Only Once In Your Life ~

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.”

― Bob Marley

God Is Life ~

"God is life. God is life in action. The best way to say, "I love you, God," is to live your life doing your best. The best way to say, "Thank you, God," is by letting go of the past and living in the present moment, right here and now. Whatever life takes away from you, let it go. When you surrender and let go of the past, you allow yourself to be fully alive in the moment. Letting go of the past means you can enjoy the dream that is happening right now ~

Oh JOY

“Writing, music, sculpting, painting, and prayer! These are the three things that are most closely related! Writers, musicians, sculptors, painters, and the faithful are the ones who make things out of nothing. Everybody else, they make things out of something, they have materials! But a written work can be done with nothing, it can begin in the soul! A musical piece begins with a harmony in the soul, a sculpture begins with a formless, useless piece of rock chiseled and formed and molded into the thing that was first conceived in the sculptor's heart! A painting can be carried inside the mind for a lifetime, before ever being put onto paper or canvass! And a prayer! A prayer is a thought, a remembrance, a whisper, a communion, that is from the soul going to what cannot be seen, yet it can move mountains! And so I believe that these five things are interrelated, these five kinds of people are kin.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Life is.......

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”
― Mother Teresa

Memoirs Of A Geisha ~

“I'm not sure this will make sense to you, but I felt as though I'd turned around to look in a different direction, so that I no longer faced backward toward the past, but forward toward the future. And now the question confronting me was this: What would that future be? The moment this question formed in my mind, I knew with as much certainty as I'd ever known anything that sometime during that day I would receive a sign. This was why the bearded man had opened the window in my dream. He was saying to me, "Watch for the thing that will show itself to you. Because that thing, when you find it, will be your future.”
― Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha    

Grief

“Grief is a most peculiar thing; we’re so helpless in the face of it. It’s like a window that will simply open of its own accord. The room grows cold, and we can do nothing but shiver. But it opens a little less each time, and a little less; and one day we wonder what has become of it.”
― Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

To love .

To love. To be loved. To never forget my own insignificance , and the importance of others . To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the hate of life around you. To do what I can and try harder to do more than I did yesterday . To go beyond my way of thinking . To always speak the truth in love . To  fully understand that we are all at a different place on our journey . Trusting we all will get there in our own time .  To seek joy in the saddest places. To give joy where I can . To even give joy to myself . To pursue what is right . To love the unlovable . To see all people as God's people . To judge no one   No not one ! Not the poor or weak .  To open myself to the need of a child , to feed the hungry and the needy
 Giving my portion to those that have less than I do . - KJA

YOU ARE SILK ~

“You're going to meet many people with domineering personalities: the loud, the obnoxious, those that noisily stake their claims in your territory and everywhere else they set foot on. This is the blueprint of a predator. Predators prey on gentleness, peace, calmness, sweetness and any positivity that they sniff out as weakness. Anything that is happy and at peace they mistake for weakness. It's not your job to change these people, but it's your job to show them that your peace and gentleness do not equate to weakness. I have always appeared to be fragile and delicate but the thing is, I am not fragile and I am not delicate. I am very gentle but I can show you that the gentle also possess a poison. I compare myself to silk. People mistake silk to be weak but a silk handkerchief can protect the wearer from a gunshot. There are many people who will want to befriend you if you fit the description of what they think is weak; predators want to have friends that they can dominate over because that makes them feel strong and important. The truth is that predators have no strength and no courage. It is you who are strong, and it is you who has courage. I have lost many a friend over the fact that when they attempt to rip me, they can't. They accuse me of being deceiving; I am not deceiving, I am just made of silk. It is they who are stupid and wrongly take gentleness and fairness for weakness. There are many more predators in this world, so I want you to be made of silk. You are silk.”
― C. JoyBell C.

I learn from that !

