I believe that He knows how to help us through these events. Some of us get so caught up in our every day affairs that we forget to take the time to get quiet before our Maker, to listen for His still small, yet large voice. Sometimes, I believe that we get sick because we are not taking the Sabbath day off to rest like we are supposed to as God designed the Sabbath day to be. Instead we are using that day to go bike riding, playing golf, hiking mountains, etc. In the scripture, it states that on the 7th day, God rested from creating the world. This is the prototype for all creation. We are encouraged to rest from creating... from working, from doing. Many of us grew up in families where we were made to feel guilty for resting... well, today, I'm going to give you permission to rest. I'm going to give you permission to not feel guilty for taking care of your body. You might say, "who am I that I can give you permission?"... my answer is that "I am a child of God, just as you are a child of God... and I release you from the guilt and shame that anyone has put on you that is not from God, and I release you to be who you are as His child because that is what His word releases me to do as His child."

Now, I know that people from all over the world read this blog... so I hope that you can understand that I care for you, each and every one of you. I am saddened by the events in Pakistan especially, and I pray for my friends and readers in Pakistan. I pray for peace and tranquility to come to your door. Most of all, I pray for peace and rest. May the God of the Heavens and the earth give you peace and rest in Christ Jesus! Amen and amen!

RamyB

Happy 36th Birthday

2007-11-25T15:40:00.001-07:00

Happy 36th Birthday

Jeannette!!

November 25, 2007

I pray the Angels are celebrating your day with you! I miss you… I find it hard to believe that you are gone, never to walk on this earth, in this plane again. At least you are free, whole and out of pain. I wish more people could have understood you.

I wish more could have understood your pain and suffering and welcomed you with more grace. I know it was not easy to live and survive through the pain that you endured. But you did… each day you got up and each day you lived as best you could with the tools and grace you received from Father God.

I had such hopes for you. I had hoped that you could have overcome some of your addictions and enjoyed complete freedom from illness. I had hoped that you could have found a husband to love you and been able to have children. I suppose that the Lord Jesus was more interested in bringing you home to be your husband. You are now a perfect bride: the bride of Christ. We are all destined to be His bride. You just beat us to the punch. I applaud you at finishing your race. I know you are surprised at being in Heaven now.

I wish for us that we could have learned to love you better… to understand how to care for you better. Yet, in the time that you were here, we learned a lot about how to love a severely broken individual. You taught us a lot about how to listen, how to stretch our hearts to embrace that which we did not understand. You taught me how to see beyond my earthly limits. Father put you here to teach me many things… I only wish that you did not have to suffer the rejection of those who did not understand you. Now you get to run with the angels… enjoy the presence of the King of Kings my dear daughter… give Him a huge hug and kiss for me! I love you and miss you much! You will get to spend Jesus’ Birthday with Him… amazing! What a celebration that will be… know that we all miss you and love you!

Love, Miss Ramy

A Father's Love Letter

2007-09-27T11:38:00.000-06:00

My friends...

I have a special letter that I want you to read, please go to this link http://fathersloveletter.com/English/FLL8.5x11ColorPoster.pdf, and read about your Heavenly Father's love for you. He desires that you know and understand that love is more important than hate; more important than war; more important than winning... more important than divorcing your spouse. Perhaps you are warring considerable discouragement today. My pastor, Reba Rambo McGuire, would tell you that to be discouraged means that you have dissed your courage. So get back up and walk with courage. Perhaps you are angry about someone's offense toward you, make an effort to mend the wrong. Yes, I'm asking you to go to the person and try to make it right. Perhaps it will be you who is the bigger person (D. McGuire, 2007). You are more precious than gold to your creator. It is not in His design that we destroy each other on this earth with our ideologies, our political views, our religious zealousies... it is His desire that you see how much He loves you and that He has made provision for you. He has not counted your sins against you. He has paid for them already in His son, Jesus.

The scripture says that even the earth groans for the revelation of God's glory in the earth... we have the capacity to shine with His glory when we love each other and love each other deeply from the heart. He is love. Do something kind today for someone else. Love them without expecting anything in return. Give to others without expecting a return. Then, your Father in Heaven will see your behavior. He will see the love that you have and He will fill you to overflowing with love and blessings. So be encouraged today! Lift up your chins! Smile even though it hurts because your Father in Heaven has not missed that you are hurting and help is on the way. He is nearest the broken hearted. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you! (James 4:8 NIV) Today is your day for breakthrough, I sense it.

RamyB

This letter is courtesy of Father Heart Communications Copyright 1996-2005 www.fathersloveletter.com

The Ruminate: The Week's News

2007-09-11T23:47:00.000-06:00

The Ruminate: The Week's News

The Heroic Age

2007-09-11T23:45:00.000-06:00

This blog is written by a former classmate of mine, Larry Swain. I am posting it for your information and resource. He has done a lot of research that is useful and particularly interesting. The Ruminate is also his blog! So happy reading!

RamyB

The Sun is Up

2007-09-07T05:14:00.000-06:00

Amazing... the night has gone, a new day has dawned. Today is a fresh new day. There are fresh, new, exciting horizons waiting to be explored. It is all about perspective. 6:26 A.M. Central time... kittens are stirring, the dogs are snoring and my teenagers are snuggled in their cozy little beds. Not for long, I think. I ponder the ability to sit and enjoy the quiet (except for the road noise in front of the house). It was quiet a few hours ago.

Pastor talked this last Wednesday about taking the opportunity to make each day a day to rejoice by choosing to rejoice. There is so much truth in this simple statement. Joy by choice. Perhaps it should be stated, "joy by re-choice," for as you know the minute you choose to be joyful, the test will come to steal away your joy.

Today, just for today... make an effort to have joy by choice. For you have a Father up in the Heavens who loves you compassionately, dearly and completely... He is a good God. He desires good things for you and certainly today, IN today, He can help you find joy!

"For this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 NIV I guess that means it takes both of us to be joyful... you and I are in this together!

My Best....

RamyB

New Links

2007-08-29T17:30:00.000-06:00

As you can see, the look of Sacred Ponders is changing. I am making available to you links to some of my favorite merchants. I love to sail, so there is an abundance of marine merchandise available. West Marine does business with several countries around the world, so I hope it can help many of you who have needs and want to buy product for a good price.

Little by little, I will add more links as I find merchants that I like who I want to share with you. When you buy from these merchants you help me do what I do and you help me minister to people who cannot afford to receive ministry or counseling. So I appreciate your patronage.

Blessings to you,

RamyB

My Jeremiah... My Friend... What He Taught Me About the Kind of Parent I Am

2007-08-28T20:04:00.000-06:00

Many people find solace in furry friends. I tend to rescue these furry critters. I am richly blessed with quite a few. One of these lovely creatures snuck into a very deep place of my heart. I rescued him almost four years ago. When I found him, he was a four week old kitten with his four siblings. He had been abandoned by his mother in an apartment complex.

The kittens had to be bottle fed. Four of them died from complications of immature lungs and pneumonia. Jeremiah was the only one to survive. He would hold his bottle with his paws. He would sleep with me and wrap his paws around my neck. He bonded with me. I became his mother. His keeper.

Later, as he grew, he became one of my greatest comforting companions. He would sit with me. He had to have his time with me and would compete with the other animals to sit with me. He would sit on my chest and wrap his arms around my neck, snuggling his nose into my neck. There were times when he would hug my arm with his paws... squeezing my arm tightly between his paws. He would stay with me if I was sick almost guarding me from any intruder.

Jeremiah was bitten earlier this year by a snake and got an abcess in his rear end. I helped him by cleaning the wound and then took him to the vet. I was the only one he would let near him. He was so thankful that I cleaned his wound that he would sit on my shoulder at night and snuggle his nose into my neck. He had to be with me. We had this connection... it was a special connection. I believe God gave him to me at a time when I needed a special furry friend.

On August 1st of this year, he went missing. We live on two acres in a rural town. There are woods behind my house. Sometimes, there are coyotes who run in the woods. Sometimes there are mountain lions. I don't know what happened, but today, we found my little friend's body on my front lawn. It was so very hard to find him. My dogs have a habit of finding road kill and bringing it up onto the lawn, so I went outside with my oldest son to see what the dogs had brought onto the lawn, but when we went to bag the animal, we realized it was my special friend. Gosh it was sad. So very sad. We immediately took him to bury him in the back yard.

