Home

Today my thoughts turn to New York and America, where super storm Sandy is causing major destruction, and while I pray for their protection, I am filled with gratitude for a house, a home.  So many people find themselves destitute, not knowing where next they will find shelter.
I remember many years ago my youngest asked me "Where do butterflies live, Mommy?"   At that time her favourite movie was "Land Before Time", so it was an easy answer - "Right there in the valley with the Long Necks".  That answer was quite to her satisfaction, but if I really had to answer her, the answer would have been, I don't have a clue.  Birds have nests, bees have hives and rabbits have burrows, but butterflies?  I only ever see them flying joyfully from flower to flower.  Maybe their lives are too short to find the time to also go back to a home somewhere, so I think their home is right there where they are. 
We all have houses, some small, some massive, some humble, some majestic.  Whatever its size, one thing that is true is the saying "Home Sweet Home".  Ask any traveller, any holiday maker, what the best thing about travelling is and the thoughtful ones will say "going home".  Is it going home to bricks and mortar, wood and trusses?  No, it's going to that place where we belong, a place of warmth and acceptance, a place that folds around us like a favourite blanket.  Home is my family, their love, their smiles, their happy chatter.  Home is my hand in my husband's, hugs from my daughters, the smell of toast.  Home is that one-of-a-kind place where I can just be me and I am loved for that very reason, the uniqueness of 'me'.  Home is right there where my heart is, the centre of my being, and that centre is my family, they are the ones that give me my warm fuzzy feeling.   When I think about 'home', I think about them.  I think about walks at twilight, movie nights and breakfast table talks.  Their smiles are the wide-open front door welcoming me home.  I am never far from home, because home is where I hang my memories. 

If you flutter by here, share your memories of your 'home' with me.  Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.

What are you waiting for....?

Another brand new day, another week, another Monday.  What is the most popular day of the week to start a new diet?  Any guesses?  No, you are wrong, it is not MONDAY!  It is tomorrow.  Yes, everybody just loves tomorrow and not just for dieting, but practically everything else too.  Tomorrow I will this, tomorrow I will that, very seldom is it TODAY.  We wait for tomorrow to come.  Tomorrow seems to have some or other magical power, as if dieting will be easier tomorrow, I will have more courage tomorrow, tomorrow will be filled with more opportunities than today, tomorrow will be more perfect, I will be prettier tomorrow, I will be so much more intelligent tomorrow than today.
Sadly, tomorrow never comes, it stays eternally out of our reach by a mere 24 hours.  And so it is that we enter the waiting game, the train station of life, always waiting for a train that never comes and we are forever stuck on the platform.  And so all that happens is that the train of yesterday gets filled with another wasted today.  That train in fact is so full of past todays that it has been retired from service, it stands in the junkyard gathering unfullfilled dreams and missed opportunities.
Why is it that we are always waiting, waiting, waiting.....?  What is it that we are waiting for?  Are we waiting for some or other sign?  A bright neon sign that flashes ahead saying "It's NOW the right time to pursue your dream"?  Are we waiting for an insurance agent to come along with a thick wad of papers to assure us that what I want to do has been guaranteed to be successful, it comes with absolutely no risk?  Am I maybe waiting to be miraculously endowed with extraordinary bravery?  Or could it be that I am waiting for somebody to come along and give me permission to do it, or some form of encouragement and incentive?  Maybe I am waiting for that mythical knight on a white horse to sweep me off to the land of fairytales and perfect moments.
Whatever it is that we are waiting for, let me shatter that illusion once and for all.  None of these wonderful things are ever going to happen.  Neon signs, or any other sign for that matter, have all been reserved by Hollywood for their Feel-Good movies, no guarantees exist that will give you the peace of mind you are hoping for. Nobody is going to come along to give me permission, encouragement or any incentive, because they themselves are waiting for it.  As for knights on white horses, well, it is more likely that the Easter bunny will come hopping by.
The truth we have to face is that all of the above things that we are waiting for are only excuses we hide behind.   The true reasons why we don't step off the platform onto Today's train is much more simple.  It is our own fear, self-doubt, insecurities and comfort zones.  Years ago I was testifying to somebody about the Lord and encouraged her to turn to Him, to which she replied that she wanted to first get her life in order.  Needless to say, that was also an excuse, an unwillingness on her part because it entailed change.  It is because of these things that we fall into the trap of procrastination and we get stuck in never-land, there where my whole life is on hold because I am waiting, waiting, waiting........
There is a story I remember hearing as a child.  It is the story of a group of hikers that came across a skeleton in a cave.  Near the skeleton they found a journal.  In it the person wrote : "It is now a week since I have fallen down this shaft.  My ankle is feeling better, but I am at the end of my supplies, my water is finished and I am on the last match, soon the darkness will overpower me.  I have tried in vain to climb back up the shaft.  The cave seems endless and I am too afraid to venture far lest somebody comes to the shaft and I fail to answer them when they call......."  The irony is that these hikers did not enter the cave through the shaft, but an obscured entrance at ground level, sixty meters from where they found the skeleton.  Fear have kept the backpacker from rescue.
Whatever it is that keeps you from going forward, be willing to set it aside, only you can take action.  It is your life and only you can live it. Once you take that step, you will find your path, your actions will determine your destiny.  However, be sure of this, not taking action will also determine your destiny, but with it will certainly come the regrets of life and opportunities wasted.
Now is the time to take that step, get on the train of that relationship you've been afraid to commit to or end, that new job you've wanted to apply for, that trip you've been meaning to take, the dream you've had for as long as you can remember, the club you've been wanting to join.  Go on, what are you waiting for.......


