* It would seem to go without saying, but many of us forget that we can save water in simple ways like not letting the tap run while shaving, washing your face, or brushing your teeth.
* Insulating your water heater will help save valuable energy, and you can go the extra mile by installing showerheads with a low flow in your bathrooms for bathing purposes to help save water. You can also put a timer on your heaters to save power.
* Using an electric razor or hand razor with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors goes a long way to cutting back on waste. And plant a tree.
* Use towels for drying your face and hands instead of tissues that are used and thrown away. Also, hang your towels to dry so that they can be reused several times. You are after all clean when you use them!
* Juice or yoghurt lovers can do their bit by buying juice in concentrates and yoghurt in reusable containers instead of single serving packages.
* Many of us like to leaf through the paper as we munch on breakfast, but consider reading the dailies in communal spaces like the office or coffee shops. However, if you prefer to have your own copy, make sure you recycle!
* When packing your lunch, opt for reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping the food with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
* As you leave the house, don’t forget to switch off all the lights and appliances at the wall unit (if you have this feature) and unplug chargers as they continue to consume even if they are not charging; saving energy helps reduce air pollution.
GETTING TO WORK:
* Don’t go anywhere without your cloth bag so you can just say no to plastic whenever you shop.
* Radical as it may seem, in today’s “the easier the better” society, the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint is by avoiding driving altogether. Power down and Instead try biking, walking, carpooling, public transport or an occasional telecommute.
* If you have no other choice than to drive to work, look for the most fuel- efficient car model for your next purchase and keep your tyres inflated to the correct pressure.
* If you’re one of the lucky few blessed with clear stretches of road on your way to work, use cruise control, as it saves fuel and also helps you maintain a constant speed.
* If you’re among the majority of drivers who spend their mornings stuck in traffic, consider turning your engine off if you will be idling for long periods of time. And plant a tree.
* For those who suffer from road rage, remember that aggressive driving lowers your mileage, so if you want to save on fuel and save the planet while you’re at it, accelerate gradually-- something to keep that in mind the next time that bad driver cuts you off! Just count to 10 and say the planet needs me!
AT WORK:
* Do you have a morning hot drink routine? Using a washable mug is an environmentally-friendly alternative to non-biodegradable styrofoam or plastic cups.
* Leave a cup and reusable bottle for water at work to eliminate buying drinks, which get served in plastic cups, or bottled water. 80% of plastic bottles are recyclable but only 20% are actually recycled.
* When you need a pad for lists and messages, turn over an old document and write on the back of that instead.
* If there isn’t an office recycling system, start one yourself! Recycling our trash actually contributes to reducing global warming emissions. And it is estimated that 75% of what is thrown in the trash could actually be recycled, though currently only 25% is.
* When you must have a paper copy, make sure you default your printer option to use both sides. This is an easy tree-saver!
* Most computer accessories like ink cartridges and CDs and DVDs are made of materials that could be reused. Computer cords and speakers are fairly standardized, meaning they can be used for a variety of computer models and makes.
* Lower your office’s carbon footprint by seeing computers, monitors, printers, copiers, speakers and other business equipment to their energy saving feature and turning them off at the end of the day. And plant a tree!
* Turning off all unnecessary lights, especially in unused offices and conference rooms is an easy way to save energy.
* If you’re in search of something to personalize your workspace, look no further than the humble houseplant. Houseplants are good for the environment because they remove quantities of pollutants present in the air.
AFTER A LONG DAY:
* In the summer/warmer months, consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air-conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home. While you’re at it, in winter, lower your thermostat and put on a jumper. In summer, increase it and wear lighter clothes, you will also save money!
* Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat as it senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air-conditioner to run longer than necessary.
* When cooking dinner, match the size of the pan to the size of the heating element to lower energy wastage.
* When you are feeling at your laziest, don’t throw clean clothes in the hamper to avoid hanging them up! Wear jeans more than once…
* When you wash, use only eco-friendly products in your home. It’s best for you and the environment! And did we mention plant a tree!
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
three tips for green holiday shopping
Well, it's only October, and many of us don't celebrate Christmas, but, let's face it: the great shopping season has begun. So let's get down to it. How can you get everyone on your list something that will honour your commitment to a green and peaceful future? And how can you make sure you don't take a chunk out of the planet during the shopping process itself? It's not going to be easy, but here are a few friendly ideas to get you started.