Someone sent me a link today about a Lion's Kiss. It was a segment about a lion who had bonded with his keeper. His keeper had rescued him and taken care of him. Animals respond to love much in the same way that humans respond to love. Love and kindness goes a long way in reaching both animal kingdom and humanity. I have learned so much in taking care of these helpless animals. They are dependent on us to take care of them until they are well enough to get up and run on their own. Then once they are able to run, they want to run independent of us. Although they want to be independent, they are still greatly connected to us and want to be reminded of how much we love them. It is important that we remind them that we love them.

It is the same way with children. When they are infants, they are extremely dependent on us for all of their needs. As they grow, they are developing a level of independence (if we allow them to develop independence). As they reach adolescence, they start to reach for the edge of the nest looking back often to see if Mom and Dad are still there to love them should they fall when they fall out of the nest. Adolescents need a lot of encouragement to not only remain independent, but to also know that they are loved unconditionally, even if they fail.

It is not easy to love a teen who is testing the boundaries of love, yet it is part of their growing up process. Teenagers are learning to identify who they are as they test, argue, debate and challenge. In a loving environment, they can learn to ask questions within a framework that is accepting of these challenges.

I didn't like it when Jeremiah wanted to go out to hunt at night, but I always knew he would come back by morning. This time, he didn't come back. We can't always control what happens in life, but we can control our responses to the things that come our way. We can control our reactions to the challenges. When our teenagers are challenging us as parents, we have a choice. We can look at their challenge as an opposition to our way of doing things, or we can look at what it is they are trying to learn about themselves. Often, the challenge is simply an illustration of the teenagers feeling of being overwhelmed by the demands of this life, or our demands. By simplifying our demands, we can often alleviate the challenges to our way of doing things.

As a Ph.D. learner, I will probably always study the characteristics of how animals relate to us and how children relate to us, as well as how we relate to each other, but I hope in the end, I learn more about the love that occurs when we accept each other fully, love each other fully and look for the reasons as to why we challenge each other.

Christ calls us to love everyone unconditionally with an equal amount of love. It doesn't say anywhere in the scripture (that I can find) that we are to select those who are the best ones to help us get up in the world. It only calls us to love those who are brought across our path. I believe the scripture states very clearly that we are to love those who hate us (Matthew 5:43-47). "If we love those who love us, what reward will you get?"(46a) The scripture puts forth the challenge to us to love our enemies. Love those who may not act exactly as we want them to, think like we want them to, do like we want them to, like us like we want them to, or believe like we want them to. True Christianity means not putting self at the center of your focus, but Christ at the center of your focus. It means putting love as your aim. The goal is to learn to love... and to love all!!

Well, I am getting off my soap box now. I believe that being a good keeper, a good parent, a good friend, a good lover, a good Christian, means that I am willing to love unconditionally, to think the best, to believe in the best, to accept the people who are put in my path (even if they are negative), to love these people to the best of my ability and to care for those for whom I have been given charge. When I am selfless, I can get a good picture of who Christ is within me. If I am focused solely on what my destiny is about, then I am focused too much on me and not enough on Christ and what His goals are. When I stop looking at self and start gazing on the King of Kings, then all those who are entrusted to me become beautiful even with all of their flaws... I can see glory flowing through the cracks because God shines in them. Even the animals have God's Spirit flowing in their veins. He is the beginning of all and the ending of all.

We are called to love first... if we spend our time loving, we will end up having fulfilled our destiny and at the end of our lives, we can look back and say that we reached the goal.

With love,

RamyB

How Do I Get Through the Death of a Love One?

2007-06-15T14:14:00.000-06:00

The answer to this question, is simply... moment by moment. When your loved one knows the Lord Jesus, there is the renewed hope that your loved one has passed on into eternity and is living with Jesus, the angels and others who have already passed to the other side. There is no one who can really tell you the right words... in fact, sometimes, what you will really need is the presence of trusted loved ones for days, months and even years after your loved one has made their transition from this life to the next.

It is HARD to be left behind. No one can really imagine just how hard it is. It is something you have to walk through. Thankfully, Father God created our brains in such a way as to help us through these significantly traumatic times. Our emotional brain, the amygdala, will bypass the cognitive brain temporarily and run on autopilot in an effort to help your body get through the amazing stress. Then as days go by, little by little, your emotions come alive again. You cease being numb and the reality of the absence of this precious life hits you. These are times when you must not go it alone. You must take the time to call someone who can get you through these days.

Be especially kind to yourself... take hot baths, hire a maid, take walks, sit in silence with best friends and enjoy one another's company. Draw from around you the strength that others have to present to you. It is okay for men to cry. Grieve and grieve fully. Don't let anyone tell you that you have to get through it and move on. Sowing a trusted loved one into heaven is the toughest kind of seed you can sow. It is precious seed.

Know that you will get through this time. You will learn to breathe again. You will be able to sing songs again. Right now, the pain is very real... and there is no need to hide it. If you have to, take some time off of work, or switch to a job where you don't have to interact with people, so you can grieve while you work. Ask co-workers to allow you the space to grieve. Believe in yourself.

You are also precious. If you get depressed and cannot get up out of the depression, see a doctor who can help you. Talk to someone... get help. Call a crisis line. There are people out there who have walked through the very same things you are walking through. Join a grief recovery group. Share your story and be present for someone else walking through the loss of a loved one. Together, you will journey on towards wholeness and you will have gained a new friend.

Just know that I understand how tender and raw you might be right now and I believe that Father God is especially close to those who are broken hearted. Reach up, open your arms and allow Him to flood you with His comforting peace. For you will.... find peace.

Be kind to yourself dear ones... you can get through this time. Believe... have hope... you will see your loved one again when we all pass from this world into the next in eternity.

With love,
RamyB

Believe

2007-06-05T00:55:00.001-06:00

Sometimes there are times in life when we are tempted in life to believe or not believe in times of crisis. These critical moments challenge our very make up. We wonder if we ever really knew ourselves or if an alien had picked us up and reformed us on some strange unknown planet. Yet, deep down, when we listen quietly, we hear the truth about what we are really made of. Sometimes that truth is not easy to face, but there is, in the end, always... ALWAYS... someone who will love us. That someone is our Creator. Even if all of the created world has walked out on us, our creator... Father God, Himself, walks in and welcomes us home.

To believe means to ascribe to a tenent, or a belief, or a statement of idealogical thought about how we want to live our lives. One of the beliefs that I have no problem believing in is the FACT that I am a created being who is fearfully and wonderfully made. I also have no problem believing that my Creator has my "Best Interests" in His mind. Why do I think that? For this simple reason... an investor would not create his best creation for the junk pile. An investor would create his best creation for great things. With Father God, we are ALL His BEST creations. He deems us all His BEST INTERESTS... and He invests in us... His own Son, Christ Jesus, the Anointed One.

The New Testament states that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you will be saved... in other words, you receive what Jesus Christ did for you by taking your place and paying for all of your bad deeds. But, it is better than that... He wants to love you. He wants a love relationship with you. He wants to instill His dreams, His hopes and His desires into your heart.

So... take the time to believe...

RamyB

Even Though The Storm Rages... He Is In The Eye of the Storm

2007-04-24T23:18:00.000-06:00

If anyone has ever been through a difficult storm such as a hurricane, a tornado, a blinding blizzard, they know that in the middle of the storm there is often a place of peace or a moment of calm before the storm begins to rage again. In a hurricane, it is called the eye of the storm. Even in blinding blizzards, there is often a lull and then another wave of storm.

It amazes me at times how nature gives way to humanity almost as if we need a breather, a chance to catch our breath. I believe it is God's way of speaking to us, letting us know that He is there, even in the fiercest of circumstances. He is there to help us through.

I can think of many storms in my life where I didn't think I was going to make it through to the other side of the storm. I remember driving through a horrific, blinding blizzard. It was like driving with roller skates on sheer ice. It took us five hours to travel 100 miles. Normally, it would have taken 90 minutes, but the storm was so bad that everyone was travelling very slowly and we could barely see the car in front of us. There were cars in ditches. We couldn't pull over to the side of the road because we were in the mountains and the nearest town was 100 miles away. Even the tractor trailers were having difficulty with the journey. Yet, I knew, as my roommates slept, that someone bigger than me was travelling with us keeping us all safe.

