The Joy of Single Living

The Last Post for this blog

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 02:34:00 +0000

My dear friends,

The Lord is leading me to yet another ministry and that is to reach out to Hispanics with the truth. Next week I'll be participating at Luis Palau's Arizona City Fest as a bilingual counselor helping people who want to give their lives to Jesus.

I'm also going to start a new blog: En Espanol: La Verdad (In Spanish: The Truth). My goal is only to tell the truth of Jesus Christ in Spanish. Mostly I'll be translating articles I've already written.

I feel that the articles in this Joy of Single Living Blog have covered most all of the issues singles may face. Though there will be no more new posts, the blog articles will remain, archived in cyberspace eternity.

I do want to leave you singles out there with this message from 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8:

For this is the will of God, that you should be consecrated (separated and set apart for pure and holy living): that you should abstain and shrink from all sexual vice, that each one of you should know how to possess (control, manage) his own body in consecration (purity, separated from things profane) and honor, not [to be used] in the passion of lust like the heathen, who are ignorant of the true God and have no knowledge of His will...

... For the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we have already warned you solemnly and told you plainly.

For God has not called us to impurity but to consecration [to dedicate ourselves to the most thorough purity].

Therefore whoever disregards (sets aside and rejects this) disregards not man but God, Whose [very] Spirit [Whom] He gives to you is holy (chaste, pure).

As the Lord said, "I will not leave you as orphans in the night..." there is another blog for you to follow with great articles and advice for singles and that's Boundless.org. I especially like their last article: Called to Singleness.

If God has called me to be single to better service Him, then I'll serve in a state of sexually abstinent singleness.

Soli Deo Gloria!

To God Alone be the Glory!

Giselle Aguiar

Award Winning Christian Author

Why do I need to be baptized again if I was baptized as a child?

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 03:36:00 +0000

That was my question for a long time. Born to Catholic parents in a mostly Catholic island (Puerto Rico), I was baptized when I was 6 months old.

As an adult, in my early 30’s when I decided to find a Protestant church. My landlady took me to her Baptist church and they kept asking me when I was “born again” or when I was “baptized”.

My answer always was that I’ve grown up “knowing” that Jesus was the Son of God and that He died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. (I memorized the Apostles Creed like a good Catholic girl). And I was baptized as a child. I didn’t get it.

After a little church shopping, I joined the United Church of Christ “reaffirming my faith” that Jesus is the Savior.

A little while later, during a church service the first week in January commemorating Jesus’ baptism, everyone walked up to the pastor who baptized us touching our foreheads with a bit of water. Baptized twice. I thought I was set.

It wasn’t until I came to Phoenix and attended the “101 Class” (now called “First Steps”) at First Christian Church of Phoenix did one of the pastors, Scott Pixler, explain it in a logical way that finally registered.

Full-emersion baptism - that is being dunked completely in the water - replicates Jesus‘ death and resurrection. When a person is baptized by emersion, the old person dies and a new person is born - purified from all the sins of the past. Hence the phrase “born again.”

Nowhere in the bible is “sprinkling” mentioned. So how did sprinkling come to replace full-emersion baptism?

In my researching my novel, I remembered reading something about that.

And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whoever else can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before. – The Didache Chapter 7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Didache

The Early Church Fathers wanted people to be baptized no matter what. Ideally, it should be in living water - a river, lake, ocean, etc. If that isn’t available, then a tub will do. I you don’t have that, then sprinkle water on their heads.

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ~Acts 2:38

Repent -- a 6-month-old baby can’t repent their sins. They haven’t committed any sins. A child should be baptized when he or she understands and believes that Jesus dies for their sins. Not before. So, Catholic baptism as a baby, does not a Christian make.

There is only one way to guarantee your ticket to Heaven - admit that you’re a sinner, repent (vow not to sin again), then be baptized.

Click here to get to know God.

God Bless,
Giselle Aguiar
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Search Amazon.com for knowing God

Stuck in the mud

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 22:52:00 +0000

Have you ever been stuck in the mud? I was once. There was a pond near our house in upstate NY and I used to like to watch the frogs and other critters in the pond. One day when I was about 12, I ventured too close to the water after a rain.

I had rubber boots on and I sank into the mud. I couldn’t get out. Not that I was sinking like quicksand, but every time I tried to lift my legs, the suction was too strong. I would manage to get my foot out of my boots, but then where would I stand. I can’t remember who came to rescue me, but the lesson was learned. Stay out of the mud.

Have you ever been stuck in a snow drift with your car? Or on an icy road? I managed to do that a few times up in Vermont where I went to college. The wheels go round and round yet it goes nowhere. That’s why they say to keep cat litter or sand in the trunk of your car. Being prepared helps you get out of sticky situations.

Sometimes, we get stuck in life situations and we need to be rescued.

I grew up Catholic, but left the church when I went to college. From the age of 18 till my early thirties, my “lost years” - I didn’t care about anything but myself, having fun, traveling and making money. When I was 28, I was on a contract job, far from home, with a boss with which I argued daily and endlessly. I hated going to work, but I was stuck.

I was miserable. One day, I found myself in front of a chapel and I went in. I prayed to God - hand’t done that in years. I needed help. My parents weren’t going to rescue me and there wasn’t any other solution except to look up. I prayed.

A month later, that boss was replaced by a nice gal who ended up being my best friend.

Now, you can call that luck or a happy coincidence, but I know it was all God’s doing. That wasn’t the exact moment that “converted” me to Christianity, but it was the start of my journey back on the right path.

It took a while for God’s messages to get through my thick head, but I know He got me out of the mud I was stuck in.

Since then, as a committed Christian, I’ve found myself in other sticky situations, but I put my trust in God and He got me out.

Are you stuck? You may think so. It could be that you’re stuck in the vicious cycle of joblessness or financial ruin with no hope in sight. There is a rescuer! He is Jesus!

Turn to Jesus and He will save you from the mud.

Knowing God
Become a Christian

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. (Psalm 40:1-2)

God Bless,

Giselle Aguiar

Soli Deo Gloria

www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Follow Giselle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Search Amazon.com for knowing God

Modern Christmas carols II - 'How Many Kings'

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 21:18:00 +0000

If you don’t listen to Christian Radio, you probably have never heard this song. It’s relatively new and it’s not a classic yet. But it’s one of those that makes you stop and think. It’s not your traditional “Hark” song. But it addresses why a King would be born in a stable.

How Many Kings
From the album Bethlehem Skyline by Downhere

Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we've projected,
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl - just a child
Is this who we've waited for? 'cause...

How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe.
Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he will suffer
Do you believe?
Is this who we've waited for?

Only one did that for me.

All for me...
All for you...

Downhere live performance

“How many fathers gave up their sons for me?” The answer is only one.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him..." ~ John 3:16-17

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ~ 1 John 4:8-10

No other king, lord or god ever did that for mankind, for you.

Merry Christmas

Giselle Aguiar

Soli Deo Gloria

www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd

A modern Christmas carol - 'Mary Did You Know?'

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:20:00 +0000

Last Sunday at church we were asked to reveal what our favorite Christmas carol is during greeting time. A few years ago, I would have said, "O, Holy Night!" but now it's "Mary, Did you Know?" - A modern Christmas Carol.

You'd think there were enough of them. You hear them every year for 2 months or more. Most of you know them by heart. It’s one thing to sing along mindlessly and it’s another thing to take in the real meaning.

In 1984, Mary Did You Know? was penned by Mark Lowry, a Christian comedian. He wrote it for a Christmas play thinking about the questions that he would ask Mary, the mother of Jesus, if he had the chance. It became a new Christmas classic.

Mary knew her Son was special – an angel from God announced that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a Son and He shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-38)

That’s all she was told, all she knew and she replied, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

She had no idea what she was getting into, but she put all her trust in the Lord.

When you read the words to this song, think about that young mother with her baby and then who He grew up to be.

Mary Did you Know
by Mark Lowry

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

Here are two other versions with videos that help tell the story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1oHJR2g7Tw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcb6B9dAZ88

Merry Christmas
Search Amazon.com for Mary Did You Know?

Giselle Aguiar
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd

Ask and you shall receive

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:20:00 +0000

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" ~Matthew 7:7-11

If you don’t ask, you won’t get, right?

At the end of a job interview what are you supposed to do? Ask for the job. If you don’t, how do you expect to get it? Ok, you may get it anyway, but if you ask for the position, it shows you are earnestly interested in it and you have a better chance of getting it.

If you need help, ask for it. You never know who may be in the position to help you. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know, will you?

If you’re lost, ask for directions. (Why do guys have a problem with this?) It may take you a long time to figure out where you are, even with a GPS in your car. If you program the wrong address or if the street is new, it’s not going to give you the right information. Save time, ask for directions. (Even Mapquest gets it wrong sometimes.)

