WHERE DID REUBEN GO?
Three bricklayers were asked what they were doing as they tried to rebuild a church that had been gutted by fire. The first replied, “I am laying bricks.” The second responded with, “I am repairing a wall.”The third answered, “I am building a cathedral.” That last response! Enthusiasm shines through those words. He already saw the beauty they would create and bricklaying did not seem like work anymore. Talk about goals! Ever watched children playing outdoors? Do you feel their passion and energy in the way they engage one another? Makes me think I never want to do anything I am not excited about.That may just be the way to live life sustainably. Happy people tend to live longer. Yes? Are you able to mix passion, enthusiasm and work? Quite the skill to have right there and yes, perspective is everything. Selah! Ah, Reuben? A housemate’s cat and you should see…
NOTE TO SELF: WHAT DOES DESTINY HAVE TO DO WITH IT?
Isaac and Rebekah. Esau and Jacob. A generation of smarts, it is almost uncanny. I made notes. Esau was a wild, love-the-outdoors kind of guy, skillful at hunting albeit a tad reckless with important things, he traded his inheritance for a bowl of lentil stew and had wives that made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah, his parents. Jacob was quiet, lived in tents, a family sort of guy, quick, clever and took advantage of his brother Esau in a moment of weakness. Makes me wonder, what is lost in moments of weakness and if perhaps we could make better choices. Ah, Rebekah had strategy! Her role in orchestrating the blessing in Jacob’s favour over older brother Esau was well thought out. Perhaps, she felt that blessing Esau over Jacob would mean endorsing a bad legacy of poor choices and taking important things for granted? Who adorns a pig with…
IT WAS NOT A PRANK
Writing this on April Fools’ day, I cannot help but think about pranks.Some pranks are hilarious and good-natured. Others not so much. A classic prank is a friend getting into your phone and changing the language in settings. Yikes! A dad heard his daughter scream from the garden. She was being chased by a bee. He ran and grabbed her. She felt him tense and relax.Then he said, “it is alright now. Bees do not sting twice.” The bee had stung him. That was not a prank. Lot tried to warn his sons-in-law of danger. The world as they knew it was going to be destroyed. Sadly, they supposed Lot was jesting. It was not a prank. ..and too late to rewrite the script. “Be Prepared” is a famous scout motto. It helps to be prepared to make the right call every time, and when all is said…
THE POWER OF A COMMA AND THE MONTH OF MARCH
Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, you probably never heard of her until now, neither had yours truly prior to this story. She saved a life when she changed what had been written against a name on a list of supposed criminals and traitors. “Pardon impossible, to send to Siberia.”Maria had changed it to “Pardon, impossible to send to Siberia”. She saved a life by switching up commas. We all have gifts and can make a difference in our interactions. Best part is even the little acts of kindness go a long way. This month of March is special. It is six months since starting this blog in September, 2020. It is both fun and a challenge to write and post every week. Super grateful for the opportunity to share experiences and I am thankful to you for coming along on this ride. So here’s a thought to mark March. Relax…
IF I COULD TELL THE FUTURE?
What if I could tell the future? I guess I would know the decisions to make today that will lead to desired outcomes in life. I would learn from the mistakes of others, make fewer mistakes and live the best life possible as a result.I would know why some people accomplish much way earlier than others. Hmm! Now that is a thought for another day. Sometimes, I take a walk to people-watch. It is such fun to watch people on these walks. Some faces have a smile. (I like that) Others are serious (well, there’s a time for everything eh?)Makes me think everyone is on a journey, seeking the finer things of life and to do incredible things! I have experienced a bit of life’s fine things, learning, being my best self, embracing and growing in my femininity. Still I want more. Is that bad?Being ‘hungry’ can be a good…
OF BOULDERS, BEES AND WALKING ON WATER!
The story is told of a king who placed a boulder right in the middle of a street and watched out of sight to see who would move it out of the way. Some people walked around it complaining about the king’s failure to maintain roads well. He watched as a man came along and moved the boulder. It took him a while but he did and now others could walk freely too. He was rewarded when he found a bag stuffed full of treasure where the boulder had been. The king had placed the reward there. Often, opportunity is masked as a challenge. Will we find it?Helping others makes us happy. Does compassion drive it? Bees work twenty-four hours, seven days a week with out sleeping or resting. They have a short lifespan of just three months. They are really making the most of the life they have…
THE STORY OF SOLOMON, OF KINGDOMS AND SUCCESSORS
I am intrigued by King Solomon. Here was a king with power, fame, wisdom and a good lineage. The queen of Sheba visited him and observed that his workers, numerous in number, I imagine were happy. Wow! That says a lot about the character of the man and he had influence with God too. Amazing! Makes me think indeed, great wealth is divine and a perfect fusion of the natural and the supernatural. Just like his father David before him, Solomon had it all. Then he lost it all and an inheritance from past generation is also lost. Someone dropped the ball. Where did Solomon miss it? He was warned of this happening to be honest. (1 Kings 11) His relationships, diverse and eclectic, became distractions and turned his heart away from what mattered most. The heart is where it all starts, right? A wise man (or maybe a woman?)…