Living the iconic "lionic" life

Recently a Guest minister in our church shared 2 things about a lion that I need to share with us. I'll start by laying a foundation...from the Word:

A lion's offspring is a cub=little lion. It may be little, nevertheless,  it's still a lion. It may not be able to do all a Papa or Mama lion can do (yet) but it is capable of doing all that and even more...

Unplug...

...to recharge.

I'm sure that sounds like a paradox - indeed it is and it is also a fact of and for life.

During a training I attended, the instructor said: "Our bodies whisper before they shout."

My husband keeps saying the body is only so elastic - before it snaps... This is such a true statement.

These days we're so wired that it's amazing that we're not tangled in all the wire - laptops, smartphones, ipads, mp3 players, TV, video games etc. I believe some of us are.

Besides being tangled in gadgets, women take on so much and don't "take off" as much time to relax, rest and be recharged - well I know that I don't. We can only give what we have and if we're exhausted - spirit, soul and body - diminishing returns will set in and so will the cycle of futility rather than fruitfulness and fulfillment.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of spending a weekend away with some other ladies - yes all mothers. It was such a great time away - we were truly away. For starters, the wireless coverage was practically non-existent so we were unplugged by force. And then there were no children with us - oh the joys of being blessed with others to take care of our children while we retreated to refresh and be reenergized. Being away from the gadgets including TV and "people," provided us with opportunities to have quality conversations and develop deeper richer relationships...

It was quite the experience unplugging from the "world" and plugging into the Word and prayer. With the way God opened His heavens over us, it was evident that we had properly focused and sought after God.  Weeks later, I'm still reeling from that experience and looking forward to the next time I'll unplug from the busyness of life...

Here I am...

...don't send me.

Were you expecting me to quote Isaiah 6:8*? Well that's what it used to be - and still is occasionally. In fact, some people go one step "backward" to say:

 "Here I am, send him/her."

Seeing better than Monk...

A few years ago, I got "introduced" to an outstanding detective: Adrian Monk.
Watching him at work is both exciting and enlightening. The saying "there is more than beholds the eye" is so true for this man. A few months ago, I watched an episode (Monk and the Candidate) where Captain Stottlemeyer said:

"I see all he sees but I don't see what he sees."

"Mummy, when can I get my phone?"

A friend and "parenting-partner" sent this piece to me a few weeks ago and I've been meaning to share this with other parents for a while. Before you read this wonderful piece, let me talk a bit about "parenting-partners." Whether or not you agree, none of us was born a parent - not to mention a good one at that...which is why we need all the (Divine) help we can get. So it saddens me when I see adults (parents) ignore a child's misbehavior because of the "she/he is not my child" attitude. The bible is clear that:

"If you know what is right to do but you do not do it, you sin."(James 4:17)

So the "she/he is not my child" attitude is sin - if you ask me...especially since God expects us to live a "brother's keeper" life. I wrote about the need to be a parenting-partner - 9 months ago... see: http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.ca/2012/12/whats-good-for-donkey.html. This is why I decided to take time to appreciate this my parenting-partner - she is there for many of us too. May God bless her and also assign equally passionate parenting-partners to her. Amen.

Besides how challenged I was by this piece, in the past 2 weeks or so, one of my children has been asking: "when can I get a phone?" and is not letting off. That question further motivated me to share this; interestingly that's where this article starts off. Be empowered as you read on...

It's all about "R"

A few months ago, I was typing "Hello dear friend" - at least that was what was in my mind but my fingers were working too fast and I typed "Hello dear fiend." Good thing I caught it before sending it out - what a classic example of where and how spell check can fail you. As that happened, it struck me that "R" makes quite a difference in that word and in the world.

Me, myself and I

In everyday life, it can be difficult to focus on yourself without seeming self-centered and selfish. I know that more than once I've said that "self-first is not selfishness"* - I know it isn't. Think about it, for you to be any good or of any use to anyone else, you need to be good and useful - which entails wholeness in your spirit, soul and body. You have to be equipped to "help" others.