The Opportunity to Prove Yourself

The Christian life offers a lot of opportunities. We are often put in high positions. But God does not make this happen without a purpose. Were you given a high rank? Are in a high position at work or in your community? Do you have the power that you never dreamed to have? If you do, you were not given all this just to enjoy them. You were blessed with a purpose. Great power comes with great responsibilities. What do you do when you have the opportunity to prove yourself?

7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

Esther 2:7

I want to bring to your attention the story of Esther. Actually her name is Hadassah. God made Esther the queen of the Persian Empire with a purpose. It wasn’t easy for Esther to get there. She had to endure and she was scared at first. She was taken to the king’s house into the custody. How would you feel to be kidnapped in the middle of the night of the secret service? I know that I would be at least scared.

Later it comes the opportunity for Esther to prove herself. Haman, who was higher than all the nobles (Esther 3:1), hated all the jews. Based on JewishEncyclopedia.com Haman was a descendant of the Agag, the king of the Amalekites, so he hated the jews with all his hart, and promised to exterminate them. Haman offered the king ten thousand talents of silver for permission to do with the Jews as he pleased and the king agreed.

12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:12-14

God put Esther to be the queen of the entire Persian Empire with a purpose. Of coarse if Esther didn’t agree with Mordecai, God had a back-up plan. God always is able to fulfill His plan. Look at what Esther choses to do:

15 Esther sent back her answer to Mordecai: 16“Go and get all the Jews living in Susa together. Fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, either day or night. I and my maids will fast with you. If you will do this, I’ll go to the king, even though it’s forbidden. If I die, I die.”

Esther 4:15-16

If we obey and sacrifice ourself God’s name will be praised. We are not promised that our sacrifice will be rewarded in this life. We may even die in our attempt to fulfill God’s plan for us. But what is most important is the the eternal reward. You are there, in that place, with all that people with a purpose. You are blessed with a certain purpose. Do your job as good as you can and live a happy life. But when God asks from us to sacrifice it all for Him, we should be prepared to do so.

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Wise Pieces of Advice for Your Life – Christian Perspective – Proverbs 15

The last week I was on holiday. I had no access to any computer. In a way it was good, because I spend way to much time at work or at home on the computer. But in the same time I was unable to write on to my blog. Of coarse there are ways to write on the blog by sending SMS’ or even more high-tech ways. I will let you know in another post how this week was.

Today God prepared for me Proverbs 15 and I would like to share with you what I was told, what wise pieces of advices God gave me, what should be my Christian perspective on life.

  • It happens so often that we are annoyed by people. We get in trouble and we argue with other people. A good piece of advice is not to get angry. A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper fire;
  • God sees everything, His eye is upon you and we can not escape it. If God sees even the depths of the death realm, how much more God knows your hart?
  • a good word or advice when you most need it is welcomed, but cutting words wound and maim;
  • the moral dropouts won’t listen to the wise pieces of advice they are given for their life; but if you listen and correct yourself you gain wisdom;
  • God’s commandments are not given to restrict us, they are actually given us to have a good life. So, if you want a good and really flourishing life and on top of that an eternal life with Him, you better be uncompromisingly and righteous;
  • your words come from you hart mostly, or they should come. Anyway a bad word comes from a bad hart. A good word might come from a good or bad hart. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, and the self-confident and the foolish do the opposite;
  • God appreciates more to obey Him than our sacrifices. This does not mean that we should not sacrifice for Him, but if we do it we should do it with a clean hart. Look at Cain and at his sacrifice;
  • God does not like the path that the wicked walks on, and He severely disciplines those that walk on it. But this is because God loves us and wants all the best for me and you. He wants us to go on the right path, to pursue righteousness;
  • if you are wise or want to become one, love the people that rebuke you, the ones that want to correct you. Go to the wise to get advice and appreciate even if they reprove you, they do it for your own good;
  • a thankful hart brings great joy to it’s owner. Be positive and trust in the Lord. Be thankful even if you have problems. You are so much more blessed than others are; appreciate that and thank the Lord for it. More than that, it is better to have less but to be with the Lord and to obey Him, than to be be wealthy and troubled;
  • do not be proud of anything, because God tears down that kind of man;
  • God does not like bad thought, the plans to harm others, but He appreciates you when yo give a good encouragement and advice to someone that needs it;
  • do not be greed, because not only you will be unhappy, but also your family and those around you;
  • only if you are righteous God will hear your prayer;
  • you face expression says a lot about yourself. I know that most of the times people ask me if I am sad. I’ll try to smile more, if I am ok;
  • if you refuse to listen to the reproof, it means that you hate yourself. So, if you love and like yourself you better accept the reproof and repent;
  • wisdom and greatness need to be taugh. You have to learn the basic things (fear of God and humility) to acquire the greater ones;

There are so much more things that I would like to share with you. Every verse is so complex and so rich. I am overwhelmed by the abundance of God’s word.