1) Consider buying nothing
Seriously. There are many non-material gifts you can give to your loved ones. Take the much prized Greenpeace gift donation, for example, which goes to Greenpeace's powerful and political campaigns to save the planet. Or you can give the gift of experience: dance classes, languages lessons or the promise of a home-cooked meal. Or services: offer to design a website or help plant a garden.
2) Think about production and disposal
Okay, so you've decided to purchase an actual object. Now there are a series of questions you have to ask yourself. Where was it made? How was it made? Who made it and under what conditions? What materials were used? How is it packaged? What happens to it when its product life is over? And what do I know about the company I'm buying from in the first place?
Well, those are, of course, difficult questions. But there are some good places to start. First, look for recognized certifications. Choose Forest Stewardship Council certification for wood and paper products. It's the only logging certification system broadly recognized by environmental groups including Greenpeace. Choose certified organic, fair trade certified products including coffee, tea, chocolate and cotton whenever possible. (Please note - fair trade certification for cotton applies to the production of the cotton itself.I It does not necessarily guarantee good labour practices at later stages of production.) The Canada government has its own eco-label, Environmental Choice that can help you identify some lower-impact products. And, when buying anything that uses energy including electronics and appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR label.
Next, buy directly from producers. Local artisans, farmers and other producers can often tell you exactly how a product is made and what materials were used to make it. Also look for products made by worker's co-ops or by union labour.
3) Shop green
The process of shopping is both a danger and an opportunity for the environment.
The danger: shopping itself can take a chunk out of the planet. For example, how are you getting to the store? If you're driving, you're pumping carbon dioxide into the air and contributing to Canada's ever spiralling greenhouse gas emissions. Can you bring a buggy and walk? Can you take public transportation? Can you carpool it there? It's also important to reduce the pile of paper and plastic that can build up around your purchases. Avoid excess packaging by looking for packaging that is both recycled and recyclable and carry your own canvass bags with you to the store.
The opportunity: ask questions and develop a relationship with your retailer. The process of asking questions is important. It tells companies that consumers want to know what goes into making a product. And, if you have a relationship with a business and the people who work there, you will have greater access to information about the products you buy. You'll have more influence too.
Whether you're shopping at a big box chain or a corner store, ask for what you want. Sometimes you might have to send an email to head office to get results. Take it one step at a time and remember: stores respond to consumer pressure.
1) Consider buying nothing
Seriously. There are many non-material gifts you can give to your loved ones. Take the much prized Greenpeace gift donation, for example, which goes to Greenpeace's powerful and political campaigns to save the planet. Or you can give the gift of experience: dance classes, languages lessons or the promise of a home-cooked meal. Or services: offer to design a website or help plant a garden.
2) Think about production and disposal
Okay, so you've decided to purchase an actual object. Now there are a series of questions you have to ask yourself. Where was it made? How was it made? Who made it and under what conditions? What materials were used? How is it packaged? What happens to it when its product life is over? And what do I know about the company I'm buying from in the first place?
Well, those are, of course, difficult questions. But there are some good places to start. First, look for recognized certifications. Choose Forest Stewardship Council certification for wood and paper products. It's the only logging certification system broadly recognized by environmental groups including Greenpeace. Choose certified organic, fair trade certified products including coffee, tea, chocolate and cotton whenever possible. (Please note - fair trade certification for cotton applies to the production of the cotton itself.I It does not necessarily guarantee good labour practices at later stages of production.) The Canada government has its own eco-label, Environmental Choice that can help you identify some lower-impact products. And, when buying anything that uses energy including electronics and appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR label.
Next, buy directly from producers. Local artisans, farmers and other producers can often tell you exactly how a product is made and what materials were used to make it. Also look for products made by worker's co-ops or by union labour.
3) Shop green
The process of shopping is both a danger and an opportunity for the environment.
The danger: shopping itself can take a chunk out of the planet. For example, how are you getting to the store? If you're driving, you're pumping carbon dioxide into the air and contributing to Canada's ever spiralling greenhouse gas emissions. Can you bring a buggy and walk? Can you take public transportation? Can you carpool it there? It's also important to reduce the pile of paper and plastic that can build up around your purchases. Avoid excess packaging by looking for packaging that is both recycled and recyclable and carry your own canvass bags with you to the store.
The opportunity: ask questions and develop a relationship with your retailer. The process of asking questions is important. It tells companies that consumers want to know what goes into making a product. And, if you have a relationship with a business and the people who work there, you will have greater access to information about the products you buy. You'll have more influence too.
