Keep The Faith

I think these words ring true and hold testament in paraphrasing what Allah said in Suratu Luq-man verse 34:

"Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things.)

He Knows...He Understands...He Loves You!!!

Have you ever had one of those days,
when you try to kneel down and pray,
and you find yourself unworthy,
you find yourself being a hypocrite,
because you find yourself asking for forgiveness,
and you know you will do the same sin again?
you find yourself telling yourself that God
doesn't want to hear about your problems all the time?
You find yourself always asking things,
equating God with Santa Claus,
Have you ever had one of those days?

I am having one of those days,
when it all seems so helpless and I don't know what to do,
I find myself turning to God for advice on what I should do,
and I stop myself, I realise I didn't turn to him
when everything was going as it was supposed to,
and yet now I want to turn him into a divine bellboy,
to ask, and keep pressing for things I want done,
blessed are the pure in heart for they see God
because today, I am not that lucky,
I feel so disadvantaged, so full of problems,
and everyone seems to be taking me for granted,
I hate being taken for granted, so imagine how God feels.
Did I even remember to thank God today because
He didnt forget to wake me up this morning?

God's gifts put a man's dreams to shame
Yet we barely have the time to even remember his name,
God is good, He is with us all the time,
all we have to do is turn around -
to face Him, exalt Him, thank Him, worship Him,
because no matter how much we hide from Him,
He already knows;
No matter how we feel guilty and try to explain,
He already understands;
No matter how much we abuse and forget him;
He always loves us anyway.

Only God can help me turn my mess into a message,
transform my grueling test into a lasting testament,
so that my petty and magnanimous trials I become triumphant,
and make-over any victim into a sensational victory,
all we really have to do is have faith in Him.
Because in essence, Life is God's story,
I want to remember to let him write it, in all its glory.

The Silver Lining in Problems

Five Reasons why Allah (God or any other name you use to attribute to a higer power, I'am a muslim)  uses problems The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you – depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how Allah wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. Here are five ways Allah wants to use the problems in your life: 1. Allah uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes Allah must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is Allah trying to get your attention? “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.” 2. Allah uses problems to INSPECT you. People are like tea bags…if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot ever water! Has Allah tested your faith with a problem What do problems reveal about you? “When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.” 3. Allah uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove…. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something… health, money, a relationship. . .. by losing it. “It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws.” 4. Allah uses problems to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious.. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management’s actions were eventually discovered. “You intended to harm me, but Allah intended it for good…” 5. Allah uses problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. Allah is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to Allah and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when we run into problems…they help us learn to be patient.. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust Allah more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” Here’s the point: Allah is at work in your life – even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it’s much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him. “Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way” Allah Knows Best…This was forwarded to me in an e-mail...share the Love if you feel the message...I just did.

Blessed and Grateful

I want to be grateful for everything blessed me with...yet when I try I can't fully count how blessed I am...

I am alive- thank You 

I am healthy - thank You

I have two feet - thank You

I have a wild imagination - thank You

I have a family who care for me - thank You 

I have friends - thank You 

I am a Muslim - thank You 

I am employed - thank You 

I have a loving husband - thank You 

I live in a war free country - thank You 

The sun shone for me this morning - thank You 

I can hear birds chirping outside my window - thank You
 I have a heart and can feel things deeply - thank You 

I was well rested during the night- thank You 

I have food to eat - thank You 

I have my own place that I am converting into a home - thank You 

I have a beautiful mind which can vocalise my gratitude to You - thank You

...and the list is endless...

Owh I don't want to lie to myself and say I don't have problems, I do. But how else will I know when things are good if they never change to be bad? Of all the things being given our way and we are filled with unexpressed gratitude, that can also be a problem too. I mean if we shift our focus and see only those blessings that engulf us everywhere, our whole lives would take a new look.  I am sure God loves testing us so that we can push our own imaginary invisible limits we place on ourselves, I think sometimes He wants to see how quickly we will run to Him when we have problems, and will we remember Him when we are rejoicing? I mean if i am not grateful for what i have now how will i ever be grateful to future blessings yet to behold?

I like to always reminding myself that if it is good it will pass, and if it is bad it will also pass. That bad phase I am going through, something will give and it will get better. I will do everything in my power to make it better and leave the rest to Him. I like to console myself by telling me that one day I will look at all the past heartache and smile.

I want to be more gentle with myself as You are to me.
I want to be more forgiving to myself as You are to me.
I want to be more understanding of myself as You are to me.
I want to have more fun with myself as You try to remind me to.
I want to be of service to myself as You are to me.
I want to have more faith in myself as You have in me.
I want to be more trusting with myself as You are of me.
I want to try not to get caught up judging You, doubting You and Your will,
I want You to catch me always being grateful so You can continue bestowing them to me.

The road of life may seem long and with you by my side, I can travel it, the challenges are great but i can overcome them. God's blessings are always a big surprise, how much you recieve depends on how much you believe...and of course to who much is given much is expected.