Valentine Card

On February 10, 2009, I received a package in the mail addressed to me at my work office. I opened it with the rest of the mail and pulled out the card pictured here. As you can see, it was unsigned.

The outside reads "You hold a special place in God's heart and a special purpose in this world..." The inside reads "...and that makes you irreplaceable."

I nabbed my webcam and took pictures of the outside and inside of the card to send to a friend with whom I was chatting when I received the card. The response to my comment that it wasn't signed was simply, "Does it really need a signature?"

Some of my readers may suspect this friend had sent the card to me. No. This person did not know my work address.

In addition, I will admit, that there were other cards in the package. It was part of a card solicitation. Yet...

That was the first card out of the package, and it had remarkably touched my heart in a way I cannot put into words. To this day, it is still within the pages of my journal. These were words I really needed to hear at that moment. I never received any additional solicitations nor contacts from this card company (and I get a LOT of repeat ones from other card companies).

It also touched me that it arrived right before Valentine's Day. The other cards were a birthday, anniversary, get-well, and bereavement card. By simple coincidence, I pulled this card out first from somewhere in the middle of the envelope's contents.

Or was it coincidence?

I know God works within my life. When something strikes me as "Wow! God just sent me a message, or touched my life somehow," I don't question it. I smile and thank God for the blessing, the reminder, the help.

None of us are alone; God Loves us, is with us and cares for us - each and every one of us the same.

There is no "To" name as well on the card. I think this is perfect, just as it may have been intended. This card is for each and every one of us. We are ALL Special to God. We ALL have a special purpose in this world. We are ALL irreplaceable.

God Loves us ALL.

God Loves YOU!

Happy Valentine's Day!

~ESA

Almost a Century Later...

On Christmas Day in 1914, an unprecedented truce -- that was never declared, nor ever officially agreed upon -- spread across the Western Front during World War I. "Not a shot was fired," read the headlines as war-weary enemies crossed no-man's land and shared moments of Peace and fraternity. Some say this will never happen again...

Fast forward to January 2013, and toward the southeast to another land torn by war: Syria. For a few fleeting hours following a snowstorm, people in Syria's capital traded snowballs instead of shells. Residents and military literally put down guns for impromptu snowballs and snowmen. Neighbors spoke kindly with those on the opposing side, and laughter was heard instead of gunfire and violence.

For a brief time, hatred, violence and the war was forgotten.

In my Christmas Peace post, I remarked: My guess is that the true Prince of Peace walked the no man's land between the lines of the Western Front that night. No orders were given, no decisions were made ahead of time. It just happened... 

Something akin happened in Syria yesterday. God wants us to understand that we are to Love our brothers and sisters, that violence is not the answer, and that laughter is a much sweeter sound than war.

Perhaps we all need to let the child inside us out to play more often.

Reflected in the purity and playfulness of dancing snowflakes...

May God's Love and Mercy prevail.

Always!

~ESA

News story: http://news.yahoo.com/snowball-truce-brings-brief-joy-war-weary-damascus-135746881.html

Cover Story

Too often we focus on appearance, rather than the spirit that is within our brothers and sisters. We ridicule that which is different. We don't give people the benefit of the doubt. Or we assume something based on the person's position or place in society.

Too often we judge someone before we know them.

And sometimes we see something that takes us by surprise and reminds us: Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover.

Following are two videos I hope my readers watch. They are pure, heart-moving examples how we should never judge based on what we see as outward appearances. Their stories speak for themselves...

~ ESA

 Susan Boyle

Sung-bong Choi

Valentine Card

On February 10, 2009, I received a package in the mail addressed to me at my work office. I opened it with the rest of the mail and pulled out the card pictured in this blog post. As you can see, it was unsigned.

For the sake of those reading this blogpost via translator (and I am aware pictures do not translate), the outside reads "You hold a special place in God's heart and a special purpose in this world..." The inside reads "...and that makes you irreplaceable."

I nabbed my webcam and took pictures of the outside and inside of the card to send to a friend with whom I was chatting when I received the card. The response to my comment that it wasn't signed was simply, "Does it really need a signature?"

Some of my readers may suspect this friend had sent the card to me. No. This person did not know my work address. In addition, I will admit, that there were other cards in the package. It was part of some card solicitation mailing.

Yet...

That was the first card out of the package, and it had remarkably touched my heart in a way I cannot put into words. To this day, it is still within the pages of my journal at home. These were words I really needed to hear at that moment.

I never received any additional solicitations nor contacts from this card company (and I get a LOT of repeat ones from other card companies). It also touched me that it arrived right before Valentine's Day. The other cards were a birthday, anniversary, get-well, and bereavement card. By simple coincidence, I pulled this card out first from somewhere in the middle of the envelope's contents.

Or was it coincidence?

I know by now God works within my life. When something strikes me as "Wow! God just sent me a message, or touched my life somehow," I don't question it. I smile and thank God for the blessing, the reminder, the help.

None of us are alone; God Loves us, is with us and cares for us - each and every one of us. In addition, there is no "To" name as well as "From" name on the card. I think this is perfect, just as it may have been intended. This card is for each and every one of us. 

We are ALL Special to God.
We ALL have a special purpose in this world.
We are ALL irreplaceable.
God Loves us ALL.

Smile.
Happy Valentine's Day!
-ESA

Heaven (True Story)

The below post was written in my journal over two decades ago - exactly as you see it. My writing skills weren't as developed, and it was never polished for publication; it's simply something I wrote in my journal to describe what happened to me that day.

I thought it would be something nice to share with you today.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

4/20/87

I sit outside in the sunshine on this warm spring day. I watch the sun sink slowly below the horizon from the top of a steep hill. I look into the sky where the clouds camaflage themselves to match the sunset. Tonight one cloud suspends over the sun.

The bottom of this cumulous cloud takes on no other color I've seen before: pink. But so soft a pink it looks like cotton candy, but not sticky. I guess it would be more like cotton then.

Then the tremendous view rose from there. Around the outside edges of the cloud, there is a billowing formation soft and cottony like. But the center wasn't as defined as the edges. The center was blended together smoothly. It varied in colors that we[re] constantly swirling. I saw greens, blues, purples, pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, browns, and white. But there was no black. No darkness existed whatsoever within that cloud. If I watched the center for a few minutes I began to see things. Places that I'd never think I would see, but places that I wanted to see so much.

Someone came up from behind me and sat down beside me on the hill. He looked at me and at the cloud I was watching. The clould that was beyond my description, because it was so beautiful. Then, this person pointed at the cloud and remarqued about its beauty. I nodded still looking at the cloud. Then the person told me that what the sight was wasn't just a cloud, but the outside of heaven. I turned around to look at this person, but he was nowhere in sight now. Strange. Then I turned my eyes back toward the sky to see the last of the cloud fading into nothing.

Next, I thought of the cloud and what the person had said. Then, I thought to myself if that was what heaven was like on the outside. It must be unimaginable on the inside.

- TM
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- ESA

A Little Prayer I Share (Poem)

This is just a little prayer I learned when I was an adult and pass on to my neices and nephews once they reach a certain age.

Thank You for this life
And the chance to live it well.
Help me to get to Heaven
And guide others there as well.
Please fill me with Your Light,
Your Love and Wisdom too
So others may see Your Wonders
In everything I do.

- ESA