“This need to be right has put a huge burden on me, one that I never deserved to have to carry. Part of it, I know, is cultural--in this age of information at a moment's notice, we've come to expect people to have answers--the right answers--at the drop of a hat. I feel very fortunate that over the last decade or so I've been able to leave the need to be right behind me and move on with my life with a more healthy perspective. I'm now willing not just to admit that I'm wrong, but also to stick my neck out with ideas or thoughts that may be wrong. The possibility of being wrong no longer threatens my emotional well-being; if I'm wrong, I'm wrong, and I learn from that.”
― Tom Walsh

beautiful person

“You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you, but if you yourself don't know it, all of that doesn't even matter. Every second that you spend on doubting your worth, every moment that you use to criticize yourself; is a second of your life wasted, is a moment of your life thrown away. It's not like you have forever, so don't waste any of your seconds, don't throw even one of your moments away.”
― C. JoyBell C.

PEACE ~

Peace is the number one beautiful ornament you can wear, I really believe that. They say you should always wear a smile, but I don't believe that you should "always" wear a smile, seriously, you're going to look stupid! But peace, you should always carry peace within you, its the most beautifying thing you could ever have or do. Peace makes your heart beautiful and it makes you look beautiful, too. You want to have perfect physical posture when you stand, sit, and walk, and peace is the perfect posture of the soul, really. Try perfect posture outside as well as inside. Peace creates grace and grace gives peace.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Thought for Monday 2-24-2014

“The day I understood everything, was the day I stopped trying to figure everything out. The day I knew peace was the day I let everything go.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Beauty ~

“Beauty is the only human aspect which cannot be captured on any canvas howsoever hard an artist tries. At the most, the undaunted artist can replicate the beauty on paper but what is a replica in comparison to the original! The humbling resemblance can only be respected, not truly adored.
Beauty cannot be imprisoned in the lens of a camera. The images of beauty are a moment of its essence. Beauty cannot be displayed to evoke pleasure for all on a cinema screen. Those are just its imprints, mere illusions of its existence. Beauty cannot be described by words; it cannot be written or read about. There are no suitable words in all the languages of the world, ancient or modern to hold it between a paper and a pen or a script and an eye. Beauty can only be experienced from far, its delightful aroma can only be tasted through one’s eyes and its pleasurable sight can only be felt from the soul.
Beauty can only be best described at its origin through a befuddling silence, the kind that leaves one almost on the verge of a pleasurable death, just because one chooses beauty over life. There is nothing in this world to hold something so pure, so divine except a loving heart. And it is the only manner through which love recognises love; the language of love has no alphabet, no words.”
― Faraaz Kazi

Local Paralympian Jessica Long to be featured on NBC's Olympic coverage Saturday night

Local Paralympian Jessica Long to be featured on NBC's Olympic coverage Saturday night

Psalm 116 :6

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalms 5 : 11

God Loves Me ~

“I feel like, God expects me to be human. I feel like, God likes me just the way I am: broken and empty and bruised. I feel like, God doesn't look at me and wish that I were something else, because He likes me just this way. I feel like, God doesn't want me to close my eyes and pray for Him to make me holy or for Him to make me pure; because He made me human. I feel like, God already knows I'm human...it is I who needs to learn that.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Jewish Ice Dancer Charlie White Wins First-Ever Olympic Gold Medal for U.S.

Jewish Ice Dancer Charlie White Wins First-Ever Olympic Gold Medal for U.S.

Sad Day In Israel ~

שהעולם יראה את התמונות מהמקום הזה. מקום שמפריד בין הטוב בעולם לרע בעולם. החלק הטוב זאת ישראל שמצילה את חייהם של נפגעי הטבח היומיומי שמתבצע בסוריה.

לעומת זאת, החלק הרע זאת איראן שמחמשת את מבצעי הטבח. זהו פרצופה האמיתי של איראן. כל הילדים שנפצעו, שלא לדבר על אלה שנהרגו, נפגעו כתוצאה מזה שאיראן מחמשת, מממנת ומדריכה את משטר אסד בטבח ההמוני שהוא עושה. אסור לעולם לשכוח זאת.

I visited today the base where people who have ...been wounded in the fighting in Syria are being treated. On the day when talks between the major powers and Iran are being opened in Vienna, it is important that the world sees the pictures from this place, which divides the good that is in the world from the bad.