When we got to the next town which was out of the mountains, there was a lull in the storm, so I drove on through another three hours, finally to the end of the storm. One of my roommates suddenly woke up and asked if I wanted her to drive. I said, "yes." As soon as my body hit the passenger side, I fell into a deep sleep. My roommates said I could not be awakened for the next 500 miles. I had driven us through the most difficult part of the trip... the blinding. They slept through it, but we were not alone. It was the middle of the night, but I, the driver, was not alone. He was there in the eye of the storm. He kept me awake, alert, and safe. I'll never forget it.

There are so many other kinds of storms we experience in life... times when things happen beyond out control, yet He is there with us even if we cannot see His sustaining hand.

Forward Motion on the Journey

2007-04-13T21:59:00.000-06:00

Today, I received word from my professor that I had passed my final clinical for my master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. This has been two years in the waiting. My expression was an elated YIPPEE!!! My children were excited and I laughed as my daughter stated VERY clearly, "Mom, make sure you finish the second master's degree before you start the third one." Of course, this is the first one and I am working on a second one already.

They must really know me. Today is such a momentous day for me. It feels as though I have been let out of the race gate and I have finally crossed the finish line. The race was long and tedious, but well worth the effort. There were hardships along the way; some that I thought would literally crush me... at one point, I critically understood how it felt to have a dearly, loved child taken from me and held in a facility that was unjust and unkind to him. I learned how to advocate for him; how to believe in him; how to visit him and remind him that he truly was and is a son of God and God Himself would act on his behalf. Some of these things I can talk about, some I can not talk about, but it caused me to delay my final clinical. Some of these events caused me to rethink my journey over and over and over again.

The most difficult hardships have pressed me to become a better therapist. Some of the things I walked through prepared me for part of my current practice although I did not see that when I was going through the hardship. There were times when I felt like I was being crushed in a wine press, or an olive press... when every part of my dream was being brought into question and every part of my character was being inspected, but in the end, on the other side of the severe hard pressing life circumstances, there has come a sweet oil that only Christ has been able to bring through me. In the end, the journey deepened my faith like no other.

Hardship is something we do not invite into our lives. In fact, most of us run from hardship, but when hardship comes, it is our perspective and our faith that will get us through to the other side... to the day when the sun begins to shine again. Eventually, the vineyard owner opens the wine press and cleans the olive press. When the pressure eases, the flawed parts of our character are mashed into the pulp of the wine... or the pulp of the oil. Then, the impurities are strained out. Wine and oil have symbolic meanings in Christendom as they both have healing properties. They have been used to represent spiritual things such as the very presence of the Living Christ and the Healing Balm of Gilead and the anointing of the priests.

Even today, red wine contains tannins that kill parasites and oil keeps parasites from moving or entering the skin. There are so many different applications to just these two substances...

Yet, here... in this place, the pressing and the hardship purified my life. I believe it further qualified me for part of my occupation and ministry. It caused me to be much more sensitive to those who are falsely accused. It caused me to understand how a child can go through imprisonment in an unjust system, endure hardship and how God can move to deliver him from it. It caused me to understand the pain that people undergo who endure public humiliation or gossip. It caused me to remember that we are all just flesh and we require the very presence of a very Living God to sustain us. It is by grace that we live and move and have our being.

Then, without our even noticing it... we have moved forward on our journey. We have touched countless lives along the way by our humanity, our faith, our realities, our joys, our sorrows, and our songs. In reality, there are several races we are called to run... how we run those races, no matter how difficult determines our outcome. If we will choose to STAND in faith believing in our Heavenly Father's ability to carry us through; if we choose to WALK through the circumstances; if we choose to FOCUS our eyes on the truth; if we choose to WORSHIP and PRAISE in the midst of something we simply cannot understand even though our emotions are screaming another language, then we will RUN and NOT WAIT and we will FINISH the RACE... and receive the rewards that are intended for us. Some of those rewards are the very relationships that were forged along the way... other rewards we cannot yet see, but at the end of our life we can hope and pray that we have been wine and oil to all those around us and wear a crown fit for kings. And in the midst of the journey, we have sojourned with the Divine Creator of the Universe... and learned more about what LOVE is... becoming LOVE to a world that is desperate for our forward motion.

With love,
RamyB

Safe Harbor

2007-03-14T23:34:00.000-06:00

Oil Painting by John Poon

This painting called, "Safe Harbor" by John Poon, who lives in Wyoming with his wife and five children and family pet, Sven, is one of the best depictions of safe harbor that I have seen in a long while.

The phrase "safe harbor" is used commonly when referring to periods of sanctuary from any storm. That storm can be a physical storm, spiritual storm, emotional storm, verbal storm, etc. There are many applications for the phrase "safe harbor." But safe harbor most often draws me to the place of sanctuary from a physical storm or emotional storm. Every seafarer, airplane traveller, hiker, skiier, family member, etc., knows what it is like to experience a very traumatic physical or emotional storm. There is nothing like the experience of coming into a safe harbor, either, during the storm, or after the storm has passed.

For some people, the storm has torn up every normal piece of surrounding and there is literally no way for someone to catch their bearing. In death, most of the relatives and friends leave a couple of weeks after the funeral and the bereaved one remaining is left to pick up the pieces totally alone. For this person, a trusted friend can choose to become a "safe harbor" for the one who is experiencing loss. It is no understatement to note that in order to be someone else's "safe harbor" you must also be safe yourself. You must have anchored yourself well in the balance of life. As you can see from John Poon's picture, the fisherman tethered his boat to the pier to keep it from floating away. This particular pier looks like it has stone underneath it, that means it is more securely anchored than a floating pier. The fisherman knew which pier to anchor his vessel.

In the midst of a great physical storm, it can be difficult to find the place to securely anchor one's self especially if the storm tore to pieces the house, the church, the family, the marriage, the hillside, or any other part of life that had to go through the tulmult. Yet, there is one sure anchor. In the Psalms, King David wrote his enemies were all around him and war was breaking out in every region around him, he was being slandered and people were bringing false accusations against him, he chose to not be afraid. Why? Because He knew he could trust in the God of his fathers to deliver him. Psalm 27:5For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. (New International Version: Used with permission) King David knew that Father God would hide him in His dwelling (the Temple - which is where God's presence dwells) and the shelter of the tabernacle (which is the place of worship) and during his time of duress even though the storm raged, Father God would give him the highest vantage point on a secure footing, a rock, from which he could see how to defeat his enemies.

Now, in the New Covenant, we know that Father God chooses to live in our Temple (which is our earthly body) by the presence of the Holy Spirit and His son, Jesus Christ, when we dwell together with Him in worship and through worship and by worship. In His presence, we are hidden safely from all harm. Even though physically, there is no physical building around us, worship happens the moment we turn our eyes toward heaven and begin to thank the Creator, Father God for allowing us to have life, breath, limbs, love, bread, children, money, cars, etc. As we move into worship and thanksgiving, we enter the "safe harbor" and become anchored to the rock, which is the Christ, Jesus Christ, who is immovable, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then elevates us to a position above the storm whereby we can see the path out of the wreck that the storm has created.

There are moments... when we are called to enter into worship corporately and become safe harbor for one another. These are the times when it is necessary for the one who is able to carry the one who is broken into the place of worship, just as the one who was too sick to see Jesus was lowered into the place where Jesus was. By being Jesus to others, we become the presence of Christ that shelters others from the storm when they are unable to enter in on their own accord. Together, then, we are able to walk into the very presence of a very loving God, who desires nothing more than to love on His creation and restore them back into fullness of being.

This then is the true meaning of safe harbor. In that place, we all have the capacity to become vehicles of calm and transcendence of God's presence into a broken and torn apart world.

What kind of harbor are you?

With love,

RamyB

Balancing on the Balance Beam of Life

2007-02-14T23:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes these days I feel torn between all of the demands prevailing upon the few hours that I have each day available for personal endeavors. Most of my day is committed to raising my children. Then a greater part of the next segment of my day is spent finishing my clinical for my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. It seems like I don't have any time for anything else, let alone eat, sleep, wash the clothes, walk the dogs, and breathe.