That’s how God works. Kind of like the jeanie in the bottle. “Your wish is my command!” Well, sort of. King Solomon had that opportunity once. One night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." (2 Chronicles 1:7).

Solomon, wise man that he was, could have asked God for wealth or power, but he actually asked for something he already had - wisdom. Wisdom to better govern God’s people.

God did better than just giving him wisdom, but He blessed him with the riches that he didn’t ask for, simply because Solomon was humble, not greedy or power-hungry. You can read all of what God gave him in 2 Chronicles 7:8-14.

So, don’t be shy, ask God for what you need and don’t be greedy about it. Ask Him for what you need, not what you want. There’s a big difference.

How? Just pray. Talk to God. He’ll listen. You may ask Him for next month’s rent money and you may end up getting a good permanent job. You may ask Him for a job, but he may give you a new direction to go in with better opportunities.

You won’t know until you ask.

God Bless
Giselle Aguiar
Soli Deo Gloria
Search Amazon.com for christian books
www.giselleaguiar.com/wwjd

Online dating services - go Christian

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 22:29:00 +0000

The other night I was watching a late (after midnight) movie and a commercial came on for an online dating service - which I won't mention because I refuse to give them publicity - but their tagline shocked me: "log in - hook up".

My first thought was "we Christians are fighting a losing battle - there's just too much sex out there." Then I remembered that God wins in the end. I thought it seems an impossible task to turn a sex-crased world into God-fearing, Christ-centered people. Then I remembered that nothing is impossible for God.

Then I thought "there are going to be a lot of people in hell." Yep. But we still have to try and reach as many people as we can.

The best way to resist temptation is to avoid it in the first place.

How do you do that?

Hang out with Christians. You start behaving like the people you hang out with.

Don't watch movies with sexual content. Stay away from R-rated movies. Check to see why it was given the R rating. Ask yourself, would Jesus watch this?

Read your Bible. God gave us instructions for living for a reason. He gave us free-will, but he wants us to make the right decisions, thus he laid it all out in the world's best seller - the Bible. If you don't own one, go online to www.biblegateway.com or www.crosswalk.com.

Use the Christian dating services like www.ChristianCafe.com. My former roommate recently met her fiance there.

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. ~Philippians 4:13

Do you know God?

God Bless,

Giselle Aguiar

Soli Deo Gloria

www.giselleaguiar.com

Follow Giselle on Twitter

Note: I am no longer the Phoenix Unchurched Singles Examiner. Those articles will stay live in their archives.

The Rapture - it could happen any minute - are you ready?

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:51:00 +0000

The Rapture - it could happen any minute - are you ready?

The Rapture - when millions of true Christian believers are swept away to heaven just before the Antichrist comes to power in the beginning of the end of the world as we know it.

Imagine this:

You’re driving southbound on the highway on a warm afternoon. You’re behind a convertible in the center lane with a fish symbol on the rear bumper. The driver is a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap. You think, “Oh, there goes another one of those Christians.” Then all of a sudden, you realize that the driver is gone. The convertible swerves to the right out of its lane and crashes into the truck in the next lane.

You pass by the reck trying to dial 911 on your cell. You pull over to see if you can assist as you’re talking to the 911 operator giving them your location. You look around, under the car, no driver.

The driver of the truck comes out - he seems ok, but is also puzzled that the driver apparently disappeared.

“I was passing him and he suddenly vanished!” the truck driver tells you.

Then you notice that on the northbound lane, several cars have crashed there. You tell the 911 operator that there’s another accident in the northbound side and that the driver there also seems to be missing.

You get back into your vehicle after 911 assures you that they’re sending someone and you continue heading south until you come to yet another accident where more than several cars seem to have lost their driver.

Then you look up when you see a jet, that just took off from the Airport, start losing altitude and crash into the downtown area.

Then you stop and remember what a Christian friend had told you about the Rapture and how she tried to get you to believe in Jesus Christ and you say, “Wow, she was right.” You cross your arms on top of the steering wheel, lay your head down and weep.

Ok, you’ve got the picture. Let’s hope the Rapture happens during the middle of night your time so there is less damage. But imagine that same scenario taking place everywhere around the world. All the Christians simply vanish.

The World Without Christians

If you think the world is a mess now, imagine what it will be like after the millions of godly people (Christians) - the “salt” and the “light” - on this earth are taken away. The devil will have a field day - literally.

“You may think the world today is degenerating into rampant greed and immorality, and indeed it tis. But as bad as things are becoming, we can hardly overstate the horror that will occur when society loses the tempering influence of the Christians.” (Dr. David Jeremiah, “What in the World is Going On? 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore”)

That’s when the Antichrist will come into power. He’ll be from a European country with Italian/Roman heritage. He’ll be a peacemaker - organizing the chaos - bringing hope. He’ll claim to be the Messiah. He’ll show signs of power and miracles.

He’ll set up a system where you won’t be able to buy or sell anything without having his mark on your hand or your forehead. If you don’t take the mark, you will be killed. Nice choice. He’ll make a peace 7-year treaty with Israel then break it after 3 years.

The the Tribulation starts 7 years of nasty, nasty stuff - horrors worse than anything the world has ever seen. (Revelation 6:12-17)

Nothing impure will ever enter it [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. ~ Revelation 21:27

Will you be left behind? Is your name in the Lamb’s book of life? If you’re not sure, you’d better think about it.

If you are left behind, you will have a second chance to commit yourself to Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t mean you won’t go through the suffering of the Tribulation. As a follower of Christ you cannot take the mark of the beast so you’ll have to fend for yourself when it comes to buying anything that you need. You’ll have to go underground because the Antichrist’s army will be looking for you. But if they do find you and kill you, you’ll be guaranteed a place in heaven with Jesus.

In “Left Behind - the Movie” Rev. Bruce Barnes (played by Clarence Gilyard), a minister, was left behind. See, he preached the Gospel and he knew Jesus was the Son of God, but that wasn’t enough. He said, “Knowing and believing are two different things.” He missed the boat and was left to deal with the coming Tribulation.

76% of the American population considers themselves Christian, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are saved. Still, if more than have of the U.S. population vanishes at the Rapture, the people left behind will have a tough time to say the least.

Will you be left behind?

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. ~ Matthew 24:40-44

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you [Christians] from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those [unbelievers] who live on the earth. ~Revelation 3:10

Wouldn’t it be logical to make sure that you’re not left behind?

It’s actually very easy to guarantee yourself a room in God’s mansion and the prize is promise, hope, peace and joy - that sounds much better doesn’t it?

Just pray this prayer honestly and wholeheartedly and your name will be written in the Lamb’s (Jesus’) Book of Life and you will be among the millions of Christians to be caught up in Jesus’ arms into paradise in heaven. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:11)

Lord Jesus, I need You to guide my life. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

If you received Jesus into your heart, welcome to the family of God! The following will help you deepen your relationship with Christ:

Pray. Just talk to God no matter where you are. He doesn’t care what the words are, just that they are sincere. Read: How to Pray

Read the Bible everyday to learn about Jesus and how to live a life that pleases God. Start with 1 John, then the Gospel of John, then Philippians. Read: How to Read the Bible

An important part of helping your relationship with Christ grow is to tell others about Him. Demonstrate God’s love and be active in telling others about Jesus.

Find a bible-based church and become active getting to know other Christians.

Being a Christian is a journey of faith with the goal to be closer to God and live like Christ and sometimes it is a struggle for some Christians to live like Christ. It also doesn't guarantee that life will be trouble free. God sends trials to test our faith. So we must read the Bible to grow stronger in faith.

I'm glad I'm reaching someone

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading my articles. If all this hard work is really worth it. I received this email today:

I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL THANK THE LORD FOR WHAT HE IS USING YOU TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE LIFE OF SINGLES - I PRAY YOU CONTINUE WITH UNTIL HE RETURNS.

PLEASE, I WILL LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER IT IS PROPER FOR A SINGLE TO HAVE SEXUAL THOUGHT OR NOT.

SECONDLY CAN GOD GIVE YOU THE TIME OF HUSBAND THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE.

IS IT WRONG TO CHOOSE A HUSBAND ACCORDING TO YOUR HEART DESIRE?

CAN YOU FOR CHRIST SAKE HELP ME TO STAND FINANCIALLY IF YOU CAN?

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME YOUR TIME

GOD BLESS

VICTORIA

Here is my reply:
Victoria, Thank you for your comments. I'm glad some one's actually reading what I write. I've tried to answer your questions below:

> PLEASE, I WILL LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER IT IS PROPER FOR A SINGLE TO HAVE SEXUAL THOUGHT OR NOT.
Sexual thoughts are going to come into our heads no matter what. We're bombarded by sexual images all the time. What God wants us to do is not follow through with the thought. Shake it out of your head and think of something else. Avoid looking, listening, watching improper Internet sites, music, TV shows or movies. For instance, I try to avoid R rated movies. I just find it offensive. As you grow deeper in your relationship with Christ, you see that you will start finding things that you watched or listened to less and less entertaining.

