Roasting Sweet Potatoes

I don't know about you but i had mixed childhood. I spent my school days in the town and my holidays back at the village. Yesterday after mum's ceremony, we were given sweet potatoes and memories of childhood came calling. I remembered my childhood days. I was always in-charge of "gucokereria githeri" ensuring the fire place had firewood to cook githeri.  There would be times i would have some sweet potatoes to roast as the githeri cooked.

To date i still think roasted sweet potatoes is better than boiled sweet potatoes. So anyway the way i ensured it would cook was to cover them with hot ash and some charcoal . I would then go play with Simba (my dog) and come back later when i smelt the sweet potatoes. To me the smell was a sign that they are almost cooked if not totally cooked.  However i would sometimes take too long and forget i had buried a sweet potato only for it to turn into charcoal :(

Which brings me to today's life application. In life we go through situations that may appear too inhumane. Truth is like a sweet potato time comes when we need to bury ourselves under hot ash and cook without interference. During such times we are required to stay under and burn out all impurities till we are ready. However, it is important for us to take considerable time under the hot ash because if we take too long we turn into charcoal.

Stay under getting to learn yourself before you can allow someone into your life. But don't take too long learning yourself. Stay under saving some money. But don't take too long saving and not think of how to use up your saving as the money will lose its value. Take time spoiling yourself and treating yourself but don't over indulge and use up all your money.

Whatever we decide to do lets understand that we should not overdo that which we take up. We need wisdom to know when we are overdoing something. We need wisdom to know when we are persevering too long so as not to destroy ourselves completely. No one can eat a sweet potato that has completely turned into charcoal because it was over roasted.

May God give us the wisdom we need to know when we are ready so as to be useful to serve Him best while here on earth. Just like a farmer harvests sweet potatoes for his use. We were brought to this world to serve God in a certain way. May we not spend time overdoing things that we loose our true value.

May we all have a blessed day.

The Serial Number

Most of us when we were born we acquired our first certificate that is the birth certificate. The number issued on the certificate is unique to only you. Later on when we turned 18 years we applied for a National Identification Number. Well its no different for phones. Each phone upon being made by its manufacturer they issue it a unique number. Regardless of the similarities of the phones their numbers are unique. Sometimes back I called Safaricom and told them about my lost phone. Its wrong for someone to take something that you rightfully earned through your hard work. They told me with a police abstract and the serial number of the phone that could be done.

 I later went to the police station to get an abstract to block the stolen phone. However instead of me getting the abstract and taking it to Safaricom to block it i went to the office with my original abstract. The police informed me that they would be able to trace the phone with its serial number. Hopefully the thief would use the phone and when they do they would call me to collect my phone. I will give it a grace period then if its not retrieved i will go and block it at safaricom. The person who stole it will not be able to use it.

Applying this incidence to real life situation most of us behave like the thieves who took my phone. We don't realize that the things we are copying others were not originally meant for us. At some point the original owner will either have us traced or blocked from using it. The original owner is God. He created us unique with a unique purpose. It is that purpose that we should strive to know. Trying to be like others is like stealing their phones when you can safely purchase your own. Think about it my friends.

Lord thank You for creating us with unique numbers. May we realise that though we may look like other males or females our destinies are different.In Your Holy name we have prayed and believed. Amen

Knock knock on the Door

Yesterday was one of those days you plan to go home early and catch up on a series. Unfortunately, Kenya Power had other plans to keep me in darkness. The house was so quiet the only music i was hearing was of a child crying and its mother shouting. My phone was running out of charge so there was no way i was to listen to music through my phone. As i was waiting for my food to warm i heard a knock at the door. It was around 8 p.m so there was no way i was to open without asking who was at the door.

Those at the door said they are looking for house number 17 which i bluntly responded they check the next floor. One of them just clicked its like they wanted me to open despite my house not being house number 17. I thought they had left when i again heard a knock at the door. Now this time i was really getting irritated but there was no way i was going strangers to ruin my night. So i asked the name of the person they wanted. It wasn't my name and i didn't seem to know the person they were looking for. Reluctantly they left my door and sought help next door; where they were referred to the next floor.Today morning i reflected on the incident.