One of the things I am trying to force myself to do is find ten minutes each day to sit on the side of the road and meditate on balancing my life and what that would really look like. I believe that it starts with focusing my strength and energy on worshipping a very living God who loves the Universe, yet, that focus must also have a practical reach in that if I spend all of my time up in the clouds, I will have no earthly value. Yet, if I take what I learn in the clouds and dispense it to those I interact with not so much with my words, but with my actions, then I will definitely have the value that is needed to make a world impact.

It is so easy these days to get things out of balance. But if we are faithful to ourselves and to our Creator, He will help us find the true center that keeps us in balance and in touch with a practical reach. I know that the very next time I start to feel overwhelmed with the things of this life, I will remind myself that I have lost my focus and inevitably lost my effective reach. To this end, the only way to get back into focus is to get back to that ten-minute time slot where I can afford to seek my Father in Heaven and get His perspective... sometimes to be honest, I end up spending more time than ten minutes, but somehow, the rest of the day comes together in a perfect array.

After all, if the Creator of the Universe knew how to create such vast and enormous heavenly creations and create you and I, then how much more can He help us with our every day, mundane lives.

My best to you,
RamyB

An Open Heaven

2007-01-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

Last night there was an amazing moon over my house. I was walking my new puppies (yes, I adopted two more) and I looked up in the cold air and there was the moon surrounded by the most brilliant halo. It was not a narrow halo, but a wide open halo. It was as if I was looking up into heaven itself. It truly was amazing and it left me with such a feeling of grandeur and awe.

I was first awed by the affect of the moon and the presence of the break in the atmosphere making a perfect circle in the sky, just over my house. At church, we've been talking a lot about this being a year of being under an open heaven. The verse is found in Malachi... where it talks about bringing the full tithe into the house and God will open heaven over you.... among other things.

I wonder about so many things that are so far beyond my comprehension, like how the earth keeps spinning on its axis... who keeps it spinning? And who set the planets in orbit around the sun? It is so fascinating...

I walked inside and put my precious Beagle/Dachsund mix puppies back in their crate for the night and pondered as I prepared to go to bed. What would it really be like to be "under an open heaven." Does it mean then that I can ask for anything and get it as long as it is in His will for me? Does it mean then that He will bless all of my endeavors? I think I will spend much more time working on what it really means to be living under what is called an "open heaven."

Sunday morning, I was blessed too with my female cat giving birth to five "healthy" kittens. For the first time, none of them died and I didn't have to teach any of them to nurse. I found it amazing. I keep my eye on them, with a warming pad under their special box... and I feel blessed. In the Old Testament times, the people counted how many sheep they had and how many cows, and llamas... etc., well, I am sure stocking up on dogs and cats. No, I'm not a hoarder. I have always found good homes for the surplus. But while they are in my care, I feel blessed to have had the time with them.

In so many ways, although I don't bring in a lot of money each year, I have all my needs met. I have three, beautiful children. We live in a warm house with running water and we have a car to drive.... so we are blessed. We even have food to eat. I cannot complain. It is all in how I view the world. I can look at all that I have and feel blessed, or I can look at what I don't have and feel deprived. I think I prefer to consider the former.

I know there are people groups in the world who don't have a bed to sleep on and they sleep out on the ground under the stars. I know that there are people groups in the world that don't have clean running water, food to eat, or clothes to wear... and those are the people that I can do whatever I can to share the small amount of wealth that I have. It is not much. Sometimes, it's just giving the guy who has a placard on the corner $5.00, so he can eat dinner, or buy a drink.

Sometimes it is taking the time to notice that someone is down. Sometimes it is taking the time to notice that someone around me is stressed and doing something kind for that individual to make them feel brighter. Those are the times when good things happen. Those are the times when I know I am making a difference.

I think that maybe that is what it might mean to live under an "open heaven" 'cause in that place I am free to bless all who come near. A former pastor use to say that God would give to you what He could get through you... I think that is really true.

What about you? what do you think?

RamyB

A New Year... A New Season... Under Heaven 2007

2006-12-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

For most of the world, January 1st has already come. For those of us in the US, January 1st is still on its way. It is amazing that a year has already passed. There have been soooooo many lessons in the last year. I know that many of these lessons have deeply changed how I perceive my world.

One of the lessons that I have learned during the last year is that there is nothing more valuable than the relationships that I have with my children and that these relationships can be taken in a matter of moments. I have learned to value our interactions. I consider every day how we as a family have interacted that day. I wonder and ponder how we can get better the next day and learn to love each other more. I spend much time praying for my children to become all that they are meant to be. Afterall, in a blink of an eye, they will be adults and having children of their own. Time is but a breath.

Another of the lessons I have learned is to give myself permission to rest. I am often driven to achieve even in the face of my own body telling me, sometimes very loudly, to rest. I don't know where I learned that rest was not ok, but it is something that I am learning to unseat in my life. I am learning that rest is the most essential part of my life. Without rest, my body cannot rejuvenate itself enough to tackle the most important parts of each day. So, I must make an effort to allow myself to rest when my body requires rest. Rest is OK!! It is a necessary part of cell growth and rejuvenation. Too often in the old days of the US (the early 1900's to the World War II days), people were driven by such a heavy work ethic that they did not always allow for rest. If you slept in on Saturdays, you were called lazy. Now, we are learning that the world that we live in is such a stress filled world that the body requires adequate rest in order to survive the pressures and stresses of this world. Each body is unique in its rest needs. My body seems to need more. But then again, I am a caregiver and I am always in the position of giving care to others, especially my special needs children, so I am constantly having to remind myself to take care of "me," so I can adequately take care of others.

As I look towards this new year, I am pressed to consider those relationships around me which are important to me. I am also pressed to keep my eyes focused on the goals that I have laid out in front of me to attain. But most of all, I am pressed to make Jesus Christ, more and more, my King. The more I spend time with Him and consider His voice in my life, the more everything else gets very clearly and cleanly laid out for me. I can get through anything as long as I am deeply connected to my King.

Who knows what 2007 will bring. I am hoping that it will teach me many new things. I am also hoping that it will be a productive year in the lives of my children as well as the lives of those around me. I hope that I can be an instrument of grace in the lives of those I am blessed to touch. That is my life's prayer... three hours to go and a new season is upon us. I hope we all draw closer together and learn to live together in kindness and love.

My best to you,
RamyB

Merry Christmas!!! from Nashville, TN

2006-12-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, it is CHRISTmas Day! Amazing... the gifts are unwrapped, the meals consumed and relatives across the world are gathering to celebrate one of the most important "holy days" (Rambo-McGuire, 2006) of the world. There are families gathering to celebrate together and individuals who are alone all over the world.

As I was logging on to read mail this afternoon, I noticed the headlines of world news. "Ethiopian jets bomb Somalian airport," (Associated Press, Yahoo News, 2006). As I read the news of the day, my heart was bothered by the fact that not all of the world was at peace today. I am so very well aware that there are those in our country and across the world, who do not have all of their needs met. There are those who are homeless, those who don't have anything to eat, or clothes to wear on their bodies. If only more cared to reach out to those who are less fortunate.

There are some people who believe that the poor have no right to blessing during Christmas, yet their attitude is one of essential scrooginess. The writer to the Hebrews in the first Gospel, Matthew, stated Christ's words, "the poor you will always have with you, but me you do not always have." (Matthew 26:11, NIV, used by permission). I am so keenly aware of how blessed I am, in comparison to many who have much less than I do. My children and I are so very blessed this Christmas. I pray for those who are on the streets who have need of blankets, food, clothes, and shelter from the cold. I ponder if there are enough angels to help these often forgotten members of our global community. I am also so keenly aware of Christ's presence today in my life.

Two-thousand, plus years ago, the divine Father made His second imprint on humanity. He overshadowed the Virgin, named Mary, to impregnate her with His seed, Jesus Christ, out of love so that the world might be reconciled to Himself. The first imprint was creating humankind in His own image, with all of the characteristics of the Godhead available to humanity. The second imprint was the gift of love that provided a way for humanity to find its way back to relationship with the divine.