>
> SECONDLY CAN GOD GIVE YOU THE TIME OF HUSBAND THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE.
I'm not sure what you're asking here. God gave us free will to choose what we do in life including choosing our mates. He may put the person in our paths but if we don't recognize that person as "the one", they'll just walk by. It's probably happened to me more than once. We also manage as relationship are growing to mess things up. The best thing to do is to pray about a potential mate and ask God if this person is the person He wants you to be with. Listening for God's isn't easy. Sometimes it will come when we're quiet or a trusted Christian friend will say, "this is the guy for you." Or the Holy Spirit will stir your heart.

> IS IT WRONG TO CHOOSE A HUSBAND ACCORDING TO YOUR HEART DESIRE?
On the other hand. We can choose the wrong person. We can base the relationship on physical chemistry (and that's a hard one to ignore) and ignore the spiritual chemistry.
Read: http://singles.giselleaguiar.com/what-is-a-soulmate.html
http://singles.giselleaguiar.com/Avoiding-Mr-or-Ms-Wrong.html

>
> CAN YOU FOR CHRIST SAKE HELP ME TO STAND FINANCIALLY IF YOU CAN?
Trust in God.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. ~ Matthew 6:25-34

Here are some more articles that may help:
http://singles.giselleaguiar.com/avoiding-false-intimacy.html
http://giselleaguiar.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-marriage-is-not-part-1.html
http://singles.giselleaguiar.com/commitmentphobes.html

Hope this helps. But the best advice I can give is to Trust and Obey God. If it's His will that you find a mate, it will happen. Be patient and persevere. His timing may not be our timing, but it's always right.

Blessings in Christ, Giselle

Are we living in the ‘last days’?

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:32:00 +0000

The answer is yes. But when did the “last days” start? Who decided this?

God. The “last days” began 40 days after Jesus Christ was resurrected – on Pentecost – when the Holy Spirit came into the hearts of the disciples.

They were gathered in Jerusalem during the Jewish feast of Pentecost. The “twelve” disciples became “eleven” when Judas, out of guilt, committed suicide. The Eleven along with Mary, Jesus’ mother, were suddenly surrounded by a wind and “tongues of fire” rested on their heads. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in different languages. Languages they had never spoken before -- languages that just happened to be the languages of all the foreigners who had also arrived in Jerusalem for the feast.

The foreigners heard them speaking in their own language and thought they were drunk. Then Peter spoke, first saying that they weren’t drunk, it was too early in the morning. (Acts 2:1-16)

Then Peter said,
" 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood [sounds like some of the 2012 predictions]
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'…” ~Acts 2:17-21

So the “last days” started with Pentecost.

In Matthew 24, Jesus is asked by his disciples when will the end be.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. ~Matthew 24:6-8

Sure there have been lots of wars and many nations have risen against other nations. And we’ve always had famines and earthquakes. But verse 8 is the catch. It says “these are the beginning of the birth pains.” When a woman is giving birth, the contractions and pains increase in frequency and severity until the child is born.

Earthquakes are increasing and probably will be according to the predictors of 2012.

There is more famine and hunger in the world than ever before. There are more families on Food Stamps right now than ever before. I could go on.

"Immediately after the distress of those days [you could say the world is in distress right now]
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' [Where have we heard this before?]

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect [True Christian Believers] from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other…” ~Matthew 24:29-31

Jesus later says,
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him…” ~ Matthew 24:36-44

Basically, no one – No One – can predict when it will happen. Only God knows. Jesus can come tomorrow, He can come in the next second, He can come on 12/20/2012 or He can come sometime after that. No One knows.

All we can do is be ready. If you’ve ever lived in a state that tends to get hurricanes, like Florida, you learn to be prepared. As soon as June 1 rolls around you gather canned goods, gallons of water and you make an evacuation plan – either protect your home with shutters or go to a shelter. Usually, if a hurricane is heading in your direction you have some sort of warning – a few days maybe. Sometimes those suckers turn at the last minute and you wake up in the middle of the night to thunder, lightning and a wind to beat all winds.

After Hurricane Andrew on August 24, 1992, I lived for 2 weeks without electricity. That was nothing compared to the destruction Andrew did in South Florida.

Are you ready? Are you part of the elect? Read “Are you part of the Chosen?”

Since we don’t know when He’s coming, doesn’t it make sense to be ready? So how do you do that? Here’s the Good News – it’s really easy. You don’t need to go shopping and pick up gallons of water and tons of tuna. Just pray this prayer wholeheartedly:

Lord, I know I’m a sinner and cannot save myself. I need You as my Savior. Thank You for dying in my place and rising again. I believe in You. Please forgive my sin. I want to live with You in heaven someday.*

God Bless,
Giselle Aguiar
Soli Deo Gloria
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter

*Our Daily Bread, 11/30/09

Are we living in the "Last Days"?

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Are we there yet? The "End of Days", Armageddon, the Apocalypse, December 21, 2012, Judgment Day... Are We Living in the End Times?

That last phrase was the title of a book by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins of the famed Left Behind Series.

My last blog, Dec. 21, 2012 - Is this the End of the Word? covered the predictions of the Mayan calendar and other world-ending disasters including the erupting of the supervolcano in Yellowstone Park depicted so nicely in the movie 2012.

So what does the Bible say about all this. The bible has many end-times prophecies. The Book of Revelation, the last book of the bible, was written by the Apostle John as dictated to him by Jesus Christ. It starts out with letters to 7 churches in Asia on how to change and live Christ-like lives. Then fun stuff starts. With the 4 riders of the apocalypse, to the Antichrist, the battle of Armageddon, to the demise of Satan and the final glorious new earth and new heaven. It describes famines, earthquakes, floods, and stars falling from the sky.

The books of Daniel and Ezekiel describe end-times battles and beasts. The problem is, if you just read them without the help of a study guide or commentary, they're difficult to understand.

Countdown to the Apocalypse by Grant P. Jeffrey puts Daniel's prophecies into, well, plain English. He lists 21 "Prophesied Events of the Last Days" some of which have come true, some are happening now and some can really happen any day now.

1. The rebirth of Israel - Done
"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ~ Matthew 24:32-34

The "fig tree" is the nation of Israel. "This generation" is the generation that witnessed the nationalization of Israel in 1948. That generation will witness the end times. Figure a child who was 10 years old in 1948 is 71 years old now.

2. Hebrew language is recovered - Done
"Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder." Zephaniah 3:9

3. The Jewish exiles return to Israel - Happening Now
...and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. ~ Ezekiel 37:21

4. The desolate land becomes fertile - Happening Now
In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit. ~Isaiah 27:6

5. Plans to rebuild the Temple - Happening Now
In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. ~Isaiah 2:2

Preparations are being made for the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem

6. The global rise of Antisemitism - Happening Now
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." ~ Matthew 24:9-11

7. Israel surrounded by enemy Arab nations - Happening Now
"Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you - the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot." ~ Psalm 83:4-8

8. The revival of the Roman Empire - Happening Now (AKA, the European Union)
The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. ~ Daniel 7:24-25

9. Development of worldwide communications - Done (Hey, you're using it right now)
For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. ~ Revelation 11:9-10

10. Return of the Ethiopian Jews to Israel - Happening Now
From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. ~ Zephaniah 3:10

11. Russia rises again as a military power - the signs are there
Ezekiel 38:1-12

12. Babylon is rebuilt - Saddam Hussein started this project
Isaiah 13:1-19

13. Preparations for a one-world government - the stage is very well set for this to happen soon
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. ~Daniel 7:14

The person of "authority" is the Antichrist who will rule over the one-world government. He is said to be of "Roman" descent. He probably lives somewhere in the EU.
He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. ~Revelation 13:7

"The Saints" are believers with the Holy Spirit in them. But according to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
"the one who now holds it back" is the Holy Spirit. As long as the Christians are here on earth, the Antichrist won't rise. That means the Rapture of the Christians must happen first.

14. Financial systems will require the mark and 15. All must receive the mark- technology exists to do this
He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. ~Revelation 13:16-18

16. Asia forms a 200-million-man army - anyone who watched the opening of the Beijing Olympics witnessed how large groups of people can be controlled. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number. ~Revelation 9:14-16

17. The Euphrates River will dry up and 18. A military highway appears across Asia - that could happen soon. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
~ Revelation 16:12-14

19. Ecological devastation of the planet - ok - this is scheduled for December 21, 2012. "...The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great— and for destroying those who destroy the earth." ~ Revelation 11:18

20. Massive climate change - Happening now and also predicted for 12/21/12
Revelation 8:7-13

21. Humanity's survival is threatened.
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. ~Matthew 24:21
And people who don't turn to Christ, will turn and worship the Antichrist (Satan) and they will perish.

