MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS

 

Mariam experienced disapproval from others when she laughed and enjoyed herself.

Rabbi Jesus told her, "I don't begrudge you a few moments of happiness. Why should they?"

Life was meant to be enjoyed. Yes, there are tears and difficulties. But oh, so much beauty in this world of ours.

GUIDANCE FOR DEPARTURE

 

"Take your leave honourably."

Gavin Pryce Lewis. Ditch the cocoon. 2003. Page 77

PERFECT DISCIPLE

 

As a perfect disciple, Mary heard the Word of God and kept it.

The Son of God took a human nature from her.

(Source unknown)

POWER OF TRADITION

 

"The power of a tradition is one of the greatest things in life. We belong to a country, a school, a family, a Church. What we do affects that to which we belong. We cannot lightly betray the traditions into which we have entered."

William Barclay

Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible. Gospel of Matthew, Vol 1; CH 1 - 10. Revised Edition. 1981. St Andrew Press: Scotland. p 231

HONESTY OF JESUS

 

We cannot fail but be deeply impressed by the honesty of Jesus.

He promises a cross; we get it.

Jesus offers us hardship, at times death.

And in the midst of this, in His service we win honour.

OUR TASK

 

 "God takes things away from us for 

          His own good reasons. 

   Our task is to seek the purpose."

  Lark Rise to Candleford. Season 4, Episode 2

Image with thanks to free Clipart library

KEY TO LIFE

 

  "I accepted the situation; which is the key to life."                                  Bill O' Reilly

                                           The Bill O' Reilly Interview

                                           Tucker Carlson Ep. 26

                                           Sep 28 on X (formerly Twitter)

Image with thanks to free Clipart library

TO BE WITH JESUS . . .

 

To be with Jesus is a thing of joy.

PECULIAR TRAIT

 

"It is a peculiar trait of human nature that people dislike those who help them."

Victoria Holt. The Time of the Hunter's Moon. 1983. Page 300

TRYING OUR BEST

 

I was speaking with my brother, the born raconteur. There had been a difficulty which others and I were trying to resolve.  I explained to my brother, "We are trying our best."

He looked at me with eyes of kindness, and said gently; "And our best can only be good enough."

The situation eventually resolved. I never forgot my brother's courteous words.

When a difficult situation is at hand, a gentle spirit of kindness can defuse much.

CHARACTER

 

"There are always surprises in the human character. People will say so and so acted out of character. That is not really so. They have acted according to some part of their character which they have not hitherto shown to the world."

Victoria Holt. - The Time of the Hunter's Moon. 1983. Page 175

CONFIDENT TRUTH

 

My brother who is a born raconteur tells the following story:

Someone asked our Dad, "Why are you bald?"

Dad proudly passed his hand over his noble head and quipped, 

"Green grass doesn't grow on a busy street."

Image with thanks to free clipart

TRUE MIRACLE

 

The true miracle is that all of God 

poured into a tiny Babe.

The Creator of the Universe 

into a tiny Child.

For love of us.

Let us never forget,

what Love saved the world.

RULE OVER THE EARTH - THE QUESTION IS, HOW?

 

In Genesis 1:28, God gave humankind noble stewardship 

over the earth and all animals and creatures, 

not cruel dictatorship.

With thanks to free clipart library

NEVER GIVE UP

 

Never give up. Your love of God is the fuel for the

spiritual fire of your perseverance.

With thanks to free clipart for visual inspiration

SITTING ON A PUMPKIN

 

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and

have it all to myself than be

crowded on a velvet cushion - 

Henry David Thoreau

With thanks to free clipart

THE PRICE OF LOVE IS GRIEF

 

I have felt a pain I never

knew existed because I also felt a

love I never knew existed.

THE THREE KINGS

 

The Three Kings

Three Kings came riding from far away,

Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;

Three Wise Men out of the East were they,

And they travelled by night and they slept by day,

For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.

The star was so beautiful, large and clear,

That all the other stars of the sky

Became a white mist in the atmosphere,

And by this they knew that the coming was near

Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

 

Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,

Three caskets of gold with golden keys;

Their robes were of crimson silk with rows

Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,

Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.

