Thursday, June 3, 2010

Nugget of Wisdom: Love Resistant

Firefighters will wear fire resist clothing in order to protect them from environments that could harm them. If they didn't sense potential danger there would be no need for the bulky clothes they wear. The bulkiness of the material helps to keep the fire away from their flesh.

Many of us are love fighters not fire fighters. We treat love like a fire. There are parts of us that resist love, because, while it is the truest form of security, it leaves us the most vulnerable. So, to keep from being hurt we will wear bulky personalities that are able to keep the fire of love at a distance from our flesh, our hearts. In turn, it makes us just that--distant. I know you have been hurt before, but in order to be more like God we must fight our own nature that wants us to resist love. Remember: God is love, so, ultimately, when we resist love, we resist God.

In Love,

Byron Jamal

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The Greatest Love of All

This is a wonderful song that truly inspires! Today, remember the greatest love of all.


Monday, May 3, 2010

Excerpt from Unloveable: What Makes Me Unloveable?

I awaken to darkness, and I write. I don’t write because I want to or have been given some instruction to do so. I am simply writing because I can see. In fact, I feel I am one of the few left who actually see with their true eyes—the eyes of love. Many of us see through some lens of hatred, whether for self or others, because there is something about us that is different. Far too often, difference is seen as deficiency. Our unique divinity is divided with demarcations, boxes and bubbles, forcing us to split ourselves to “fit in” when we are an original design. Whatever stays inside the neat lines we create “fits in,” and it is warmly received with our love. However, the original parts of us that won’t be suppressed and dare to cross our self-constructed lines are seen as unloveable.

So, I cry each night, longing for a world that won’t hate so much what it doesn’t understand. It’s as pointless as hating another planet, because we don’t know what’s on it. It’s like hating heat, because we can’t examine the sun’s core. I cry, knowing that my brothers and sisters—of all colors, creeds and compositions—and I lose control of fragments of our humanity when we are infected by the viral surge of hate. Often, we are infected unaware, driven by its procreator, fear—and offspring—judgment and unforgiveness.

-Excerpt from Unloveable by Byron Jamal

Friday, April 30, 2010

Excerpt from Unloveable: A Stripper Goes to Church


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We pull up to this stadium called a church.  I swear there are more parking spaces here than the basketball arena downtown.  It is so big they have police officers and parking attendants directing traffic.  There are even letters on the scattered light poles so you can remember where you parked.  I look at Nahlia, “Are you sure we are going to a church?”
“Mom, stop being silly.”  The attendant directs us down row five of section ‘L.’  As we drive around, I notice all kinds of cars: Range Rovers, Maseratis, Hondas and hoopties.  Most of the expensive cars are parked in reserved spaces.  “Mom, you’ve driven most of these cars.”  There is so much I could say that nothing comes out.  I just join her in laughter.  We park in the last spot at the end of the row.
As I slam the rusty door shut, Nahlia says, “See, mom, we are dressed just fine for church.”  She is right.  The woman pushing the stroller is about Nahlia’s height and looks like she might be just a few years older.  Her miniskirt has so much thigh showing that I could have worn it on stage any night.  I just moan to myself, as I take Nahlia’s hand and grip it tightly.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Nugget of Wisdom: Purposed to Soar

Orville and Wilbur, known as the Wright brothers, created the world's first successful airplane.  They did research, made the plans, bought the material and, finally, built it.  Now, all that was left was to fly.  Out of all the things they did up until then, the only dangerous part was flying.

Planes are safest on land, but they were made for the sky.  Don’t let fear keep you grounded when your purpose is to fly.  God's intent for your design and creation is for you to takeoff and soar!

Taking off,

Byron Jamal

Monday, April 12, 2010

Nugget of Wisdom: Love's Armorbearer

In the Bible, Kings and generals have officers, known as armorbearers, serving them. These officers are selected because of their bravery to bear their leader's armor and to stand by them in dangerous situations.  They would be willing to risk everything to ensure that their leader survived.

I say to you very simply today...Be Love's Armorbearer!  Far too often we allow Love to be battered on the battlefield of life.  We should take a stand against all of Love's opposition and fight back against those who attacks its existence with words or deeds of bitter hatred.  Let Love Live.  Wherever you go (work, church, home) YOU have the power.

Serving Love,

Byron Jamal

Monday, April 5, 2010

Nugget of Wisdom: How to Appreciate God

A rich man went on a quest to find the most elaborate gift for God.  While traveling through mountains, deserts, oceans and forests, he finally comes across an old woman who inquires why he looks so frail.  When he tells here about his quest, she says, "The one who gives a gift for the child blesses the parent."

The simplest way to appreciate all of God is by appreciating all of God’s creations. The more you can appreciate and love the diversity of others, the more you can appreciate and love the mysterious diversity of God.

Appreciating you,

Byron Jamal

Monday, March 29, 2010

Keep Moving Forward


CONSISTENT steps in the RIGHT direction are what make the difference between failure and success. Even if they are slow steps, painful steps, even hesitant steps...just keep moving forward. Your destiny awaits!

Nugget of Wisdom: Hopeful When Helpless

Two sheep were separated from the flock while traveling through the woods.  Unsure of which way to go to rejoin the others, the two sheep must determine what to do next.  The larger sheep says, "We're helpless out here.  We might as well decide what we will do until we die."  The smaller sheep says, "We're not helpless.  We just need to survive until the Shepherd comes for us."

Just because you feel helpless doesn’t mean you should feel hopeless.  There’s always hope even if you can’t see the help.  You may feel like a defenseless sheep in your situation, but remember that God is a Shepherd who always returns for the lost sheep.  So, don't lose hope in your crisis; the Shepherd is coming.

Hopeful,

Byron Jamal