Jesus Christ was born in a humble stable, not in palaces, or castles (McGuire, 2006). He came in a contrary way to what the religious establishment of the day desired. Isn't that so true of most of the religious world today? In many ways, religion seeks to box Christ in, to put parameters on who can and who cannot come into the Kingdom of God. Yet, Christ's work was complete. By becoming man and living a sinless life on earth and by enduring a humiliating experience on a wooden cross, He provided the perfect means by which humanity can come to the Creator of the Universe. Yet, even though He gave His life in such a free way, there are those who desire to put markers on humanity. There are those who wish to exclude individuals from the Kingdom. My question is this: Who has the audacity to raise themselves up to the position of judging humanity's eternal position? That place is reserved for God Himself and Himself alone. It amazes me how many people, in America, in foreign countries, in churches, make choices of hatred towards one another. Even in Christian families, there is often discord around the holidays; discord that often severs blood ties. This ought not be so.

Jesus Christ came that we might live an abundant life... this is often mis-interpreted to mean "abundant provisions." What I believe He really meant was that we would find abundance in His very real presence in our lives. That as we daily seek Him, we will find wisdom to walk out our daily lives and the ability to live in peace with all humanity. This Christmas would not be Christmas if it did not contain the word "Christ." The world would not be the same without this very special, Holy day! (Rambo-McGuire,2006). The name Christ, means "the anointed one," hence, Christmas literally means that this day is a Day of Anointing. It is totally possible to imagine that all who exist on earth could find themselves anointed for peace this day. Anointed for love, anointed for kindness, anointed for reconciliation, anointed for beauty, anointed for abundance, anointed for harmony, and anointed for the healing of their lives. It is also a day for anointing the lonely with companionship.

So this CHRISTmas Day, I challenge you to be aware of what you are being anointed with... is it reconciliation? is it peace? is it love? is it benevolence? I hope that today, you will find more than anything, peace and warmth for your soul.

Merry CHRISTmas!!

With love,
RamyB

Resource:
McGuire, D. (2006) Christmas Eve Sunday morning sermon: live comments. The River at Music City, Nashville, TN. www.theriveratmusiccity.com

Rambo-McGuire, R. (2006) Christmas Eve Sunday morning sermon: live comments. The River at Music City, Nashville, TN. www.theriveratmusiccity.com

Yahoo News (2006) Ethiopian jets bomb somalian airport. www.yahoo.com/news

Christmas Day is Approaching...

2006-12-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

It is amazing that Christmas Day is already five days away. Each year, the commercial establishments start setting up for Christmas in America just before Halloween now. It used to be that they waited a little while before Thanksgiving.

It is my hope that as Christmas Day approaches that the real meaning of Christmas becomes evidently clear to those who believe and celebrate it's true meaning. I also recognize that Hannukah is being celebrated right now as well and today is day eight of that celebration. It is important to celebrate your faith, whatever that faith might be, but to celebrate it. Be diligent in pursuing God in your endeavors. I believe that these seasons bring us closer to Him if we allow Him to draw us near.

In this season of giving, I hope that people will take a moment to relax, to ponder, to realize where they are headed in the new year; take moments to ponder the meaning and value of life... that life in and of itself is sacred. It is worth salvaging, no matter the mess that you are in.

I am hoping you are all filled with hope this season. I know that it is difficult sometimes when loved ones have passed on into eternity because celebrations occur without them, but remember that these loved ones are celebrating with you, just on the other side of the spectrum of what we call life. If you are not filled with hope, call one someone who is and tell them that you need a little of what they have. Ask for hope to be instilled in your heart and it will come to you. For Father freely gives to those who ask of Him. It is His way of giving gifts.

To celebrate Christmas, is to remember that it is about Christ coming to earth to love and save the world... to reconcile humanity back to its creator... this is the real meaning of Christmas. It is the "Christ Mass." I hope in this Christmas season, all those reading here will find themselves at greater peace with themselves and with others because of what Christ did for them... in reconciling the world back to the Father of all mankind.

After all, it's not about commerialism, or who gets the best gifts, it's about loving one another and celebrating each other and knowing that we are together one big community, a big global community called to peace.

With love,
RamyB

Sometimes you have to just stand...

2006-12-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

There are times in life when you are hard pressed on every side. It seems like nothing goes right, and everything you do comes to nought. Those times and seasons seem to be the most unproductive times, yet in reality, they are productive. Yesterday, as I was helping my son clean an area of our home, I pondered how muscles gain strength when pushing against an immovable object. When pushing against the immovable object, the muscle comes up to the point of muscle failure which cause the muscle cells to rebuild new cells and increase its strength (Zickerman & Schley, 2006).

In these hard seasons of life, we are actually gaining strength physically, mentally, and emotionally by learning to get through the season. We learn how to get more frugal (McGuire, 2006). We learn how to be more sensitive to the needs of those around us, etc..

What we do not notice is that the hard season is preparation for the easy season when things are going well. In the hard season, we are forced to get all of our ducks in a row. We are forced to take notice of the little things that we've been overlooking. So there is purpose in these times that get hard in our lives. And sometimes when you've done everything that you know how to do, you just have to stand (Rambo-McGuire, 2006).

Standing teaches you to increase your stamina because standing means that your legs have to work. Standing means you're not under your bed hiding from the hard season. Standing means that you are ready to see the easy season coming. Standing means you've won the fight. Standing means that you're strong. Have you ever watched a knock-down drag out fist fight and the man keeps getting up to stand?? The fighter knows that if he can just get back up, he can get going again. If he can just get back to a standing position, he can fight back the opposition.

So perhaps today is a time when things seem especially hard for you and you are being forced to stand... so stand. Take care of everything you know how to do, and stand. The Father of the Universe is working in unseen ways for your benefit and He will bring about a victory that you could never have thought about. You're a fighter... you have it in you, so get back up again and get on your feet. There isn't anything you can't get through, cause we are here with you... and Father is with you too.

RamyB

Resource:

McGuire, D. (2006) Live Message on 23rd Psalm, December 13, 2006. The River at Music City, Nashville, TN.

Rambo-McGuire, R. (2006) Comments on Live Message on 23rd Psalm, December 13, 2006. The River at Music City, Nashville, TN.

Zickerman & Schley (2006) The Power of 10: The once-a-week slow motion fitness revolution. Retrieved December 15, 2006 from Google books.

Sheltered in Love CD Benefitting Covenant House

2006-12-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

One of my songs, "I Am Here Child" from the Broken To Be A Blessing project, RHR001, on the Ram's Horn Records label, www.ramshornrecords.com was featured on the compilation project just released by Ring of Unity Publishing out of Pennsylvania benefitting Covenant House in Philadelphia, PA. All proceeds benefit Covenant House. For more information, write to at ringofunityproductions@yahoo.com. The cost of the CD is $16.00. There are some great artists on this CD, including Barry Strutt "Mystic Merlin"... and many others. When you buy this compilation project, you are supporting children with every cent. You can also hear my song if you go to this myspace link. I am thankful to Kathy Bonito and Ring of Unity Publishing for the inclusion in this project and I am glad that I can lend my music to benefit some very needy children.

Take a listen,
RamyB

These Are The Love of My Life

2006-12-11T02:51:00.000-07:00

Christmas 2006 - The Lysaker Children, Storm, Soren and Audrey ____________________________________

These three beautiful children are my three. They are the love of my life. There is never a day that they do not amaze me, nor cease to teach me something new about myself as a parent. I am so thankful for them. They have their moments, as I am sure most children do, but these are my great and wonderful, artistic, dramatic, beautiful... gifts. The only gifts I need under the tree are these three. I don't need any other gift. I would love to take them one day to Disney World, or to Epcott Center... and watch their eyes bug out at all of the fun rides and things to do, but I've not been able to do that yet for them. As a single mom, I do all that I can just to make sure we keep a roof over our head. And in that department, I am learning more and more every day what it means to trust an unseen God.

I do all kinds of freelance work. I have to work out of my home as my three have to be schooled at home because of some of their special needs. Hence, I've taken up all kinds of things to do to bring in income. I have done paint jobs, faux paint jobs, performed concerts, taught seminars, teach voice and piano, fixed plumbing, put in lawns, done minor handywoman jobs such as putting knobs and fixtures on kitchen cabinets and walls for the elderly. I have even learned how to fix my car (yes, I can put in my own water pump). I am learning how to do all kinds of things. There are days when I am challenged in my body... those are the days when I get frustrated because I cannot earn like I want to earn. Yet, as my Pastor, Dony McGuire, says, there are times when "God makes you lie down in green pastures... to forces you to rest."