If December 21, 2012 causes massive changes, catastrophes, disasters, etc. It may very well be the set stage for the Antichrist to come to power and "fix things". So the Rapture may just happen before that day.

Ask yourself this: Will you be left behind?

Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know^"my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6-7)

Do you really know Jesus? If sincerely want to secure your ticket for the Rapture and be sure you are not left behind, pray this prayer wholeheartedly right now:

Lord, I know I’m a sinner and cannot save myself. I need You as my Savior. Thank You for dying in my place and rising again. I believe in You. Please forgive my sin. I want to live with You in heaven someday.*

For more information, visit:
The Hal Lindsey Report
Prophecy News Watch
http://bible-prophecy-today.blogspot.com/2009/12/is-middle-east-about-to-go-apocalyptic.html

*Our Daily Bread, 11/30/09

Blessings in the name of Jesus Christ!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter

December 21, 2012 – is this the end of the world as we know it?

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:45:00 +0000

TEOTWAWKI – the end of the world as we know it.

Here we go again. It’s not Y2K this time, but Y12. The movie’s out – 2012 grossed $225 million worldwide its premier weekend. (Read my review here.)

So what’s the big deal? Haven’t we had several end-of-the-world predictions in the past? MSNBC lists 10 failed past predictions.

So what makes 12/21/12 so different?

Besides it being the winter solstice of that year, more than one source/prophet/predictor pinpoints that date as a day of cataclysmic events. And others describe possible scenarios that science corroborates as probable.

Disclaimer: I don’t claim to be an astrophysicist (or any type of physicist for that matter) nor am I an astronomer or astrologer. I am, however, a Star Trek fan so pardon in advance the Trekkie lingo. “Red Alert! Set a course for the nearest class M planet! Warp 9!”

The Mayans

The Mayans are an ancient civilization established between 2000 BC and 250 AD in parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. They were very advanced having created the first written language of Pre-Columbian America. They also devised a calendar which starts on August 13, 3114 BC (day 0.0.0.0.1) and ends on December 12, 2012 (day 13.0.0.0.0). The day after (12/22/20012) will be the start of a new age – again beginning with day 0.0.0.0.1 and the start of the “Golden Age.”

The Mayans were some of the earliest astronomers and built their pyramids (which still exist today) in relation to the sun and the stars.

On 12/21/12, our Solar System, according to the Mayans, will eclipse (block) the view of the center of the Milky Way from the Earth. This happens only once every 26,000 years. Supposedly, the Earth receives energy from the Milky Way’s center and that energy will be interrupted at 11:11 p.m. Universal Time because of a little wobble in the Earth’s rotation.^

How exactly will this affect the Earth? The Mayans believe that it will throw vital mechanisms of our bodies and the Earth off kilter. Mayan decedents currently living in Guatemala still believe this and are genuinely afraid of 2012.^

Here’s NASA’s response to this:

Q: Could a phenomena occur where planets align in a way that impacts Earth?
A: There are no planetary alignments in the next few decades, Earth will not cross the galactic plane in 2012, and even if these alignments were to occur, their effects on the Earth would be negligible. Each December the Earth and sun align with the approximate center of the Milky Way Galaxy but that is an annual event of no consequence.

Ok, that’s just one ancient culture’s prediction right?

Not quite. The Hopi Indians of northern Arizona have a “prophecy stone” with 9 prophecies – at least 8 of them have come to pass – which according to them, means that we are near the end times. The 9th prophecy describes something similar to an atomic bomb destroying the “4th world” in which we are currently living."*

Both the Maya and Hopi both warn of the end of this world due to "greed and corruption" followed by "a period of peace and harmony after the purification when humankind returns to balance."*

If you’re old enough, this may bring a flashback of “The Age of Aquarius” from the musical Hair and later the 1969 hit by the 5th Dimension: “When the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars…Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding…” Is what we sang about back then coming true?

Considering that these two cultures didn’t know each other, it brings one to think that maybe they’ve got something here.

Solar Sun Spots and Solar Flares

Sun spots – we know what they are from science class. They are dark spots on the surface of the sun. Each spot has a corresponding polar spot on the other side of the sun. Sun spots release solar flares. These flares or electromagnetic storms are categorized as C for light, M for middle and X for most powerful. They add numbers after the letters to indicated its intensity. In early 2005, the Earth felt the effects of several solar flares from X2 – X7. Usually, it takes a flare a couple of days to reach the earth. Thus, scientists and those who monitor our satellites have some warning and time to adjust to prevent major damage. The last X7 on January 20, 2005 took just 30 minutes to reach us.^

“Shields up, Mr. Worf.” The earth has an electromagnetic field surrounding it emanating from pole to pole. These shield us from solar flares except in the polar regions.

During periods of strong geomagnetic storm activity (solar flares), the Northern Lights – aka the Aurora Borealis - can sometimes be seen as far south as California, Arizona or the Alps in Europe.

The next Solar Maximum is in 2012 and sun spot activity will increase by 50% as the date approaches.^ Those flares in early 2005 may have had an influence in our weather and the earth. BTW, that was the year of Katrina, Rita, Stan and Wilma. Shortly after Hurricane Stan hit Guatemala, causing extreme mudslides, and earthquake struck the already devastated region.^*

“Shields are at 80% and holding!” Well, maybe not that bad, but there is a hole in the earth’s electromagnetic shield. It’s about the size of the state of California, in the Atlantic between Brazil and South Africa – very close to the hole in the atmospheric Ozone layer over Antarctica.^ Are they related? Possibly? Did man cause them? Maybe. Regardless, our shield from the sun’s increasing solar activity has a hole in it. Is this contributing to “Global Warming”? Maybe.

So how will we know if these sun flares are getting worse. When we can see the Northern Lights in the southern U.S.

I spent 2 summers in Alaska and I never saw them. Now I won't be shocked if one night I look up and see them in the skies over Phoenix.

Yellowstone Park’s Supervolcano

The 2012 movie got this right. The bubbling hot caldera that causes Old Faithful to erupt and fascinate audiences is a supervolcano. It’s conical shape goes down into the earth rather than up like volcanoes we are familiar with like Vesuvius, Mt. Etna, Stromboli, Mt. St. Helens, Kilauea, etc.

This puppy’s ready to blow any day now. What can ignite it? Oh, increased solar activity, earthquakes, a change in the energy we get from the center of the solar system? When it does blow it will send ash miles into the sky and that will blow east affecting the mid-western states first, then the East Coast of the U.S., Canada and eventually the whole world.

Pole Shifts and Pole Reversals

By the end of the 2012 movie, the South Pole was located in Wisconsin. (Makes me stop and think what the weather would be like in Phoenix if that happens.) We’ve got all this molten lava moving around and exploding in Yellowstone – which will probably affect other volcanoes and cause more earthquakes. All this movement in the center of the earth could cause the poles to shift.

A pole reversal is the reversal of the magnetic field.^ This will cause compasses to point south instead of north.

There’s more. Lot’s more. I could go on and on.

I haven’t mentioned Nostradamus. He had something to say about the end of the world but his prediction involves a comet and according to NASA, there aren’t any near us now or in the near future.

Then there’s Edgar Cayce, I Ching, Planet X and the Photon Belt. “Mr. Worf, arm photon torpedoes!” A photon is the smallest unit of light or electromagnetic radiation that we can measure. There’s supposedly a nebula around the Pleiades constellation that is actually a photon belt which is moving towards Earth and we will encounter it in 2012. However, we currently do not have the technology to prove that it exist or to monitor it.*

In 2012, the stars will be in the same position as when Atlantis disappeared. Africa is cracking. The Cherokee calendar also ends on 12/21/12 and the Maori people of New Zealand also have 2012 prophesies.

Lawrence E. Joseph, author of Apocalypse 2012: An Investigation into Civilization's End" target=_blank>Apocalypse 2012, concludes, “Those who prophesy doom usually claim to fear and loathe it and to pray that they are wrong. But I think doomsday has a profound if unspeakable allure for those who are unhappy with themselves, their society, their Maker. Accepting that doomsday is imminent provides the believer with immense satisfaction—that he or she possesses the most important knowledge in the world and that all other pursuits are trivial or misguided. It’s a form of vicarious revenge that anyone can take on life’s unfairness.”^

So what do I think? It doesn’t matter!

The world on 12/22/12 will be different. Either there would have been major destruction or just a change in attitudes and the way we relate to the earth. Will that trigger the rise of the Antichrist into power and the battle of Armageddon? God only knows when “The Day of the Lord” will come.