I thought of our day today life. The times we have information about the door we want but we keep insisting the wrong doors to open. We know the kind of spouse we want but we keep going after the wrong person who treats us ill. We know the way to do our job but we keep doing the wrong thing. We know that our happiness is our own responsibility but we keep expecting other people to give us happiness.

For how long are we going to waste time trying to open the wrong doors?What are we doing with the information we have on the door we are seeking? What would happen if we focused our energy on the door we are seeking? Think about it my friends.

Lord God thank You because Your doors are always open for us.Give us guidance and courage to go after the doors we seek. Give us the patience we need too. In Your Holy name we ask and believe. Amen

Wishing us all a lovely day ahead.

Recharge to Transact

"Sorry your account balance is not sufficient to complete this request. Please top up and try again."

The above message came through my phone when i tried to send a message this morning. Apparently i have ran out of airtime and need to recharge my account. It costs one shilling to send a message but regardless of how much i have in my handbag it will not help me send my message. I need to buy credit and recharge my account in order to continue with my transaction. This got me thinking.

In life we reach a point of halt and our journey comes to a mark timing state. During those moments we may have people surrounding us with love but that doesn't seem to help us. Like the money in my bag i need to buy credit and top up my phone to continue with my transaction. An individual needs to realize that though they have people surrounding them. Their circles may not be the charge to continue the journey. We need to actually recharge ourselves.

We may have people telling us how good and blessed we are but it doesn't take us out of our misery. Until we ourselves recharge and see the blessings around us it will be pointless. Think about it.

Are you ready to recharge yourself? Which area do you feel you need a recharge to continue? What are you waiting for? Why do you think you are not good enough? If not you to improve your thoughts,who will?

The Worry Antidote

Good Morning friends?

Do you find yourself worrying about your future ? Is your past haunting you and giving you sleepless nights ? Kindly read on this could rid you of this worrying.

I used to be this worrying freak. I would think of my past mistakes and just hate me. I would also find myself worrying about the future to a point that i lacked sleep. This was too much a burden it prevented me from living a happy life. Well friends this is now history. :-) :-)

Truth be no amount of worrying ever made things good for me. In fact it just made me sick. So i realised the solution isn't in worrying. I needed a permanent solution. And well like Isaac Newton the apple fell on my head and i came up with the law of ending worry and regrets.

"Guard your present because it is your future past that influences your future present ."

The law is simple. I cannot change my past but i can influence my future past and future present by making the right decisions in the present.

Look at it this way. If i eat healthy i will have no diseases related to poor diet in the future present . If i treat people right when i meet them in the future present i will not have enemies . However, If someone is a thief now they will worry about their  future because they will be in jail hence their future present may not be something to look forward to. If i waste all my money on cigars and drugs or alcohol, then in the future i have regrets about my past because in the future present i could be dying of cancer or have no savings for retirement.

Think about it my friends. If the law makes sense i am sure you will know what to do.

Wishing us all a worry free day. May we all be blessed by God Almighty.

Proper Seeds.

Good morning friends. The other day i was watching shamba shape up.It's a program that educates us on improving farming through providing solutions to a farmer. So on this particular day the farmer was complaining of poor yield. When asked which seeds she used she said she uses seeds from her farm's produce.There was nothing wrong with the seeds but because she did not treat them before planting the yield was poor.

Which is what happens to us each day of our lives. We plant thoughts in our lives each second. It is said that the mind transmits millions of thoughts each day. However, we do not take time to treat our thoughts. Hence the reason we continue to languish in pain and have bad days. If we take time to treat our thoughts we shall yield and transmit positive energy. Lets not allow negative thoughts and complaining to dominate our thought garden (mind) The sooner we do this the better our lives become. The more happier and content we shall be hence have energy to forge ahead.

Lord Jesus thank You for the gift of life. Help us Lord to practice planting the right thoughts in our mind. Heal us all of any physical or emotional pain. We ask trusting and believing in Your Holy word. Amen

What have you planted in your mind so far?