About three years ago, I suffered a severe headache in August 2004, out of the blue. I'd never had a migraine before, nor any other kind of severe headache that put me in the emergency room. But this headache was a kicker and caused me to get nauseated and my face began to contort, so I had to have a friend take me to the emergency room. Twelve hours later, a few pain shots, a lumbar puncture, a CT scan, and a lot of doctors not knowing what had happened, they sent me home. I have been seeing a neurologist for the past two years with them doing all kinds of blood tests, neurological tests, and other tests to determine what is happening to my body. I've had them think I had Multiple Schlerosis, Fibromyalgia, Psychiatric pain, IBS, and all kinds of other maladies. We still don't really know what the real deal is. I just have days when I cannot function at all and have severe headaches and severe body pain. As a singer, I have had difficulty with my throat narrowing (not a good thing)... so they've dilated my throat a couple of times.

Most of my medical issues, I keep from my kids. It is not easy on them because I am their constant. They get way upset when I am not well. Yet, I just keep believing that if I take better care of my body and keep holding on to my faith, I can get through all of this. They did determine that I have a form of narcolepsy which they help me with adding a medication to keep me awake during the daytime. That in and of itself was a lifesaver. I just couldn't figure out why I was falling asleep all the time... LOL... if only it was always that easy.

Tonight has been one of those evenings when I've not been able to do much. I worked hard all day getting a car ready to sell and I've been stripping a piano (yes, my son and I have started restoring pianos too). But tonight, I've had to settle for vegging. That means I have to work harder at trusting God to provide financially. Since I am someone who likes to get things done, I've had to adapt an attitude of grace into my life that accepts the fact that I am not going to get things done as quickly as other people get them done. When I find myself stressed, it is usually because I have found myself letting others pressure me to live by their schedule. I then remember that I have to maintain the schedule that my body and my children's bodies can do. Then the stress disappears.

Having special needs that are not always readily apparent to others is not always an easy to be... but it is the place where my children and I are, so we must exist here. I am learning to allow more joy into our lives and to stop allowing others to beat us up if we don't meet their deadlines. Life is just too short for the crapola. When we discover that each of us is here for a specific purpose, we will then realize that we are each gifted to do a specific thing in the world and in the middle of doing that thing... we will find the grace to do it all without stress and actually find joy in doing it.

The trips to Disney World... well, they will have to wait until I have the ability to take them. I will also have to have three college students to help my kids go on rides as I can't do it all by myself anymore... but that is ok cause I know when the time is right, it will come together. If I am faithful to love others as God puts them in my path, then God will take care of loving me.

I just want to get it right while I'm alive on this earth... that is all... and if I can't get it right with these three... the loves of my life, then I don't have a reason to live on this earth. These three lives are the most important lives of any other lives that I will ever touch, so it is tantamount that I place my focus first on them. The rest of it will all fall into place.

I guess I'm writing this tonight for someone, so just know that if you are facing some difficult challenge... you have it in you to get through it. I have been through so much in my short 45 years... and I am still alive and kicking. So... realize that you are worth it, you have the ability to make it through and then look for the light at the end of the tunnel... and I will be there holding the lantern cheering you on.

Merry Christmas.... from RamyB and my children, The Lysaker Children, Storm, Soren and Audrey

14 Days until Christmas

2006-12-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

How amazing that it is only 14 more days until Christmas Day 2006. I have not even set up one decoration yet in my house. Traditionally though, I have waited until the week before Christmas to set up the season of Christmas and then I tend to let it last all the way through the New Year.

In my Lutheran upbringing, Christmas began with the 1st Sunday of Advent. The calendar came out, the candles were lit, the devotionals read, and there was the constant reminder that Jesus, the Christ, had come to earth to save mankind from sin. It was God's free, loving gift to send His son to an unsuspecting world. Yet, the world, at that time could not make room for him. He was left to be born in a stable, pushed out into the cold, amongst the animals and the hay. I find it amazing the parallels between that day, 2000+ years ago, and now. Today, the world still wants to push this day, this Season out the door into the stable outside. I had a friend contact me the other day who works in Philadelphia in a retail mall. She said that people were complaining about the Christmas carols. Amazing... Christmas carols? complaining? America?? What is the problem with Christmas? Is it because it has the word "CHRIST" in the name?

Jesus Christ came out of love to the world... He came humbly. He came without pomp and circumstance. He came without demanding a limo, a top floor penthouse suite, without the best of the best, the finest dinnerware, the best of the wines, the richest of clothes... yet, the world tends to push Him out in the cold. Why?? What did He do? He simply gave His life in our place. He simply chose to give love instead of hatred. He simply chose to quietly endure a beating of a lifetime and be nailed to a cross... why?? so the world can continue to hate Him??

Christmas is about celebrating Jesus' birthday!! It is His birthday!! We celebrate it in so many ways... yet it is about the ultimate gift. The God of all Creation choosing to provide a way back unto Himself... by sending His Son, so we might all live in eternity with Him in total relationship. You don't have to earn it. You don't have to become something you're not. You don't even have to realize your dreams. You simply have to see Him for what He is... He is the most humblest, King of Kings! He is all about loving each other. He is all about restoring the broken hearted. He is all about the God of second chances. He is all about renewing hearts and reconciling a world unto His Father... so why all the hoopla about His birthday?? Is it so offensive that a man so great and so kind and so wonderful would do such a great thing for us? Is it so offensive that He would love every single man, woman and child? Is it so offensive that He is no respecter of persons?

I tell you what... I am playing the Christmas carols very loud in my house this year. I am setting up a wonderful display in celebration of my dear friend, Jesus Christ's, birthday! Yes, He is my friend... and He can be your friend too... that is if you want Him to be. Even if you don't want Him to be, He's still there for you. Why, because He loves you inspite of yourself.

I can't wait for Christmas this year... I can't wait to bake Him the biggest cake and sing Him Happy Birthday! I am so thankful He chose to love me that much. I am so thankful that He chose to come and endure being pushed out by the world, endure being beaten up and nailed to a cross... I am so glad that He chose to rise again to bring my life into a greater realm. I know that I know I am connected to my Creator in Christ.

It is why I feel so strongly about honoring the sacred places of your heart... why??? because HE DOES!!

Time to get out the decorations... time to get the house clean... time to write another verse to my new Christmas song... to my humble, King of Kings... who leads me ever closer to what real love means.

with love,
RamyB

Virginian&Ranchero

2006-12-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

Virginian&Ranchero returns to Tim II's Phanton 309 December 29th and 30th, 2006
Make sure you get out to hear the great new sounds of Virginian & Ranchero. They will play from 8 pm to 12 a.m. at Tim II's Phanton 309, in Fairview, TN 37062, Exit 182 off of Interstate 40, both nights. They have a great sound and you will find them very comfortable in front of an audience. This team of experienced musicians brings both cover and original music that will set your ears on fire. Make sure you get a ticket on the train... it's track time!!

Thanksgiving Eve

2006-11-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks for being my friend!
Little do we know how much our friends mean to us until they aren't there anymore. This picture spoke to me so much about how even those whom you would think are enemies, can and do become friends.

Thanksgiving in America is the celebration of our Freedom to express our faith, our political views, our speech, our relationships... yet with such freedom comes also responsibility. Thanksgiving is also about remembering to be grateful for those around you who continually give into your life and yet go unnoticed, like being grateful for those who continue to manage the electric plant on holidays, so you can have your lights on during your Thanksgiving meal; thankful for those men and women who protect our streets, those medical personnel who work every holiday to keep our hospitals staffed. Thankful for the men and women of the armed forces who fight to maintain our freedom from terror. Thankful for close friends, new friends, so-so friends... thankful for friends at all. I suppose there are those who want no friends and are thankful that they have none. Thankful for those who have maintained the water plant, so we can have fresh water. Thankful for those who have processed our foods, so we can even have a turkey on our table that we didn't have to go out and kill, pluck its' feathers and then roast on a spit. Thankful for the people who have made the appliances that cook and store our foods. Thankful for the individuals who've made the containers that contain our drinks, whether soft, or hard. Thankful for the musicians who entertain us and the actors who make us laugh. Thankful for the college football games that keep our husbands entertained (well, some of us women too). Thankful for movies after dinner. Thankful to those who process our fuels, so we can have gasoline to put in our cars to drive to Thanksgiving dinner. Thankful for companions, and children, and a roof over my head, and cars to drive, sheets to sleep in, a bed to sleep on, blankets to keep me warm, clothes for my body, shoes for my feet... we really ARE BLESSED!!!