If the world as we know it ends in catastrophe on 12/21/12 or if that date signifies a significant change in humanity, I believe that the Jesus will come sometime before that to collect his believers so they will not have to suffer through the destruction. This is called the Rapture of the Christians. Lawrence E. Joseph describes it thus (and I couldn’t have said it better myself), “Evangelical Christians are the group most eager to precipitate Armageddon, looking forward to the Rapture, the exalted moment when, before the battle begins, true and faithful Christians are literally lifted up into the air, into the heavens, to join God. No doubt this would be exhilarating. From the safety and comfort of Heaven, one would have the opportunity to look down upon the Earth and watch the battle between two warring groups: Christians who, due to imperfections in their faith, or because of special warrior destiny, were not subsumed in Rapture; and followers of the Antichrist, a charismatic false Messiah, whose followers include secular humanists, pagans, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as Muslims, Jews, and insufficiently committed Christians. [emphasis mine] A large population of Jews are expected, in Evangelical theology, to convert to Christianity and thus fight on the righteous side of the Armageddon battle. Those who decline Jesus will, along with all other naysayers, explode.”^

I don’t know about you, but like Jack Kelly, the writer of the Grace through Faith article on 2012 wrote, “You and I will view all of this from the mezzanine during our time of repose with the Lord.” I’m there.

Don’t you want to know that you’ll be saved from all the mess and watch it from the gallery? Only God knows the day and the time of the end.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be burned up. ~2 Peter 3:10

In many Biblical passages, the end of days is described coming like a “thief in the night”. In other words, no one, not even Jesus knows when it will be. Only God, the Father.

So what do we mere mortals do?

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." ~Acts 2:38-39

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ~John 3:16-17

God loves you and he doesn’t want you to perish. If the end is in 2012 or your end is before then, don’t you want to know that you won’t perish?

Click here if you want to guarantee a seat in the mezzanine. It starts with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

If it’s all bunk, then fine. But if it’s not, do you want to take that chance?

This world is a mess – I think most of you will agree with me on that – so if 12/21/12 is the end of the world, I’m ready. I say, Bring it!

See you in the mezzanine!
God Bless,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Next time: What does the Bible say about the end times? (Amazingly, it describes a lot of what was mentioned above.)

References:

Note: These 2 books are secular.

*The Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012" target=_blank>Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012, by Synthia Andrews and Colin Andrews, 2008 Alpha Books.

^Apocalypse 2012: An Investigation into Civilization's End" target=_blank>Apocalypse 2012 by Lawrence E. Joseph, 2007 Morgan Road Books

For further research:

2012 Cataclysmic Calendar

Grace Through Faith – 2012 The end of the world?

Faith-based reviewers take a look at "2012"

Nightline

The Truth Project

Even Bible Scholars Are Asking -- Is 2012 The End Of The World?

Archeology.org

December21122012.com – the official website

2012 Hoax: Debunking the "2012 Doomsday"

Monitor the Yellowstone Volcano

Left Behind - The Movie'>Left Behind

Technorati Tags: 2012,December 21 2012,end of the world,apocalypse,Armegeddon,solar flares,Mayan Calendar,planetary alignment,electromagnetic,sun spots,end of days,end times,star trek,prophesy,new age,Hopi prophecy,solar system,photon belt,TEOTWAWKI,Yellowstone supervolcano,the Rapture of the Christians

Beating the Holiday Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:14:00 +0000

Here they come again — the holidays.

Holidays can produce moments of severe depression for singles. Even for people who are happy living alone, holidays can be difficult. There is a feeling that "everyone’s having a good time except for me." Even watching a commercial of a happy family around the table can trigger depression—especially if being with family for the holidays is not an option.

The idea is to create new traditions. Many singles groups offer Thanksgiving dinners for those who’ll be alone for the holiday. Someone makes the turkey and everyone else brings the trimmings and desserts. Force yourself to be with people at lease part of the time—even if it’s accepting an invitation from a friend to have dinner with their family. Don’t think that they’re just feeling sorry for you and “taking you in” for the holiday like a stray cat. It’s OK to accept. Too much time alone isn’t good for anyone. Human companionship breaks monotony, creates balance and makes time spent alone easier to enjoy. (Check out the list of churches I've complied at my Exminer.com page)

Christmas is a little more difficult. As Thanksgiving is just one day, the Christmas season seems to start earlier each year. Seeing Christmas decorations in the stores before Halloween reminds you that you’re going to be alone for yet another holiday. Get involved in helping needy organizations like Toys for Tots. There’s plenty to do to take your mind off your personal situation and you’ll feel the joy of helping others.

Volunteering at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving or Christmas can become a new activity for you. Putting yourself in the service of others takes your mind off you problems. (Check out the volunteer opportunities at my Examiner.com page)

You get past Thanksgiving and Christmas, then there’s New Year’s. Are you going to die because you don’t have a date for New Year’s? No. Again, many singles groups offer parties for New Year’s. Don’t, by any means, go out for the first time on New Year’s with someone you’ve just met. The pressure to have a good time, the partying, overindulging and the emotion can lead you somewhere you don’t want to go with a relative stranger.

You make it through to January without breaking down, and you walk into a store, see the Valentine’s decorations and you realize that you’re spending yet another Valentine’s Day alone. Don’t get desperate and start looking for a date. Going out on Valentine’s with someone you’ve just met is just as bad as New Year’s. Look for a singles group event or get together with other single friends. Don’t turn down an invitation to a party—you’ll never know who you may meet!

And who says you can’t go to the movies, a concert or the theater alone? But, don’t do anything that will make you fell worse. Don’t drink alone, listen to sad music or watch a sad movie. It will only compound a blue mood.

Be sure to seek help in the form of professional counseling if you feel that your condition is unbearable. Professional counselors are familiar with the symptoms of depression and are prepared to help you make your way through it.

You can also be assured that the holiday season eventually ends and you will make it through.

Study: Bank revenue from overdraft fees up 35%

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:35:00 +0000

Study: Bank revenue from overdraft fees up 35%

Does it take an act of Congress to protect us from our own laziness?

People! Please!

Ok, before I get on my high horse, I was a victim of overdraft charges oh, about 10 years ago. Once upon a time, if you tried to use your debit card and there wasn't enough funds to cover the purchase, it would be declined. Not anymore. The banks saw this as a way to make money from lazy people. Yes, lazy people - people too lazy to check the balance of their account before a purchase.

Guilty. I was never good at math. I hated it and never was able to balance my checkbook - until this marvelous invention came out - Quicken. It helps you manage your bank accounts. It's worth the investment - it'll pay for itself in the first month of no overdraft fees. It's easy, but it doesn't work by itself. Follow these simple guidelines and you'll save hundreds of dollars.

1. Keep ALL your receipts.
2. Post your purchases daily or at least before you make another purchase (you can then throw out the receipt if it is not tax related).
3. If your balance is below $25, DO NOT buy anything until your next deposit!
4. Download your bank's transactions at least 4 times a week so you can see if you missed a transaction.
5. Catch mistakes before they cause you money. I remember I inverted numbers once and thought I had a hundred dollars more than I had.

Every so often you will make a mistake - hey, we're not perfect - only God is - and you'll get zapped with an overdraft charge. But it shouldn't be more than once or twice a year.

As single people, unless you can afford a CPA to watch your finances, YOU have to do it.

Money is a joy zapper. But you can take control of the hard-earned money in your life. Stop giving it away to the banks. They don't deserve it.

Got problems? Give them to God. He'll take care of them. Click here to learn how to get close to God.

Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7

God Bless,
Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Singles lose jobs faster than married folks

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:42:00 +0000

Singles lose jobs faster than married folks

Here's another reason why we should put our trust in God rather than the world. We look out there and see that everything is stacked against us. Like in an earthquake, the ground is shaky. Every time you think you've stepped ahead, somthing knocks you down.

We read in the Bible that we are to rejoice in our trials. Huh? How can you be joyful when you've just lost your house? When you've been unemployed for over a year? When you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel?

But the light is there. The light is Jesus Christ.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ~1 Peter 1:6-7

We're stuck on this earth to endure what life hits us with, but we have an advocate - Jesus.

Ask Jesus to help you. He will. He's there 24/7.

God Bless,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-22125-Phoenix-Unchurched-Singles-Examiner

What is a Soul Mate?

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:52:00 +0000

I’ve read many books on dating, relationships, what men want, what women want—you name it. Only one stood out and made the most sense to me— Mars and Venus on a Date, by Dr. John Gray. (Harper Collins) He’s the genius that came up with Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. All of his books emphasize the differences between men and women and give brilliant advice on how to live with them.

I like Dr. Gray’s definition of a soul mate: “A soul mate is someone who has the unique ability to bring out the best in us. Soul mates are not perfect, but perfect for us…” A soul mate has all the right chemistries – spiritual soul chemistry that conceives love, mental that kindles interest, emotional that generates affection, and physical that sparks desire.

