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We live in a society where everyday we’re bombarded with advertisement. In each little ad we see we’re influenced to buy this, do that, go somewhere, eat a certain kind of food, wear a specific brand of clothes, drive a certain car, cut our hair short, or maybe let it grow, dye it pink, orange, red, black, blue. We HAVE to be popular, we HAVE to be accepted, everybody MUST love us, whoever doesn’t is an idiot or a jerk, our opinion is above reproach, our word is final. We say whatever we want, we listen only what is pleasing to us. We smoke and drink “socially”, we go to parties so we’re not left out of the loop, drugs are not “that big of a deal” after all they just “intensify our personalities”. Gossip is just “a part of life”, GIRLS getting pregnant is a reality, sex only after marriage is taboo and stupid, homosexuality is to be accepted.. and praised, holiness is ignored, freedom equals conformity with the rest of the world and individuality equals being as everybody else.
Guys face many challenges: we have to make out with all the girls to prove our masculinity, treating girls like prostitutes is normal, wearing your pants 3~4 inches below your waist is “cool”, looking like Justin Bieber is an attractive/or a reason to be ridiculed, swearing is funny, being vulgar is just another part of life, unfaithfulness just “happens”, being rebellious equals being free. If you treasure girls you’re cheesy, if you’re romantic you’re corny, if you respect your parents you’re “conforming with the system”, if you’re a virgin, that’s a shame. You should be strong, athletic, sensual, “experienced”, provocative, a ladies-man, mysterious.
Girls face challenges too: it doesn’t matter what you think about yourself but what your so called “friends” think about you, self-promotion is everywhere, shorts get shorter, pants get tighter, cleavage goes down, shirts ride up, you dress for others not yourself, you walk like everybody else, you talk like everybody else, you think like everybody else, you dress like everybody else. You only have perfect hair if it is straight, or curly, or wavy. You should be a blonde, or a brunette or whatever else. If you’re 12~15 God is far from being your priority, after all guys are soooo much more important, sometimes that continues until you’re 18, 19, 30…, your virginity is not treasured, TV says you’re too fat, to skinny, too tall, too short. Your breasts are too big, or too small, you need implants, you need a nose surgery, you’re not smart enough, you’re not good enough, you’re boring. You should be better, prettier, wear more makeup, be popular, sexy, provocative, a teaser, a gossip (or, should I call it, “informed”?).
You are allowed to be all of the thing above, except, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, you should NEVER be… yourself.
Why is that? For some reason, being yourself is not enough. Why? We were created in God’s image, after you want to accept it or not, we are creatures of God Almighty, created in His likeness. Why would you want to look like what the devil says you should be through the media and through your “friends” instead of being yourself, the one God created you be, a perfect creature loved and treasured by him. I’ll leave you now not with my words, but with the word of God. Let truth refresh your mind and confront your thoughts… Peace! Have a great week!
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
20 They blaspheme you;
your enemies misuse your name.
21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Mas eu sou qual oliveira...
I really appreciate and value my friendships. I really do. They are what make my day a better (an sometimes ever worse, but that’s what a good friend is for isn’t it?! ;] ), however even good friends cannot replace the spot that I have in my heart for my family. I won’t even try to compare the different kind of relationship that I have between my friends and family because they are entirely different. The point is, I would not be where I am now if it wasn’t for my family, for all my uncles, aunts and cousins, my grandparents (whom I miss a lot) and the “aggregated” family (those that married someone from my family).
One thing I really love about my family, at least the Oliveiras, is how we always feel connected. It has been a year an 2 months since I’ve been in Canada already but I know that when I see my brothers, parents, cousins, I’ll be able to just pickup the conversation from were I left off. We are in total… If I’m not mistaken: 5 “patriarchs”, 14 cousins in the 2nd generation and 18 cousins in the 3rd generation, and the 4th is just around the corner 
Our differences make our friendship so interesting and our similarities too… Like my “twin cousin” Raquel… We can just look at each other and know exactly what the other is thinking… Oh, if you’re reading this Quel… I love you sooooooooooooooooooo much! Sometimes it is even weird. We joke all the time: “Get out of my head!” “Stop reading my mind!”. 