If you flutter by here and would like to share your thoughts on waiting  please feel free to do so.   Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.

Let Go!

We all know that feeling.  We have all experienced it at some time or another.  That feeling which is beyond anger, hurt and resentment that settles in the pit of our stomachs.  It is a feeling that tears at our insides, it consumes all other thoughts and it follows us around all through our days and even haunt our dreams.  It is a feeling that leaves us with a bitter taste in our mouths and it taints our very existence with almost tangible resentment.  That feeling is called a " Grudge ".
A Grudge is a vile monster.  It is a vampire.  It drains us of our joy, robs us of our future and destroys our peace.  It drags our thoughts down into a pool of sludge filled with bitterness.  It clouds our judgement and blinds us to the beauty of life.  Nothing good ever comes from a grudge.
When we carry a grudge around with us it is like the butterfly tied to a rock.  Even if the butterfly spread its wings it cannot take flight, because the burden is too heavy for its delicate wings.  It is as trapped as it would be if it were caught in a jar.  The same way our spirit cannot soar when we treasure a grudge.  We become weary, we have to constantly remind ourselves what the grudge is all about, we are constantly reliving the hurt, the anger, the distress. All of this while the person against whom we have this grudge carries on with his/her life usually completely unaware of  our distress.  We are unable to move forward and we cannot begin to heal.  Our thoughts and spirit are dragged down into despair, life becomes joyless.
How do we rid ourselves of this ogre?  What is the antidote for it?  The answer is something that is so easy, yet it is one of the most difficult things to do.  Forgiveness.  When we forgive, the ties that bind us to the negative emotions of the past fall away, they dissolve.  Forgiveness restores our spirit.  Forgiveness renews our hearts and thoughts.  It fills us once again with joy and gives us peace.
Yet, how do I find it in my heart to forgive?  Does forgiving mean that I give the other person permission to treat me badly, does it condone the transgressor's actions?  Not at all.  Forgiveness does not say it is okay, but forgiveness sets me free.  It allows me to let go and to move beyond the pain, the fear and the anger.  Forgiveness is seldom spur of the moment or instantaneous.  It is a process. 
Whenever I am faced with this dilemma I always remind myself of how the Lord has forgiven me for my many sins and if He could do that then who am I NOT to forgive?  It is then that I say "Let go, and let God."
I leave you with this quote of Buddy Hackett :
"Don't carry a grudge, while you carry a grudge the other guy's out dancing."