The Power in Us

Ever had a week you struggle waking up? I have .Somehow the sleep seems too sweet to let go easy. In the morning when i am early I like alighting at a short distance further from work so that I can walk. When late , I normally board another bus to drop me at the gate to work. This was that day when I decided to take a bus to save on time. Before boarding the bus I always have to inquire the route they will use because there are two routes. We all know during school holidays the matatu's are many and most will be scrambling to get passengers. When I inquired from like three conductors they said they weere going to use a different route  I wanted. Stranded I went to board a matatu that was close to the stage only to get a rude reception from the stage managers,(so i thought). Madam, usituonyeshe vile tutafanya kazi, ( Madam don't show us how we will do our work) , shouted the conductor. And with that he slammed the door and told me to board the minibus as it would use my route, which I did. When I was almost arriving i I informed the driver to stop  but he drove past the stage and when I noticed this I quickly informed him i need to alight." Madam nimesikia nakushikisha"  he shouted back, the voice was familiar. The same man who I had an experience with earlier was the driver. I alighted feeling very agitated then I asked myself what I was doing and talked myself out of the agitation with a daily lesson.


You see my friends, there is so much going on in the world today and whether we like it or not we are in the world and have roles to play physically outward. We are bound to meet naturally rude people and see things that aren't right. However being physically there with all the drama doesn't mean we allow it to affect our inner world. We may not have control of the outer world but the inner world is our control. I had the option of holding on to the ill treatment I had gotten but I chose to maintain my peace. We need to always remember that we are in-charge of the reaction of other people's action. The driver went on and perhaps didn't know he was rude or if he knew he didn't care. If I continue to be angry at him I will have a bad day and give him too much power.


Always remember that when someone does something to you that isn't right. The power of it hurting you is in you. How long we continue to suffer over other people's ill or good treatment lies in our control. Why then do we continue to punish ourselves by taking in the outer world into our inner world?

Liberate yourself and experience peace.

My Trash; Their Butter

Today is take the trash out day where I live. When I was taking out the trash, I had a deeper look at the trash and thought the lesson the trash could teach me. I wondered what would happen if i decided to keep the trash in my house and your guess is as good as mine; the house would become inhabitable due to the bad smell the trash would produce. At the same time those that carry the trash would be rendered jobless and perhaps not be able to feed their family. I also looked at the banana peels and remembered back at the village it is food for the cows. And there came my lesson for the day.

We may think life is unfair but truth be there are people that consider us trash and well some people are trash to us. Its a cold way to think but that is the truth of life's contraversy. Fortunately, all isn't lost because to others we are a treasure and those that we consider trash are a treasure to another. But there is a catch :)

If  we don't take the trash out, we shall continue living in stinking houses. Its important to have a day to take out the trash be it in form of people, thoughts , things e.t.c That is the only way we shall ensure we don't house gabbage in our heart, mind and house. It may sound cruel but some facts are better well said.

You are better of without some people in your life and at the same time don't force yourself to be in another person's life. Move on to a place where you will be a treasure and free yourself.

Time of Service

Some time back I bought an electric kettle. I ensured I bought the best quality to last me a long time. Unfortunately , early this year the kettle couldn't heat water. I felt so much loss and even decided I wasn't going to buy any kettle again. That decision was not to last as boiling water with gas was too expensive. So yes I bought a kettle that had a slight accident today morning. I thought it had water and put it on only to realize it didn't later. I was so sure it had served me it's last but as fate would have it it's time of service wasn't over . I got a second chance to ensure I don't make such mistakes again and be more careful.

This kettle lesson gave me some deep insight on our bodies. See our bodies are houses for the soul. It's through the body that the soul comes to be seen. We don't see electricity but we know it flows through the vessels. Our bodies have limited time of service but our souls continue to live when the body can no longer function. Sometimes we have accidents with our bodies but since our time of service isn't over we continue to live. So yes we may want to live forever but our bodies have limited time of service. That gave me an explanation for death the loss is big & unplanned for. The important thing to remember the soul like electricity continues to flow and the body like the kettle is the one that departs from us.

Have a blessed day my friends
Hope it made sense.

"Flying" Stones

Good morning friends its cold in Nairobi ;lets keep warm. I wrote the article below some time back and didn't share, so here goes.

