The Mirror of Truth

James 1:23-24

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like?

Standing, gazing ahead
An image of Truth has been placed before me
There, a reflection of myself.

So vivid, and so clear
Every detail has been meticulously captured
It sickens me to think it must be me.

Blisters reeking of disease run down my cheeks
Moist sores have taken control of the mouth I can no longer see
My lips, cracked and bleeding.
Infectious wounds, like carvings from the hand of a child.
Darkness devours the frame of my eyes, now interrupted by tears

A wave of disgust runs through my body
As I gaze at the man I have become?
Unrecognizable.

I can no longer tolerate this hideous being
I turn my head in disbelief?

The repugnant picture begins to fade from my memory?
It must have been a dream
Yet, I dare not look again.

I mask my doubt with a simple grin
And step into the day?
I will not believe
For in my mind, I am unblemished, once again.

This poem was inspired as I was reading through the book of James one day. I am amazed at how I have grown to live with my flaws. As a Christian, the tendency to accept the gift of grace without realizing the cost of our transgressions is hard to avoid. We forget that we are filled with flaws, sins, eeking of disease in the eyes of the Lord...and all this has been covered!! We forget the state which we were in, full of illness and death. Thank God that He will not leave us miserable...He loves us enough to pull us out of our blood and wash us clean. But let us not forget the scent, look, and feel of our sin, as we strive to put it aside...continually surrendering our lives to the Lord.

Debra Rashid is employed as a counselor at a local hospital, working with at risk youth. She has a passion for the urban community and volunteers much of her time working with inner city youth and families. She hopes her writings will be a source of encouragement and motivation to those who read them.

detailed home cleaning Park Ridge ..
In The News:

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.
iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.
Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.
FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.
Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.
Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.
Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.
Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.
Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.
DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.
Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.
Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.
Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

Pray Off Your Debts in 10 Days or Less - A Short Case Study

Last Friday night, I met a Christian at a prayer... Read More

Bringing Heaven to Earth: Looking for the Good

Everyday I am challenged to find the good in things:... Read More

The Fountain of Light Exercise

An etheric body, also known as the aura, surrounds every... Read More

Wear the Message of Grace: A Work Weeks Devotions

As the artist and designer for Ashbach Designs, I want... Read More

Lance Armstrong had it Right-- Every Second Does Counts!

I have been counseling people on weight loss, exercise efficiency... Read More

40 Days and 40 Nights

I am beginning a journey starting tomorrow. I have decided... Read More

Will the World Really End on December 12, 2012?

I was recently asked how I interpreted the Mayan and... Read More

You Have a Friend in Jesus

Have you heard the saying that; You have a friend... Read More

We Are Not Our Personalities

As a Psychiatrist I spent most of my life training... Read More

Angel Connection ? How the Angelic Realm is Interacting with Humanity at this Historic Time

Angels, those divine beings of love and light, are here... Read More

Unification of World Religions

If anyone says that his/her religion is the only path... Read More

Selling Spiritual Stuff

Spiritual stuff is a hard sell Roy and one of... Read More

Loving Kindness - A Meditation

The practice of meditating on loving-kindness may be over two... Read More

A People in Exile (Part 1)

Second Isaiah, so called because his book of prophecy was... Read More

God?s Message to You

As I sat down today to write this article, I... Read More

I Can Do All Things Through Christ Jesus Who Gives Me Strength

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I... Read More

Becoming Enlightened

Enlightenment, which is as varied as each individual's fingerprint, is... Read More

The Power of Angels - An Interview With Rose Ann Schwab - Part 1

Rose Ann Schwab is an internationally and world renowned professional... Read More

What Exactly is Grace?

This question, "what is grace" plagued me more into knowing... Read More

All One; All Different -- Addressing Spiritual Reductionism

"We're one, but we are not the same."-Bono, U2Once I... Read More

Sole Work ? Walking the Spiritual Path

For the past several years I have struggled with getting... Read More

A Dozen Facts of Life

1. Life is a precious gift given to us by... Read More

The Healing Hand of God

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being,... Read More

Writing Letters to God

Many of you come to this site because you are... Read More

Is There More To This Life?

I often ask myself this question. Not in the times... Read More

express cleaning service Des Plaines ..