Whether you're shopping at a big box chain or a corner store, ask for what you want. Sometimes you might have to send an email to head office to get results. Take it one step at a time and remember: stores respond to consumer pressure.
GREEN WORKPLACE
Get ancient forests out of your paper.
Environmental options are available for a dizzying array of products including mailing labels, tissue products, bags and coated papers. 100 post-consumer, processed chlorine-free paper is widely available and is the best choice for all paper use.
The Markets Initiative (a coalition of environmental groups including Greenpeace) has created an online database of eco-friendly paper for all your paper needs.
You can also look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) paper. FSC certified paper contains virgin fibre sourced from logging operations that have met strict standards for social and environmental responsibility.
Sadly, corporations like Kimberly-Clark also use ancient forests in disposable tissue products like toilet paper. As a result, many businesses are choosing to stop buying Kimberly-Clark products until they change their destructive practices. Encourage your workplace to join Greenpeace's Forest Friendly 500 campaign and do the right thing for ancient forests.
And make sure all the tissue products at your workplace contain high post-consumer recycled content. For some tips on green paper buying from Greenpeace, visit http://tissue.greenpeace.ca
Green your office equipment.
Start by making sure that all your office equipment is energy efficient. The federal ENERGY STAR program has certified a full range of office equipment including photocopiers, printers, computers and fax machines. For more information from Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition on additional green certifications for computers, visit: http://svtc.igc.org. For a ranking of electronics manufacturers from Greenpeace International, visit the Greenpeace Guide to Green Electronics.
Make sure you are doing the right thing when you're done with electronics, which usually contain a variety of toxic chemicals and are classified as hazardous waste. If your equipment's still in good shape, visit Industry Canada's 'Computers for Schools' website to find out how to recycle your surplus IT equipment to schools, public libraries and not-for-profits.
Some retailers will also take back electronics when you're done with them. Visit Electronic Products Stewardship Canada for some links to the recycling programs of a variety of manufacturers.
If your workplace doesn't currently recycle electronics, try creating an inhouse program. Use the resources listed here and contact your municipality for additional advice.
Eat and drink responsibly.
If you're lucky, wherever you work, there's coffee. Make sure it's fair trade, organic coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate) - it's all widely available right now. Also choose organic cream, organic milk and fair trade sugar.
If there's a cafeteria where you work - or if you have food at meetings and special events - create a responsible procurement policy. The best choice - local, GE-free, organic food you can trace straight back to the farmer. For more information on sourcing organic food in Canada, visit the Canadian Organic Growers. Your workplace can also consider Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which allows you to invest in a farmer's annual crop. The dividends: farm fresh food, as soon as it's ripe. To find a local CSA, try an internet search or ask at your local food co-op.
If you're planning a special event at work, try to construct a 'hundred-mile menu' - a meal assembled from ingredients found within a hundred-mile radius of your home. But don't stop at food. Consider locally-grown, organic flowers (make sure to ask about labour conditions if they're not fair trade certified) and local organic wine.
For a whole book full of green tips, check out the fabulous Greenpeace Living Guide.
Environmental options are available for a dizzying array of products including mailing labels, tissue products, bags and coated papers. 100 post-consumer, processed chlorine-free paper is widely available and is the best choice for all paper use.
The Markets Initiative (a coalition of environmental groups including Greenpeace) has created an online database of eco-friendly paper for all your paper needs.
You can also look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) paper. FSC certified paper contains virgin fibre sourced from logging operations that have met strict standards for social and environmental responsibility.
Sadly, corporations like Kimberly-Clark also use ancient forests in disposable tissue products like toilet paper. As a result, many businesses are choosing to stop buying Kimberly-Clark products until they change their destructive practices. Encourage your workplace to join Greenpeace's Forest Friendly 500 campaign and do the right thing for ancient forests.
And make sure all the tissue products at your workplace contain high post-consumer recycled content. For some tips on green paper buying from Greenpeace, visit http://tissue.greenpeace.ca
Green your office equipment.
Start by making sure that all your office equipment is energy efficient. The federal ENERGY STAR program has certified a full range of office equipment including photocopiers, printers, computers and fax machines. For more information from Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition on additional green certifications for computers, visit: http://svtc.igc.org. For a ranking of electronics manufacturers from Greenpeace International, visit the Greenpeace Guide to Green Electronics.