If you flutter by here I wish you peace.  Feel free to share your thoughts on forgiveness with me. To comment just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.

This Day.....

Now this day, too, is past.  This day that no-one thought would come so soon.  Way too soon, for someone like you, we think with our flawed human minds.  The church were full of everyone you've touched, in whatever small way, to escort you on your final journey, the fragrance of roses filled the air.
I picked this delicate bouquet of lavender up off the floor where it fell, I think it came from your garden, and I thanked the Lord that we briefly rubbed shoulders, and that I could also experience the glow of sunshine you seemed to carry around with you.  I see the legacy you have left behind on the faces all around me.  I take the words of the minister with me - age is not a requirement for living life to its fullest.  You were still young, but you knew the secret of living every moment to its fullest, your life was a declaration of God's glory, love and mercy.
You lived your life like a butterfly, spreading beauty and good seeds everywhere, not hemmed in by any borders.  Now your soul soars where we can only dream of for now.  I will remember your warm smile, your giving heart, the way you lived your faith with daily actions and I'll remember that roses are for the living.
Do not let this day pass without telling the people you care about that you love them and appreciate them, without giving them a rose, whether naturally or spiritually.

If you flutter by here and would like to give a rose of gratitude to someone in your life, please feel free to post your thoughts here. 
Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.

Why?

Last week my daughter's school friend's mom suddenly passed away.  It is doubly sad as just last year his father passed away too.  I could not believe it when I heard the news.  His mother was such a lovely person, it radiated from her, she was a devout child of God.  How could this happen?  Does the Lord not know how much her children still needed her, all three are still at school ?  To answer my question, I decided to do some research this morning and came across this post by author Robby Stephens (www.agoodword.org) that I would like to share with you.  I have e-mailed him to ask his permission to use it here on my blogspot.  and very kindly he has given me permission to do so, thank you Robby.  Should you find it encouraging please drop him a note at www.agoodword.org .


Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

The title of this lesson happens to be one of the most widely asked questions typed into Internet search engines such as Google or Yahoo. Perhaps you were directed to this web page by your inquiry to an Internet search? If you or someone you care about is going through a particular illness or trial, or you recently lost someone very special to you, I am very sorry that you are hurting at this moment. I hope you receive encouragement from your visit here.

Many centuries ago, there happened to be a true story about two men placed into prison by the king of Egypt. We don’t know exactly what either of these men did to receive this punishment, but we do know that each served Pharaoh in his palace. They were officials to the king, one being the chief cupbearer, and the other being the chief baker. We can only guess about the circumstance that led to their incarceration because the story only says that they “offended their master the king of Egypt.” Perhaps their only “offense” was a poorly prepared meal, and they received the wrath of a powerful ruler.

The story goes on to say that on the birthday of the king, the king gave a feast for his officials. The chief cupbearer was released from prison and was restored to his position in service to the king; at the same time, the chief baker’s life was taken. I can only imagine that a conversation within the king’s court went something like this:

  “Did you hear about the chief cupbearer and the chief baker?” whispered the court jester to sergeant of the guard.

  “Yes, I know,” answered the sergeant. “I was given the task to turn both of them over to the captain of the guard.”

  “Such a bad thing for the chief baker; he was a good guy,” the jester responded with much sadness.

  “Why do you say it was a bad thing?”

  “Are you crazy?” asked the jester. “Don’t you know his life was ended?”

  “Yes, I know, but I wonder who really received the better fate. Things are pretty difficult here.”

Throughout my years of hearing and thinking about this story, I always thought that the better off person had to be the chief cupbearer since he was restored to his position in service to the king. I felt that the chief baker must have done something really bad to be killed; but perhaps the chief baker was a good person. That would lead to the question: Why do bad things happen to good people?