Proverbs 15
God Doesn’t Miss a Thing
1 A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.

2 Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;
fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

3 God doesn’t miss a thing—
he’s alert to good and evil alike.

4 Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim.

5 Moral dropouts won’t listen to their elders;
welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.

6 The lives of God-loyal people flourish;
a misspent life is soon bankrupt.

7 Perceptive words spread knowledge;
fools are hollow—there’s nothing to them.

8 God can’t stand pious poses,
but he delights in genuine prayers.

9 A life frittered away disgusts God;
he loves those who run straight for the finish line.

10 It’s a school of hard knocks for those who leave God’s path,
a dead-end street for those who hate God’s rules.

11 Even hell holds no secrets from God—
do you think he can’t read human hearts?

Life Ascends to the Heights

12 Know-it-alls don’t like being told what to do;
they avoid the company of wise men and women.

13 A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.

14 An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth;
fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.

15 A miserable heart means a miserable life;
a cheerful heart fills the day with song.

16 A simple life in the Fear-of-God
is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.

17 Better a bread crust shared in love
than a slab of prime rib served in hate.

18 Hot tempers start fights;
a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.

19 The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers;
the diligent walk down a smooth road.

20 Intelligent children make their parents proud;
lazy students embarrass their parents.

21 The empty-headed treat life as a plaything;
the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.

22 Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail;
take good counsel and watch them succeed.

23 Congenial conversation—what a pleasure!
The right word at the right time—beautiful!

24 Life ascends to the heights for the thoughtful—
it’s a clean about-face from descent into hell.

25 God smashes the pretensions of the arrogant;
he stands with those who have no standing.

26 God can’t stand evil scheming,
but he puts words of grace and beauty on display.

27 A greedy and grasping person destroys community;
those who refuse to exploit live and let live.

28 Prayerful answers come from God-loyal people;
the wicked are sewers of abuse.

29 God keeps his distance from the wicked;
he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.

30 A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart,
and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.

31 Listen to good advice if you want to live well,
an honored guest among wise men and women.

32 An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny;
an obedient, God-willed life is spacious.

33 Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living—
first you learn humility, then you experience glory.

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Wise Pieces of Advice for Your Life – Christian Perspective – Proverbs 13:13-25

The wise pieces of advice for your life for today, based on the Christian perspective, are from Proverbs 13:13-25:

  • obey God’s Word, because you will surely be rewarded;
  • listen to what the wise man tells you, because it is a river of life that saves you from death for foolishness;
  • gain as much wisdom, because this is what will ease your path;
  • always work with data, know all the circumstances and research first before taking a decision;
  • if you do not appreciate when someone tells that you made a mistake then shame and poverty is your future;
  • walk with the wise and you will become one of them;
  • depart from sin and you will be rewarded with happiness;
  • if you love your children discipline them when needed;
  • wishing to do good things and actually doing them brings a lot of satisfaction;

13 Ignore the Word and suffer;
honor God’s commands and grow rich.

14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!

15 Sound thinking makes for gracious living,
but liars walk a rough road.

16 A commonsense person lives good sense;
fools litter the country with silliness.

17 Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things,
but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.

18 Refuse discipline and end up homeless;
embrace correction and live an honored life.

19 Souls who follow their hearts thrive;
fools bent on evil despise matters of soul.

20 Become wise by walking with the wise;
hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

21 Disaster entraps sinners,
but God-loyal people get a good life.

22 A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren;
ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people.

23 Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor,
or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers.

24 A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;
love your children by disciplining them.

25 An appetite for good brings much satisfaction,
but the belly of the wicked always wants more.

Proverbs 13:13-25

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The Wise Advices for Today

The Wise Advices for Today:

  • be a wise son and obey your father’s teaching;
  • your mouth has the power to give you a good life, so be careful;
  • if you take care of the word you speak, you take care of your soul;
  • be hardworking and you will be satisfied with the result;
  • run away from lies, and lies shall not be found on your lips;
  • it’s better to say that you are poor and actually to be wealthy, than vice versa;
  • be wise and listen to good advice/reprimand you are given;
  • the pride is the fool’s beginning;
  • do not be sad because you gain so hard your wealth, because the wealth gained without toil goes as it came;
  • a wish that comes true is a living tree, so do not wait in fulfilling your promises you made to others.

