A long time ago I held a little speech. It was on holiday in a work-camp where we did work on a burned out Nazi concentration camp. I asked an old survivor of this what her happiest moment in any nazi concentration camp. Each day we held end of the day speeches about the concentration camps which were typicly sad (logically i assume). These speeches everyone would sit in a circle, in a dark room, with candles in the middle put in a way to present a picture. I despised the sad theme so i signed up to hold own speech in a way not so horribly sad. I put my candles in the shape of a smiley, :).
The happiest moment of this holocaust survivor in the camps I mentioned earlier was on one of her birthdays, when an entertainer did a special show for her with 2 disney dolls.
The point is, there are some things that when we feel unhappy can renew purpose in our lives. They can be our christian hopes, pictures of our children, or as i now add memorys of the happyest & most beautifull moment(s) in our lives.
My happiest moment in my life up to now was right after that speech when for the first time in my whole (up untill then) miserable & shy life a girl I appreciated in the group got up to me and said that it was beautiful and very unexpected.
What is your happiest and most beautifull moment in your life?
Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body
Psalm 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let Jehovah be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
regards, Sander Buruma
ps. I can't tell if this should be in spiritual foundations or general discussions, Joy & hope is spiritual to me.
What is your happyest and most beautifull moment in your life?
The happiest and most beautiful moment in my life actually happened one day when I was a guest at a week long Christian retreat , though ironically I didn't find this moment within the retreat. It happened in the mall. Some of my friends and I were sitting in the food court, being stupid teenagers and making a general mess of things at the table, and I got up to find napkins to clean it up. That's when I saw it. A little girl. I mean, just this little kid of about 6 or 7, coming out of one of those dollar stores with her mother. She was all grins, and hugging onto this little stuffed cat she no doubt bought at the store. Her mother was telling her to stick close, and she was looking around at all the people. Then she stopped, and her mother kept going, and she looked at this girl, probably a little older than I was at the time. The older girl looked a little distant, and this little girl went up to her, and handed her the cat. :blackcat: The girl looked at her like she was nuts, naiive or both. We all know the look. Then she smiled this half sad, touched smile, and the kid told her that she looked like she was lonely, and now she had a friend. Then she grinned and ran after her mother, looking pleased. I felt almost like crying for a reason. You have to love the way a child's mind works. And to me, that was the most beautiful moment of my life, even though it didn't happen to me, because it stayed with me. Whatever happened to either one of them, I don't know, but I do know that older girl put the little cat toy in her bag, and went away with a smile on her face. :heartbeat:
And sometimes a smile can change the world. Stupid story, I know, but, thought I'd share. :redface:
This subject intrigues me because when I first read the topic I had to really wonder what was my most beautiful memory. I pondered my wedding day, the birth of our children and then it came to me. Although those things are special and dear to me what came back to me was this:
My dear father was seperated from his dearest and closest friend during the first world war in combat. They both figured the other of them had died in the war. What I remember growing up was whenever someone new came to our home before they left my dear dad always asked if they had ever met and he would name his war buddy. This I remember well, happened many, many times; until one day when I was 14 years old we had the telephone man come in to instal our new phone. Before he left my dear dad asked him if he knew of or had ever run into and named his war buddy. The man replied, "Yes he is my father-in-law." Well the joy that came over my dear dad I hope I will never forget. The son-in-law promised to bring his father-in-law to visit the following Sunday. That was a most tearful reunion and sincere joyous occasion I have ever witnessed. They remained close in touch until my dad's death in 1971. After my dad's death my husband and I continued our visits with this friend until his death. Can you imagine the joy they both felt after being seperated over 40 years?
My dad's determination to find his friend impressed on me never give up and it is my resolve to be that determined to never give up on my dear relationship with Jehovah, may we never let anyone take it from us.
I hope what I have written can bring you joy as recalling it has brought to me.
Until next time I remain Hopeful.........yes Hopeful that we all remain faithful and endure to the end.
Can you imagine the joy they both felt after being seperated over 40 years?
40 Years is such a long time. What a nice trait your fathers hope and stubbornness proves to be:cheer:. All these times of asking despite mathematic odds. I can try to imagine but 40 years is more then twice my age.
and the kid told her that she looked like she was lonely, and now she had a friend.
What amazing empathy, beautifull. There is very much admireable about children, if only everyone was a litle innocent child again.
We may dream. :)
This post hasn't gotten nearly enough attention.  It's such a good one!
And I had to think really hard.  I've had a few moments in life where I've seen acceptance and giving.  But I'll tell you about the thing that was the best feeling I ever have had.
When my husband was about to be announced at the kingdom hall that he was no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses(df'd), we had beauty.  First we showed up and no one talked to him, even though they loved him.  You see, he had written them all letters.  Practically everyone in the hall had received one.  He wanted to let them know so they wouldn't be shocked right there at the meeting.  You know, the audible gasp.  So a few women came up to me and cried and hugged me.  They didn't know that I felt the same way as him.  So they thought that we would be in a divided household.  So we sat up close to the stage, which I'm sure was just considered weird.  They must have wondered why we weren't sitting in the back, feeling ashamed.