A relationship with any one of these chemistries alone is short-lived – especially physical chemistry. Some of us have learned that lesson the hard way. (But it seems that we are sometimes helpless in overcoming temptation.)

The soul is the part of who we are that is most lasting. When the soul is attracted to someone, and we experience a “soul chemistry,” then the mental, emotional, and physical chemistries can also be sustained. The bottom line is—lasting physical attraction must find its source in our souls.

Your Shopping List

What happens when you go to the supermarket without a shopping list? You end up buying what you don’t need and you spend too much money. The same thing applies when shopping for a mate. If you don’t know what you need and want from the beginning, you waste time wading through profiles and meeting people that just don’t appeal to you or aren’t right for you.

You need to keep the basic chemistries in mind. The person needs to be compatible in these areas:

Spiritual – You need to have the same beliefs. The attraction has to start with the soul.
Mental – You need to be able to communicate with the person. Have things to talk about; have similar goals and interests.
Emotional – Are you passionate about the same things?
Physical – And, of course, there has to be that spark.

The Perfect Mate

Soul mates are never perfect. You can imagine your perfect mate, but in reality, no one is perfect. Everyone will have one or more things that don’t match—a few things that you can compromise on.

How many times have you heard—“You’re too picky!” “Your requirements are too high, be realistic,” or “What you want doesn’t exist, be willing to compromise.” Basically, they are saying that if you lower your principles, you will be successful. But, successful at what? In getting into a relationship that is less than what you want? That isn’t success. It’s like reaching the top of the ladder of success only to find it’s leaning against the wrong wall.

Lowering your principles is impossible anyway. Your ideals and values are what make you who you are. It’s not possible to alter them. You can’t all of a sudden say, “Well, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t care if the person is not religious.”

Now, you’re probably thinking “Didn’t I just read that soul mates aren’t perfect?” Yes, but that doesn’t mean they can’t meet your standard requirements. So, instead of lowering your principles, figure out what you really want and make that your standard. Set specific goals—high goals—for what you want in a relationship and stick to them. Then believe that you will achieve what you desire.

It’s funny—if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it. The secret of success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching.

Soul Searching

Before you unleash your dreams, you need to consider what is important to you in your life right now. Let’s look at those chemistries in more detail:

Spiritual
Religion—does it matter to you? (Hopefully, yes.) Where are you in your spiritual journey? Would you prefer this person to be:

Protestant or Catholic?
Christian or other?
Liberal or conservative?
A Bible study or prayer partner?
A regular church attendee or is it okay that they’re a C & E’s (Christmas & Easter only)
Or is it ok if they are “spiritual, but not religious?” (whatever that means – that’s another blog).

All Christian are not alike. Be aware of the differences in Christian denominations. They are assorted “brands” of Christian churches with what I see as different “levels” of beliefs as well as different styles of worship. To help you sort through them you can do a search in Yahoo.com or Google.com for Christian denominations and you’ll get a list of links to their individual websites or you can check out this website: http://www.geocities.com/pastorkeith/ecumenical.html or ask your pastor to explain the differences. But then, shouldn’t all Christians be united in one basic belief?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” ~ John 3:16-17

Mental
These are the things that stimulate your mind. What type of personality do you want this person to have? Here’s a list of personality traits that you can use to describe yourself and the person you seek:

active, affectionate, aggressive, ambitious, articulate, assertive, beautiful, brave, caring, charming, cheerful, confident, considerate, creative, dedicated, desirable, devoted, dynamic, energetic, enthusiastic, extroverted, fashionable, feminine, flexible, friendly, fun-loving, funny, generous, gracious, honest, humorous, independent, intelligent, introverted, joyful, kind, lively, loving, loyal, manly, mysterious, neat, nice, nurturing, open, optimistic, organized, outgoing, passionate, patient, philosophical, religious, sensual, serious, shy, sincere, sociable, spiritual, spontaneous, supportive, sweet, temperamental, trustworthy, vivacious, warm, wise, witty, youthful

I’m sure you can add a few of your own.

Remember the Seven Heavenly Virtues?

Faith – belief, trust, fidelity, loyalty, conviction;
Hope – desire, a search for a future good, reliance, expectation, confidence;
Charity – generosity, benevolence, helpfulness, mercy, compassion;
Justice – impartiality, fairness, righteousness;
Temperance – moderation, self-restraint, sobriety, frugality;
Prudence – wisdom, vigilance, carefulness, thoughtfulness, discretion, foresight;
Fortitude – “The guard and support of the other virtues” (Locke) strength, courage, bravery, endurance, firmness of mind, resoluteness; “Extolling patience is the truest fortitude.” (Milton)

These are things you should look for in a potential mate.

Some other qualities to consider:

Intelligent or Intellectual?
Sense of humor
Ambition
Social skills; Communication
Community oriented
Education—does it matter to you?

There once was a woman who wanted a well-educated man as her top priority. She said she wouldn’t settle for anyone with less than a Ph.D. As it happened, the man she married only has a high school degree. However, he’s well-traveled and well-read and life is a great adventure for him. He’s a successful businessman and adores his wife. She would have never met him at a Harvard alumni function.

Emotional
These are things that move you.

Family - Are you family oriented? Is family important to you? Do you have a large family to whom you are close?
Children - Do you have any? Are they grown or still at home? Would you like to have more? Is it okay if the person you meet has children at home full-time or part-time or living elsewhere?

Nurture - Are you the nurturer or do you need to be nurtured? Nurture should be evenly balanced.

Passion - What are you passionate about?

Integrity - Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code. Keeping your word. Meaning what you say.
Compassion - Deep awareness of the suffering of another along with the wish to relieve it.

Physical
Race – Does it matter to you? Which races would be okay? Races are usually categorized as Anglo/White/Caucasian; African American/Black; Hispanic; Middle Eastern; Asian/Oriental; Native American Indian; Caribbean or Pacific Islander. Remember that there are mixed races also.

Height Range – Our societal ideal is having the man taller than the woman. However, remember there are a lot of nice short people also. Lisa, who’s 5’8”, always said she only wanted a tall man—until she met Mike who’s 5’5” at a dinner party. They were standing next to each other and she was wearing heels. Somehow, Mike’s wonderful personality blinded her to the fact that she was taller than he was.

Age Range – Another societal ideal is to have the man older than the woman. Lately, with all the “look younger” products and treatments available, people don’t look their age. On paper, it’s best to be honest. Let people later on say “You don’t look your age!” My guidelines on age bracket choosing: Men should go 10 years younger to two years older. Women should go two years younger to 10 years older. With an age difference more than 10 years, you won’t have much in common other than physical attraction.

Characteristics – blonde, blue-eyed or tall, dark and handsome? Shouldn’t what’s inside matter more?

Affection – Are you a “touchy-feely” type of person? Do you like public displays of affection? Do you feel you need this early on in a relationship? I do. That’s what I miss about not being with someone. I see hand holding, casual kisses as a sign that a person is interested in you.

Habits – smoking & drinking. Is this important to you? Smoking is a turn-off to the majority of people out there. Heavy drinking is also a problem. Both should be addressed before you start dating.

I met Sunil when I hosted a Christmas party at my apartment when I was leading the singles group in Miami. He was a smoker and spent most of the evening on the balcony exiled with the other smokers. The following week, he kept calling me asking me out. He was very persistent and I was hesitant because of the smoking. I finally agreed to go out to dinner with him. We started seeing each other when he agreed to try to quit smoking. After one month, he still hadn’t even made an effort. I’d be at a bar or at his place coughing and he’d have the cigarette at arms length trying to keep it away from me. I told him that he wasn’t making an effort and that I couldn’t stand it anymore. I broke it off.

Once, a guy named Ron interested me when I saw his ad online. We had a lot in common and enjoyed many of the same things. Only problem was, he indicated that he was “trying to quit” smoking. I wrote him that we had a lot in common, but explained that I am highly allergic with asthma and that he would need to be clean before we met. He wrote me back that he had lost his wife two years ago. While he felt he was ready to date, he admitted that he was using smoking as a crutch. I suggested he talk to his pastor and then contact me once he quit.

So, if you smoke—quit. What better reason is there than it will save your life and increase your chances of finding a soul mate. If you don’t want a smoker, make sure you indicate that and stick to it. Don’t think that he will quit if you ask him to. You can’t go by “trying to quit” as a good-faith attempt to stop smoking. Smoking is an addiction and the smoker has to really want to quit for his/her own good not for anyone else. If a non-smoker is a top priority for you, make no exceptions.

Of course, people look at physical attraction first. But those focusing primarily on physical attributes don’t understand themselves and their long-term needs very well. It infuriates me when I see a man my age indicate that he only wants to date women between the ages of 20-40. Or the ones that want someone slim or fit and they themselves are average or “need to lose a few pounds.” Get real!