Yesterday i had class and got to town past 7.30pm. On arrival , we noticed cars diverting and moving in different directions. We had to alight as our driver needed to also move from danger. Yep stones were flying from one corner to another. I watched from far as hawkers and city council askaris engaged each other in a stone throwing contest. Its time the government invested in javelin i believe there are experts by now. :-) At some point it was "leg help me" , "kaguru ndeithia", as the hawkers advanced in our direction chasing the council askaris. This went on for about 20 minutes and shop owners closed shops. The citizens could only watch from far to keep away from the stones. I don't know who won but it was soon safe and i was able to go board a matatu home.

Which brings me to our real life application. There are times we need to stay calm and reflect on the stones that have been flying in our life. Stones that flew and because we were at the scene we got hurt. Talk of bad relationships its important for us to take a safe ground and watch the stones from far. By this i mean reflect on why we got hurt by the stones. Could be we rushed and well got hurt. Could be we walked carelessly. Could be we didn't know that stones are being thrown our way. Whatever it is lets take time to reflect on our lifes that we may move forward not backwards or remain stagnant.

If your relationship with people doesn't seem to go well take shelter and unravel the mystery why. If your work isn't going well take shelter and unravel the mystery why. If your business isn't going right take shelter and unravel the reason why.Its time we took charge of ourselves and realise that beyond God we are incharge of ourselves. Quit blaming other people when things go wrong each time. Lets learn also to take responsibility for our actions.

Lord thank You for this day and for our life. Guide us to always remember that we are incharge of our actions. May we walk right with you. In Jesus name. Amen

May we all have a blessed day.

Unsealed Wounds and Blisters

Yesterday I decided to take a walk in the evening from work to the stage. Earlier in the week I had worn some shoes that caused some blisters. As I walked I could feel pain in my toes despite the fact the this was a different pair of shoe. Today morning I wore a different shoe and the strange thing is that my toes don't hurt as I walk. This got me thinking of our day to day life.

The common factor here is the wound or blisters. Many of us walk around with wounds caused by people in our hearts. We get different people into our life but still feel pain because we didn't take time to heal the wounds. No matter the person if we haven't healed pains from our past it shall still hurt. This particularly is applicable in relationships. We can't comfortably feel the comfort of a different shoe till we heal wounds from past.

It's not the shoe that has issues. It's our own wounds that keep reopening and the pain becomes fresh. Think about it today. What is this wound you haven't taken time to heal and prevents you from enjoying the comfort of the good things that come your way.

Have a blessed day.

Never Try to Help Someone Unless they are Ready to be Helped

Until help is asked for, until there is that readiness to listen and receive and let go of old patterns, your attempt to help will be felt by the other as manipulation and control – as your issue, your need, not theirs. Defenses will go up, positions will become hardened, you will end up feeling frustrated and powerless, and the mirrored roles of ‘victim’ and ‘saviour’ will make you feel more disconnected from each other than ever.

How to truly help? Meet them where they are right now. Let go of your dream of their immediate healing. Slow down. Validate their present experience. Don’t try to impose your own agenda or assume what is ‘best’ for them. Perhaps you don’t know what is ‘best’. Perhaps they are more hardy, intelligent resourceful, and full of potential, than you ever could imagine.

Perhaps what is ‘best’ for them right now is not to want – or need – your help! Perhaps they need to suffer or struggle more. Perhaps they are aligning and healing in their own unique way. Perhaps what this moment requires is trust and deep listening, and profound respect of where they are in their journey. Perhaps you are only trying to help yourself. Perhaps real change comes not from trying to impose change on others, but by aligning with where they are right now, unlocking all the creative intelligence of the moment, honoring their unique path and their mysterious process of healing.

When you try to change someone, you are communicating to them that they are not okay as they are, that you reject and resist their present experience and want it to be different.You may even be communicating that you don’t love them .When you stop trying to change them, and meet them as they are, and align with life as it presents itself, great and unexpected change is then possible.

Stop trying to change others and they will change in their own way, in their own time.Perhaps you help the most when you get out of change’s way

~Original work by Jeff Foster~

A note in my Pocket

There are dates of the months that are harder than others, especially if you work for an employer who fluctuates the days they pay you. Its called the week of being broke. It was during one of those weeks I wore my jacket and found some money.   I was all smiles; you can't imagine the dance I did. How I couldn't remember the money and didn't notice the money while washing the jacket is still a mystery .To top it up the money didn't drop when I hanged the jacket .Well anyway, that treasure ensured I could afford to do some few things here and there that I had postponed. Suddenly I was feeling rich

This brings me to our real life application. Some of us have treasures within us that we do not know about. Treasures to be great parents , spouses , employees , business men , preachers ..... However its not yet time for us to possess those treasures. God is still molding us so that when we finally get the treasures they will save us in a nick of time. They will be real treasures valued highly. Like my hidden note they will enrich us. This is not the time to have regrets or to give up soon we will reach out and find our hidden note.Keep hope alive.