I recently had lunch with an old friend who I grew up with. The two of us really hadn’t had a good talk since we were young boys; in our conversation, we discussed a few of our mutual friends and the bad things that have happened to some. My friend made the comment, “That was bad karma” about the particular situation concerning one of the friends. My mind quickly thought about the TV show My Name is Earl, where this guy named Earl is going around to repair all of the wrongs he had done in life in order to restore his “karma” to balance over to the good side. The word “karma” comes from the Hindu or Buddhist teaching that what one does in this life will determine where he will end in the next life. Is there such a thing as “karma?” Do you believe in the existence of good and evil? Perhaps it’s easy for us to accept the bad fate of someone whom we think deserves some sort of punishment for his or her bad deeds, but we struggle with why something “bad” would happen to someone that is a good person. I ask you: What makes you really know that what happened is completely bad?

You may be thinking now, “Robby, are you crazy? You certainly have no clue what I’m dealing with.” I say you are right in thinking this. I don’t know how you hurt or feel about your situation. I am very sorry that you are going through this pain, but I also encourage you to look at your situation a little differently.

There is a story I heard about an elderly gentleman who was considered very wise by his contemporaries in China many years ago, but very unusual because of the way he viewed particular situations. He was in charge of the finest stallions in all of China. He awakened one morning to discover that the number one stallion in all of China had disappeared. The people living around the ranch area were alarmed and came to this wise stallion manager:

   “Oh elderly one, elderly one,” one of the local people called out. “We heard what happened last night!”

   “What you hear?” asked the wise Chinese gentleman.

    “We hear that number one stallion in all the land of China has disappeared. Is this true, could it be true?”

   “It is true, it is fact,” he calmly answered. “Number one stallion has disappeared.”

   “It is bad that this has happened.”

   “Pardon me?” asked the elderly one.

   “Too bad he’s gone, isn’t it just terrible?”

   “Yes, he is gone. But how you know it bad thing that he is gone?”

   “What??” answered the local resident.

   “How you know it bad that he is gone?”

Unable to respond to the elderly gentleman’s response to the situation, the people went back to their homes. The very next day the elderly gentleman awakens to find that not only the number one stallion has returned, but two more beautiful wild horses of the same breed have followed the stallion home. Upon hearing about this, the local people come running over to see the new arrival:

   “Oh elderly one,” say the people. “You are so wise!”

   “Why you say that?” asked the elderly man.

   “Well, just yesterday the number one stallion is missing, and you say ‘how do we know this is bad?’ And today the stallion returns with two additional beautiful horses following him. Is this true?”

   “It is true, it is fact.”

   “This is good news that this happened isn’t it o’ elderly one?”

   “Pardon me?” asked the wise man.

   “It is good that stallion is back with two additional horses!”

   “Stallion is back with two more, but how you know it is good that he is back?”

   “What?” said one of the people.

   “How you know it is good that he is back?”

Unable to say any more, the people once again go home.

The very next day, the son of the wise horse manager, attempting to tame one of the two new wild horses falls off the horse and breaks his leg with a very bad break. The local people come over to show sympathy to the elderly man about the news of his son:

   “Old man,” calls out one of the people.

   “Yes?” the man answers.

   “We hear what happened to number one son.”

   “What you hear?”

   “Your kid! Did he not break his leg trying to tame one of the new wild horses”? they answered with a little agitation.

   “Ah, honorable only son, while attempting to break one of two wild horses, falls off horse and breaks his leg. It is true, it is fact.”

   “Too bad he break leg?”

   “Pardon me?” answered the wise man.

   “Too bad your kid broke his leg, agree?” answered one with much frustration.

   “Ah, son break leg, but how you know it is bad he break leg?”

   “Well, heck old man; we don’t know nothin’!” they yelled. “We don’t know nothin’!”

The people who lived near by walked away agitated. Each time they tried to give the old wise man any sympathy, he responded with the question of how do they know what happened is bad? They just decided to give up and go home. The very next day a Chinese warlord, and his army, came through their part of China taking every able bodied young man into their service to fight for them in their war. The wise man’s son, not being able bodied, wasn’t taken to go to battle. He was left to stay at home with his family.

