LaShawnda Jones

Khalil Gibran on Joy and Sorrow

Khalil Gibran on Joy and Sorrow (from The Prophet)

Then a woman said, “Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.”

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

Meister Eckhart on love…

It is a hard thing to practise this universal love, and to love our neighbours as ourselves, as our Lord commanded us. But if you will understand it rightly, there is a greater reward attached to this command, than to any other. The commandment seems hard, but the reward is precious indeed.

He who has found this way of love, seeketh no other. He who turns on this pivot is in such wise a prisoner that his foot and hand and mouth and eyes and heart, and all his human faculties, belong to God. And, therefore, thou canst overcome thy flesh in no better way, so that it may not shame thee, than by love. This is why it is written, Love is as strong as death, as hard as hell. Death separates the soul from the body, but love separates all things from the soul. She suffers nought to come near her, that is not God nor God-like. Happy is he who is thus imprisoned; the more thou art a prisoner, the more wilt thou be freed. That we may be so imprisoned, and so freed, may He help us, Who Himself is Love.

MEISTER ECKHART

Blog transition: from “My God and Me” to “Shawnda’s Spirit Harvest”

Welcome to my new blog home! I am transitioning from My God and Me Blog (aka mygodandme.info/blog). I hope this transition adds more readers than I lose. Please share the word in your circles – you will find great content here regarding Christian lifestyle, spiritual growth and word study. I share as I am inspiredContinueContinue reading “Blog transition: from “My God and Me” to “Shawnda’s Spirit Harvest””

Facing down bullies

Bullies are cowards at heart. They are masters of hiding their hurts, pains, and insecurities from others while projecting the same onto others. They prey on the fears of people they PERCEIVE to be weaker than them. My solution? Change the bully’s perception. Stand up to him/her. Speak up. Fight back. When you hold your ground, they will back down.

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Think on these things…

Why was she exposing me to something she didn’t want me to believe in and be deceived by? At the same time she’s sharing with me the evil master-plans of spiritually compromised celebrities, she was not interested in hearing my rebuke that the gospel – the good news Jesus preached – was the only thing she needed to preach to others. The Word of God is the only word she needed to study for understanding. Why? Because when people have the Word of God in them, His Word shines a light on all the darkness within them.

Do not despise small beginnings.

What I learned from my restaurant years is that a dirty restroom can ruin an otherwise perfect visit. What I’ve learned from my corporate years is that a hospitable spirit and gracious personality will open more doors than any degree will.

We can understand God’s plans for us better when we look back and see what He has done for us, what He has brought us through, and what lessons He was insistent on us learning from repetitious situations in our lives.

He Is My Husband…

Have you thought about those relationships where God joins hearts and souls before minds are aligned and vows are spoken? When a man and woman try to catch up to what God has ordained as their union? When they struggle to grasp the totality of His promise? How difficult that must be for each to know the end result and to continue to sink in the minutia of process, continually getting lost in the labyrinth of selfish independent will (independent of God’s will).

But, doesn’t that describe the bulk of intimate relationships? We all connect to our significant other in some way, on some level, long before our thoughts and our will align and operate in unity. The life of a relationship is intended to flow towards total unity… into oneness.

Pop Culture v. The Bible: OBAMA + MARRIAGE EQUALITY

I do believe homosexuality is a sin. God’s word says so. But I also believe that a homosexual person has the right to choose their life-path and live how they choose to live. From the beginning of time to this day, God has not stripped one person of the responsibility of choosing between life and death. Nor has He burdened anyone but Jesus Christ with another person’s sin. We all will stand accountable for our own choices in life; therefore we have the right to decide how we live our life. If a person chooses to spend their life with a person of the same gender, it is their God-given right to make that decision.

Governments should not make personal decisions for anyone. Church’s cannot make this decision for anyone.

Sacrifice, Submission, Surrender

“So, I had to ask myself this week – why is submission such a dirty word to me?

I am okay with giving up material goods – sacrificing my last dollar, the clothes off my back or even sharing my home. Sacrifice? No big deal. Surrender? Well, I’ve learned to surrender my all to Jesus. I’ve learned to trust that God is in control of everything involving my life. So, surrender – I can do that. I am submitted to God – no doubt about that…. Being a yielded vessel for God sounds great, but being a yielded vessel for God’s people…well… that’s another story….

Imagine how amazing life would be if each of us could get over ourselves every day and serve our loved ones, our community and our neighbors selflessly. Imagine if we simply laid down our life to serve and to love. In such a world, no one would go hungry or thirsty for God’s grace and mercy.”
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Panoramas of Israel

Here are some panoramic photos taken on my March 2012 trip to Israel. We started off in Haifa (northern Israel) where we stayed for eight days and made day trips to surrounding locales. On the slopes of the Carmel Mountains lies Haifa, capital of North Israel. Haifa is a special city due to its diversityContinueContinue reading “Panoramas of Israel”