loving today

1. Help save the moon bear print by PenelopeandPip
2. Round green prehnite ring by PurifiedArt
3. Ceramic Scarab pendant bead by Pinguim
4. Secret love agate and sterling silver ring by SuperSweetSilver
5. Nature Lover necklace by GalleryDarrow
6. The Elmer by RumourHasIt

cats & dog

Custom order Cat-Cats and Doggy waiting to be finished.

loving today

I realised that I spend a great deal of time exploring the Internet, delighting in the brilliant, beautiful work of the many talented artists and artisans around the world. And so I decided I simply had to share these wonderfully creative treasures with everyone, with a fairly regular collection of gorgeousness that's caught my eye. I believe too that there is a plethora of undiscovered talent out there, and oftentimes their lovely creations get overlooked, so hopefully my little contributions will help them get discovered. Enjoy!

1. Grand Key necklace by Betsy & Iya
2. Organic silver egg necklace by Jewelry by Natsuko
3. Simple Scallop Personalized Pendant necklace by BrookeArin
4. Clustered Cup Copper Enamel Necklace by Teka & Zoe
5. Fig silver and fabric necklace by 3squares
6. Double Bunting Beadwoven necklace by La Bella Joya

my Radar -- who died today, aged 7

My sweet, beautiful Radar has died. I miss him so much and the most terrible part of my sadness is the great self-reproach I feel, the conviction that I didn’t spend as much time with him as I should I have, didn’t show him how much I love him. I don’t think I even realised how much I loved him till now, but isn’t that how it is…

I had adopted Radar as a companion to Bonnie, my other bunny, and wonderfully, they bonded right away and were never apart from the moment they met. They did everything together… playing, eating, grooming, sleeping… both of them resting close against each other on a lazy afternoon was a perfect picture of domestic bliss. In fact they were always close against each other... And so, I felt myself somehow relieved of having to do as much cuddling as I used to. Sitting with his lifeless body this morning, I wished I could stroke his back again, so that he’d stretch out flat for the full enjoyment of it, and rub between his ears the way he liked, but of course it was too late.

Thankfully, I have the blessed assurance that Radar is not completely gone; I sense his joyful, friendly spirit around me, relaxed and easygoing as always, but o! I miss him so! Take from my grief now the lesson that we all know in our hearts, but so often neglect in our busy everyday lives – show, show, show your loved ones how much you love them while you can, that you will not know the pain and despair of remorse and self-reproach, but will be comforted by the knowledge that you made their lives as happy and fulfilled as could be.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave bereft
I am not there. I have not left.

Mary Elizabeth Frye

on walking in love

As I've been seeking to grow in my walk with God, I've learnt that an important part of it is paying closer attention to the way I treat others. Love, I think, is a very central theme of Christianity; in Mark ch 12, we read:

²⁸Then one of the scribes came up and listened to them disputing with one another, and, noticing that Jesus answered them fitly and admirably, he asked Him, Which commandment is first and most important of all [in its nature]?

²⁹Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord;

³⁰And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.

³¹The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

Well, much as we'd like to do this, we all know how easy it is not to, and yet at the same time, I'm sure we'd all agree that the world would be such a wonderful, wonderful place if everyone loved their neighbour as themselves. Wars, crimes, all the terrible things of the world -- if only we all truly knew how to love one another. But with our carnal natures, it is something we must consciously aim to do, constantly, with everyone, under every circumstance. We need to pray perseveringly for God's help with this.

When I about 11, I was part of the choir in a school pageant. The choir was physically divided into two parts on the left and right hand sides of the stage. This was done because at one part of the performance, the actor playing the little girl asks her actor parents, "How do wars begin?"

The parents then start propounding their own views on the subject, but being unable to come to an agreement, or to even agree to disagree, their debate descends into a full-scale fight. The chorus aids this chaos by shouting on the one hand, "No it isn't!", and on the other, "Yes it is!" -- back and forth -- until the girl's voice pipes up, with the choir singing in parentheses, "Now I know [said the little girl, with a great big grin] -- you have shown me clearly how all our wars begin".

For some reason, though this pageant was at least 3 hours long, and we were practising for it for months, this is the only part of the whole thing I remember. Perhaps it was because we actually enjoyed shouting back and forth like that. I wonder if it somehow reflects that human relish for discord and disunity. For we are such great believers in being right, in having our way, in not being taken advantage of -- we do not know what it means to walk in love, to be adaptable to others, to have the attitude of a servant.