The point to this story is to point out that what may seem as bad to us, may have a deeper reason for a good to come. Unfortunately, we don’t always get to see the good that results, but we will one day. I think back to when I was a child, I heard the term Good Friday. I asked why the day was called Good Friday, and I was told that a man was killed on a particular Friday, and we celebrated His death. I’m thinking, “How can anything good come out of a death of anyone?” Perhaps I needed to look at situations a little differently?

Back to the story about the chief cupbearer and the chief baker: How can it possibly be good that the chief baker’s life is ended much earlier than it should have been? I say, by looking at situations a little differently, like the old Chinese man. Perhaps, while in prison, the chief baker met someone who could change the direction of his life. The story tells us that he did meet a man named Joseph. You may ask, “Robby, what’s the big deal about changing one’s life if it’s only for a day or two?” My answer is, on that first Good Friday I mentioned, a thief condemned to die by the punishment of being nailed to a cross made of wood met such a person who did change the outcome of his eternal life in just the matter of a minute. What seemed as very bad for this thief was actually very good that he was there to meet such a person.

Perhaps you are here to meet such a person.  Perhaps this “bad thing” that happened to the good person was the only thing that brought you to this website? You see, “things don’t just happen.” If you type that phrase in Amazon.com you’ll see that I published a book with that same title after I began to look at the results of situations a little differently. A few years ago I was placed in a very difficult situation in my life, and I couldn’t understand why this was happening to me, a pretty good person. Then I met the same Man that the thief met the day he was to die, and my life was changed too. I finally understood why the day is called Good Friday. I would like to introduce this Man to you. He can change your life too, and if you don’t really know Him, that WILL BE the answer to the question you may have just typed into the Internet search question. You’re here for a purpose!

Just over two thousand years ago, a Man named Jesus was nailed to a cross on a day we now call Good Friday. It seems to the world that a man being killed for a crime he didn’t commit would be a bad thing, and perhaps that day should be called Bad Friday. But we call this day Good Friday because this Man’s purpose and mission in His life here was to die on a cross for you and me. You see, there is good and evil in this world. There is a good, loving God who loves you so much, He brought you here to hear from Him: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). Just like there is good in this world, there is evil as well. The evil keeps us separated from the rest that Jesus provides. Do you need rest from what you are going through now?

You may think that you are a good person and not evil, but if you do just one thing in your life that God views as evil (a sin) then you fall into the same category as if you did many sins: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). We all fall into that category, so don’t think you’re alone here. The thief on the cross was in that same category, but in a moment of asking Jesus to remember him, he became a child of God, and God no longer viewed him as evil. There is a difference between being a child of God and choosing to live a life separated from your heavenly Father. In the privacy of your heart, ask Jesus to remember you and to include you as a part of His family.

I assure you there is no “karma” of scales balancing out our good deeds verses our bad deeds, even though there is much truth in the phrase, “You reap what you sow.” The Bible says, “Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” (Galatians 6:7-9 NLT). The “appropriate time” where we reap a harvest of blessing will be in an “everlasting life.” The everlasting life that Paul, the writer, was speaking of is the eternal life in heaven, and the only way to get there is through a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus tells us, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Now you may think, “Robby, I’ve heard that religious stuff before, it’s just not for me.” I say I understand, because at one time I thought the same thing. Then one day I needed that “rest for my soul.” I was weary from carrying a heavy burden that weighed me down and consumed my very being. In my privacy one day, very much like your private moment now, my spirit within me felt a call to truly desire that rest if it was real. Without anyone knowing it, I asked Jesus to help me. There were no bright lights, no music in my ears, but a peace did suddenly come upon me. I didn’t share this with anyone, but I continued to seek His guidance. My favorite Bible verse today is James 4:8. The Bible says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” This is so true. I challenge you in your private way to try this and allow God’s spirit to give you a new peace.