This shallowness only leads them to choose attractive mates, without assessing spiritual, personality and character concerns. That will lead to a bad relationship, a miserable marriage and a resentful divorce. Nonetheless, if you are on the athletic side and active in sports—biking, hiking, running, etc., you’ll probably be happier with someone who enjoys the same things.

Keep Your Standards High

If you don’t find your ideal mate for quite a long while, you know it means only one thing: remember the 3 P’s! Patience, Persistence and Prayer.

To achieve any goal—whether it is to find a soul mate or a companion—you need to work at it, pray, put out a little effort & think positive! Seize opportunities with passion and persistence and a positive attitude. Enthusiasm rubs off. There will be obstacles and negative forces along the way towards your goal, but no matter how impossible it seems, it can be accomplished if you ask God for help! No matter how long you’ve been single…no matter what you’ve been through…trust in the Lord.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~ Philippians 4:13

Get a relationship with Jesus before you try to get a relationship with someone else. Click here for help.

God Bless,
Giselle
www.giselleaguiar.com
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Technorati Tags: dating,love,romance,relationships,Christ,trust,soulmate,soul mates,marriage,loneliness

Giving in to the Will of God

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:26:00 +0000

I haven’t posted anything in a while because I’ve been moving. I’m losing my house where I’ve lived for the past 3.5 years. I got it for $79,000 and it’s now up for short sale at $18,500.

I had to choose between paying for my own health insurance (since I no longer qualified for Medicaid because of the extra $25/week of Unemployment I get from Obama’s stimulus plan). That $200/month had to come from somewhere and that was my forbearance payment on my mortgage.

So I had to fall back to my first “worse-comes-to-worse scenario” from last year when I first lost my job (read Up the Down Escalator)– moving in to my friend’s spare bedroom in her small condo in North Phoenix. It’s tight. Most of my stuff is in storage. But it’s in a better neighborhood with a nice pool and close to the major highways.

On the brighter side, I did land a freelance writing gig at Examiner.com which is a site for local major cities with different topics. I’m in the Religion and Spirituality section writing for singles. For singles in the Greater Phoenix Valley, there are lists of links to local singles groups, things to do, places looking for volunteers and other websites offering advice. Please check it out even if you’re not in Phoenix. The articles apply to singles anywhere. Please pick me as your “favorite Examiner” or “subscribe” and that’ll help get me to the top of the list. Right now, the top “Examiner” in Phoenix is the UFO one. There’s something wrong with that.

I’m still in need of a permanent job as are many others out there. But with God’s help and the support of my Church Family (read Benefits of a Church Family), I can overcome anything that life throws at me.

I put my life in God’s hands and trust that He knows what’s best for me. I let him guide and lead me.

“I still have a rock to hold to if the bottom drops. Out here on my own, I won’t be alone. I’ll be believing.” (From “I’ll Be Believing” by Point of Grace - “24” CD ).

Consider it pure joy, my [friends], whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
~ James 1:2-4

If you want to get closer to God and find out what His Will for your life is, start here at this site.

God Bless,

Giselle
deovolente.love1@gmail.com
www.giselleaguiar.com
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Setting Goals for Your Dating Life

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:17:00 +0000

Exercise 2: How to Achieve Your Goal
What is a goal? It’s a desired outcome; something you’re striving for; something you want; something you are willing to lend energy to—a result, an achievement to which you can point—real and unmistakable. You want to improve your quality of life by reaching your goal. Get a piece of paper and search your soul for answers to these exercises then write them down.

1. What is your overall purpose in getting into the dating scene, your long-range hope for yourself?

Is it to get married to a person you really love—and like—unconditionally, who, in return, will love you in the same way, enough to make a life-long commitment?

When I started writing the singles book in early 2004, my attitude towards dating changed from passive to active. I had been on an 8-year hiatus from dating. I am actively making an effort to find a spouse. My goal was to get married before I turn 50 (June, 2005). Time-wise, it was doable. I felt that if I found the right person, I would know it and if all worked well, I’d be engaged in six months and married in another six.

It wasn’t impossible, just a challenge. I knew the type of person that I wanted and I was going to the best places where I have the greatest chances of finding him. I was being creative on ways to meet new people and opening myself to the people around me who may be potential dates whom I had never considered before. Yes, it is frustrating at times, but I look to the Lord for guidance and strength and I hope and pray that I will recognize my soul mate when I find him.

(2009 Update: I’m 54 and still single.)

Or is your goal to find a person you can love who loves you also, who wants to share companionship but not live together or get married?

At the same time I decide to get back into the dating scene, friend of mine, a widow for two years, finally decided she was ready to start going out and getting into the dating scene. Problem was that she married her husband of thirty-something years right after high school. She never had any “dating” experience.

Many women in their 40’s and 50’s are finding themselves in similar situations—whether it is from the death of a spouse or divorce. You feel like a 20-year-old, dropped into this strange world called the “dating scene.” Plus, you are just starting to discover who you are as a single person and enjoying it. You’re thinking of yourself as “I”—no longer a part of a “we.” You’re finding new things to enjoy, but you also feel the need to share it with someone—exploring and experimenting on who you are, what you like and don’t like and what you can do, what you need and don’t need.

As you become more independent, you begin looking for more in your relationships. But, then you say, “I don’t want to get married, yet. I just started to live as a single person.” You want companionship, but not commitment. That’s fine, if you express that when you first meet someone. When you place an ad, you need to indicate that you want a casual dating relationship or just friendship. That way, only people who are looking for the same thing will contact you.

2. Accept life as it is and try to make it better. Learn from the mistakes you have made in the past by making a statement regarding each mistake that you wish to correct.

What are your personal goals? Here are some suggestions:
To increase my own personal chances of finding love.
To meet more people no matter what.
To take note of my hesitancy and how it affects what I do.
To start doing things right now to search for love and not wait until I’m in a better place.
To believe that somewhere out there, God has the right person for me.
To stop my fears from manipulating my love life.
To work enthusiastically on my self-esteem.
To stick to my principles.

3. Rank your goals in the order in which you believe they will help you obtain your overall purpose.

Common sense will tell you that certain goals must be reached before you can tackle others. For instance, you need to go out and start meeting new people if you’re going to run into that person that God has waiting for you. All goals are important—don’t eliminate any of them. Now, write each of your first three goals at the top of a clean page. These are now your main objectives.

4. Goals are attained by creating stages of specific transitional objectives—one step at a time. To attain your aspirations, these objectives must meet certain conditions: Each objective must be:

Manageable – The objective must be realistic for you. Choose a small step that you know for sure that you are willing and actually able to do, and that, knowing yourself as you do, you believe has a good chance of actually being accomplished—like going to a church singles group before diving head first into the online dating scene.

Meaningful – Each objective must be significant enough that accomplishing it makes you feel good and gives you a sense of progress. Don’t set up a task so irrelevant that it is meaningless. Attach positive values to each task.

Measurable – Your objective must be both explicit and attainable in a certain period of time so that you will know with certainty when you have or have not achieved it. Like “I will try to go to at least three singles events by the end of this month.”

Monitored – You need to put your objective deadline on your calendar and check it often to see whether you have achieved your objective. You can also get friends, family or members of a support group to help you do this. In addition, you need to evaluate your progress and have a friend who will encourage you in your efforts. However, don’t allow negative people to hold you back. Surround yourself with friends who think positive.

If you have a bad day, stay focused on what your goal is and where you want to be. Think of where you’re going, not where you are today. Consider the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.

Get Enthusiastic! This is the first day of the rest of your life! Pray. Have faith. Go for it! Success comes in cans; failure comes in can’ts.

Read Risk

If you want to be able to hear what God's will for your life is, you need to have a relationship with Him and His Son, Jesus.

Click here to learn how to have a relationship with God and Christ.

God Bless,

Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Technorati Tags: dating,goals,marriage,singles,single living,relationships,widow,divorce,love,romance,advice,Christianity,Christian singles

Ask and You Shall Receive

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:37:00 +0000

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” ~ Matthew 7:7

It’s true. It works. But sometimes God blesses us by not answering our prayers exactly.

This “Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier” was part of a letter found on the body of a Confederate soldier killed in the line of duty:

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak , that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for – but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men, most richly blessed.

It’s easy to tell God what we want – a miracle, a spouse, things, money, a new car, a better job, a job -period and we also tell Him how exactly we want it delivered.

Have you ever bargained with God? “Oh, God, if I win the lottery I’ll give half to charity!”

It doesn’t work that way.

Our Creator has his own purposes for us. Many times it’s just to teach us that He is in Control. No matter what our will is, it’s His Will that wins in the end.

We need to stop ignoring God.

Click here to get to know God personally.

