Easter at Bethany

 

It was a full house at Bethany today for Easter. Going to church always feels good so it was especially exciting to get in there today. Besides the holiday and celebrating Christ, it also happens to be my third year anniversary attending there. There's something special about these sermons here. In a serious and religious atmosphere, Pastor George always has a way to insert humor with his honest approach from his own personal experiences. They're very relatable and show how even pastors can experience struggles demonstrating how no one is perfect. 

Haiku Poem:

Deepened feeling of

reverence Pastor George

while at Bethany.

Today, the theme was reconciliation. The focus was a bridge they built to represent Jesus bridging the gap between us and God. 

There was a special ceremony for inviting new Christians, those who want to resolidify their relationship with God, and those who want to improve their existing relationships in our lives. They played special music for people to walk across the bridge to God. They gave a round of applause for each person walking. It was genuinely nice.

More rows of chairs were added while there were still more people just outside of this room in the lobby. It was a beautiful sight to look around and notice so much more diversity in our space. Not one corner looked the same at any angle, which is fantastic. A true reflection of our community that seems to be safe enough for all types of people to walk on in. This sends such a positive message.

Bethany has repeatedly called me back and not by phone, if you catch my drift. But the people have been kind as well. Pastors George, Josh, and Stu mix themselves in the crowd having casual conversations with the entire congregation after each service. They have prayer circles available for those who want a little extra spiritual reassurance. Occasionally, we do baptisms and communions during services. And their children's school area is always hoppin' during service and their afternoon/evening school sessions all the way to high school.

The area I love the most is their library. There are so many shelves of books by many authors. Surprisingly, I even found some political books and some by nonprofits highlighting their experiences abroad. This is not your stereotypical, you can't do this or that kind of church. They keep evolving over time to be an everyone kind of church. You hear real-life opinions spanning so many subjects. Sometimes you may even forget that you're inside of the church. You're encouraged to laugh, let loose, and be comfortable. And even though Bethany is a good environment to be in, Pastor George still reminds us that we come to church for ourselves and God and not the people. It is a personal spiritual choice. So, if there's ever an unpleasant experience due to a particular person, it can be different during the next go-around. And we'll always feel spiritually recharged and fulfilled because it is a collection of our strengthened relationships with "The Big Man". The music played by the band is wonderful too.

All are welcome on Saturday evenings at 6:00pm or Sunday mornings starting at 9am.

We're also online too!

https://www.bethanysite.com/

Happy Easter everyone!

Written and images by Andrelyn Izquierdo.

Don’t forget! No matter what, you can always shine on.

#Easter #BethanyPuyallup #church #reconciliation #brigethegap #spiritual #personal #experience #SunshineHeadquarters #inspirational #blog #AndrelynWriting

What's the Difference Between Thinking You're in Love and Actually Being in Love?

Image by Stux from Pixabay.

Thinking that you're in love doesn't mean there's a relationship but is also the before that can be confused with having a crush on someone. It can turn anyone to shy with a smile when next to a particular person of interest, that is in a good way. 

It's the stage that can be confusing that will only be cleared up with courageous acts of expression that are small or very meaningful. It's the phase of discovery and exploration that when ignored, gives the signal that it's not love and to keep looking.

Now for the other, actually being in love with someone is when you cannot sleep at night without thinking about your loved one. Whenever you come across a mentioned favorite thing, it makes you smile more often with or without the person being around or reveals an intense emotion that doesn't leave. You may also find yourself giddy throughout the day periodically for no reason.

It can keep you in a daydream that doesn't want to leave and butterflies fluttering in your tummy that can even make you a tiny bit nervous when daring to get closer. When you close your eyes and think of the moment you two shared, love, will skyrocket you to the moon while sleeping.

An acceleration of the heartbeat and the quietest calm simultaneously. The rhythm can quicken to sporadic jumps or can be as still as the lake on a windless day. Love can transform a person into a teddy bear to spread more of it. The arms envelope your body that will automatically pass onto you. It equips your back with wings to provide strength and help you fly through any obstacle.

Love is the feeling that will assure you that everything will be alright no matter what. It's a security that comforts you on the worst days and the invisible line that keeps you balanced on the tight rope. It's the most wonderful feeling in the world to come home to. There's nothing else like the experience of feeling true love. 

Written by Andrelyn Izquierdo.

Don’t forget! No matter what, you can always shine on.

#Love #difference #wonderful #emotion #fly #skyrocket #teddybear #dream #SunshineHeadquarters #inspirational #blog #AndrelynWriting

If You Can't Fly...

Words I live by every single day...