I hope that today, no matter what bad thing just happened, that you look at the situation differently, like the wise Chinese man. As bad as it seems on the surface, God is still in control, and He promises that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). You’re being called for His purpose now; the call is for you. Answer the call and see how He can work the bad thing for good.  It takes courage to take this step and give up control to the One who can help you through the bad times.  He will give you the strength to endure the difficult times, not necessarily take them away. “Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.” – Mark Twain  

Be Courageous and ask Jesus, the true Master, to help you conquer your fears and to have a new understanding of why bad things happen to good people.

Robby

If you flutter by here please feel free to comment, I would love to hear from you.  Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link, Thank you, Charri.

Find the Beauty

I am sure you have noticed by now that I simply adore butterflies.  I am enthralled by them. I love watching how they dance happily from one colourful flower to the next.  Butterflies are beauty-finders.  You will never see a butterfly sitting on a whithered flower, and they always pick the most fragrant of roses to visit.  Wherever they go they leave a trail of beauty behind.  They always remind me of my sister.  She too, is a beauty-finder.  She knows just how to pick the most beautiful piece of cloth or the prettiest dress in a shop, she'll even find the most delightful dishrag hiding amongst all the other ordinary ones!  Just being near her makes me feel a part of the beauty around her and inside her.
But in life we also have poison-finders.  Poison-finders are oblivious to the beauty that surrounds them, they are only interested in finding their poison.  Just look at the spider. It visits the same flower as the delightful butterfly, but instead of beauty it finds the ingredients to make a deadly poison.  Some people are like spiders, they will pay little attention to the beauty that surrounds them, in fact they don't notice it at all.  Their focus is entirely on finding everything that is wrong, imperfect or ugly.  They look for it with a trained eye and they will unerringly find the tiniest fault. They are poison-finders, but even worse, they are poison-spreaders.  They delight in sharing this poison with others. Poison-spreaders are energy-sappers, they taint everything with their negativity.  An encounter with a poison-finder can leave you feeling totally drained.
Beauty-finders will always share their beauty with others, they just can't help it.  Beauty-finders make the world around them beautiful too, even if it is just with the smile they leave behind in your heart.  Even in the bleakest of circumstances beauty-finders decorate life with fragments of beauty. 
The choice is ours.  What we find in life is what we look for.  If you look for the beauty in everything you will be sure to find it, but if you are searching for the less beautiful, I can guarantee you that you will find that too.  Today, let us be beauty gatherers, let us fill our stores with those things that delight the soul, so that we can become beauty givers in a world that is crying out for it.

If you flutter by here, I wish you beauty.  Please feel free to comment and share your moments of beauty with us.  Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.

For the Love of Handbags

I simply love handbags, all shapes, colours and sizes.  I am not much of a brand name person, but cute and funky play a big role when it comes to the choice of handbag.  My mom once said to me that she is only dressed once she picks up her handbag to go.  A woman's handbag is her treasure trove, her absolute must have, her security blanket. 
Throughout her life the contents of her handbag will be a reflection of what is currently happening in her life.  It bears witness to her activities and status, her hopes and dreams, her fears and worries.  Take a peek into any teenage girl's handbag and you will most definitely find lip gloss and extra length mascara,  the business woman will have an assortment of pens, lipstick and anti-perspirant while a mommy will have a spare pacifier, wet wipes, plasters, etc.
Whether her handbag is a top of the range designer handbag or a many season, floppy and faded saddlebag, they all have one thing in common, they contain  every woman's individual survival kit.  It is with this thought in mind that I decided to take a closer look at mine this morning and share it here with you. This is what I found and I realised that these are the must have items every woman should have:

Sunglasses - so that you can always walk on the sunny side of the street.
Lipstick - so that you can always have a ready smile to cheer up somebody's day.
Nail file - to smooth life's rough edges.
Tissues - to comfort those who need comforting
Hairbrush - to brush the cobwebs from your mind and keep your thoughts ordered.
Pen -  to write beautiful words on people's hearts, the memory of which cannot be erased.
Ear buds - so that your ears can really listen to what others say, to hear their cries of distress.
Cello tape - to keep all the broken pieces together, to mend hearts.
Ointment - for life's unexpected hurts, and to keep negativity from infecting your thoughts.
Sweeties - to keep your memories sweet, to leave a pleasant taste when people say your name.
Salt - because we are the salt of the earth.
Hand cream - so that we can always treat people with kindness and a gentle touch.
Perfume - so we can leave a pleasant fragrance behind wherever we have been.