God Bless,
Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Every Single Tear

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:15:00 +0000

I was there. Read Up the Down Escalator

Click here to get to Know God Personally

God Bless,

Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Technorati Tags: troubles,trials,hard times,depression,God,help,Jesus,needs,love,hope,strength,loneliness

Know Thyself

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:19:00 +0000

Note: This is an exercise in getting to know yourself and what you want. If you haven’t read the previous blogs on What Marriage is Not, please do so before you start this.

Exercise 1: Know Thyself and What Thyself Wants. Now that you know what marriage isn’t, you need to understand why you no longer want to be single. And it had better not be for the reasons mentioned in the previous blogs! Yes, I know you’re busy, but you need to take time each day to pray and to go over your day and examine yourself quietly and calmly giving yourself a space to grow, to change and to find different ways to get what you want.

Some things to think about are:

Who am I?

What am I doing here?

What is the purpose of my life?

What is God’s plan for my life? (That is sometimes not so obvious – I keep asking him and I still don’t know – but I think I’m getting close.)

Is there a reason why I am living, and is there a reason why I am living single?

How much of this is my own creation, and what can I do about it?

This is silly, you may be thinking, “I know who I am.” But, do you really? As mentioned before, you have to love yourself before you can love someone else. And you have to know yourself before you can love yourself.

Some other questions to ask yourself:

Did I achieve everything I wanted to accomplish today?

What did I do to today to accomplish what I want?

How did other people see me today?

How did I see myself today?

What did I do to improve myself or understand myself better today?

How do I feel about myself today?

Did I take time for myself today to plan and then review my day? If not, what got in the way.

Where do I see myself a year from today?

Where do I see myself five years from today?

Where do I see myself ten years from today?

What do I really want, short term and long term?

What am I doing everyday to get it?

What does the future hold for you? God only knows, right? While I lived in Florida, we had some visitors named Andrew, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. Needless to say, these hurricanes got in the way of the plans and goals of many people. Everyone had to accept the fact that their world was literally turned upside down and they had to manage to turn it right side up again and get on with their lives.

You may think, “Why should I have plans and goals if life’s going to turn it upside down?” Life is a journey not a destination. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re going to end up somewhere you don’t want to be.

If you need help in getting to know God and in turn, discover what His will is for your life, first you need to have an intimate relationship with Jesus. Visit this website for answers.

God Bless,

Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Technorati Tags: love,marriage,relationships,knowing yourself,God,Jesus,romance,soulmate,single living,singles,loneliness,dating

Planting and Reaping

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:29:00 +0000

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
If you plant hard work, you will reap success
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
If you plant faith, you will reap a harvest

God Bless
Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

What Marriage is Not - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:16:00 +0000

Why do people marry the wrong people for all the wrong reasons? Before you start looking for marriage, you need to know what marriage is not.

Marriage is not servitude. One person is not there to completely take care of the other. It has to be a mutual nurturing of each other. If one person puts more into it than the other, then that person will burn out and wonder what happened.

Marriage won’t solve all your needs. If you’re a needy person, don’t expect your spouse to fix that need. You need to fix it yourself before you make a commitment.

Paul, a guy I met, had been married three times and each time to a needy woman. They saw him as their “night in shining armor.” But, when he was the one in need, they were not there for him. Once their needs were met, they left him. He was attracted to my profile because of my independence and self-sufficiency. He had learned his lesson, but it took him three failed marriages to learn it.

If you can’t take care of yourself before you get married, don’t expect someone to take care of you after.

Marriage is not a gamble. “If it doesn’t work, we can get divorced.” That’s what I used to hear back in the 70’s and 80’s. That’s why the divorce rate got so high. Divorce is not an “out” for something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Marriage is a forever thing. You need to take your time and not be in a rush. Ask God for direction. Never speed up and jump ahead of Him. Relax and let God’s plan come to fruition in His time. Don’t be in a hurry, because if you are, you are likely to make a mistake. Besides, you’ll look desperate and that’s a major turn-off. God may not always deliver in our timeframe, but He always delvers the best. You need the 3 P’s—patience, persistence and perception.

Marriage is not a cure for lust. Don’t think that once you’re married you can have all the sex that you want. You cannot expect your spouse to “perform” every night and he/she should not expect it from you. If that’s what you look forward to in marriage, you need to resolve the issue before you hit the dating scene. One-night stands go nowhere so, if you start dating with that mentality, you might as well remain unmarried and enjoy casual sex forever. But don’t expect a deep, meaningful relationship based on lust. It just doesn’t happen. (Read: Avoiding False Intimacy.)

Marriage is not a cure for dating. In one of the greatest romantic comedies, When Harry, Met Sally, (Nelson Entertainment, 1989) Harry, played by Billy Crystal, is telling Sally, played by Meg Ryan, that he’s getting a divorce and he tells her, “I got married so I could stop dating.” That’s exactly how I feel. The problem with this attitude is that you become desperate. You think that when you find the right person, you want the relationship be solidified and committed. But you can’t be in a hurry. You need the relationship to take its natural course. And some will go quicker than others—as Harry said at the end of the movie when he finally understood that Sally was the right person, “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

Independence Day
You can be married and still be independent. Independence means you can set sail on your own and manage not to sink the boat. You don’t need anyone to survive, but it’s nice to have someone around to lend a hand so you don’t have to do everything by yourself. Independence is good and a quality people seek in a mate.

Next time: An excercise: Know Yourself.

But before you can know yourself, you need to know God. Click here for guidance.

God Bless,
Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Trusting God

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:28:00 +0000

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from the desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. ~ Thomas Merton (Life-Changing Prayers , p 62).

If we have a sincere desire to please God, we cannot go wrong.

Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6

How to Know God Personally

God Bless,
Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Technorati Tags: faith,trust,God,prayer,guidance,help,direction,Jesus Christ

What Marriage is Not – Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Giselle Aguiar) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 23:42:00 +0000

Why do people marry the wrong people for all the wrong reasons? Before you start looking for marriage, you need to know what marriage is not.

Marriage will mend my broken heart. How long should you wait before you start dating after a divorce or death of a spouse? The “rule-of-thumb” is two years. Both death and divorce cause grief. Divorce also deals with guilt and anger. Grief, guilt and anger have to be resolved before you can move on. Otherwise, they are carried into the new relationship. The best thing is to meet with your Pastor first and see if you’re really ready for the dating scene. A good place to start is a group specifically for divorced or widowed people—many churches offer these. Check out the Singles Resource Guide for a list of websites and online discussion groups as well as your local paper.

If you’re just dealing with a break-up from a dating relationship, the waiting period depends on how long you were dating. If it was less than a year, then the relationship wasn’t a well-rooted one and a few weeks or a couple of months should be sufficient. If the relationship was going on for several years, then it should be treated like a divorce. Guilt is concerned with the past, worry is concerned with the future and contentment enjoys the present.

Marriage will make me happy. “Someday my prince will come…” Well, I’m still waiting! If you’re not happy as a single person, you’re not going to be happy married. Something is missing in your life and it’s not a spouse. You need to be happy with who you are and your life as it is before you can think of being happy as a married person. The Word of God changes people; marriage doesn’t. You need to call on God to lead you to happiness. Sorrow looks back, worry looks around and faith looks up.

Everyone should be married. Not necessarily. It just might not be in God’s plan for you to marry. You need to pray and try to interpret God’s will for you. Is He leading you in the direction of marriage? If you’ve been single for a long time, you need to realize that marriage means a lot of compromise. It’s a whole different lifestyle that you will have to get used to. Talk with some of your married friends and see how they adapted. Remember, a good marriage founded in Christ can overcome all obstacles.

With time, I can change my mate into someone I can live with. Wrong. That’s a responsibility that God didn’t intend for us to have. A person can’t change unless they want to. You need to let go and let God.

The most important relationship of your life is not with another human being – it’s your relationship with God. If you are Christian and need to deepen your relationship with God, read the Bible or check out these books.

If you don’t have a relationship with God and would like one, it’s easy. Just pray this prayer wholeheartedly:

Dear Jesus,

Come into my heart. I accept you as my Lord and Saviour. I repent of my sins. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you received Jesus into your heart, welcome to the family of God! The following will help you deepen your relationship with Christ:

Pray. Just talk to God no matter where you are. He doesn’t care what the words are, just that they are sincere.
Read the Bible everyday to learn about Jesus and how to live that pleases God. Start with 1 John, then the Gospel of John, the Philippians.
An important part of helping your relationship with Christ grow is to tell others about Him. Demonstrate God’s love and be active in telling others about Jesus.
Find a bible-based church and become active getting to know other Christians. Find one with a singles ministry or groups for people your age. Many have groups for different interests. Shop around, but commit yourself to finding one and joining a church family. (Read the Benefits of a Church Family).

God Bless,
Giselle
http://www.giselleaguiar.com/
Phoenix Singles Examiner

Technorati Tags: marriage,divorce,widow,relationship,love,romance,living together,happiness,singles,single living