Good times. Also my cousin Silas, we have been through a lot of weird and funny adventures together… Always getting out of trouble, just barely…
My goodness… I really wish I had the time and the words to keep going about all of the branches of this huge Olive Tree… How each one has added so much to my own life. How my parents are so important to me and how I appreciate their understanding and guidance through this time that we’re separated. How even though I may have my disagreement with my brothers, I love and care about them. I could keep going but I really don’t want to bore you out of your skulls so I’ll just leave a little message to all the Oliveiras, Nascimentos, Swarczbergs, Marques and agregados in Brazil:
Eu amo muito, todos voces! Voces fazem muita falta! Como eu gostaria de estar com voces agora… que saudades! Nao pensem em momento algum que e esqueci de voces… isso eh impossivel. Pelo contrario, amo todos voces mais do que nunca! Muito obrigado por lembrar de orar por mim e por todos esses anos de amizade e carinho. Sei que nao somos uma familia perfeita, mas que graca teria se fossemos? Deus estava muito inspirado quando formou essa “Grande Familia”! Beijao a todos!
“But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” Psalms 52:8
“Mas eu sou qual oliveira verde na casa de Deus; confio na bondade de Deus para sempre e eternamente.” Salmos 52:8
December 31st 2008 – December 31st 2009… Wow! One entire year, 365 (or is it 366??) days, 12 months, 2 semesters, 4 seasons, a lot of hours!!!
After one year in Canada I have to ask myself one question… Who am I, really? I thought I knew the answer for that question but now, everything seems a little blurred. I know a few things for sure: I am a servant of Jesus Christ, a Levite, separated for His kingdom, a proud Brazilian… and that’s about it. The only possible way I can describe this year is that it was a period of metamorphosis, of maturation. I know very well who I used to be but I don’t know what I’ll turn into. God has worked in me in so many different ways, releasing me from bondage, cleansing me, helping me let go of things that do not please Him, giving me strength and taking away the shame of confessing Jesus as my Lord and Savior, granting me the gift of meeting new people that give a new meaning to my life, finding new friends and a purpose in the House of God, showing me skills that I never knew I had, shaping me according to His will, giving me a fresh start.
I wish I could tell you where I’ll be 3 months from now. So many people ask me “When are you coming back?”, “Are you staying in Canada?”, “Are you going or staying?”. Honest answer: I don’t have a clue. I am building my faith in the solid foundation of God. I know that he has the answer and that I’ll will be blessed wherever I go, if I do it according to His will. Do you want to pray for me? Than pray for wisdom and clarity, so that I can hear and obey His will.
To all my family and friends in Brazil: Thank you so much for remembering me and praying for me. I miss you all very much and I hope that you understand that even though we are very far apart, I think about you everyday and carry you in my heart.
To all my family and friends in Canada: Thank you for helping me grow. Thank you for loving and accepting me and for giving words of encouragement when Brazil seems so far away. Thank you for making me feel at home. I love you and hope that I’m able to show that to you guys more frequently during this year.
Let’s keep on moving forward! IKUZO!
God bless you all! Have a wonderful day and thank you for your time!
“The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food. People like to gobble them up.” Proverbs 18:8
These words were spoken more than 2800 years ago, however they do sound quite contemporary, don’t you think? How many times have you heard yourself saying these words: “Did you hear?”, “Do you know about…”, “You won’t believe what … just did!” Why is gossip like “tasty bids of food”?
I could try to explain this subject with thousands of words using psychological, and sociological terms but the truth is that gossip is nothing more than one of the tools of the devil against us.
Now, you, my non-christian friend, might be thinking “OK, here we go again with this God related stuff”. I ask you to have a little patience and read this closely. What I want to share with you today comes from personal experience.