Lord Jesus we thank You for enabling us to see this new week. Thank You for creating us and installing treasures in us. Forgive us Lord for the times we have been doubtful of your word. Give us strength to fight on and guide us that we may walk in the direction of our hidden treasures. In Jesus name we ask and believe. Amen

May we all be blessed more  this month.

Terms and Conditions Apply

Good morning friends and happy new month to us all. I am wishing us all God's favor and provision in the new month. August in Kenya usually marks the last month so that we usher in the warm month, September. I came to learn that we have four seasons from my Geography class. One thing i am certain that is common in all those seasons is that there is light and darkness ; or what is commonly known as day and night.

Looking at our real life situations we experience different seasons in our life time. Seasons of laughter, sadness, plenty , lack , love , hate,... The common thing in all those is that like the seasons of climate ,there is bad and good that manifests itself during each season. As humans we are charged with the choice to know what to focus on ,good or bad , and the terms and conditions will apply. If we choose to focus on the bad we will live a life of misery and despair. If we focus of the good ,we will live a life of joy and happiness. Whichever you choose always remember terms and conditions apply. The choice is an individual's.

Lord Jesus thank You for reminding us that there is a time for everything and everything good or bad has a reason. Thank You because You continue to be with us through all our seasons. Give us the endurance we need and help us to focus on the good of all the seasons we experience and learn from them.In Jesus name we pray and believe. Amen.

May we all have the right focus and be blessed this month.

The Aerial of My T.V

Overtime electronics have become a great part of us all. So much that sometimes they seem to rule our lives. We now can have the Bible in our phones, i love technology. I can't believe growing up there was only one television set in the whole plot and we would all gather there to watch Mahabarat and Ramayan. Oh my, and now almost every neighbor has a television, thank God for that. Enough of the memories. So anyway just before i sleep i love listening to the radio and will switch off the t.v. For some reason yesterday the radio wasn't clear and had to reposition the aerial for a clearer signal. While switching off power for the t.v aerial, the signal for the radio became faint. I wondered how the two could be interconnected. This morning the story was the same, for a clear signal i had to switch on the t.v aerial. These two electronics have somehow become related and are now working together.

Which brings me to real life situations. Before a man and a woman marry they are different entities working and performing roles purely on their own. As they come together and get married well it becomes a necessity to work together to get a clear signal. Though each of them like my radio and t.v have their own aerial it is important for them to merge and use almost all things together. There are things a man cannot do without consulting his wife(vice verso is true) and switching off one aerial makes the other electronic have a poor signal. If we are going to get a clear signal for the music in marriage, both the man and the woman need to realize they need each other and work together. That is the only way they can work through the challenges that each of them faces in their day to day life. Think about  it

Lord Jesus thank You for the institution of marriage. Lord i nullify all negative declarations upon marriage and declare that they will stand the test of time. May You help those married to respect and love each other unconditionally. Teach the men how to love their women right that the women may submit to them. Lord even those not married with a desire to get married grant them the patience they need and mold them to be ready to receive the spouses they desire. In Jesus name i pray and believe. Amen

May we all remain blessed

Arrange your drawers

I did my cleaning over the weekend but some of my clothes didn't dry. When I got free time in between the week, I took time to put everything in its right place. Over the week that had passed, I noticed my clothes were over flowing from my drawers and I thought I need to purchase new drawers or dispose off the tops that I have out grown. Yesterday evening ,I decided to arrange and neatly fold my tops. Surprisingly, they all fit in the drawers and the drawers could lock. I know I have done this many times but today is the first time I gave it a practical application.