Make sure you are doing the right thing when you're done with electronics, which usually contain a variety of toxic chemicals and are classified as hazardous waste. If your equipment's still in good shape, visit Industry Canada's 'Computers for Schools' website to find out how to recycle your surplus IT equipment to schools, public libraries and not-for-profits.
Some retailers will also take back electronics when you're done with them. Visit Electronic Products Stewardship Canada for some links to the recycling programs of a variety of manufacturers.
If your workplace doesn't currently recycle electronics, try creating an inhouse program. Use the resources listed here and contact your municipality for additional advice.
Eat and drink responsibly.
If you're lucky, wherever you work, there's coffee. Make sure it's fair trade, organic coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate) - it's all widely available right now. Also choose organic cream, organic milk and fair trade sugar.
If there's a cafeteria where you work - or if you have food at meetings and special events - create a responsible procurement policy. The best choice - local, GE-free, organic food you can trace straight back to the farmer. For more information on sourcing organic food in Canada, visit the Canadian Organic Growers. Your workplace can also consider Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), which allows you to invest in a farmer's annual crop. The dividends: farm fresh food, as soon as it's ripe. To find a local CSA, try an internet search or ask at your local food co-op.
If you're planning a special event at work, try to construct a 'hundred-mile menu' - a meal assembled from ingredients found within a hundred-mile radius of your home. But don't stop at food. Consider locally-grown, organic flowers (make sure to ask about labour conditions if they're not fair trade certified) and local organic wine.
For a whole book full of green tips, check out the fabulous Greenpeace Living Guide.
EARTH
Earth Day has come and gone, which is all the more reason to re-affirm our collective commitment to a green and peaceful future. Here are three things you can do right now to make every day Earth Day. For a whole book of green tips to last year-round, check out the fabulous Greenpeace Living Guide.
1. Try a green spring clean.
Green cleaning is easy on the wallet, easy on your health and easy on the environment. The heart of the green cleaning kit: baking soda and white vinegar.
Baking soda, a mild abrasive, can be used to clean almost anything from bathtubs to countertops. Just apply to a damp sponge, scrub and rinse. It also removes stains, deodorizes and softens fabrics
White vinegar (5 percent acetic acid) is a mild disinfectant and good for cleaning glass, polishing silver and mopping floors. When cleaning glass, dilute with four parts water.
If you are going to choose packaged products, avoid harsh chemical and synthetic fragrances. A good first step: avoid products that come with warning signs like 'poison' or 'danger' or 'corrosive.' It's a good bet they contain toxic chemicals, or, at the very least, present a direct exposure risk to you.
For more cleaning tips and recipes, click here.
2. Cut out bottled water
Clean water is a human right - not a commodity. Right now, the bottled water industry pumps billions of litres of water - water that belongs to everyone - out of underground aquifiers each year and sells it back to us for profit.
In addition to charging money for a public resource, bottled water companies are responsible for hundreds of millions of virgin plastic bottles. According to the Earth Policy Institute, manufacturers use 1.5 million barrels of oil each year to produce bottled water for the US bottled water market alone.
The solution (as long as your community is not suffering from a boiled water advisory): tap water. Carry a portable water bottle with you where you go (just remember to ditch your #7 plastic bottles - they are almost always polycarbonate and contain bisephenol A, a chemical recently listed as a toxic substance in Canada).
It should also be noted that the use of chlorine to treat water is also a long-term concern. For personal use - and, again, in jurisdictions that are not suffering from boiled water advisories - you might want to consider using a well-maintained home filtering system.
For more information about issues of water privatization, visit: www.blueplanetproject.net
3. Reduce (or give up) meat. Reduce (or give up) driving.
This has become the green tips mantra, we know, but these two closely-related activities are not just bad for the environment, they are leading to food shortages around the world.
Right now, the distinction between food and fuel is slipping away. In a weak and ill-advised attempt to address climate change, governments have been encouraging the development of 'biofuels' - fuel made from food crops like corn and wheat. As a result, food crops are being diverted for use in cars, world food prices are skyrocketing and food shortages are taking root around the world.
The growing demand for meat is also straining the world food supply. Vast amounts of grain must be fed to cattle, for example, to produce even a small amount of animal protein for human consumption. According to the Worldwatch Institute, the total amount of soy and grain fed to livestock in the US each year could feed everyone on the planet approximately five times over.