Yes, a handbag tells much about the character of a woman, I read somewhere that they say a woman is as complex as the contents of her handbag.  Have a look at the contents in your handbag today and look for the message your subconscious mind has been telling you, how you can use it to bless others.

If you flutter by here,  share the contents of your handbag with us and what you think it tells you..  Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.

Live!

We are such creatures of habit and comfort, and we take most things in life so for granted.  We are surrounded by wonder and miracles everyday, but we get so used to it that we hardly notice it.  We simply expect it all to still be there the next day and the next, and the next.  The truth is that it is just by the grace of the Lord, a blessing.
We get born, we grow up, we fall in love, marry, have children, grow old, and all the while we pass through life mostly oblivious.  Each one of these events come accompanied by a whole long list of invisible miracles, amazing happenings.  Maybe it is simply that we as humans are too small, too fragile to really absorb the awesomeness of life.  If we were to really experience each moment as the wonder it is, it would simply be too intense for us as mere mortals to understand.  I think it would be like standing on the edge of a high cliff  every second of our existence, watching the sunrise lighting up a vast incredibly beautiful valley below while Beethoven's 5th Symphony fills every breath of air around you.  It would be too huge for one heart to contain!
This week I had the privilege to watch my daughter at work.  She is a teacher and has a class filled with the most adorable four year olds.  To watch her and these little miracles each day, had me feeling exactly as the scene I painted in the previous paragraph.  I was filled with wonder and awe.  The moment was too big to contain, I tried to engrave it on my memory, I tried to relate it to others, but words were too inadequate.
Each little child has been so beautifully and uniquely created, and their eyes sparkled as they took part in each activity with total abandonment.  The way their teacher captured their attention using all of her love and talents, left me speechless with admiration.  A mundane activity such as counting to twenty became a symphony of its own filled with cadences, crescendos and movement, first soft, then loud, then just a whisper followed by big daddy bear voices.  Twenty wonder struck faces tell of a lesson learned never again to be forgotten!
How beautiful life is when we look at the mundane, everyday, ordinary events through eyes of wonder, with eyes that really see, instead of just glacing ahead at the next chore to be done, the next event to be rushed to, just another moment to survive.  It is time to spread out our arms and embrace every beautiful and incredible moment, and live!

If you flutter by here please feel free to comment.  Share your incredible symphony moments with us.  Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.

Almost Time....

I always knew this day will come.  The beautiful butterfly that I have in the glass jar is ready to leave, to fly into the blue beyond.  I've watched it emerge from its cocoon.  I've looked on while it unfurled its wings, and gently I've helped it stretch them out.  Anxiously I have watched as slowly it tested the strength of its wings and took longer and longer trips away from its haven.
Then one day I found her sitting on the edge of the jar, wings quivering with excitement and I knew she was preparing for her final flight away from me, ready to start out a new life, a new adventure on her journey.  How I secretly wished I could screw the lid back in place, keep her with me for ever, but of course when we love something or someone, we want to share its beauty with the world, see it fly free and joyfully, see it become all it has been destined to be.  So I did not put the lid back, instead I tied a million prayers to her wings.  I put the jar out on the windowsill where it would always be visible when my butterfly passes my window and know that at any time she can return for a rest, a refill, before she once again returns to her new home.
Soon, too soon, my butterfly will take to the sky, I count the days with sadness, but with pride, for she is the most precious of butterflies and her heart has so much joy to give.  She also counts the days, with elation, the long awaited flight is near, a wonderful life awaits.
Have I equipped her with all she will need on her journey?  Have I loved her well enough?  Will the winds be gentle with her?  Only time will tell.
I place her now gently on my fingertips as they are folded in prayer and I whisper to her:  Fly, my little butterfly, my love will always be the wind beneath your wings, and my prayers are only a thought away.  It is almost time.....