Our brain is a set of drawers designed to fit compacts of thoughts. It's also meant to be a storage system for all humans. However majority of us are abusing it and unfortunately thoughts can't fit well into the brains. Not because the space isn't enough but because we have filled it with so many disarranged thoughts. It's important for each of us to take time and arrange our thoughts. Once we do this we are able to know what to store deep in the mind for long term use and what to store at the replace or delete segment. The only time we can arrange our thoughts is when we take time and pose for 5 minutes every hr to ask what we have been thinking of.

It seems hard once you start but with practice we become better and get time to focus our minds on the right thoughts. It's said a human processes several billions of thoughts every day. Let's watch and ensure our thoughts are getting us to gain our billions not getting us to lose our billions.

Have a lovely evening.

Be blessed.

Long Distance Relationship Tips

Compared to men, women are much more emotional. The problems and tensions of long distance relationships may worry them a lot. But the main issue that bothers each and every woman in a long distance relationship is loyalty and trust. They feel that their partner is going to cheat on them whatsoever. In such cases, long distance relationship advice for women can actually help them survive the trauma.

Be Honest and Open About What You Want

It's important to set some basic rules, so that there are no hidden feelings between you and your partner. Establish what kind of relationship you want from your partner. Have you two agreed on seeing other people or you are committed no matter what. Should you see each other on special occasions like wedding anniversaries or birthdays and how many times should you see each other in a month.

Avoid Judgments

One of the best relationship advice for women on understanding men is not assuming anything. Men sometimes need to be left alone. They have their things to do like catching up with a baseball or ice hockey game with buddies, so there's a slight chance that he won't pick up your call for some hours. Unless and until you don't have the facts don't assume anything.

Avoid Excess Talking on the Phone

Some people find being in touch over the phone is the best way to stay in love. But sometimes it can really become a headache. Instead call your partner twice in a day and you will have more exciting stuff to talk about.

Be Patient

This is a rare quality. Almost 90% of the people in this world don't have it. If you feel that your partner is getting more and more busy with his work and his calls have become less. Don't lose your mind. Instead, keep yourself busy with some other things. If this trend of less calling is continuing, talk to your partner about it and explain to him how it's making you uncomfortable. I'm sure he will understand.

Encouragement

The reason that keeps you two away from each other is obviously very important to either one of you. As a woman or a man learn to encourage your spouse for what he/she is doing. Nice and genuine loving words are enough to make anyone special. I guarantee that your spouse will take that extra step to make you feel special and also help your relationship grow.

Hope this piece of writing on long distance relationship advice for women was helpful. Always remember, distance in a relationship doesn't mean the end of the road. It can also mean a new beginning. 

p.s  Not my original work      

Have you Killed your baby?

Today is one of those days  i am thinking about babies. They are totally adorable and no matter what a blessing from God. While wondering in my thoughts, I thought about the actual process of giving birth. From what I have heard from friends and seen in the movies the mother needs to push for the baby to come forth into the world (Normal Delivery)

Discussions with mothers have given me a virtual image of what really happens. A friend actually told me of her experience with this kind doctor who was with her during delivery. He was good with her untill that time she started pushing and stopped halfway. Well ladies and gentleman she got a slap that shocked her systems that her baby was out in a heartbeat. She was later to learn that the doctor slapped her because she stopped pushing when her baby was almost out and could have killed the baby.

This got me thinking about our everyday life. Many of us carry babies to term but unfortunately kill our babies during delivery. We either get too comfortable with those around us and forget our target or give up just when the baby is about to come forth and kill the baby by stopping to push. Well some are lucky to have slaps to prevent us from killing our babies but some aren't so lucky.

So next time you get a mishap, how about you take a step back and look at what you have stopped pushing. Let me give you an example...loss of a job and you are kicked out by the landlord. Could be your focus was to start your own but you got too comfortable and forgot to even plan. So the loss is probably the slap you need so that you go back to your focus...

Well hope it made sense to you.
 Be Blessed

THE ITCH

Some time back, i fell on flat ground and hurt my hand. It was one of those times you are down so fast you stand up asking how you fell. Yap i fell in the market place. Last time i fell must have been when i was running after a parking boy who had snatched my handbag. And just so you know i am not named after a leopard for nothing. I recovered all my items. God is good.Anyway back the falling.After dusting myself i walked to the bus stop feeling pain on my elbow apparently it was bruised. Later, the bruise healed but it was itch.  I however knew I couldn't itch it because it would become  a fresh wound.

