Put your muscle...

...where your mouth is. 

I was laughing when I read, actually listened to, Joshua 17:14-18 a few months ago. It says:
One day the Joseph tribes came to Joshua and asked, “Why didn't you give us more land? The Lord has always been kind to us, and we have too many people for this small region.” Joshua replied, “If there's not enough room for you in the hill country of Ephraim, then go into the forest that belonged to the Perizzites and the Rephaim. Clear out the trees and make more room for yourselves there.” “Even if we do that,” they answered, “there still won't be enough land for us in the hill country. And we can't move down into Jezreel Valley, because the Canaanites who live in Beth-Shan and in other parts of the valley have iron chariots.” “Your tribes do have a lot of people,” Joshua admitted. “I'll give you more land. Your tribes are powerful, so you can have the rest of the hill country, but it's a forest, and you'll have to cut down the trees and clear the land. You can also have Jezreel Valley. Even though the Canaanites there are strong and have iron chariots, you can force them to leave the valley.” (CEV)

The only thing that came to my mind was:

"Serves you right...put your muscle where your mouth is."

Too many people want to be spoon-fed. Remember my piece on "Drop that spoon"?*

I'm not saying that there's no place for people to help you. However if you live your life depending on others or waiting for them to do things for you, sooner than later you'll be a liability - and before you know it, you would have overdrawn on your "account" with them.

Just as it is with money matters, assets are always better than liabilities. When you are an asset, you add value to people's lives and you are invaluable to more people than you know.

Rather than looking or waiting around for someone to help you "get more land" why don't you look inside and see what YOU can do - and do it? If you want something and  know that is God's Will for you, put your muscle where your mouth (or heart is).

Reference:
* http://mrs-pastor-and-pastor-mrs.blogspot.ca/2013/09/drop-that-spoon.html

Have you tried...

... sleeping with your arms crossed?

Real asset...

Are you "Mom-opic"?

I first heard that coinage a few months ago while listening to a panel discussion comprising women who couldn't and women who didn't want to have children. It was interesting to hear their perspectives so I decided to expand on it based on my personal experiences.

Let's start by breaking down the word. "Mom-opic" is combination of 2 words...I expect you can make them out. Yes "Mom" an alternate word for "Mother" and "opic" from "Myopic" which means narrow-minded and lacking in intellectual insight - in other (my) words "poor-sighted." Melanie (I didn’t catch her last name) who coined this word said she came up with it after observing how myopic a lot of mothers are; too many mothers, intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, believe that women who don't have children (yet) don't know anything (or know nothing) about raising children. It is such a sadly myopic view because some of these women have raised or supported others to raise children - say, their younger siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends' children, foster children and the list could go on.

The other misconception, pun intended, is that Motherhood = Womanhood - nothing could be further than the truth. I'll delve into both "I-sight" issues with my insight, which some may say is too __________ - not sure how you'd describe it hence the blank space, so let's move on.

Grace to stay grateful

As this year's Thanksgiving Day was in the horizon,

I wanted to do something different & thought-provoking. So last Monday, I sent an email to some of my colleagues, including my boss, encouraging each person to write one thing they are thankful for each day so that by Friday, each person would have at least 5 things they are thankful for.

It was nice to read what others are thankful for - even some things we take for granted e.g. choices. There was a funny example of "one (wo)man's meat..."

- someone was thankful for the nice weather i.e. no snow yet and another person was thankful for Winter holidays.

I knew I'd be out of the office on Friday so I made sure I completed my list of 5. At the end of the day, I added the 6th one laid in my heart. Yes, you guessed right, it was:

I am thankful to God for

the grace to remain grateful/thankful... especially beyond Thanksgiving Day.

It was both a point of thanksgiving and a prayer as well. As you may know, it’s very easy to get caught up in life and not take the time to express our gratitude to God...which takes a decision and effort.  As a ladies, we're always encouraged to be graceful - and that takes some effort - at least for me it does. So I guess if there was one grace we all need, it's the grace to be grateful every day and everyway.

Author Edward Sandford Martin put this need to have grace to stay grateful aptly,  

“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year;

to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.”

May we receive the grace and remain gracefully grateful...and move to ThanksLIVING.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Happy ThanksLIVING life!!

Funky

or Functional?

Ripple effect...

 

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness.

Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.

~ Scott Adams