How much more should we be thankful? I am so thankful for good coffee, clean water, toothpaste, toilet paper, a shower to bathe in, my dogs and my cats (probably should start calling this an animal farm), for my church, for my pastors, for my lifelong friends, for even my enemies who teach me more about what love is about. I'm thankful that I have a lovely house, ample eating utensils, soap, shampoo, garbage bags, and even cleaners to clean up the house.

I am most thankful for my children. They are forever teaching me more about who I am and who I am not. They are forever reminding me who my source is, Father God. They are forever reminding me that I could not live without them. They are my dreams ... my joy... and I am so thankful for the lessons in life they teach me. I think it's called the doctoral college of motherhood.

So what are you thankful for? As Pastor Dony McGuire, says, "what could you not do without?" Is there someone you need to call tomorrow to say thank you for bringing you into this world? Is there someone you need to call tomorrow to say I am sorry for not saying thank you earlier?

The best part of all is the fact that I can freely express my gratitude right here, right now at blogger.com.... and I am very mindful of the people at blogger who keep it up and going. Thank you Blogger!

Happy Thanksgiving to the World... may you learn the art of gratitude.

with love,
RamyB

My Beagle - Huey Luis, From Dogs to Adam

2006-11-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

In mid-September, my little Beagle, Huey Luis was dog-napped. I just haven't gotten over it. He was a dog that we rescued and fostered. Then we found his owner and were ready to let him go, but the owner didn't want him, as their little sister was afraid of him. His name at that time was just Huey, but the boy who gave him to me
was a teenager named Luis. So, my Beagle became Huey Luis.

He had such a special way about him. I think he had to have been a puppy, when we first got him. He always slept on my bed right at my feet and wanted to protect me from anyone and everyone. He even got along with my Laboradors, Sophie and Gracie, and my roommate's Blue Heeler, Gizmo. But when I rescued a cat, Huey Luis' temperament changed. I had to laugh though cause he really was the most important dog in my life. My kitten, Jeremiah, that I res-cued along with four other kittens could never take his place. Jeremiah was the only kitten that survived, so we kept him. Then, the Labs treed a black cat that someone had abandoned in the woods and she became our female cat, named Peace. Huey was really put out of place when she came into the house. He did not like her from the minute she came in, and was bound and determined to keep her in my room. He was the king of the house, he thought. But Gracie was alpha dog and every once in a while, whenever Huey Luis got too big for his britches, Gracie would pin him to the floor and put him in his place.

Still, Huey Luis was my lap dog. He was the one who comforted me. He sang with me, stayed with me everywhere I was. He was my little joy. Of course I didn't really care for his high pitched bark, but it always let me know that someone was in my driveway that didn't belong there. I so miss my little guy. I wish that whoever stole him would return him. My Huey never left the yard. He was faithful to stay home. He always hung around back with Gizmo when we had to leave for a short time, and most of the time, we made sure that he was inside before we left. But that day, the kids said he got out just before we left. Ugh... life just hasn't been the same. I really do miss him. He was MY dog, my special friend. Every once in awhile, I will be driving through town and think that I hear his bark, and I'll stop, only to realize that it's someone else's dog. They just disappear and I never see them again.

There are people in a town nearby who do covert things... unkind things... and I just hope that they didn't nab my Huey. All this sap for an animal... well yes, they become our companions when humans aren't available.

I am a Creationist, admittedly. I do not believe man came from an ape. My main reason... if man came from apes, why are apes still around? Go figure... Also, I believe that there is evolution WITHIN a species, but not between species and there is clearly a demarcation between humankind and the animal kingdom. I believe the THEORY of Evolution is flawed.

Anyway, God created man higher than the animals in the first place. He made man in God's image. I really believe though that when God was creating the animals and bringing them before Adam... he put in the animal the ability to relate to man in a certain way. Yet, it was God who saw that Adam needed a soulmate... one who was his equal in every way... a female counterpart. So God created that for Adam, yet the animals remained and I believe that Adam had a very special relationship with the animals because they were presented first to Adam.

I can only imagine the look on Adam's face when Eve showed up. I had a picture just now of a naked Adam sitting on a rock with his hand on his knee looking at all the animals that Father God was fashioning and bringing to Adam to see if they would help Adam feel less lonely. And I can see Adam shaking his head saying... "Dad, they just don't have what I need." And Father, seeing Adam's true heart need, caused him to fall asleep and took the rib from Adam's side, fashioning Eve from Adam's flesh, so she would be of his kind, his DNA, his marrow. Then the next morning as Adam wakes up by the stream, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he sees this figure sitting beside him and runs half way across the Garden before he realizes that this is someone he wants to see.

Peering around the tree, Adam gazes upon this amazingly beautiful soulmate, and feels the pain in his side... the place where he was pierced, where his bride came from and looking again at the beautiful, ah inspiring woman in front of him, he had to sit down lest he faint with pleasure. He then looks over at Father God who is resting on the rock and states very clearly, "Dad, uhm, you've hit the nail on the head this time... oh baby... have you hit the nail on the head." Laughing Father blesses them and sends them off to enjoy the Garden cautioning them not to eat of the Tree of Life nor the Tree of Good/Evil.

It doesn't take much does it... to see that Father God had a plan from the very beginning. In that picture of Adam's side being pierced to bring forth his bride, there is a type and shadow of the Christ, when his side was pierced as he paid the price for the entire sin of the whole world, to buy back the relationship to Father that Adam and Eve lost in their disobedience in that Garden. Jesus Christ is the 2nd Adam, the pure Adam, the innocent one who came to redeem the world. The world is His bride. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by being pierced in his hands and his feet and in his side brings forth the blood that redeems and atones permanently once and for all the sins of the world. He brings forth His Bride, the church. The church then is anyone who accepts this gift that Jesus Christ has paid the price for their sin and believes on His name and is called according to His purposes. All you have to do is receive it. That is it. It is a free gift. It doesn't have to be earned. It is FREE. He died that we might live and have all of the bad things that we've ever done wiped off of our slates forever, and ever, and ever.

In God, there is no time. He is endless. He knows your beginning from the end. Father God loved you so much that He sent His Son to take your place... His innocent Son died a cruel, humiliating, naked death to purchase back relationship. Why? Because of love. Father God loves you and I so very much. He wants us to come to Him. In the same way that we seek companionship from humans or animals, He seeks us. He built it into us... we need relationship. He is there regardless, even when the world has walked out. He is the Creator, and we are His creation... the entire world... there is not one culture that is left out. He loves us all, every tongue, every color, every nation. For we are all His children. He loves us all and He desires that none perish. He does not want us fighting one another, or hating one another. He wants us to love one another deeply from the heart.

Will you seek Him? Will you receive the love that He has to offer? All you have to do is call out His name... if you receive Him and believe in Him after reading this post, I want you to write to me at ramyalthea@yahoo.com. Wherever you are in the world... there isn't one place that escapes Father's gaze. He sees you. He knows what you are doing. He loves you just the same. Come to Him. He is waiting and listening... with wide open arms.

With all my love...
Ramy B

Sleeping Wonders...

2006-11-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Is it a wonder that this year has whooshed so quickly by? As I look at my sleeping teens, I am reminded that in a few short years they too will be leaving the nest in search of brighter horizons. They seem so dependent on me now, but it won't be long and they will have more important things to do. Classes to attend, papers to write, boyfriends and girlfriends to hang out with... bills to pay.

I ponder the moments of these sleeping wonders... for they truly are wonders. They are destined for greatness. Each one of our children is destined for greatness if we believe in them. If we believe in their creative abilities, their wonderful minds, their funny attributes, their thought processes, their ability to touch humanity.