So the ministry school was coming to an end and we were looking around wondering why the presiding overseer wasn't in his seat.  Where was he?  We knew he was there because he wouldn't miss this for the world.  Then I saw the light on in the library and I realized he must be in there.  For the whole first meeting.  Well, my husband looked through the kingdom ministry and saw that there was going to be a local needs that night.  We just thought "No way. They never have local needs about the person that got disfellowshipped on the same night.  They usually wait a few weeks."
The ministry school ended and a ministerial servant got up to do the intro to the service meeting.  He was related to the p.o. and he was also being told by the p.o all of the supposed confidential things about my husband, which in turn got us treated badly by this servant.  So even before we got up to sing the middle song, he made an early special announcement to make sure that the congregation didn't leave early because there was going to be "a very important local needs tonight".  He stressed again how they elder body really wanted us all to stay and hear it.  Well then we knew it was about my husband.
During the song, I was getting anxious about the announcement.  But we both were praying for help.  And wow, did we get it!  Once the p.o. got up there to make it, we just were filled with holy spirit.  We both looked up with courage and boldness and looked straight into his eyes while he said the words.  Amazing!  Then he gave a 30 minute local needs, instead of the usual 10 minutes.  And through the whole abusive talk we just shone!  We were so filled with holy spirit that we wanted to smile through the talk, but we didn't want to seem haughty so we toned it down.  Words were thrown around like Satan, child of Satan, a liar, Judas, he said my husband was trying to lead the congregation to the slaughter. And worst of all, he said that all the love that my husband had shown to the congregation was a lie. It was terrible.  Heartbreaking.  And we beamed with holy spirit.  We stayed through the whole meeting.  Once we were in the car we both just started talking about how we felt.  Because we didn't know that the other was feeling the same way until we got to the car.  And we were just floored by it.  That is truly the best feeling to have,  When holy spirit just takes over.  It really is like light.  Beautiful.
My experience happened close to 2 yrs ago, I will forever remember my dear Lord and Saviour Jesus coming into my heart and opening my eyes to himself....for many months after.. I cried tears of joy at the thought of Jesus and could not talk enough about him....I knew I wanted to be with him....I knew how much I adored him and wanted to praise him....it was so very profound.
It was like all the empathy and compassion and mercy and love had opened up and taken root in my heart...and I was looking at things through different eyes.
Take Care
Sandi
Nami that post of yours reminds me of stephen when he was martyred. I would suppose this moment in
Acts 7:54-56 was the best moment of his life.
At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!"
Ironic how some of the evil of others can bring the good of us to surface.
Good evening everyone ...:hibye::D
I have been thinking about this topic for the last few days ... it IS a good one isn't it ... :heartbeat:
Well, it has been really hard to think of what to put here ... for the usual at first comes to mind ... coming to know about Jehovah and Jesus and the paradise, baptism, marriage, baby, seeing sick friends get well again and so on ... each and every experience brings great joy and hope to us on different levels doesn't it ...:thumbsup::cheer:
However, I think I have may finally decided on what to put here ...:redface:
Ya'll might think it strange ... but getting through another day brings me GREAT JOY and HAPPINESS and HOPE ...!!
Sometimes our 'lot' in life has been ... 'the pits' ... :crybaby: and such is the case with my hubby ... and then our family ...:ok:
To see him survive ANOTHER DAY ... to see a GENUINE HAPPY SMILE cross his face ... to see him PLAY ... to see him STRUGGLE AGAINST ALL ODDS to FIGHT for his life and not give in ... shows me the POWER behind a Scripture ... which while not exactly in 'context' ... brings me GREAT HOPE and PEACE of heart ...
1Cor. 10:4 ...
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things.
To know that despite hurtful times and persecutions of various sorts my son has still maintained a measure of belief in our God ... to see him speak to others about spiritual things ... to watch his walls show a chink or two brings such joy and solace and hope that his faith and love and hope will in the end win out ... brings the buds of hope blooming to life ...
Prov. 22:6 ...
6 Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.
Yes, hope is the most beautiful thing to have ... for it helps make us be able to stand up under the greatest stresses ... it gives us courage and strength beyond what is normal ... we can bear up where others may fall if we have this hope that comes from our God ... from knowing that he cares for us and that he gives us power beyond what is normal ...
So, for me ... it isn't any ONE special moment that comes to mind ... but it is a day to day experience ... and one day my hope to see my family be healed, whole, healthy and happy is the ONE HOPE that keeps my hope burning brightly in my heart!!:heartbeat:
Thanks for this beautful thread ... it is sure to cause others to stop and think ...:huh::thinking: and I'm sure that is what you intended spiceant! :thumbsup::giverose::heartbeat:
Love and hope to all ... your sis BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts:
All I can say is Amen, BR, Amen. :clap: