Volunteering?

ea

Nehemiah 11:2
^2 And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

Psalms 110:3

³ Your people shall be volunteers

In the day of Your power;

In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,

You have the dew of Your youth.

Dictionary Meaning:
to offer oneself as a volunteer

because they had the big picture

I guess it can only happen when I see the big picture, not through my own eyes - the eyes of a mere person, but Your eyes. You are not bias, not one-sided. You see the benefit of everyone and You make sure that the best decision is made, with the least risk and the most returns. And only when I see from Your eyes, and not from a selfish point of view, can I liberally give my life up 100% to do Your will.

because they wanted to do their part

Sometimes, I feel like I have a part to play - just because I am part of this family, and being part of this family, everyone has to do their part - including me. And I feel like everyone has done so much for me already, and I just want to contribute something. Also, my family needs me more if I volunteer to go than if I stay. By going, I am fulfilling my obligation to my family because they need someone out there, not here. When I know that the power is in my hands to make a difference, I will automatically feel obligated to do it. Simply because I can.

because they were noble at heart

I never knew what noble was until now. To sacrifice something for others, even when I don't have to, is a noble thing. If I had the chance to be selfish, but I didn't choose to be. And if I put the needs of others ahead of myself - that is nobility.

because they wanted to do their part

Everyone has a part to play, and You have already pre-arranged my destiny. If this is what You have planned for my life - my responsibility, my purpose, my destiny, then this is what I will do, and if I don't do it, I am missing out from my perfect destiny.

there was enough people to cause a turnaround of events

You are looking for a critical mass. You are asking me to be added to that number so that that critical mass can be reached. I must be honored to be called in to join with that number. And once I join, I will see a turnaround of events immediately. Immediately.

the nation was spared

You have a heart for the nations. They have always been in Your heart and now they are in mine as well. You want to save the nations. You want to gather them up in Your hand. You want to save them, and You are looking for people who are willing to give up their lives into doing so, and this is why You have called me to join that critical mass. Whatever it is, if this is Your will for my life, I am in.

their sacrifice was not in vain

If I do anything for You, it will never be in vain. You will never let any sacrifice of mine to You go to waste. You will always make the most out of it.

people were touched

When people see me give my whole life to serve You, they will be touched that they may also give up their lives to serve You. I want to be a role model so that people will see that they also have a part to play, not just to watch, but to participate into giving up their lives to serve You just as I have done and in other ways.

people they loved benefited from it

The things I do are not only for strangers and other people, but they are even for those whom I really care about - those under me and those closest to me - those that need me and those that I hold very dear to me. These are the people I am willing to give my life for. Willingly.

the whole country will perish

Sometimes, I think about myself so much that I am totally blind to the "What if I don't do it?" sector. The consequences are unbearable. If I don't go up and do it, and if we don't hit that critical mass, then... there goes.

they won't do anything so profitable with their lives anymore than this

If I think that I will be saving my life by not volunteering, I am only loosing it. This is it. If I don't go up now, I will never be able to do anything close to this ever again with my life. This is it. This is what I live for. This is my life. This is my destiny.

people who knew that their lives will only be worth more if they sacrificed it

What is my life worth? It is only worth as much as I use it for. And if I don't use my life, then it is worth nothing. And if I sacrifice my life for the sake of the whole country, then this is how much my life is worth - a whole country. A penny can only be worth as much as I can buy. If inflation goes up, I can't buy much, and therefore, it is not worth much. But if someone is offering me a house for a penny, that is how much a penny is worth. It is worth only as much as it can be exchanged for. My life is only worth as much as I can exchange it for. My time is only worth as much as I can exchange it for. My finances can only be worth as much as I exchange it for. My family can only be worth as much as I can exchange it for. And if I were to sacrifice my family for nothing, then it can only be worth nothing. If I sacrifice my life for nothing, it is only worth nothing. If I were to sacrifice my finances for nothing, it is worth nothing. So how much I am worth is really up to me. And to me, it is worth a lot. And this is because I am willing to sacrifice everything for You.