1 Intelligent children listen to their parents; foolish children do their own thing.

2 The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation;
bullies push and shove their way through life.

3 Careful words make for a careful life;
careless talk may ruin everything.

4 Indolence wants it all and gets nothing;
the energetic have something to show for their lives.

5 A good person hates false talk;
a bad person wallows in gibberish.

6 A God-loyal life keeps you on track;
sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.

7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
a plain and simple life is a full life.

8 The rich can be sued for everything they have,
but the poor are free of such threats.

9 The lives of good people are brightly lit streets;
the lives of the wicked are dark alleys.

10 Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord,
but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel.

11 Easy come, easy go,
but steady diligence pays off.

12 Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,
but a sudden good break can turn life around.

Proverbs 13:1-12

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Good Promises to Fulfill

When the Jewish people realized that themselves and their parents have been sinned against God they repent. In Nehemiah 9:38 says that:

we make a firm and sure written covenant, and our princes, Levites, and priests set their seal to it.

The most important people in Israel signed this covenant and then they (Nehemiah 10:29-33)

enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law
which was given to Moses the servant of God
and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord,
and His ordinances and His statutes:

30 We shall not give our daughters to the peoples of the land
or take their daughters for our sons.

31 And if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell,
we shall not buy it on the Sabbath or on a holy day;
and we shall forego raising crops the seventh year [letting the land lie fallow]
and the compulsory payment of every debt.

32 Also we pledge ourselves to pay yearly a third of a shekel for the service expenses of the house of our God [which are]:

33 For the showbread;
for the continual cereal offerings and burnt offerings;
[for the offerings on] the Sabbaths, the New Moons, the set feasts;
for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel;
and for all the work of the house of our God.

Those are good promises to fulfill by myself:

  • I shall not marry with a girl that is not serving God with her whole hart;
  • I shall not allow my children to get married with someone that is not following God;
  • I shall not conduct any business on Sunday;
  • I shall forgive my debtor if after 7 years will still not be able to pay his/her debt to me;
  • I shall help those that are full time in God’s work and help at least my local church;

so help me God. Amen!

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New Website Project – Marketing Support Web Site – graphic design in progress

A satisfied customer wants to continue the relation created. I made for them a 4 page brochure (Graphic Design & DTP Brochure / Folder for Marketing Support Company).

Their website looks… actually it was done just to be there, to exist with no other purpose. Now they want something to look good, to be simple but yet effective. After the discussions we had in the first place, we decided on their brand image. We did the brochure first, and now I am creating the website. Bellow you can see a few thumbnails of the website design…

New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #1 New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #1 New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #3

New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #4 New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #5 New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #6

New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #7 New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #8 New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress - thumb #9

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Advice of the day – Ecclesiastes 11

  1. Be generous: Invest in acts of charity.
    Charity yields high returns.
  2. Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around.
    Be a blessing to others.
    This could be your last night.
  3. When the clouds are full of water, it rains.
    When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls.
  4. Don’t sit there watching the wind.
    Do your own work.
    Don’t stare at the clouds.
    Get on with your life.
    He who observes the wind
    [and waits for all conditions to be favorable]
    will not sow,
    and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
  5. Just as you’ll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman,
    So you’ll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does.
  6. Go to work in the morning and
    stick to it until evening without watching the clock.
    You never know from moment to moment how your work will turn out in the end.

    Before the Years Take Their Toll

  7. Oh, how sweet the light of day,
    And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
  8. Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted.
    Take delight in each light-filled hour,
    Remembering that there will also be many dark days
    And that most of what comes your way is smoke.
  9. You who are young, make the most of your youth.
    Relish your youthful vigor.
    Follow the impulses of your heart.
    If something looks good to you, pursue it.
    But know also that not just anything goes;
    You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.
  10. Live footloose and fancy-free —
    You won’t be young forever.
    Youth lasts about as long as smoke.