You may have heard the phrase "love covers a multitude of sins"; it is one of numerous phrases from the Bible that the secular world has picked up and likes to use sentimentally. It is from 1 Peter 4:8, and in its entirety reads, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins". In the Amplified Bible it reads, "Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]".

I believe it's so very, very important for everyone, and especially Christians, to walk in this love. Yet how often do we find ourselves being rude, unhelpful and intolerant, saying harsh, cruel things, even thinking unkind, sarcastic, mean thoughts. No -- let us aim, and keep aiming, to walk in love, to be of service to others, to put others before ourselves.

We don't have to criticise and belittle others because of our own hang-ups; we don't have to have the last word just to feel important or good; we don't have to hold back from being generous and helpful with our time, energies or resources, fearful of somehow losing out; we don't have to be grudging with our praise or forgiveness. Believe the best of everyone -- don't be one of those who wallow in feeling victimised, martyred or hurt, and then go around with a continual air of reproach (and you know we can do this in some of the subtlest, cruellest ways). As C.S. Lewis writes in The Business of Heaven: "Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbour; act as if you did".

Just the other day a certain aunt of mine called to remind me that I hadn't told someone that they needn't do something. Well yes, I'd quite forgotten to tell them because of... a bunch of reasons I won't bother to numerate out of self-pity. However, as I started to ask that she please tell that person on my behalf -- because she was right next to the person -- she said, "No, I'm not going to tell her -- you tell her, it's your responsibility".

Now honestly, I just did not understand this. I mean, she knew that the person needed to be told, she was right there, yet she deliberately chose not to help me because she obviously felt I had to be made to do it -- like a sort of punishment I suppose, so that I'd learn my lesson as it were.

BUT, I remembered then that I must walk in love -- it doesn't matter whether the other person does or not -- and that I must do so in even the little, everyday things, so that it truly becomes instinctive, a way of life. And so -- while in the past I may have reacted to my aunt with a string of frustrated explanations, or some cutting remark which would almost certainly have descended into a regrettable personal exchange -- I just laughed to myself. True, I was also doing a great deal of mental head-shaking, but at least I was keeping my mouth shut. For just as much as I could have reminded my aunt that love covers a multitude of sins, I too could do the same. Again, as Lewis writes in The Business of Heaven, "In our own case we accept excuses too easily, in other people's we do not accept them easily enough".

Inasmuch as my aunt can be demanding or difficult, so can I. It may be a question of which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg, but it doesn't really matter now -- I am no longer a child; I want to walk with God, and be mature in that walk, and that means I must walk in love. Increasingly, the Holy Spirit makes me conscious of the way I am with others -- including my own children -- and helps me to be patient and tolerant, slow to anger and quick to forgive or apologise, always believing the best. Ask God for the grace to do this; He wants us to walk in love for our good -- that we may have wonderful, uplifting relationships, and positively transform the world in which we live. If we can't even do it at home...

¹IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

²And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).

³Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.

⁴Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

⁵It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

⁶It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

⁷Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

⁸Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

⁹For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

¹⁰But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).

¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

¹²For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].

¹³And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13, Amplified).

PS: In keeping with walking in love -- please pray for Japan and consider contributing practically toward relief efforts. These are some agencies you might consider:
Save the Children
Japan Society
The IFRC
World Vision International
The Salvation Army

on the privilege of being a parent

I posted a bunch of B's baby/toddler pictures on Flickr; I managed to find them after a good deal of hunting, and I thought I'd better post them on there just in case. Looking at them, I'm just amazed at how much my baby has grown in just 5 years. In the picture above, she was just 1, and I could still carry her and walk about without any problem. I couldn't lift her for more than 20 seconds now without worrying about my back!

Just look at that! Those chubby little arms, that round baby face... and now! I'm so so blessed to be a fulltime Mom -- it's a privilege I truly thank God (and my husband) for! I love being with my kids, I hate doing stuff without them; I'm so glad I can be present at, be a part of, every stage of my children's growing up.