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Did You Hear....?

Did you hear it?  This morning when you woke up?   The sound of it was carried on the morning breeze, the birds twittered about it.  Yes, it is true and wonderful!  Today is a brand new day, and we are alive!  All of creation is shouting it out loud!  Give praise and give thanks!  Celebrate!
When I phoned my friend with these words this morning, she asked me why?  What is so special about today?  She almost stole my joy, but then I answered her with a question: What is not special about today?  We are healthy and able, we received another totally undeserved day, we are surrounded by wonderful and special friends and family.  I have a brand new day in my hands to use, maybe to do things differently than yesterday. 
Maybe today is not totally perfect, but if we start to look for the wonderful things we have today, this present day, the imperfectness fades away.  Just for today shift your focus away from your worries, your fears about the future, your financial stress, your conflicts and anger, look at the blue sky, feel the sun on your face and rejoice in this moment, celebrate it, seize it greedily. 
Take out your special cutlery, your carefully packaged porcelain, that perfectly ironed, and seldom used tablecloth and lay a table of celebration.  There is no better time than right now!  Write your blessings down in big bold letters and post it to yourself.  What a wonderful letter to receive along with the bills when the post gets delivered next week!
Tomorrow morning when you wake up, listen carefully, you'll hear it........

If you flutter bye here I wish you blessings and joy.  Feel free to comment on how you will celebrate today. Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.

Three Little Words

" I love you."  Three little words.  One short sentence.  Yet, these three words can mean so much.  They can cause untold joy, but also great misery.  Some people find it very hard to say, while others utter it for the slightest reason.
" I love you."  What does it mean?  Parents say it to their children.  The words speak of warmth, safety and security.  It says "with my whole heart, unconditionally, wonderfully."  Children say it to their parents.  The words mean "I know you are there for me,  you are my haven, my safety net".  Friends say it to each other and the words imply trust, a bond, loyalty.  Lovers say it and it conveys passion.  It means commitment, it says "You make me feel good, I like being with you, you make my heart sing ".
Three little words.  Not difficult to say, especially not nowadays, people nonchalantly say it in all sort of circumstances and places, but I can't help wondering if we really understand the meaning of those three words.  What is "love" really? This is not an easy question to answer.  The word "love" in English is used to describe many different forms - platonic love, romantic love, sexual love, religious love, etc.  When you read up about love, the concept is quite confounding, especially with our limited English vocabulary.  Yet at the bottom of it all, in its simplest form, love is not just a fleeting feeling.
Real love is not a selfish emotion.  It is not just a pat on the back and the whisper of three little words.  It is also not conditional.  Love is not merely an abstract noun, it is a verb.  Loving requires action.  It means taking an interest in the other person, caring about and for them, putting their needs first.  It means making a choice to keep on loving them no matter what, to make a commitment of continued love.  It means being there for them 24/7, not just when it is convenient for you.  It asks of us to love others, even when we feel that they do not deserve to be loved.
When we realise this, it puts a whole new perspective on those three little words.  Before I next time again say to someone in passing "I love you" I have to ask myself if I am prepared to put their needs first, to be there for them when I would rather be doing something else, to help them rather than talk about them, to walk the extra mile with them?  Suddenly it is not so easy to just say those ' insignificant ' words.  No longer can we utter them merely as a comfort to our own conscious.  We can no longer say " I love you" yet remain indifferent.  Our actions must speak of it, our eyes reflect it and our hearts be filled with it.  I leave you with a quote by Khalil Gibran: " Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit."

If you flutter by here, I wish you love.  Please feel free to comment.  Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.
of it, our eyes reveal it and our hearts be filled with it.