While the cold leads to aching bones,

When woe becomes too overbearing,

As there is not enough time in the day,

the art of movement, 

can tame the pain, 

even for a tiny moment of a day.

Poem by Andelyn Izquierdo

Don’t forget! No matter what, you can always shine on.

When It's Not Love, Choose to Feel Dislike Over Hate

 “Fortunately, the requirement to love others is not a mandate to like them. Love is a choice to act in loving ways, regardless of whether we actually feel loving toward a person at any given time.”

~ A Woman’s Daily Prayer Book

Reference to 1 John 4:7

This message brings comfort to me as I hope it does for you because it proves that it is possible to love someone you dislike. This can be done on a human level. Using a little wordsmithing here...while it is not okay to hate someone which can lead to violence, it is okay to have a strong dislike for them which can reach more towards the opposite way of the spectrum - to forgiveness. But we must love each other. Within how we work culturally within our society, it is safe to say that when one does not like what someone does, it is much easier to forget and let it go. But when one introduces the word hate, everything turns serious with the other person making it much harder for either one to let go of that word and follow up to it with damage. 

When you tell a friend that you hate something that someone else said, does your friend reply with, “Oh, it’s nothing, let it go,”? Or do they reply with, “I hate that too, we should never hang out with them again”? Most of the time it's the second option that is the default answer.

(Photo by 123RF)

If you think about it, there’s usually an action word that comes after the hate. While it can be used for good as a motivator, it is also used as a way to hurt other people. So I’m enlightening you today with the good news that there is a safer and less destructive way to feel about someone you do not like. We can use a better substitute word to express our emotions just like how we teach our children about this same topic. We can dislike a little bit or a lot. But let’s try not to use the word hate and keep the love going.

I really believe that if there are more people doing this simple practice, there will be extra room for positivity to replace all of the hate circulating in our world today. Join me in making a better change on how we communicate with each other because it is some HARD WORK!

Let's Act Better.

Let's Be Better.

Pass this along to a friend.

Don’t forget! No matter what, you can always shine on.

Love

 

When it comes to what seems to be the unstoppable force called love, there are still many people who have not experienced it yet and those are skeptical about it even though it has been seen that other people have it. So a common question comes up...

Can a person live a life without love?

The short answer is no.

Because love is…

• time as sometimes it can be at first sight or flourish from a beautiful partnership between what would turn out to be soulmates.
• warmth in feeling and being wholesome to others and one’s self or warmth that is as fulfilling on a cold night and sunny day.
• awkward as you’ll laugh through embarrassing moments.
• inspiration for things you thought you could never do.
• healing of the heart, the bones, of many things.
• motivation to push through anything.
• courageous for each person as it can be a great risk.
• being respectful to each other and especially yourself.
• surprising as it comes when least expected.

Lastly,

• love is fine and kind.

There’s no love greater than an intimate one and that can either be romantic or platonic. Much more passion comes with romantic relations, which intensifies the love, so it naturally feels greater than anything else. This shows that romance is not overrated. But those lucky enough to have a maternal bond, know that it's unbreakable from the beginning of your life to the end. This may be different, but it is still a kind of love.

People put forth much effort just to have the experience of having a loved one in any way, especially romantically. El amor is the most sought-after affection whenever the person is ready for it or...not. This has nothing to do with whether someone is comfortable or prefers being single or not.

Love will come knocking at some point in all of our lives. And if it follows through with all that’s mentioned above, then you’ll know what love is and will want it for as long as you can grasp onto it without feeling afraid of getting heartbroken.

Keep in mind to love with all your might even during the hardest of times.

Say those three words,

"I love you."

You'll find it rewarding and

our humanity also depends on it.

Don’t forget! No matter what, you can always shine on.

Family Reunification Task Force

 

(Photo by WhiteHouse.gov)

I wrote a poem inspired by President Joe Biden's action in what I hope is being done and what I think the families are feeling throughout this transition.

The waiting has stopped

for families locked up.

Feelings of incompleteness

with lots of loneliness

slowly reaching to a halt

workers try to locate all.

Trashed aluminum blankets

no more sitting in cages.

Children happily crying

Reunion celebrating.

(Photo by en.Wikipedia.com)

Don’t forget! No matter what, you can always shine on.

Create More Connections

 

It is so easy to block another person for whatever the reason may be.

Could you dare to do the impossible and create a bridge with someone you've been in a quarrel with for many years?

It is quite a challenge, but when it works out...

oh the wonderful possibilities!

~Andrelyn Izquierdo

Don’t forget! No matter what, you can always shine on.