I know families where both parents work and are so caught up with their own desires, their own money-making plans, that they don't have any time for their kids at all, or they don't put aside any time for them, don't give them any priority. Of course it is an excellent thing to provide for our children, to make sure they have good futures and are well taken care of, but don't miss out on their childhood. It really does go by so fast. You wouldn't want to be like some people I know who are now, as adults, far closer to their nanny or some aunt or friend, because their parents were too busy for them when they were growing up. And there's so much we can learn from little children, it would be a terrible shame to let it just pass us by.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matt 19:14).

Do appreciate, enjoy, cherish, downright savour your kids! Do stuff with them -- whether it's going to a movie, playing a game, reading a book together, doing a craft, chatting over tea, whatever -- don't just leave them somewhere with one of those idiotic handheld games.

As Richard Evans said, "Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them". And as Oscar Wilde said, "Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes, they forgive them". There's nothing quite like a child's love -- let's make sure we deserve it.

I am blessed!!!!!!!

Today I went for a checkup, and God be praised, I am perfectly fine and all is well. The miraculous fact is -- I was not surprised. Why? Because God had filled me with a holy expectancy, and the wonderful, blessed assurance that all is well with me because I wait on Him and I AM in His good hands.

Now I certainly do not pretend to be Ms Super Christian -- powerful, fearless and incorruptible -- for I am far far from it. But as Joyce Meyer would say, while I may not yet be where I need to be in my Christian walk, I thank God that I'm not where I used to be. For God has taught me -- slowly but surely -- to not worry, to cast my cares on Him, and to trust Him to heal and deliver me in every area of my life. And YES -- again I say -- He IS faithful! He is, He is, He IS!

It is such a wonderful, wonderful thing to walk with God, to be in a close, personal relationship with Him. One hears His voice, feels His promptings, and it is so uplifting. When I got into the cab going home, almost the first thing I saw was a luminescent crucifix the driver had affixed to his dashboard. It was like a sign! And I just declared to him, "God is really great!" And he replied, "Yes, He really is!".

We were quiet for some time after that, but after awhile I just felt compelled to tell him how faithful God is, how He had reassured me about my checkup, and that indeed, I AM FINE! And I added, "I honestly would not be able to function without God". And this fellow, he must be at least 70, must have felt really encouraged, because then he started telling me how he had been through many trials and tribulations in his own life, but God had seen him through them all. He kept talking and talking, virtually non-stop, telling me story after story, the entire length of the journey (and that's a good half hour). And he also said, "Life is fragile. We shouldn't live what I call 'an imitation life', placing all our emphasis on externals, on being glamourous, on the superficial. Everything God blesses us with, we should use to bless others". How true! It's wonderful, reaching out to people. You can learn a lot!

Me, I just want to say, if you're going through a challenging time, hold fast to your faith and keep praying, keep praying, keep praying. God cares about you affectionately and watchfully, and He IS faithful to deliver.

Some time ago, I wrote my thoughts on this to a dear friend of mine:

I think everyone's way of walking with God is personal and unique, but what I have found very helpful is setting aside specific time every morning and evening to wait on God and talk to Him. I find these times of prayer very uplifting. They help me to get back on the right path as it were -- to remember and thank God for all my blessings (so easy for me to forget in self-pity and negativity), to repent of my sins (and that includes self-pity and negativity), and to reassert such blessed truths as -- God is always with me, God loves me, and God is faithful to deliver me. Waiting on God in the morning helps me to start my day right -- because have you noticed how sometimes you can just wake up feeling negative and depressed? And then you let that drag you down the rest of the day? I find it does wonders to immediately acknowledge God, to align my spirit, my thoughts and feelings with Him, and to get into agreement with Him, not the devil.

For me, praying through my day is very helpful too. Like before I eat, or basically whenever I want to acknowledge Him, or thank Him, or ask Him to keep me from that pit! The more I let God into my life, the more I let Him be in control, the more peace and joy I have. I ask for His help to "shake off the junk". And I keep asking Him to give me the grace to press on through the "interval".

Have I told you about this "interval"? In case I haven't, it's what one might call the crappy in-between part one sometimes has to go through. In Mark, ch4, you can read:

³⁵On that same day [when] evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side [of the lake].

³⁶And leaving the throng, they took Him with them, [just] as He was, in the boat [in which He was sitting]. And other boats were with Him.

³⁷And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.

³⁸But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing?

³⁹And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness).

⁴⁰He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)?

⁴¹And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?