people with a good heart

Those with a good heart are the best men of the land. I always look up to them and all, but when I saw the mental picture of all the noble men sacrificing themselves up, I got really heart-broken. I thought like - Why them? But this is the sacrifice that You are asking for - a noble sacrifice - the best of my produce. The best I can come up with, and nothing short of that. This is the attitude I need to carry when I volunteer for You.

others

Others. It is not easy to give up everything for the sake of others. Who are others anyway? They are not me. Do I even love others more than I love me? Why should I die for others? They have nothing to do with me. Why don't they just mind their own business and care about themselves? Why need me to intervene? I have my own life to live- my own problems to settle, myself to account for. Why others? But this is the Christian life. This is what Christianity is about - Jesus, Others and then myself. You gave it all for me. You could have stranded me to account for myself, but You saved me anyway. Do I really thing that the life that I now live belongs to me and that is all I need to account for? Like it or not, I am my brother's keeper, and if this is something You would do with Your life, and if my life is Yours, then this is something I should do with mine. Because the life that I now live, is not I that live, but You that lives inside of me. Others. Painful as it is. Selfless as it is. Hard as it is. This is the perfect definition of sacrifice. Nothing to do with 'me'.

those who needed them as well

Sometimes, I have a great excuse - but my so and so needs me. Sounds equally noble, no? No. They need me more out there than here.

without murmuring

More often than not, my volunteering is spiced up with lots of complaining. Yes, I murmur, grumble and complain a lot. Then why volunteer? Sounds more like an obligation to me. True volunteering is done from the heart. It includes my attitude, my perception of what I am doing. In my mind, I think of my reason for volunteering. With the purpose for my volunteering in mind, there is absolutely nothing to murmur and grumble about at all. That is what I call, 'willingness'.

at the mercy of others

Volunteering doesn't mean that I have a say on how about I am going to be used. Once I volunteer, I volunteer for good, and whatever You do to me, is Your wish. If I am going to hold back here and there, then that's not full volunteering. That is partial. So did I give my life wholly to You? Or only 10% of it? What is the true meaning of 'give my whole life to You'? Whole life means I hold nothing back and everything You want to do, just go ahead, no need to ask me. Just do Your will.

when they thought about the cause

Sometimes, it is hard to do what I am doing. And I really feel like giving up. For example, I feeling like dropping my third subject. But when I think about the cause, I have to keep on going. I have to think about the cause I am fighting for. I am doing this for You, I am doing this for my country. I am doing this for my family. I am doing this for the next generation. I am doing this for Your people. I am doing this for all those You care about. And I am doing this for all those I care about. I am doing this for others.

when they left it to their hearts to do the talking

Then sometimes, I think too much. I think and think until I just have to leave it to my heart to decide because I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know if I can go on. Seriously.

even when they saw the need to stay

Sometimes, present needs will dominate my mind instead of future needs. It is so easy because in the present is what I can hear, taste and see. But the future is something to vague, so undetermined and so unpredictable. It is hard to live for the future when the present has so many things to live for. But I have to keep my mind locked onto the future because I know my future. It is not unpredictable, and undetermined, unclear or vague. My future is all set out. And I have stuff to do.

where the decision is final

Sometimes, You will ask me to make decisions that I cannot change. The decision is final and will change my life forever. But I have to make these major decisions in order for You to use me. I just pray that You help me make those decisions, and when I have made them, to help me keep them.

Random from devotion 12 Aug 09

Sometimes, I think that being thankful is to be thankful for the things that You have already given me, but being thankful means to be thankful also for the things that You have not yet given me, but promised to give me, and I am very thankful indeed for those things.

Sometimes, I don’t receive it yet because the time is not yet. Timing is something that You stick to, and sometimes, You have already sent the letter but it takes time to arrive. I just have to wait around for it, look out for it. That’s all! It is already on the way =)

When they are God-given expectations, they will come to pass.

