Footprints in the Sand

Found these cool footprints

 and followed them...

Young <3

Forever.

And Ever...

 ***

Live in the Moment.

Love Where He Leads You.

"Song of the Sea"

 

"Song of the Sea"

If there is sunshine,

I hope you lift your face to it.

If there is wind,

I hope it moves you.

Take deep breaths of salt and sweetness

I hope you know its the truest air.

I hope you live your life

A moment at a time.

 

"Am I My Brother's Keeper?"

The wisest man I've met in Belize told this story after dinner tonight.

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain? He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning, "There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me.  I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house."

The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow.  She said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse.  I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night, a sound was heard throughout the house; like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.  In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife.  The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned with a fever.  Everyone knows you treat a fever with a good chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.  To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.  

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.  So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

In the book of Genesis, Cain said this about Abel, his brother to our God: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

We are all involved in this journey called life.  We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Remember: Each of us is a vital thread in another person's tapestry; our lives are woven together for a reason.

Boutique Make-over at the Rock Church Thrift Store

I've been volunteering at the Rock Thrift Store for nearly 7 months now, and it was no question that the area where all of the "brand" named items are located was not very user friendly.

So a team of volunteers and I took the project upon ourselves to give the space a "makeover."

And now I am happy to report that I am so glad it's over! 

What a build up it was to get it done. After countless meetings, planning sessions, questions and fears about how we could pull it off, we did!

I'm elated, everything went as possible with the help of all my friends and volunteers. 

Donating my time for Jesus is so worth it, when the contribution we all can make helps people find their way to God. 

Our design meetings were strategic and creative, and well planned out. However, what I learned again, was that being creative sometimes is best just left to spontaneity. We all got together and in one evening pulled off the entire feat. Now the women's boutique at the Rock Church Thrift Store looks like its had a complete make-over.

Praise God for everyone that helped make it a success!

Faith in the Spirit

I had a moment this evening while reflecting on my day in which my faith, my spirit, and my thoughts all fused into one deeply moving conclusion. 

I had felt quite sad in my heart and spirit throughout my day, although I was surrounded by happy people and the hustle-bustle.  It was because the one thing I have been assigning my highest priority to lately felt a bit empty and out of my hands today. When I got home I felt drained and a bit sad. 

I called my friend back home in Kansas City and talked for a while about faith, about believing in a God that we cannot see, about obeying Him and how if we simply did what He asks, it would make Him smile - just like a proud parent. I discussed the idea that by complying with what God asks, we will be rewarded and blessed far beyond what our minds could have ever imagined.  I concluded that it all has to do with faith.  It's not seeing something, its feeling it and knowing that it's right.

So, my friend and I have been reading a book called, "Jesus Calling" which is a daily devotional that we email our reflections to each other to help keep ourselves accountable. 

I had not read today's passage when I called so I asked my friend to read it to me half way into our conversation.

Of course, the words spoke directly to my heart. Tears filled my eyes and everything I had just spoke about felt completely verified in the daily passage.

Two things it said to me that deeply moved me were:

"Even the most ardent human lover cannot be with you always.  Nor can another person know the intimacies of your heart, mind, and spirit."

and 

"I am freely available to all who call upon My Name, who open their hearts to receive Me as Savior.  This simple act of faith is the beginning of a lifelong love story. I, the lover of your soul understand you perfectly and love you eternally."

It felt like God spoke to me.  He told me that I was right.  I just needed to quiet myself and spend time with Him, which is what I plan to continue working on from now on.  

I haven't been this moved by the spirit in some time, so I wanted to share and possibly speak to anyone out there who may struggle with making God a happy dad.  It's not hard.  It just takes a little bit of quiet, intimate time with the One who knows the intimacies of your heart; the One completely whole love of your life.

I pray that all relationships start with Him and that He is the rock on which my relationships are built.

In Jesus' name, 

Amen. 

Loving Ourselves

Read these two things today and they moved me in my heart, so I HAD to share :)

1)

May you become the best you can be.

May the light illuminate your oneness.

May you realize the light which is the oneness. 

May only what’s better to be happen to you.

2)

Resistance comes in many forms: Texting, sex, eating, procrastinating, watching TV, meeting up with friends, and many other undercover outfits...sit down and do the work...day in and day out. When you fail, learn and keep working. Enjoy the soreness of the blows you may have taken the day before.

Do it for the day to day, for the sheer act of doing it, not for the outcome.

It's that simple, but not always that easy:)

Love,

Ms. Panda

Double Rainbows and Purple Carrots

It's been a while since I've written and after glancing at the last few posts - I felt like writing something a bit deeper tonight.  The amount of variety in my life has tripled, similar to my discovery of the existance of purple, yellow and white-ish carrots.

If you are new to my blog, this is how I do it. 

Sometimes I have a lot to say, and other times I haiku.  

Either way, I only write when I am inspired,

so if you are looking for a daily read, I may not be able to deliver. 

However, if inspiration and stimulation is what you seek,

look no further and subscribe right now. ;)

Life is fantastic. 

I look back one year and smile thinking of how grateful I am for the place I am in right now - mentally, physically, spiritually.  Last year was bumpy.  Change was not easy.  Choices were tough and tests were being dealt out like pop quizzes daily.  But I survived.  I may not have aced it all, but I am happy to report that today was a good day.

 

In fact, the last three weeks have been nothing short of incredible. 

Since I found my home at the Rock Church six months ago, my life has taken a turn for the better and I can not be thankful enough.  I say it everyday in my mind and under my breath, while covering my heart with my hand and breathing in slow, deep breaths.  I thank Him for being with me. 

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 

I've been reading the Bible, start to finish, and in the very first book - Genesis - I read about the meaning of a rainbow.

Seeing this picture, taken in downtown San Francisco today, I couldn't help but think of this: 

"When the (rain)bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

Genesis 9:16

He's got our backs. Whether you believe in Him as a man in the clouds, the divine trinity, maybe a breeze blowing by, or a song that plays on repeat in your head, He is with us.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

I pray daily for my DJ ministry, and He continues to provide for me, kicking it off with a set of turntables, followed by a club quality mixer, a shnazzy program called Serato, which will surely work a little magic in my learning process BUT most of all - I have been blessed with a teacher who is His most faithful servant and continually leads me to be a better Christian by always accrediting everything to God's glory. 

I am so moved by the intensity of the progress happening in my life, that I can only offer myself to Him and give back everything equally to Him.  He is my rock.  Yet He is also my flower.  I must keep my flesh out of the way and let His spirit continue to lead me.  I am very passionate about what's happening in my life, but I am also keen on the pauses. 

He will lead me there - never early, never late - only right on time.

Just like the music of Miles Davis, pauses are just as important to the completeness of the song as are the individual notes.

Thank God for being within us, for always loving us by grace, and for giving us the language of music to communicate our gratefulness with Him.

Amen.