An excerpt from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran

Then said Almitra, Speak to us of Love.
And he raised his head and looked upon the people,
and there fell a stillness upon them.
And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.
Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest
branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them
in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant:
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire,
that you may become sacred bread for God`s sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you
that you may know the secrets of your heart,
and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life`s heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only
love`s peace and love`s pleasure,
Then it is better for you
that you cover your nakedness and
pass out of love`s threshing floor,
Into the seasonless world where you
shall laugh, but not all of your laughter,
and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself,
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed:
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say,
“God is in my heart,” but rather,
“I am in the heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course
of love, for love, if it finds you worthy,
directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart
and give thanks for another day of loving:
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love`s ecstasy:
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in you heart
and a song of praise upon you lips.

Kahlil Gibran’s book, published in 1923 is especially relevent and helpful
for these times and is a wonderful gift for yourself or a loved one.
“The Prophet”

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann c.1920

This, for me, is one of the most profound writings I have ever read. I hope it brings you great peace and pleasure and that you are able to ‘Go Placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence’.
I once read that silence is God’s first language.

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If you haven’t had the chance to watch how comedian Steve Hardy makes an introduction, do so now!
I love this clip, it made me laugh and cry at the same time – powerful stuff. What I love is that you can find Him in the most unexpected places.
Pass it on!

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Jamielish - Live Worship Album from London

Check these guys out at www.jamielish.com or you can listen in itunes by clicking here
My two favorite tracks are YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING and I LONG TO BE- check them out…
I love these two so much, they have done so much for me personally and for Isaiah and I am blessed to call them my friends.
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“I’m a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His and I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I’m done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power.

My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear.

I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”

I have thought long and hard about writing this blog, about finding my voice in all of it. So, in the end, I have decided to be real and tell it like it is. The story of Isaiah, of me, of my journey and the journey with Isaiah so far……..if you’re interested, keep reading!! I hope that you will enjoy the ride.

We’re busy out there building a new website, but it takes time and effort and a lot of inspiration. The team at Strange Corp are brilliant and very patient with me! We’re really excited about the One For All mission – for every t shirt you buy from us, we will send you another one to ‘give away’. This came from my desire to engage real people with social action and not just something we thought about. The world is a big place and very overwhelming at times. I know what it’s like to think ‘ What can I do to make a difference in someones world, who am I that I could make a difference to someone else’s life’. Well, it was exactly this sort of thinking that lead me to believe that those small random acts of kindness are really the ones that make the difference. And it really is those small acts that build up to bigger acts, that create that sort of snowball effect…it builds and builds and builds and then suddenly one day, a whole lot of difference has been made in a whole lot of lives. That is our vision with One For All – to see many lives changed by small acts of kindness, small acts that we can each own and call ours.

I hope you will join us and be encouraged along the way. When we get the site up, there will be an area to share where/who/what and why you gave your t shirt to, who you blessed along the way. Some of the stories we have been told so far from the summer at HTB’s Home Focus, have been totally inspiring and in the end, had nothing to do with the t shirt, but more to do with the connection in someones life. How it built up the giver as well as blessed the receiver.

This is a photo of some wonderful young men in Kenya, who we gave some I AM WHO I AM t shirts to. I feel so honoured to know that it impacted their lives and we became part of their community. Come on and join us in changing lives, one life at a time.