In combination, the rise of both meat consumption and biofuels is having devastating consequences. Right now, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is warning that it lacks the resources to keep up with rising food prices and shortages which it attributes to a number of factors including climate change, the increased demand for animal feed and biofuels. The WFP says it's currently facing a half-billion dollar shortfall to meet 'existing assessed needs.'
There are many reasons to limit driving (greenhouse gas emissions, smog) and meat consumption (greenhouse gas emissions, the destruction of ancient forests for cropland), but the growing food shortages should be the last straw for everyone.
1. Try a green spring clean.
Green cleaning is easy on the wallet, easy on your health and easy on the environment. The heart of the green cleaning kit: baking soda and white vinegar.
Baking soda, a mild abrasive, can be used to clean almost anything from bathtubs to countertops. Just apply to a damp sponge, scrub and rinse. It also removes stains, deodorizes and softens fabrics
White vinegar (5 percent acetic acid) is a mild disinfectant and good for cleaning glass, polishing silver and mopping floors. When cleaning glass, dilute with four parts water.
If you are going to choose packaged products, avoid harsh chemical and synthetic fragrances. A good first step: avoid products that come with warning signs like 'poison' or 'danger' or 'corrosive.' It's a good bet they contain toxic chemicals, or, at the very least, present a direct exposure risk to you.
For more cleaning tips and recipes, click here.
2. Cut out bottled water
Clean water is a human right - not a commodity. Right now, the bottled water industry pumps billions of litres of water - water that belongs to everyone - out of underground aquifiers each year and sells it back to us for profit.
In addition to charging money for a public resource, bottled water companies are responsible for hundreds of millions of virgin plastic bottles. According to the Earth Policy Institute, manufacturers use 1.5 million barrels of oil each year to produce bottled water for the US bottled water market alone.
The solution (as long as your community is not suffering from a boiled water advisory): tap water. Carry a portable water bottle with you where you go (just remember to ditch your #7 plastic bottles - they are almost always polycarbonate and contain bisephenol A, a chemical recently listed as a toxic substance in Canada).
It should also be noted that the use of chlorine to treat water is also a long-term concern. For personal use - and, again, in jurisdictions that are not suffering from boiled water advisories - you might want to consider using a well-maintained home filtering system.
For more information about issues of water privatization, visit: www.blueplanetproject.net
3. Reduce (or give up) meat. Reduce (or give up) driving.
This has become the green tips mantra, we know, but these two closely-related activities are not just bad for the environment, they are leading to food shortages around the world.
Right now, the distinction between food and fuel is slipping away. In a weak and ill-advised attempt to address climate change, governments have been encouraging the development of 'biofuels' - fuel made from food crops like corn and wheat. As a result, food crops are being diverted for use in cars, world food prices are skyrocketing and food shortages are taking root around the world.
The growing demand for meat is also straining the world food supply. Vast amounts of grain must be fed to cattle, for example, to produce even a small amount of animal protein for human consumption. According to the Worldwatch Institute, the total amount of soy and grain fed to livestock in the US each year could feed everyone on the planet approximately five times over.
In combination, the rise of both meat consumption and biofuels is having devastating consequences. Right now, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is warning that it lacks the resources to keep up with rising food prices and shortages which it attributes to a number of factors including climate change, the increased demand for animal feed and biofuels. The WFP says it's currently facing a half-billion dollar shortfall to meet 'existing assessed needs.'
There are many reasons to limit driving (greenhouse gas emissions, smog) and meat consumption (greenhouse gas emissions, the destruction of ancient forests for cropland), but the growing food shortages should be the last straw for everyone.
Monday, 11 February 2008
PRAYER
I Thirst for You
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock… (Rev. 3, 20)
Jesus Crucified
It is true. I stand at the door of your heart, day and night. Even when you are not listening, even when you doubt it could be Me, I am there. I await even the smallest sign of your response, even the least whispered invitation that will allow Me to enter.
And I want you to know that whenever you invite Me, I do come – always, without fail. Silent and unseen I come, but with infinite power and love, and bringing the many gifts of My Spirit. I come with My mercy, with My desire to forgive and heal you, and with a love for you beyond your comprehension – a love every bit as great as the love I have received from the Father ("As much as the Father has loved me, I have loved you…" (Jn. 15:10) I come - longing to console you and give you strength, to lift you up and bind all your wounds. I bring you My light, to dispel your darkness and all your doubts. I come with My power, that I might carry you and all your burdens; with My grace, to touch your heart and transform your life; and My peace I give to still your soul.