And then -- after the stormy "interval" -- "They came to the other side of the sea". Well, I think you know what I'm trying to say with this right? God is always with us, He WILL see us safely through, and we WILL come out on the other side. We just have to have faith and press on with a good, bold attitude. I need God's grace to do so, and so I ask Him for it. Sometimes it seems like God is "asleep in the boat" and we start panicking, but we have to remember HE IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL and though we are not, it is enough that we know the One who is.

In order to enjoy God's wonderful blessings and plans for us, WE have to do our part -- consciously staying positive and peaceful, not being complainy, envious and negative -- trusting to God's timing and deliverance -- and ensuring that the thoughts in our head and the words coming out from our mouths are in agreement with Him. Cliched as it may sound -- we really must count our blessings!

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Wake up every day declaring "GOD LOVES ME!!!!!!! I AM BLESSED!!!!!!! I AM EXPECTING GOD'S FAVOUR EVERYWHERE I GO!!!!!!!"

tips for a happy life...

... from my 6-year-old:

Be kind, care for someone.
Be helpful, help someone.
Sing the happiest song you know out loud all day.
Be free, sing aloud while walking in the park all day.

about my Kip, and if you're thinking of getting a pet

Kipper is turning 3 soon. Seeing her sitting here at my feet, quietly chewing her blue dinosaur, I marvel at how wonderfully she's blossomed since coming to me as a tiny puppy, how she really is such a sweet little dog. Her friendliness overwhelms everyone. She did great at doggy training school. She visits nursing homes. And do you know, she poops and pees once in the morning and once in the evening on a pee tray in the backyard (note: these doggy pee trays are just the bee's knees for people who don't want to wade with their dog through questionable poo-ridden grass at toilet time) -- she opens the door to the backyard herself whenever she needs to go potty -- I mean, man! I couldn't ask for more.

(OK. I must say it again. I am a BIG proponent of the wonderful pee tray. My various old dogs -- all large breeds -- used to poop and pee outdoors, and on paper when it rained. That essentially meant they got their paws gooky on the paper, or gooky outdoors, besides picking up ticks and other nasty things. But smaller breeds like Westies have the advantage of being able to successfully step on and use a pee tray -- yay! The pee goes right through the grating, and it's a breeze to clean up.)

But while I marvel over all that, what I marvel perhaps even more at is how she could have been abused and abandoned to begin with. For she was the sad result of some unethical clown's irresponsible breeding. When she came to me, she was a tiny, sick, malnourished 2-month-old, the most melancholy, subdued puppy I'd ever seen in my life. She had that sort of sad, resigned, quiet maturity one sees in children who have been bullied and beaten down, who have gone through things no child should ever have to experience. She would sit there forlornly, periodically hacking her lungs out. She was very, very timid. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time in those early months working on both her health and her temperament.

Well, as anyone who's ever brought a new dog home knows, the first weeks are often challenging, as one deals with all the practicalities of training and so forth. For me, the housetraining was a big challenge -- like many puppies, Kip didn't get the whole toilet-training thing down right off, especially since she'd spent much of her life up to that point in a cage.

And this is where I come to my big point for this post. Having worked in an animal shelter, I've known too many people who give up their dogs because they didn't know what they were getting into, they didn't give the animals the time, love and dedication they need and deserve. I've said it so many times to so many people -- do your research thoroughly before ever bringing an animal home. A dog can live 14, 15 years -- that's a LONG commitment. Be absolutely sure you can commit to that. Ask yourself what will happen to the dog if you guys move, go on holiday, go abroad to study, to work, get married, have kids. These life decisions must include your canine family member. Remember too, that as your pet ages, he or she will develop health issues that affect all elderly beings, and that will require a lot from you as well.

And for goodness' sakes, neuter your pet!

Again, 15 years is a long commitment -- many people don't even begin to grasp the concept of that when they first pick up a little puppy and fall for those big eyes and lovable face. Really think about whether you honestly have enough time for a dog. For example, you will need PLENTY of time to devote to proper training. If you don't, and the dog becomes a chronic house soiler, barker, furniture destroyer, aggressive biter, etc etc, will you become like those countless owners who get fed up, give up and dump their pet? Training, socialising, grooming, housebreaking and exercising all require a lot of time, dedication and PATIENCE. Because yes, there were weeks of dealing with Kip's inappropriate messes around the house (and her puppy teething) (and her adolescent acting out). But then -- one day -- YES! SHE GOT IT!