I grew up with an awesome group of friends from my church. We were good friends and used to hang out often and have a lot of fun together. By the time we reached 11-12 years old, our interest in the opposite sex began to grow, as every normal human being. Gossip started in a very subtle manner… “Did you hear about …? I heard he got a new video-game.”, “Did you see … and … talking? I think they like each other!”, “No way! What happened to him?”, Don’t you think they would be the perfect couple?” It was an innocent conversation. Or was it? Those little rumors only got worse as time passed by… “Did you hear that … and … were making out?”, “I think she TOTALLY hates you!”, “I heard that … is not a virgin anymore.”, “So and so told me that … is pregnant.”
By that time sub-groups had already formed inside the group. People who used to be best friends wouldn’t talk to each other anymore. Some of them were seriously hurt and left the church altogether. Others began to counter-attack with more gossip and rumors. The results were catastrophic. Our group became closed to people from the outside and were constantly gathering to “talk” and share stuff so that other people could “pray about it”. Many people came and left our church and are still lost to this day because of our behavior. Many people were deeply hurt, including me and still struggle with lack of trust and difficulty to associate with other people around them. Very young lives were ruined and strong friendships, destroyed. And it all started with three simple words: “Did you hear?”.
My friends, I would like to ask you two simple questions: What do you gain with gossip? How has your life improved through gossip? I had to go through tough times to realize that it is good for nothing and my intent with these words is to save you some pain. If you are a Christian, you probably know that the devil wants to destroy our lives in every aspect, including our relationships. He loves to see relationships being torn apart. He knows that we are stronger together and will do anything to separate us. If you’re not a Christian, well, now you know!
I would like to ask you, no, I beg of you: Please don’t give room to gossip in your life. Don’t let it do to you what it did to me and my friends. We’re recovering now and learning to trust each other but the time we lost together due to gossip will never be returned and the scars we got from that will only disappear with the help of God.
“Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:16
Well, I think that’s all about that, for now. I would like to talk a little bit more about it further down the road. If you’re interested, stay tuned! Post your comments, opinions and personal experiences. I’d love to hear from you. If you don’t want to share with everybody… send me an e-mail. I promise to keep it to myself and pray for it ALONE on my devotional time.
Thank you for your time! Have and awesome day!
Thiago Oliveira
“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.” Proverbs 11:13
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Matthew 7:1
Hello everyone!
Remedy Camp 2009
When I got here in Canada on December 31st, 2008 I didn’t have a clue on how I could help people around me and make a difference. Well, I knew I was supposed to help a family member with his business but I was looking forward for something exciting and stimulating. I wanted to do something meaningful, something that would develop and deepen my relationship with God and God’s people. I other words, I really wanted to help in the church.
So, a few months passed, things changed and the opportunity to help with the Jr. Youth ministry @ OCC came up. A few weeks earlier I had talked to my accountability partner and he said “Dive head first. Take every opportunity you have. Don’t be afraid to get involved. ” I am really thankful for those words today. When that opportunity came up I thought… why not? And so my journey with this awesome group began, Remedy Jr. Youth.
It is funny. In my Christian life I have never walked in God’s presence, let me explain: I usually “stumble” guided by his presence… Somehow I end up on a place where I find personal growth and fulfillment, even though I never predicted that I would be living in that place or situation. Does that happen to you too?
Anyway… I am really glad to be with these guys learning with them and trying to help with whatever they need. They bring a joy and love to my life that I never felt before for a group of people. It is weird sometimes… I’m preparing some stuff for the church and I start thinking… “How are those guys doing?” “And the guys on grade 9? Are they enjoying High School, being an example?” “What could they be doing right now?”. It is great to feel this concerned cause that shows that God put in my heart love for them and I am thankful for that. I don’t know how long my walk with them will last but I want to enjoy every step of the way.
O well… that’s all for now. Jr. Youth… I love you. Count on me for whatever you need!
Thiago Oliveira
To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him,
but motives are weighed by the LORD.
Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:1-3
Love is a gift, and you should never force someone to accept it.