Others should not be my benchmark for me to believe that You can do something. Because You are full of surprises. Others are a poor benchmark because people in general have no or little faith to believe in the impossible. But if I want to see impossible things, that is the usual response I will get from normal people. Because if that is not the response I get, then I will know that it is a common thing which is highly possible – nothing extraordinary about that.

I am a very fortunate and a blessed person because I get to meet with You face to face. I get to meet up with You intimately, and not everyone has a chance to do that. And when I have met with You and I know clearly that I have met with You, then whatever You tell me in that meeting, I have no right to doubt anything because You have told it into my face. I don’t need any more confirmations. That is as clear as it gets.

Sometimes, when You speak to me, You speak to me in such a humble place that even I start to question if it is possible for something so true to come out of a dream. It’s the usual excuse people come up with when they talk about these things – it is so common until nobody seems to believe in it anymore – it is like the ultimate “no way”, out-of-the-world-nonsense known in Christianity and Church life. But if this is how You choose to speak to me, so be it.

I am like a little girl, sometimes. I feel almost insignificant, yet so important to You. I feel helpless, dependent, almost a liability. And yet, I feel so loved, so valued and so appreciated by You. It is so opposite. But this is how I feel. Dependent, fully on Your love.

Most of the time, when I pray, I am afraid that I may ask for the wrong thing. And much so if I don’t get it. It’s as if it is a confirmation that it is not Your will for me to have it. But there are some things that I ask for that IS Your will for me and yet I don’t get it because I do not ask in faith. When I ask and do not believe, it is equivalent to not asking.

Sometimes, You like to say, “test Me” or “Ask from me a sign”. But then I ask for something so possible, so usual. The question is, what is common? Or what is usual, and why should I select from one of those? If impossible things happen everyday and miracles are common, then what does it mean to be 'uncommon' and ‘beyond boundaries’? You are the God of everyday miracles. Because nothing is common and nothing is limited. And if You are a God of miracles, working in my life everyday, then there is no limit or ceiling to separate what is common from uncommon or a wall to distinguish between the two.

I know You always say, love You with all my heart. This includes believing in You with all my heart. With all my heart means that with all I am, I will believe in every word that You say to me. With all I am.

Tips on Nightmares and other kid fears

I've just read an article with loads of tips.. wow.. I'm so glad I bumped into it! It is really so helpful...

Here it is..

and here is a short clip from it:

Helping children cope with nighttime fears: A checklist

• Always question parenting advice that encourages parents to leave distressed children alone at night. As noted above, kids lack the coping tools to work things out by themselves. And even advocates of “cry-it-out” strategies of sleep training warn that such approaches are inappropriate for young babies and children who are especially fearful or anxious (France and Blampied 1999; Owens et al 1999).

• Consider sources of daily stress. Kids who suffer from daytime anxieties—about school, separation from parents, or other concerns—are more likely to fear the dark and fear sleeping alone (Gregory and Eley 2005). You may be able to reduce your child’s nighttime fears by helping him cope with daytime stress.

• Review your child’s sleep requirements and sleep schedule. Sometimes parents overestimate how much sleep their children need. As a result, they send their kids to bed long before kids can fall asleep. Kids left to stew in the dark have more time to dwell on nighttime fears (Ferber 1995).

• Avoid frightening television, stories, and imagery—especially before bedtime. This includes passive exposure, which occurs when your child is present while you watch potentially disturbing material on TV. A recent study reported that 5-6 year olds exposed to adult TV programs—including the evening news—slept less overall and experienced more sleep disturbances (Paavonen et al 2006).

• Fight fear with the power of touch. Physical affection switches off separation anxiety (Panskepp 2006).

• Try to be patient. If your child’s nighttime fears are depriving you of sleep, it’s natural to feel resentment. But it’s important not to direct anger or irritation at your child. If your child feels rejected, this will only intensify his separation anxiety and make things worse.

