Asides

What’s on your mind? The demands of daily living can result in missing out seemingly trivial information that add great value to relationships.

My daughter was delighted at my friend showing up unexpectedly at ours, to give her a pack of her favourite sweets. The brand was, in my opinion, too expensive so I only got it on special occasions or when there seemed a need to cheer her up. She was happily surprised that my friend had, during a casual conversation, a week earlier, noted her fave sweet, gone out of her way and taken time to get it from the only shop in the area that had it, all to put a beautiful smile on a little girl’s face and warm her heart. That to me is mindfulness, some may say thoughtfulness.

It brightens others days when you call or send a gift on their special occasions, especially when you are not expected to remember, for that says you had them in mind. Making time to spend together if desired or sending good wishes on anniversaries and special days, may touch hearts a lot more than one may sometimes imagine. Showing appreciation, little acts of kindness, may bring healing and change the path of a life or even lives. It’s always worth going that extra mile to make others smile. I dare say it infuses life!

Let’s make more effort in our daily walk to be mindful of opportunities to infuse love, light and life, and together make our world a brighter and better place. That’ll be mindfulness in deed! ❤️

They sound the same and may look alike but when you taste or given time, you’ll be able to tell that Narc ain’t Mark! Mark’s the nice one, kind and thoughtful. Narc seems like him in many ways but so full of narcissitic traits! In early days it’s been hard to detect the different ways of Mark and Narc.Mark is selfless, empathic too. Narc presents kind solely for his gain, and plays mind games to have his way. At the start these are two nice guys, “kind hearted” it seems till time reveals. So, bleach and sprite may look alike in clear bottles and missing tags. A little taste, if you will dare, you’ll quickly find that bleach ain’t sprite! If it seems too good to be true, it may be true that it’s no good.

A healthy test is a detailed check, asking questions to find out more. The history helps with diligence, giving time too to reveal truth. It’s always best to check if it seems too good to be true, for it may be true that it’s no good so seems too good! It is safer to do without than end up with complications. It takes a willingness to be discerning to identify the real deal and worth the effort and the wait in the long run!

Con men oft don’t stink.

The young girl apologised to me as she expressed her thoughts, “he spoke to you like a little girl!” I had been careful whilst speaking up for her not to be challenging, determined to maintain my stance without many words. I had said very little, reiterating my point in the few sentences I had uttered. He got the message. Actually he probably didn’t gcet the point but left and there was finally peace of what was left of a stressful evening.

She thanked me for coming to her rescue and apologised that I had to be spoken to in such a condescending way. I reassured her I was fine and explained to her that no one can redefine you if you are sure of who you are. I therefore did not feel any less for being spoken to like a child as she had observed. People can say anything, treat you like they perceive you, but it cannot change who you are! What is said to someone will not change who they truly are unless the words are absorbed. Unwholesome words or attitude should be allowed to drop off as water on a good quality raincoat!

Full assurance of one’s identity is therefore important in life’s dealings. I love the way Zig Ziglar puts it, “you were designed for accomplishment, engineered for Success and endowed with the seeds of greatness”. This is not suggesting I am perfect, my humanity manifests in too many flaws and a wide variety of shortcomings. Regardless I am loved by the greatest Love of all, Love itself, and therein lies my value. A queen is no less a queen for having an impairment: I am work in progress and retain my value. It is fully reassuring that I am loved just as I am. That is the Love that keeps me going. The words of love that trumps all else, the Love that defines me, tells me I am worth so much to die for. That is what Christ’s death is to me and the new life in His resurrection works in me as He promised by my placing my life in His hands. Let His Love alone define you!

Celebrating resurrection day!

Harsh words on tender hearts go much farther than one may see or think. Anger is stirred with cruel words or unkind words said by loved ones.

A child’s tender heart longing for care, is easily scarred by angry words. Scar after scar, callous is formed and insensitivity then results. The cause is forgotten while the scarring process continues and symptoms later become a concern: fears of threatening behaviour and angry acts, worsening aggression and violence, children going missing also happens as they seek warmth with home being cold.

A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 Kind words cost nothing! Discipline can be firm and kind when done in love rather than in wrath. Aggression easily stirs up more aggression, like harsh words stirring up anger. Sometimes the recipient is often silent whilst bitterness grows with hope of respite away from the abuser at the earliest chance! Kind words turns anger away and harsh words rouses anger.