Which brings me to today's lesson of the day. Many of us have wounds from the past and unfortunately instead of holding on the need to itch the wound ,we itch and make it a fresh wound. And well the healing process has to start again and so we keep mark timing on one spot. Its time we let go of the itch and let the wound heal to return to out normal self.

Lets forgive those that have hurt us in the past. Its never easy to forgive i know but at the same time i know carrying the pain all your life only makes a fresh wound more so when we come across the person that hurt us. Enough of opening wounds its time to let go, forgive and heal.

Father in heaven i than You for this great day you have given to us. Indeed its by Your favor and mercy that we are alive. Thank You because many times we wrong You an You forgive us. Teach us Lord to have a forgiving heart that we may live in peace. In Jesus Mighty name. Amen

35 Ways to Respect your children views and ways to know them in a better way. Must read

1. Put away your phone in their presence or avoid talking too much on phone when they r with you

2. Pay attention to what they

are saying.

3. Accept their opinions.

4. Engage in their

conversations.

5. Look at them with respect.

6. Always praise them.

7. Share good news with them.

8. Avoid sharing bad news with

them.

9. Speak well of their friends

and loved ones to them.

10. Keep in remembrance the

good things they did.

11. If they repeat a story, listen

like it's the first time they

tell it.

12. Don't bring up painful

memories from the past.

13. Avoid side conversations in

their presence.

14. Sit respectfully around

them.

15. Don't belittle/criticize their

opinions and thoughts.

16. Avoid cutting them off when they speak.

17. Respect their age.

19. Accept their advice and

direction.

20. Give them the power of

leadership when they are

present.

21. Avoid raising your voice at them constantly, be very assertive but calmly

22. Avoid walking in front or

ahead of them.

23. Avoid eating before them without sharing with them

24. Avoid glaring at them.

25. Fill them with ur

appreciation even when

they don't think they

deserve it.

26. Avoid putting your feet up in front of them or sitting with your back to them.

27. Don't speak ill of them to

the point where others

speak ill of them too.

28. Keep them in prayers

always possible and teach them to pray

29. Avoid seeming bored or

tired of them in their

presence.

30. Avoid laughing at their

faults/mistakes.

31. Do a task before they ask

you to.

33. Choose your words carefully when speaking with them.

34. Call them by names they

like.

35. Make them your priority

above anything.

Children's are parents treasure and their most precious gift on this land. They must have seen the world lesser than you but they see it in a different way which you need to appreciate. Listen to them and try giving them as much time as you can. These moments are more precious than anything in this world

P.s Not my original work.

50 THINGS TO GIVE UP ON

When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you.
So starting today…

1. Give up trying to be perfect.
– The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists; it rewards people who get things done. 

2. Give up comparing yourself to others.
– The only person you are competing against is yourself.

3. Give up dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future.
– Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.  Right now is life.  Don’t miss it.

4. Give up complaining.
– Do something about it.

5. Give up holding grudges.
– Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.

6. Give up waiting.
– What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow.  Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action.

7. Give up lying.
– In the long-run the truth always reveals itself.  Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.

8. Give up trying to avoid mistakes.
– The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.

9. Give up saying, “I can’t.”
– As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”

10. Give up trying to be everything to everyone.
– Making one person smile can change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  Start small.  Start now.

11. Give up thinking you’re not ready.
– Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

12. Give up setting small goals for yourself.
– Many people set small goals because they’re afraid to fail.  Ironically, setting these small goals is what makes them fail.

13. Give up trying to do everything by yourself.
– You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with.  If you work together, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone.

14. Give up buying things you don’t need.
– Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you.  Do not spend to impress others.  Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects. 

15. Give up blaming others for your troubles.
– The extent to which you can live your dream life depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.

16. Give up making mountains out of molehills.
– One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

17. Give up trying to live up to the expectations of others.
– Work on it for real and exceed your own expectations.  Everything else will fall into place.

18. Give up the ‘easy street’ mentality.
– There is too much emphasis on finding a ‘quick fix’ in today’s society.  For example taking diet pills to lose weight instead of exercising and eating well.  No amount of magic fairy dust replaces diligent, focused, hard work.