I know you through and through. I know everything about you. The very hairs of your head I have numbered. Nothing in your life is unimportant to Me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you – even in your wanderings. I know every one of your problems. I know your needs and your worries. And yes, I know all your sins. But I tell you again that I love you – not for what you have or haven’t done – I love you for you, for the beauty and dignity My Father gave you by creating you in His own image. It is a dignity you have often forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished by sin. But I love you as you are, and I have shed My Blood to win you back. If you only ask Me with faith, My grace will touch all that needs changing in your life, and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and all its destructive power.
I know what is in your heart – I know your loneliness and all your hurts – the rejections, the judgments, the humiliations, I carried it all before you. And I carried it all for you, so you might share My strength and victory. I know especially your need for love – how you are thirsting to be loved and cherished. But how often have you thirsted in vain, by seeking that love selfishly, striving to fill the emptiness inside you with passing pleasures – with the even greater emptiness of sin. Do you thirst for love? "Come to Me all you who thirst…" (Jn. 7: 37). I will satisfy you and fill you. Do you thirst to be cherished? I cherish you more than you can imagine – to the point of dying on a cross for you.
I Thirst for You. Yes, that is the only way to even begin to describe My love for you. I THIRST FOR YOU. I thirst to love you and to be loved by you – that is how precious you are to Me. I THIRST FOR YOU. Come to Me, and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will make you a new creation, and give you peace, even in all your trials I THIRST FOR YOU. You must never doubt My mercy, My acceptance of you, My desire to forgive, My longing to bless you and live My life in you. I THIRST FOR YOU. If you feel unimportant in the eyes of the world, that matters not at all. For Me, there is no one any more important in the entire world than you. I THIRST FOR YOU. Open to Me, come to Me, thirst for Me, give me your life – and I will prove to you how important you are to My Heart.
Don’t you realize that My Father already has a perfect plan to transform your life, beginning from this moment? Trust in Me. Ask Me every day to enter and take charge of your life. – and I will. I promise you before My Father in heaven that I will work miracles in your life. Why would I do this? Because I THIRST FOR YOU. All I ask of you is that you entrust yourself to Me completely. I will do all the rest.
Even now I behold the place My Father has prepared for you in My Kingdom. Remember that you are a pilgrim in this life, on a journey home. Sin can never satisfy you, or bring the peace you seek. All that you have sought outside of Me has only left you more empty, so do not cling to the things of this life. Above all, do not run from Me when you fall. Come to Me without delay. When you give Me your sins, you gave Me the joy of being your Savior. There is nothing I cannot forgive and heal; so come now, and unburden your soul.
No matter how far you may wander, no matter how often you forget Me, no matter how many crosses you may bear in this life; there is one thing I want you to always remember, one thing that will never change. I THIRST FOR YOU – just as you are. You don’t need to change to believe in My love, for it will be your belief in My love that will change you. You forget Me, and yet I am seeking you every moment of the day – standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you find this hard to believe? Then look at the cross, look at My Heart that was pierced for you. Have you not understood My cross? Then listen again to the words I spoke there – for they tell you clearly why I endured all this for you: "I THIRST…"(Jn 19: 28). Yes, I thirst for you – as the rest of the psalm – verse I was praying says of Me: "I looked for love, and I found none…" (Ps. 69: 20). All your life I have been looking for your love – I have never stopped seeking to love you and be loved by you. You have tried many other things in your search for happiness; why not try opening your heart to Me, right now, more than you ever have before.
Whenever you do open the door of your heart, whenever you come close enough, you will hear Me say to you again and again, not in mere human words but in spirit. "No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake Come to Me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and with all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock. Open to Me, for I THIRST FOR YOU…"
"Jesus is God, therefore His love, His Thirst, is infinite. He the creator of the universe,
asked for the love of His creatures.
He thirst for our love… These words:
‘I Thirst’ –
Do they echo in our souls?”
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock… (Rev. 3, 20)
Jesus Crucified
It is true. I stand at the door of your heart, day and night. Even when you are not listening, even when you doubt it could be Me, I am there. I await even the smallest sign of your response, even the least whispered invitation that will allow Me to enter.