So, the main reason why I created this blog is so that I can share my thoughts and feelings with everybody in a way that people can understand what I’m thinking since I’m a terrible oral communicator. I hope that you understand that the opinions here expressed are my own and don’t represent the ideas of a group of people or certain individuals. That being said… let’s get straight to the point…
I have shared with many people here my discontent with the pressure on dating and the coupling that the Youth is submitted to up here. Not that it doesn’t exist in Brazil but when I asked some friends if the concept of simple friendship between a single man and woman exists the answer I got was NO! One of my best friends in Brazil is a girl and that doesn’t mean that there is any romantic involvement between the two of us (and Vanessa, if you’re reading this, I miss you Sis : ) !). It was hard for me at first to establish some friendships here because I was always afraid of sending the wrong message, and I believe that many people here have experienced the same thing. It is totally uncomfortable and can completely ruin what would be a life-lasting friendship.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
My Canadian friends, have you ever experienced this before? If so… leave your comments. I want to know you opinion about this subject. And some advice on the subject. I respect you country and want to know more about your culture and values. Any tips on how to proceed in situations like this? This Brazilian is crying for help! Is there anyone out there to help me? ;P
Thank you so much for your time!
Sincerely,
Thiago Oliveira
Music is great. I love all different kinds of music. From progressive rock to classic, except Pagode, a Brazilian invention that should have never existed… Anyway… This last Sunday the guys from the Remedy Band led worship upstairs and it was AWESOME! It’s funny how if we surrender our difficulties to God, He comes to our rescue in no time! On Thursday, during practice, a lot of things went wrong. Some of the guys were not focused, our drummer didn’t show up because his sister was in the hospital and, in the end, we didn’t get nothing done as it should. So we went home, resumed our lives and when Sunday morning came we went through the songs one more time. This time everything worked out right. The guys were focused and excited, even though it was 8AM and everything went smoothly. We had to drop one of our songs though because the kids we just not paying attention anymore, however, I am 100% sure that God was pleased with what those guys accomplished. And I know that we couldn’t have done it without Him.
Thursday we had better equipment, more time and more people, still we only managed to get things done when we focused on God and realized that we weren’t doing this for the kids or for anyone to see, but to God. This happened so many times before when I was in my church’s worship team. We would practice and it would sound awful, but when the time came, it was wonderful. I am sure it was a way for God to constantly remind us of our dependence on Him.
Well, that’s all for now. See you next time!
Thiago Oliveira
One thing that fascinates me and at the same time confuses me is the huge difference between the Canadian and Brazilian cultures. The Brazilian Culture received some major influences from other cultures. Primarily from Portugal due to the fact that we were their colony for more than 3 centuries. They gave us our official language and many other contributions . We also receive influences from the native inhabitants of Brazil in our language (most of our words come from Tupi-Guarani) and food. The Africans that were brought as slaves represent an important addition to our culture with many of it’s religious beliefs, music, food and ideology being an essential part of many of our lives today. These three cultures represent, to me, the backbone of the Brazilian culture.
The Canadian culture is so much different! It received influences primarily from the British and the French. It’s interactions with the native population were relatively peaceful, although not without conflict. It’s late economic development and the climate represent important factors in the modern Canadian society. The usage of the English language (of Germanic origin) contrasts with the French and Portuguese languages (both of Italic origin).
Anyway… What I mean to say is that these different backgrounds and origins are what make our nations so different and at the same time so interesting and unique. And it’s about these differences that I’d like to talk about in my next posts.
Thanks for your time. Catch you later!
Thiago Oliveira
So…
As most of you guys know I’m from Brazil. I was born in a beautiful city called Santos, located SW of Sao Paulo, where I grew up, studied and, practically, spent the majority of my life. On December 2004 I came to Canada as a gift from my uncle Frank and aunt Zamara, so I could spend my Summer vacations here. After I returned to Brazil I was decided that one day I would go back to Canada to do… I really didn’t know. So I graduated from High School, was accepted in College, graduated and here I am, in Oshawa, Ontario, since December 31th of 2008. Yup, that’s pretty much it. A short synopsis of my life until this day.
See ya tomorrow!
Thiago Oliveira