Angry children become angry adults. Angry adults are bound to raise angry children – A fruit does not fall far from its tree. Angry people stir anger in others, young and old, stirring up more evil works in our world. Let’s help to break the force of anger that threatens peace by speaking kind words.

The likely instant thought that may come to mind under an apple tree, if suddenly hit on the head, is that an apple’s dropped from the tree and ouchingly landed on one’s skull. The last thing one would expect is a dead person long gone, rising to give a knock on the head in protest of picking apples over his grave. Old Roger was unhappy with the old woman picking “his” apples, even though he was not legitimately meant to be on earth. The question really is “was old Roger really dead?”

Warning signs of evil lurking are often, if not always present. Disregarding the signs, naïveté and lack of discretion are some of the factors that result in complications later on in the journey of life. The old woman was likely completely off guard, enticed by the ripe apples and less aware of signs that old Roger was ready to jump, after all it was a burial site…..the knock on her head from old Roger soon told her the truth: old Roger ain’t dead!

Ghosts come up in different forms and a lot more happens in the unseen world than in the seen. This may be explained by intense distressing feelings manifesting in physical symptoms, like people going into shock on hearing bad news. A friend or acquaintance with unresolved issues unexpectedly showing surprising unkindness, abusive behaviour or unexplainable cruelty: Old Roger rising up within in protest of his apples being picked.

Buyer beware! Lush looking, ripe apples may draw one to sites where evil may seem to have been eradicated, like getting into a relationship; business, marital, employment or any other form with nice flags flying. It’s always best to check if old Roger is dead, else history may repeat itself?

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana

Old habits die hard! Anger, unkindness, fear, controlling behaviour, manipulation, and the like, are traits that can be so entrenched and difficult to uproot. Unresolved trauma will sprout its again and again symptoms given similar conditions. What killed old Roger? Was it the consequences of his aggression? Had he been unkind and dealt with by another soldier? Was his anger dealt with before he was buried? Preliminary checks before going for ripe apples: Why is the post vacant? Why did the previous employee leave? Why has a new management taken over? It’s best to provoke old Roger whilst you can run quickly than be in a vulnerable position or worse still fatal state from Old Roger’s knock on the head. The old woman was happily picking apples when old Roger “jumped”, obviously having more life than the dear old lady. It wasn’t mentioned if the old woman survived the head knock??

——————————————————-

Copied (author unknown):

Old Roger is dead and gone to his grave, H’m ha ! gone to his grave.

They planted an apple tree over his head, H’m ha! over his head.

The apples were ripe and ready to fall, H’m ha ! ready to fall.

There came an old woman and picked them all up, H’m ha! picked them all up.

Old Roger jumped up and gave her a knock, H’m ha! gave her a knock.

Which made the old woman go hippity hop, H’m ha! hippity hop!

—————————————————————–A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. Proverbs 27:12

Find a good thing, there are plenty around: relationships, job opportunities, skills, a good idea and so much more.

Nurture a good thing and you’ll see it grow, it may be slow, it may not glow, but it will add value to you more and more (if nurtured).Find a good thing and if you treat it like trash, it’ll do you much harm whilst others are blessed by the same.

So if you find a good thing, nurture it and you’ll see it grow, then over time it’ll have added so much value- you’ll be treasure!

Seeds of treasure may not glitter like gold!

Respect cannot be forcibly obtained, it is earned. Earning respect begins with respecting oneself, as self respect automates respect for others.

Every human being deserves respect, young and old, rich and poor regardless of any difference, religion or gender, race or state.

A humble reminder is “dust to dust, ashes to ashes”, the final state of all men. Why then dare any man consider himself better than another?

Respect begets respect!

Children are deemed in some cultural settings not to be “respected” and rather expected to “respect” adults and those in authority. The meaning of respect is clearly misunderstood in such scenarios. Respect means recognising and regarding. Like most words a spectrum that extends to admiration and highly esteeming.

Recognising another person is acknowledging their humanity, strengths and weaknesses included and where there may be undesirable characteristics or differences, the person is still regarded whilst the undesirable part appropriately addressed. A person is therefore not disrespected or abused because no matter how annoying the behaviour or qualities, respect gives due regard for the individual. The behaviour may not apparently qualify the person for respect but self respect enables one to exercise discernment and separate undesirable qualities from a person and treat them in a spirit of love.

Love may sometimes need to be tough and showing respect may require firmness, sternness or severing a relationship.

Respect all men then you may expect respect!