They are wonderful creations... yes they bug the heck out of me at times, yes they challenge my authority every single day, but they are learning to be tomorrow's leaders. They are forming their idea of who they are. They are learning what frames their existence. It is my job to remind them that they have great potential, great abilities, and great ideas. It is my job to remind them that they are loved beyond measure... and it is still their job to clean up their room (hehehe).

I can't wait to see what they become... my beautiful sleeping wonders... ok, it's time to wake them up. Time for another day of leadership school... it's called life.

RamyB

Sacred Ground

2006-09-12T22:44:00.000-06:00

Early this morning as I awoke, the Lord placed several words in my heart... He began to speak to me about the sacredness of the hearts of humanity. He told me to be prepared to tread softly with them. I felt His pain at how carelessly we as humans treat one another. He spoke about how He pays attention to our breath, our innermost thoughts, our wants, our desires... the things that hurt us, the things that make us laugh. He said, "Ramy, this is sacred ground... walk softly. Be careful of the words that you speak. Listen to their hearts. Be kind to them when they don't know where to turn. Let them lean on you when they do not have the strength to stand."

It was an interesting discussion that we had this morning. I felt somewhat like an Eastern mystic talking with his teacher... I felt like we have lost something in our Western madness of culture. We have lost the ability to connect with one another. We have lost the ability to look straight into another person's eyes and protect the contents of their souls. As Christians, we often get scared about what other faiths teach. But having grown up in the Lutheran faith and now living in a very Pentacostal format... it is my heritage that brings me back to the sacrament of fellowship.

In the early years after Christ, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and others all considered their lives in context to the divine. They knew that with one stroke of a lethal weapon their mortal existence as they knew it ceased to exist. In this day, we have forgotten to seek the context of the divine. We have forgotten that with every footstep we are encountering God's creation. Every human being is sacred ground. We are to walk and to tread lightly. Every action that we take has a reciprocal reaction in the universal plane, therefore, we must take responsibility for our words, our actions, perhaps even our thoughts.

I chose to listen so intently to this talk today... it was a my King setting my feet on a solid path type of talk... and certainly... others can gain from the lesson.

With love and care,
Ramy B

Learning how to stand...

2006-08-22T18:12:00.000-06:00

Photo (c) 1999, Conquering The Storms by Thomas Kinkade

So many people I know are experiencing great life changes. Even I myself am in the midst of what seems to be a whirlwind at times, yet there is one thing I believe I have learned to do and that is I've learned how to stand in the midst of great trial. Storms are amazing events. They have a way of changing everything around us from the seascape to the atmosphere, to the way we view our lives daily. Yet, a secure fortress in the midst of a storm will not give way to the changes that come at you. I think I've learned that it is so important to remain anchored in the Word, and the Word is Jesus Christ Himself.

It is only when I remain anchored in Him that I am able to stand no matter what comes at me, even if it is the fiercest of winds. I may cry momentarily. I may even be discouraged momentarily. Yet, my anchor reminds me that I can stand in His ability to carry me through the storm. My feet are firmly anchored.

I can remember in years past when my feet were not so firmly anchored... and I would be tossed from side to side... wondering if I would ever come up for air from the tumult that had assaulted my senses. Yet, as I have aged, wisdom has taught me that to remain in the strong grip of the anchor is to remain firmly and completely grounded by something greater than I... the Creator of the Universe.

Hence, when I partner with the Creator of the Universe, there is no storm that can destroy me. I will always see the horizon through the anchors eyes.

Wisdom will gain its ground yet again.

In learning how to stand... I've learned that I can be a strength to others even when it seems like my flesh is weakened by external circumstances because I am firmly and entirely anchored in Christ... in whom I stand.

with love,
RamyB

(c) 2006, Ramy Bakke

Sacred Ponders of the Heart

2006-08-22T18:07:00.000-06:00

Sacred Ponders of the Heart

You must come and share your hearts with us!

Ramy B

2006-08-07T02:16:00.000-06:00

Cool Winter Mornings

There are days when I want to go to this place... it is the dream land! The land that you wake up to in the early morning hours with a cup of coffee in your hands and a warm fire in the hearth and your children snuggled up in the blankets near your feet while you look out the window behind your couch. You are warm. You know that outside there is bitter cold, yet inside you are warm. You are cherished, safe, treasured... nestled in the arms of a mighty structure of snow, rock, trees and amazing grace.

Nothing can touch that feeling of grace... you know that without it you could not have made it through yesterday. You are breathing and alive and full of tranquility. This is your safe place. This is home.

Some things are better learned in humility...

2006-07-26T17:04:00.000-06:00

Never has there been a better time to learn than the present. Learning takes humility. It means remembering that there is always someone smarter than you. It means listening to the other person. Being willing to render yourself submitted to the leading and ushering of Holy Spirit. It means acknowledging that there is more to learn and one can always be taught.

We can rush in like a firestorm, or walk in gently like a gentle, soft wind. Both have purposes only Father can really know and understand, yet His purposes are probably better accomplished with the gentle wind.

Speaking softly... listening for the whisper of His voice... listening for the sweet words of rebuke that come to teach us more of who we are in Him... molding and remaking us. Softly, gently... pushing down the parts of the clay that are imperfect and tenderly fashioning them back into the place that they were intended to be. The hands of the potter knows.

Lessons taught by humility... lessons taught by being willing to listen to another person's heart. Lessons learned through the power of Holy Spirit's anointing that crushes the yoke of bondage... and sets the captives free.

He is the King of Glory... I will humbly usher Him in to His throne room centered in my heart.
with love,

Ramy B

Believe

2006-07-18T15:04:00.000-06:00

To believe... to have conviction... to trust... to accept as true... that is what it means to believe.

Our beliefs... what we have confidence in, what we trust in... motivate our actions. To believe is an active word. It requires placing trust in a concept... to accept what is spoken.

It is a dangerous world that we live in. There are many opinions, pieces of propaganda, social injustices in this world... yet what do you believe? who do you believe? The scripture states that as the end approaches there will be great rumors of wars ... and many will come claiming they are the Christ... and many will fall away from the faith. Still, there is but one absolute and that is that the Father of us all, the Creator of the Universe is fully in charge of everything. Nothing escapes His gaze. This I can believe in. This I can put my trust in.

Consider what you believe in... consider what you put your faith in... consider what you take for fact... is it really true? examine... discern... pray... listen to Holy Spirit.

Look for the truth... and you will know what you can believe in.

love,
Ramy B

Heart Matters

2006-07-03T17:50:00.000-06:00

There are certain things that are unthinkable...

intentionally discarding friendships as though they were trash...
pride in one's own position
humiliating another person
making light of someone's tragedy
forgetting that we are all clay.

Ramy B

Counting the Costs

2006-07-02T22:00:00.000-06:00

In a couple of weeks, my step-son is getting married. It is the biggest day of his life. I remember when he was seven years old. How young and tender he was. Now, he is a man creating his own household. I asked him if he was ready... he said he was. I can't wait to meet his bride.

One of the deepening parts of my life right now is the process of counting the cost of everything I endeavor to participate in. I used to think of this as a process called "the ripple effect" where everything I do, has an effect on others, therefore, I must think about the things that I choose to do. Can I afford to do them? Can I afford to not do them? Have I thought through all of the options? Is there anything I am leaving out? I know that I am not as quick to move to do certain things anymore. I tend to pray over things a lot longer until I have a peace and definite direction about doing them. I am learning that in order to be ethical, I must then be honest in all things and take responsibility for them. It means making wiser choices, even to the point of not speaking at times when I would rather speak.

Wisdom says to ponder the path until the path becomes clear. At least that is what I hear her saying. I believe that Holy Spirit inspires Wisdom's voice. And as long as I seek to wisdom, I will hear both Holy Spirit and Wisdom loud and clear. In the end, the costs will be the most effective.

Pondering on.... RamyB

Early Morning Ponders

2006-06-30T02:15:00.000-06:00

It seems that some of my best writing occurs when the entire house is asleep. This is the launching day of this site. I know that as it continues more will come and visit here and post their writings. I hope it will be a safe place for people to come and share their deepest, most heart felt ponders without threat of being flamed, judged, or crucified. The heart, afterall, is sacred. We are called to walk softly.

I look forward to the interchange.

RamyB