 

And so the Three Kings rode into the West,

Through the dusk of the night, over hill and dell,

And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast,

And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest,

With the people they met at some wayside well.

 

“Of the child that is born,” said Baltasar,

“Good people, I pray you, tell us the news;

For we in the East have seen his star,

And have ridden fast, and have ridden far,

To find and worship the King of the Jews.”

 

And the people answered, “You ask in vain;

We know of no King but Herod the Great!”

They thought the Wise Men were men insane,

As they spurred their horses across the plain,

Like riders in haste, who cannot wait.

 

And when they came to Jerusalem,

Herod the Great, who had heard this thing,

Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them;

And said, “Go down unto Bethlehem,

And bring me tidings of this new king.”

 

So they rode away; and the star stood still,

The only one in the grey of morn;

Yes, it stopped—it stood still of its own free will,

Right over Bethlehem on the hill,

The city of David, where Christ was born.

 

And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard,

Through the silent street, till their horses turned

And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard;

But the windows were closed, and the doors were barred,

And only a light in the stable burned.

 

And cradled there in the scented hay,

In the air made sweet by the breath of kine,

The little child in the manger lay,

The child, that would be king one day

Of a kingdom not human, but divine.

 

His mother Mary of Nazareth

Sat watching beside his place of rest,

Watching the even flow of his breath,

For the joy of life and the terror of death

Were mingled together in her breast.

 

They laid their offerings at his feet:

The gold was their tribute to a King,

The frankincense, with its odor sweet,

Was for the Priest, the Paraclete,

The myrrh for the body’s burying.

 

And the mother wondered and bowed her head,

And sat as still as a statue of stone,

Her heart was troubled yet comforted,

Remembering what the Angel had said

Of an endless reign and of David’s throne.

 

Then the Kings rode out of the city gate,

With a clatter of hoofs in proud array;

But they went not back to Herod the Great,

For they knew his malice and feared his hate,

And returned to their homes by another way.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

With thanks to free clipart

UNDERSTANDING

 

Knowledge is power, but understanding is everything.

Source unknown

THE LAW

 

"I'm all in favour of observing the law myself, 

but I'm in favour of other people observing it too."

Sir Melville Macnaghten

Great Cases of Scotland Yard, Volume 2. Julian Symons, Page 69

Image public domain

MATURITY MEANS

 

MATURITY MEANS

You forgive more

You don't force love

You don't judge easily

You accept heartaches

You respect differences

You become more open-minded

Small talk no longer excites you

Sleep is better than a Friday night out

You sometimes prefer to be silent than to engage in a nonsense fight

Your happiness does not depend on people but on your inner self.

With thanks to "What you should do if someone ignores you" 

by Factzzz More (Online 23/05/2022)

Photograph by Catherine Nicolette. For use copyright free

RULES OF LIFE

 

RULES OF LIFE

Talk softly

Eat sensibly

Breathe deeply

Sleep sufficiently

Dress smartly

Act fearlessly

Work patiently

Think creatively

Behave decently

Earn honestly

Save regularly

Spend intelligently

Respect people's feelings 

Look after your physical health

Look after your mental health

Stay close to the people you love

With thanks to "What you should do if someone ignores you, 

by Factzzz More" (Online 23/05.2022)

With thanks to free clipart

STRESS

 

Don't say, "I'm so stressed."

Think, rather, "I'm so blessed."

With thanks to free clipart

I LOVE YOU MEANS ...

 

   I love you means that I love the person you are, 

not the person I want you to be.

With thanks to free clipart

EVERYONE OF US IS A GENIUS

 

"Grades are good but they don't define a learner. Never let your child's future be defined by just one exam or grade.

Everyone of us is a genius, and if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its entire life believing that it is stupid. Never let other people's metrics of success become yours."

Excerpt from letter "Matric fail doesn't mean failure in life", by Samuel Radebe. Sowetan, November 9 2022, page 16

GOLDEN APPLES

 

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 

Proverbs 25:11

DON"T BE AFRAID

 

Don't be afraid.

Try your spiritual wings!