the power of touch

Physical touch is basic basic human need. However some of us need lots or more of it than others to feel important and loved, a pat on the shoulder, an embrace, holding ones hands, a hug.

think this:

Are they always reaching to hold your hand?
Do they frequently put an arm around you?

A person whose primary love language is physical touch would much rather have you just quietly hold them than offer any words of encouragement or advice.

Love Languages Quiz

Click this link or copy paste for the Quiz:

www.greaterquest.com/LoveLanguages.asp

Words of Affirmation

According to Mark Twain “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Verbal appreciation speaks powerfully to persons whose primary Love Language is “Words of Affirmation.” otherwise known as word of appreciation a Simple statements, such as, "i love you" “You look great in that haircut,” or “You must be the best cook in the world! I love your adobo,”" are sometimes all a person needs to hear to feel loved.

Aside from verbal compliments, another way to communicate through “Words of Affirmation” is to offer encouragement. Here are some examples: reinforcing a difficult decision; calling attention to progress made on a current project; acknowledging a person’s unique perspective on an important topic. If a loved one listens for “Words of Affirmation,” offering encouragement will help him or her to overcome insecurities and develop greater confidence.

IF YOU MUST LET SOMEONE DOWN, BE SURE IT ISN’T THE FRIEND WHO HELPED YOU UP WHEN YOU WERE DOWN

We all have short memories. We become preoccupied with our own interests and daily cares, and it’s easy to lose track of friends.

There will always be times when you must choose between what you wish to do and what you must do. When you are faced with such decisions, make sure you always remember those true and loyal friends who were there when you needed them, and never, under any circumstances, abandon them. When you let down a friend who helped you when you needed it most, you will not only adversely affect the friendship; you will seriously damage your own self-respect.

When you fail a friend, regardless of how heavy your own burdens may be, you also fail yourself. If you absolutely cannot do what good friends would like, find another way to make it up to them.

It is You and God Anyway

people are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered

forgive them anyway.

if your kind, people may accuse you of selfish

ulterior motives; be kind anyway

if you are successful, you will win some false friends and

some true friends ; succeed anyway

if you are honest and frank, people may cheat you

be honest anyway and frank anyway

what you spend years building,

someone could destroy evernight; build anyway

the good you do today, people will often forget tommorrow;

do good anyway

give the world your best anyway

you see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;

it was never between you and them anyway

“You are precious in my sight, I treasure you & I love you

In his Gospel, Saint John expresses that “God is love.” If we can grasp only those three words, we shall go far, very far.

What captivates us in those words? The fact that they transmit this luminous conviction: God did not send Christ to earth to condemn anyone, but for every human being to know that he or she is loved and to be able to find a road to communion with God.

But why are some people gripped by the wonder of a love and know that they are loved, or even cherished? Why do others have the impression that they are neglected?

If only everyone could realize that God remains alongside us even in the fathomless depths of our loneliness. God says to each person, “You are precious in my sight, I treasure you and I love you.” Yes, all God can do is give his love; that sums up the whole of the Gospel.

That God loves us is a reality sometimes hard to comprehend. But when we discover that his love is forgiveness above all else, our hearts find peace and are even transformed. And then, in God, we become able to forget what assails our hearts

Are we sufficiently aware that God trusts us so much that he has a call for each one of us? What is that call? God invites us to love as he loves. And there is no deeper love than to go to the point of giving oneself, for God and for others.

All who choose to love and to say it with their life are led to ask themselves one of the most compelling questions of all: how can we ease the pain and the torment of others, whether they are close at hand or far away?

But what does it mean to love? Could it be to share the suffering of the most ill-treated? Yes, that’s it.

Could it mean having infinite kind-heartedness and forgetting oneself for others, selflessly? Yes, certainly.

And again: what does it mean to love? Loving means forgiving, living as people who are reconciled. And reconciliation always brings a springtime to the soul.

Shortly before his death, Christ assured his friends that they would receive a consolation: he would send them the Holy Spirit who would be a support and a comfort for them, and who would always remain with them.

In the heart of each person, Christ still whispers today, “I will never leave you all alone; I will send you the Holy Spirit. Even if you are in the depths of despair, I remain alongside you.”

Welcoming the comfort that the Holy Spirit gives means seeking, in silence and peace, to surrender ourselves to him. Then, though at times dire events may occur, it becomes possible to go beyond them.

Are we so easily upset that we need to be comforted?

There are times when all of us are shaken by a personal trial or by the suffering of others. This can go so far as to undermine our faith and extinguish our hope. Rediscovering the trusting of faith and peace of heart sometimes involves being patient with ourselves.

One kind of suffering leaves a particularly deep impression: the death of someone we love, someone we may have needed in order to keep going forward here on earth. But such a trial can sometimes be transfigured, and then it opens us up to a communion.

A Gospel joy can be restored to someone in extreme distress. God comes to shed light on the mystery of human suffering, going so far as to welcome us into an intimacy with himself. And then we find ourselves on a path of hope. God does not leave us all alone. He enables us to advance towards a communion, that communion of love which is the Church, at one and the same time so mysterious and so indispensable … The Christ of communion offers us this enormous gift of consolation.

Seeking reconciliation and peace involves a struggle within oneself. It does not mean taking the line of least resistance. Nothing lasting is created when things are too easy. The spirit of communion is not gullible. It causes the heart to become more encompassing; it is profound kindness; it does not listen to suspicions.

To be bearers of communion, will each of us walk forward in our lives on the road of trust and of a constantly renewed kind-heartedness?

On this road there will be failures at times. Then we need to remember that the source of peace and communion is in God. Instead of becoming discouraged, we shall call down his Holy Spirit upon our weaknesses.

It was then about four in th eafternoon.

( Jn 1:35-42)

John sees how important time is. Time is Gold, Time is Precious, Time has its Purpose .

And there is Time for Every thing:

time for sowing and time for reaping

time for building and a time for destroying

time to cry and time to laugh

and so on

Think:

"What time" is it now in your life?

How much time your are willing to share to your self , others, God and to your life's quests?

What are you looking for?

The 2 disciples was not ignored by Jesus : he spoke to them and pump up a process of communication, that leads to deeper relationship with himself.

In our life we have the option to choose to closed our self to one another or to a particular person, or we can be vivid and true to one another's person, words and deeds, and start chatting and interacting which can be very and for sure be rewarding.

Think:

How does the thought of interacting with others in this life make your feel? Why?

What are you looking for? this is the question ask by Jesus to the two disciple ( Jn 1:35-42)
Now if were you ask you with the same question , what would be your answer?

Think:

What am looking for in my life?

The YE Dynamics

The Road to Emmaus ( Luke 24:13-35 )

two disciples were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all the things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days:" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see."

And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them,

he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight.

They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?"

And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread

My YE Facilitators Handbook