Ecclesiastes 11

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Ecclesiast 10 – very interesting and practical indeed

I am busy lately, and yes I do not manage my time so that I would have time to write here on my blog. The blog moved down on my important things to do, so I do not get to write in here. Today I have been reading Ecclesiast 10. It is almost like a chapter form the Proverbs. It’s a very practical chapter:

1 Dead flies in perfume make it stink, And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom.

2 Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.

3 Fools on the road have no sense of direction. The way they walk tells the story: “There goes the fool again!”

4 If a ruler loses his temper against you, don’t panic; A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.

5-7 Here’s a piece of bad business I’ve seen on this earth, An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge:

  • Immaturity is given a place of prominence,
  • While maturity is made to take a backseat.
  • I’ve seen unproven upstarts riding in style,
  • While experienced veterans are put out to pasture.

8 Caution: The trap you set might catch you.
Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.

9 Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous.
Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.
OR: Whoever removes [landmark] stones or hews out [new ones with similar intent] will be hurt with them, and he who fells trees will be endangered by them.

10 Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work;
Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.

11 If the snake bites before it’s been charmed, what’s the point in then sending for the charmer?

12-13 The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs — he starts out talking nonsense and ends up spouting insanity and evil.

14 Fools talk way too much, chattering stuff they know nothing about.

15 A decent day’s work so fatigues fools that they can’t find their way back to town.

16-17 Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup, and whose princes party all night.
Lucky the land whose king is mature, where the princes behave themselves and don’t drink themselves silly.

18 A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack;
A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.

19 Laughter and bread go together,
And wine gives sparkle to life—
But it’s money that makes the world go around.

20 Don’t bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath,
And don’t abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home.
Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around.
Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.

Ecclesiast 10

If you like Romanian, here is my key points from what I understood and took for me:

  • Dacă eÅŸti înÅ£elept ai grija să fii astfel tot timpul, căci toÅ£i au aÅŸteptări de la tine, iar cum greÅŸeÅŸti ceva toÅ£i observa. AÅŸa că nu căuta să fii ÅŸtiut drept înÅ£elept sau că ÅŸtii prea multe, ci fii smerit ÅŸi trăieÅŸte-Å£i viaÅ£a
  • Ai grijă ce ÅŸi cum gândeÅŸti, căci la fel vei ÅŸi trăi
  • Când te atacă cineva, indiferent cum, are sau nu dreptate, tu rămâi calm, căci astfel ai ÅŸanse mai mari să ieÅŸi din situaÅ£ie bine
  • Când vei ajunge să fii la conducere, ai grijă pe cine pui în frunte:
    • Nu pe cel imatur ci pe cel încercat
    • Nu pe cel neîncercat ci pe un veteran
  • Nu gândi ÅŸi nu plănui rău spre aproapele tău… nu doar că poÅ£i cadea tu în locul lui, dar nu e corect în faÅ£a Domnului
  • Ai grija la cel ce e în tabăra ta, ca să nu treacă de partea duÅŸmanului
  • Nu schimba hotărârile făcute, căci rău mia poÅ£i ajunge
  • Cu cât îţi foloseÅŸti mai bine ÅŸi mai degrab înÅ£elepciunea, cu atât va trebui să munceÅŸti mai mult
  • Nu sta la vorba cu cel necugetat, căci va ajunge să te blesteme la sfârÅŸit… timpul e limitat, aÅŸa că foloseÅŸte-l cât mai bine
  • Oriunde ai lucra ÅŸi pentru cine, caută să fie oameni cu experienţă ÅŸi încercaÅ£i
  • Nu vorbi de rău pe nimeni, nici măcar în gândul tău să nu existe aÅŸa ceva. Nu că te-ar putea auzi cel pe care îl vorbeÅŸti de rău, ci nu e bine înaintea Domnului, e păcat!

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The History of Blessing – new book graphic design

The History of Blessing - new book graphic design - cover graphic design of book
For some time now, I started a new project. I have to

  • create the general layout and feel of the book,
  • choose the fonts to match the feel of the entire book,
  • design the graphics,
  • arrange the text and everything else that a book involves except:
    • to create the text (of coarse I am not the author… DănuÅ£ Mănăstireanu is the author)
    • to print the book; I do not know where it will be printed and when.

The name of this Christian book/manual, that I have to design, is The History of Blessing (Istoria Binecuvântării) by Dănuţ Mănăstireanu.

Because I was so busy with my MBA and my daily job, I had no time for this book. But now the MBA is finished and until I start the doctorate it wakes some time. So, this is the perfect thing to do in my free time.

The History of Blessing - new book graphic design - interior graphic design of book

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