• Respond promptly to nightmares. Assure your child that the nightmare wasn’t real, and explain that everybody has nightmares sometimes. The more quickly you break the spell of a frightening dream, the more quickly your child can get back to sleep.

• Provide your child with a night light. As you and your child works through her nighttime fears, you can switch to progressively dimmer lights (Glaze 2004).

• Be a model of calm, confident behavior. When your child comes to you in a fearful state, be warm, sensitive and responsive. Tell him you understand that he is scared, and that everybody gets scared sometimes. But don’t let sympathy turn into overprotectiveness. Many animals—ranging from birds to monkeys—are sensitive to social cues about fear (Zentall and Galef 1988). They pick up fears by watching others model them. Kids are no exception. If your child believes you are worried or anxious, he may become more fearful.

• When possible, show your child proof that his fears are unfounded. As noted above, young children lack the developmental skills to distinguish appearances from reality. For these kids, telling them that there is no monster is in the closet is not enough. They need you to actually look and confirm that all is well.

• Show your child how to relax. For instance, as you soothe a crying child, you can show her breathing exercises. In a study aimed at reducing anxiety in young children scheduled for a medical procedure, researchers taught kids how to take slow, deep breaths by having them exhale into party blowers (Jay et al 1987). These breathing exercises appeared to reduce distress in 40% of the kids.

• Counteract frightening thoughts with images of happiness, safety, and bravery. When he is fearful, help your child think of situations that make him feel happy and in control. For instance, you might encourage him to imagine he is playing with his favorite pet. You might also have your child practice telling himself that he is brave. This technique was used in the study mentioned above (Jay et al 1987).

• Teach coping skills through role playing. Many kids overcome their fear of medical check-ups by playing doctor. You can apply this approach to nighttime fears as well. During the daytime, talk about your child’s fears and discuss how she can counteract them. Help your child practice the tactics mentioned above—thinking happy thoughts, telling oneself that one is brave, rehearsing relaxing techniques, and transforming frightening imaginary creatures into something silly and non-threatening. Then try a little role playing (Jay et al 1987). If you have another adult or older child to help, the two of you can act out the parts of frightened child and helpful parent. The parent shows the child how to counter her nighttime fears, and the child tries each technique out. After this demonstration, have the child play the part of the comforting adult. You—or a favorite toy—can take the part of the fearful child.

• During the daytime, create stories with your child in which the protagonist (your child’s favorite fictional character or hero) learns to overcome his nighttime fears. This technique—called story desensitization—is designed to make children less fearful by having them confront their fears in small steps (King et al 2001). Start by telling a story that lacks any frightening elements. Then introduce something that is just a little bit scary. For instance, if your child is afraid of spiders, you might add a very small, non-threatening spider to the story (one that keeps its distance from the hero). The hero responds by successfully practicing the fear management techniques mentioned above. If this story doesn’t distress your child, you can intensify the frightening element in the next story—perhaps by making the spider come closer. In this way, you may gradually desensitize your child’s fears.

Plastic Children

I stumbled upon a wonderful journal about .. oh well.. just read it.

Here's a little chip of it:

Luther Burbank says: "Pick out any trait you want in your child, granted that he is a normal child, be it honesty, fairness, purity, lovableness, industry, thrift, what not. By surrounding this child with sunshine from the sky and your own heart, by giving the closest communion with nature, by feeding this child well-balanced, nutritious food, by giving it all that is implied in healthful environmental influences, and by doing all in love, you can thus cultivate in the child and fix there for all its life all of these traits, and on the other side, give him foul air to breathe, keep him in a dusty factory or an unwholesome school-room or a crowded tenement up under the hot roof; keep him away from the sunshine, take away from him music and laughter and happy faces; cram his little brains with so-called knowledge; let him have vicious associates in his hours out of school, and at the age of ten you have fixed in him the opposite traits. You have, perhaps, seen a prairie fire sweep through the tall grass across a plain. Nothing can stand before it, it must burn itself out. That is what happens when you let weeds grow up in your child's life, and then set fire to them by wrong environment."