And I want you to know that whenever you invite Me, I do come – always, without fail. Silent and unseen I come, but with infinite power and love, and bringing the many gifts of My Spirit. I come with My mercy, with My desire to forgive and heal you, and with a love for you beyond your comprehension – a love every bit as great as the love I have received from the Father ("As much as the Father has loved me, I have loved you…" (Jn. 15:10) I come - longing to console you and give you strength, to lift you up and bind all your wounds. I bring you My light, to dispel your darkness and all your doubts. I come with My power, that I might carry you and all your burdens; with My grace, to touch your heart and transform your life; and My peace I give to still your soul.
I know you through and through. I know everything about you. The very hairs of your head I have numbered. Nothing in your life is unimportant to Me. I have followed you through the years, and I have always loved you – even in your wanderings. I know every one of your problems. I know your needs and your worries. And yes, I know all your sins. But I tell you again that I love you – not for what you have or haven’t done – I love you for you, for the beauty and dignity My Father gave you by creating you in His own image. It is a dignity you have often forgotten, a beauty you have tarnished by sin. But I love you as you are, and I have shed My Blood to win you back. If you only ask Me with faith, My grace will touch all that needs changing in your life, and I will give you the strength to free yourself from sin and all its destructive power.
I know what is in your heart – I know your loneliness and all your hurts – the rejections, the judgments, the humiliations, I carried it all before you. And I carried it all for you, so you might share My strength and victory. I know especially your need for love – how you are thirsting to be loved and cherished. But how often have you thirsted in vain, by seeking that love selfishly, striving to fill the emptiness inside you with passing pleasures – with the even greater emptiness of sin. Do you thirst for love? "Come to Me all you who thirst…" (Jn. 7: 37). I will satisfy you and fill you. Do you thirst to be cherished? I cherish you more than you can imagine – to the point of dying on a cross for you.
I Thirst for You. Yes, that is the only way to even begin to describe My love for you. I THIRST FOR YOU. I thirst to love you and to be loved by you – that is how precious you are to Me. I THIRST FOR YOU. Come to Me, and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will make you a new creation, and give you peace, even in all your trials I THIRST FOR YOU. You must never doubt My mercy, My acceptance of you, My desire to forgive, My longing to bless you and live My life in you. I THIRST FOR YOU. If you feel unimportant in the eyes of the world, that matters not at all. For Me, there is no one any more important in the entire world than you. I THIRST FOR YOU. Open to Me, come to Me, thirst for Me, give me your life – and I will prove to you how important you are to My Heart.
Don’t you realize that My Father already has a perfect plan to transform your life, beginning from this moment? Trust in Me. Ask Me every day to enter and take charge of your life. – and I will. I promise you before My Father in heaven that I will work miracles in your life. Why would I do this? Because I THIRST FOR YOU. All I ask of you is that you entrust yourself to Me completely. I will do all the rest.
Even now I behold the place My Father has prepared for you in My Kingdom. Remember that you are a pilgrim in this life, on a journey home. Sin can never satisfy you, or bring the peace you seek. All that you have sought outside of Me has only left you more empty, so do not cling to the things of this life. Above all, do not run from Me when you fall. Come to Me without delay. When you give Me your sins, you gave Me the joy of being your Savior. There is nothing I cannot forgive and heal; so come now, and unburden your soul.
No matter how far you may wander, no matter how often you forget Me, no matter how many crosses you may bear in this life; there is one thing I want you to always remember, one thing that will never change. I THIRST FOR YOU – just as you are. You don’t need to change to believe in My love, for it will be your belief in My love that will change you. You forget Me, and yet I am seeking you every moment of the day – standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you find this hard to believe? Then look at the cross, look at My Heart that was pierced for you. Have you not understood My cross? Then listen again to the words I spoke there – for they tell you clearly why I endured all this for you: "I THIRST…"(Jn 19: 28). Yes, I thirst for you – as the rest of the psalm – verse I was praying says of Me: "I looked for love, and I found none…" (Ps. 69: 20). All your life I have been looking for your love – I have never stopped seeking to love you and be loved by you. You have tried many other things in your search for happiness; why not try opening your heart to Me, right now, more than you ever have before.
Whenever you do open the door of your heart, whenever you come close enough, you will hear Me say to you again and again, not in mere human words but in spirit. "No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake Come to Me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and with all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock. Open to Me, for I THIRST FOR YOU…"
"Jesus is God, therefore His love, His Thirst, is infinite. He the creator of the universe,
asked for the love of His creatures.
He thirst for our love… These words:
‘I Thirst’ –
Do they echo in our souls?”
Monday, 13 August 2007
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