The good part is that Israel is saving the lives of those who have been wounded in the daily slaughter that is being perpetrated in Syria. This is the true face of Israel. The bad part is that Iran is arming those who are carrying out the slaughter. This is the true face of Iran.

All of the children who have been injured, to say nothing of those who have been killed, were injured as a result of Iran's arming, financing and training the Assad regime in the massacres that it is perpetrating.

From here, I would like to tell the world, today, as the talks between the major powers and Iran are being resumed, that Iran has changed neither its aggressive policy nor its brutal character. Iran is continuing to support the Assad regime which is slaughtering its own people. This is the true face of Iran.

How Did the Holocaust Happen – The Events of the Holocaust

How Did the Holocaust Happen – The Events of the Holocaust

Little Girl and Red Coat in Schindler's List

Wonder Of A Child ~

Live with the wonder of a child
Pray with your arms thrown open wide
Love with the Love that has no end
Until I see you again Author: Song by Mark Schultz                

Beautiful Teacups ~

GROCERY HAUL!! Weight Watchers Points Plus & Low Calorie Food Haul - Sh...

Professor Alan Dershowitz- Keynote Speech "The Case Against Israel's Ene...

Caroline Glick to Glenn Beck: “John Kerry has a long history of supporting Israel boycotters”

Caroline Glick to Glenn Beck: “John Kerry has a long history of supporting Israel boycotters”

‘Divine wrath of God’ threat on Kerry’s head

‘Divine wrath of God’ threat on Kerry’s head

This Year in Jerusalem!

Opportunities for the New Year

Opportunities for the New Year

By: 

Dr. Juergen Buehler

Posted on: 

Wed, 18 Dec 2013       

A phrase made popular by the Jewish Passover liturgy is, “Next year in Jerusalem!” The original context is one of longing for Jerusalem to be spiritually rebuilt and for the coming of the Messiah. However, it has become a common saying for those outside of Israel to declare their longing to visit Jerusalem once again in the coming year.
It is a phrase that I often hear used by Christians after visiting Israel. They just cannot wait to return! Indeed, we repeatedly hear this refrain from those attending our annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration in Jerusalem. Once you have tasted of the joy of Sukkot in Jerusalem itself, the desire to be in the holy city for this appointed time is so strong. As a result, there are Christians far and wide who have zealously attended the Feast for many years running, some even going back 34 years to that first Tabernacles celebration in September 1980.
Allow me to highlight the opportunities for you to travel to Israel with the ICEJ in the coming year of 2014. Many of our branches are planning biblical tours that might also include engagement in some of our hands-on projects in Israel. We also offer a special summer tour through our Arise Young Adults program which gives youths an exceptional introduction to Israel – the Land of the Bible and of modern-day miracles!
And, of course, you are warmly invited to come up to Jerusalem this coming fall for our exciting celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles 2014. There is a special land package for attending the Feast that you may wish to consider.
So come and experience the wonder of the Land of Israel and to participate first-hand in the ministry of the ICEJ.
If you are unable to travel to Israel this year, we encourage you to think of a young person or a pastor that you could help send to Israel. It is a life-changing experience that we need to make available to as many of our leaders, and future leaders, as possible.
If you want to see your church or your youth more supportive of Israel, there is one way to make that happen and that is to enable them to visit Israel. There they will experience the Ancient of Days at work in history, keeping His covenant with the children of Abraham and fulfilling prophecies spoken more than 2500 years ago. The Lord is inviting us all to come bless that which He is blessing.
I hope to see you “This year in Jerusalem”!
Yours in Christ,

Dr. Jürgen Bühler
ICEJ Executive Director

Western Wall Plaza

Western Wall Plaza

The Western Wall is the most holy place accessible to the Jewish people because of Muslim control of the Temple Mount.  Known in recent centuries as the "Wailing Wall," this was built by Herod the Great as the retaining wall of the Temple Mount complex.  The plaza was created as an area for prayer when Israel captured the Old City in 1967.  At times tens of thousands of people gather here for prayer.