Personality Profile

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Jasmin is an optimistic individual. She is the type of person who loves exploring new places or things and a wide variety of experiences. She tends to display a natural charisma that draws others to her charm. Jasmin is a very encouraging person; others are drawn to her because they find her inspirational.

Jasmin is motivated by her ability to lead groups and influence others around her. She is someone who takes the responsibility of leadership seriously when it is given to her, and is typically able to make important decisions without delay. She exudes confidence and others respond to Jasmin's natural ability to be a front runner.

Jasmin will usually test ideas against proven standards in an effort to be inventive; and can be very creative as she identifies new solutions to problems. She is an original and creative thinker, but acts in a rational way to make sure desired results are achieved in an orderly manner; although she is not afraid to "break the mold" if that appears to be the key to a solution.

Others see Jasmin as a versatile person whom they rely upon to break up monotonous or routine situations. She tends to be individualistic, and may sometimes prefer to do things outside of the team. Jasmin may even be perceived as "restless", since she tends to move quickly from one thing to the next.

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Enduring Love

What is extravagant love? How is love extravagant if it costs nothing?
A passage that I have been thinking about for a long time comes from 1 Corinthians 13:

'Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.' 1 Corinthians 13:4 - 8a

I seem to get the message all around me, that if something is too hard, then maybe it is not God's best for my life. I have heard the statement, 'God did not intend life to be this hard.' I completely agree with it. I do not believe that my loving Dad created me for a life of hardship and pain. No good Father would do such a thing.
At the same time, where is enduring love, if there is nothing to endure? How can love 'endure all things' when life is easy and pain free?
This morning, I spent some time with God, asking these questions.
One thing I see in God's character is the utter determination to not give up on people or on relationship. He pursues relationship no matter how often he is disappointed, rejected, mocked, hated, misunderstood...
It seems to be God's desire for love to be the basis of all we do. When asked to sum up all the laws and commandments, Jesus bought everything back to love.

'And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."' Mark 12:28 - 31

However, 'extravagant love' cannot be used as an excuse for stupid choices. A person cannot stay in an ungodly or abusive relationship and say that she is just 'extravagantly loving' her partner. If love is the basis for everything, then she also needs to love herself and staying in that relationship would be far from loving to herself.
The point I am making, is that God does not easy give up on people. In love, he believes in me, in us, even when we don't live up to the fullness of who he made us to be.
Maybe God want us to not give up on people easily either?

A Perfect Gift

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the LORD, if it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the LORD or give them to the LORD as a food offering on the altar. You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a freewill offering, but for a vow offering it cannot be accepted. Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you shall not offer to the LORD; you shall not do it within your land, neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. Since there is a blemish in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you."

Leviticus 22:17 - 25

As I read this passage, I saw a picture in my mind of a old woman; poor, dirty, ostracized. I imagined her wanting to make an offering to her LORD but unable to afford a ‘perfect’ offering. I imagined her heart, longing to give a gift that was acceptable, but physically being unable to because of her situation in life.

For some reason, this picture in my mind made me cry.

What a precious gift we have been given in Jesus. No longer do we have to labour to give something of worth to God. The perfect gift was already given and no God takes us and what we give him just as we are. 

My heart began to sing:

Oh Precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Jade Green

Last night, I went for dinner with a couple of girlfriends. We've been good friends for many years now and I always look forward to seeing them. Last night was different however and I left feeling border-line miserable. 

When I looked at these girls, I found it hard to be content with my own situation. These girls are working full-time and have 'the look'. They are successful, affluent and beautiful. They have slender figures and good taste in clothes. One is married at the other is getting married this year. 

They came dressed so stylishly and as I looked down at my own jeans, cotton top and sling bag, I felt... shabby.

My heart began to turn a deep shade of jade green.

I went to bed feeling sorry for myself and woke feeling depressed. I knew the answer in my head. I must choose thankfulness. I must remember the goodness of God in my own life and rejoice in that. My head knew... but my heart would not follow.

I was thinking about it this morning and I started to pray. God, I don't want to live like this, always chasing more, never being satisfied. A thought came to me, maybe the pursuit of 'more' is actually a displaced desire for more of God? Maybe the 'more' that we really desire is actually God himself?

I had worship this morning and one song's lyrics stood out:

Into your hand

I commit again

All I am

For you lord

You hold my world

In the palm of your hand

And I'm yours forever

I'll walk with you 

Wherever you go

Through tears and joy

I'll trust in you

And I will live 

In all of your ways and 

Your promises forever

[With All I Am, Hillsong]

Dad, may the 'more' that I seek always be for more of you...

Damsel in Distress

My wayward heart still does not understand that I do not have to keep protecting myself still...
I am still surrounded with suggestions of who or what I should be, what I should do, and questions like, have you ever thought of?... I reached the point of overflowing with such suggestions. I just need to be liked as I am. Loved. Accepted. Not judged.
I am tired of trying to DO so many things to win approval with people. I am trying my guts out but it is never enough.
After raging internally and some of the rage spilling into the external, I finally reached a point where I was still enough to hear. And then I heard my Daddy God's voice
Why do you have to prove anything?
Why do you have to fight?
Good questions. As calm began to creep into my heart, I asked a question back.
God, will you fight for me?
I flood of relief came over me as God answered back, 
I have been waiting for you to ask...
I realized that it is okay to be in trouble; to not have all the answers; even to be distressed. It is okay to admit that I am not okay. It is okay to be a damsel in distress. But where do I go to when I am in that place?
Psalm 18 is one of my favourites. Here is a excerpt:

I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his(I) temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.
He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?—the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.
You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.