What Matters Most

Hi, my faithful readers! It is such a pleasure to be with you every week and speak about topics that will make you think and apply in your journey called Life. Last week was tough on me because it has been seven years that my youngest son David passed away. The feelings that I initially experienced when it occurred was overwhelming like a tsunami engulfing me. Now, I still have feelings of longing to see him and have him with me.

What I have learned during these difficult times is that what matters most is the love he had for me and I for him. The memories we shared while he was alive has caused me to fill my heart with peace and joy. At first, I lamented of the what if, could have been, and should have been conversation in my mind.

Of course, that does not or will not change anything. I decided to shift my mindset to what we did have and remember those precious moments. When I started to do this, I felt that my love for him blossomed into a botanical garden with myriads of colorful flowers. The aroma caused me to want to share the love I had to others.

My focus became to give others the expression of gratitude, love, and joy so they can also experience it as we share Life together. I am saying all of this to encourage each person to:

1. Take a moment of time and evaluate who is in your life presently.

2. Determine are they adding and multiplying more into the relationship.

3. If they are, value and demonstrate with actions how much you love them.

4. If they are not, what have you learned from the relationship and let them know you care for them, however, you are needing to let them go for your own good.

5. You decide who is in your life and what they will bring to it.

6. By doing this assessment and putting into actions, you choose not to compromise what you are wanting out of your journey. Life is too short!!

7. You will build a life that you will enjoy wholeheartedly!

“No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” 1 Corinthians 13:3

Peace, Love, and Joy!

Sandra Ivette Miranda

Sand or Stone?

A story tells that there were two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand;

 “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone;

 “Today my best friend saved my life.” 

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him; 

“After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now, you write on a stone, why?”

 The other friend replied; 

“When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice. Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

Peace, Love, and Joy!

Sandra Ivette Miranda

A Heart of Gratitude

1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 100 | King James Version