19. Give up making promises you can’t keep.
– Don’t over-promise. Over-deliver on everything you do.

20. Give up letting your thoughts and feelings bottle up inside.
– People are not mind readers.  They will never know how you feel unless you tell them.

21. Give up beating around the bush.
– Say what you mean and mean what you say.  Communicate effectively.

22. Give up avoiding change.
– However good or bad a situation is now, it will change.  That’s the one thing you can count on.  So embrace change and realize that change happens for a reason.  It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.

23. Give up your sense of entitlement.
– Nobody is entitled to anything in this world.  We are all equal.  We breathe the same air.  We get what we give.  We get what we earn.

24. Give up waiting until the last minute.
– Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

25. Give up being dramatic.
– Stay out of other people’s drama and don’t needlessly create your own.

26. Give up being anti-athletic.
– Get your body moving! Simply take a long, relaxing walk or commit 30 minutes to an at-home exercise program.

27. Give up junk food.
– You are what you eat. 

28. Give up eating as a means of entertainment.
– Don’t eat when you’re bored.  Eat when you’re hungry.

29. Give up foolish habits that you know are foolish.
– Don’t text and drive.  Don’t drink and drive.  Don’t smoke.  Etc.

30. Give up relationships with people who bring you down.
– Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities. Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven and like minded.

31. Give up being shy.
– Network with people.  Meet new people.  Ask questions.  Introduce yourself.

32. Give up worrying about what others think of you.
– Unless you’re trying to make a great first impression (job interview, first date, etc.), don’t let the opinions of others stand in your way.  What they think and say about you isn’t important.  What is important is how you feel about yourself.

33. Give up trying to control everything.
– Life is an unpredictable phenomenon.  No matter how good or bad things seem right now, we can never be 100% certain what will happen next.  So do your best with what’s in front of you and leave the rest to the powers above you.

34. Give up doing the same thing over and over again.
– In order to grow, you must expand your horizons and break free of your comfort zone.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

35. Give up following the path of least resistance.
– Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t find the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.

36. Give up persistent multitasking.
– Do one thing at a time and do it right.

37. Give up thinking others are luckier than you.
– The harder you work, the luckier you will become.

38. Give up filling every waking moment with commitments and activities.
– It’s okay to be alone.  It’s okay to do nothing sometimes.  Think.  Relax. Breathe.  Be.

39. Give up making emotional decisions.
– Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence.  Slow down and think things through before you make any life-changing decisions.

40. Give up doing the wrong things just because you can get away with it.
– Just because you can get away with something doesn’t mean you should do it.  Think bigger.  Keep the end in mind.  Do what you know in your heart is right.

41. Give up focusing on what you don’t want to happen.
– Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

42. Give up taking yourself so seriously.
– Few others do anyway.  So enjoy yourself and have a little fun while you can.

43. Give up spending your life working in a career field you’re not passionate about.
– Life is too short for such nonsense.  The right career choice is based on one key point: Finding hard work you love doing.  So if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don’t stop.  You’re on to something big.  Because hard work ain’t hard when you concentrate on your passions. 

44. Give up thinking about the things you don’t have.
– Appreciate everything you do have.  Many people aren’t so lucky.

45. Give up doubting others.
– People who are determined do remarkable things.  Remember, the one who says it can’t be done should never interrupt the one doing it.

46. Give up trying to fit in.
– Don’t mold yourself into someone you’re not.  Be yourself.  Oftentimes, the only reason they want you to fitin is that once you do they can ignore you and go about their business.

47. Give up trying to be different for the sake of being different.
– Nonconformity for the sake of nonconformity is conformity.  When people try too hard to be different,they usually end up being just like everyone else who is trying to be different.  Once again, be yourself.

48. Give up trying to avoid risk.
– There’s no such thing as ‘risk free.’  Everything you do or don’t do has an inherent risk.

49. Give up putting your own needs on the back burner.
– Yes, help others, but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

50. Give up fussing with every beauty product on the market.
– Good looks attracts the eyes.  Personality attracts the heart.  Be proud to be you. That’s when you’re beautiful.

And remember, mistakes make u human, failures help us grow, hope keeps us going and love is the reason we’re alive.  So keep learning, loving and living.  Never give up on yourself.

p.s : Not my original work