Some time back I was given a book called One at a Time -- A Week in an American Animal Shelter by Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer. This book brought back so many memories and is so heartbreaking; I think every pet owner and potential pet owner should read it. It contains the true stories of animals in a shelter, and they are accompanied by very beautiful, tender photographic portraits.

The book publisher accurately describes it as "the stories of 75 animals who passed through a northern California shelter during one week. Their gripping stories include excerpts from actual shelter records; the words of shelter workers, volunteers, and visitors; and the final conclusion of each animal's journey through the shelter system.

"Look into the eyes of these animals and let their stories give you a riveting and unforgettable glimpse into this nation's homeless animal tragedy. Whether it is the lost dog quickly reunited with his family because he was wearing an ID tag, the frightened cat given up by guardians who didn't understand the commitment of caring for her, the cat facing euthanasia or the dog joyfully adopted into a new home, each animal in One at a Time has an important lesson to teach and a powerful message to share.

“One at a Time will help you to see the real faces behind the numbers, and to experience the miracles and heartbreak that play out every day in our nation's shelters... one animal at a time.

Even more importantly, One at a Time will give you hope, because this tragedy can be ended and each one of us can be part of the solution... offering us the chance to become better people, to reawaken our connection with other living beings, and to reaffirm the sanctity of life itself. The animals of One at a Time will show you how."

This book reinforces so strongly the grave importance and long-term implications of neutering, avoiding breeding, properly ID'ing and socialising your pets. But above all, it makes clear how desperately important it is that you commit yourself to your pet for his or her entire lifetime, regardless what happens.

There is one picture of a shelter worker walking with a dog on a leash; it's taken from the back and the way the dog is trotting beside her, she looks like any other doggie happily going for a walk. Except this dog was being led to be euthanised. And the writer described it so well, capturing exactly what I used to feel:

"We have made dogs our most loyal friends, and they live that role, to the very end. And so they go willingly, with trust. They cooperate when the leash is hooked to their collar, and follow obediently on the last walk they will ever take. She didn't know what would happen to her, but she went. Willingly. With trust... a trust betrayed first by the family who lost her, and then again by a society who can do no better than offer this as their answer." Every time I catch even a glimpse of that picture, I feel so sad thinking back on what a common sight it was -- and still is -- every single day.

Please -- adopt, don't buy -- and give an abandoned pet a real chance at a full, happy life.

R & Miro

Someone wants a new doll.
(But Miro is still in the shop for now).

little red bus

Ann at little red bus did a super awesome feature on the shop. little red bus is a lovely, inspiring blog filled with beautiful finds for children. Thank you so much Ann!

let your 'Yes' be 'Yes'

I've been reading America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, by Sarah Bradford. I'm about a quarter way through, and enjoying it very much; it's wonderfully well-written -- sharp, revealing, very entertaining. Last night I reached the point where JFK's father Joe highlights to his son that he must give up any thoughts of divorce if he's serious about running for the Presidency. "In the coming campaign," Bradford writes, "image would be all. 'It's not what you are, it's what people think you are,' as the Kennedy mantra ran" (p. 151).

It struck me as I read it that that's the mantra of a lot of people, not just the Kennedys -- the general human population perhaps. I wonder how many of the world's problems are caused by this focus on image, on externals, and not the real person, the inner man. It seems to me that in showing one side to the public, and another in private, deceit and hypocrisy are reinforced and encouraged; it's sad that we often can't tell if a person truly is caring, kind, trustworthy or noble (I'm not referring to people we're close to, of course -- presumably, hopefully, we know what they're really like!).

This led me to think of Matthew 5:37: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one".

It's funny/sad how people often say things they don't mean, commit to things they never intend to see through, are double-minded, unreliable and dishonest beneath a veneer of friendliness, benevolence or magnanimity.

Some time ago, I caught up with an acquaintance I hadn't spoken to in awhile. We exchanged news, back and forthing for awhile, and then she requested photographs of B and R for a weekly children's style project on which she was working. I duly made time to select and send her a variety of photos that she could use. Unexpectedly, she did not reply at all to this. So I wrote her after a bit, asking if she had received the pictures alright. Many days later, she wrote back with a torrent of compliments and thanks, asking me also to please let her know of clothing brands she could feature (I did).

She apologised that she hadn't replied because my email had somehow gotten into her Spam folder (this of course is the intriguing, oft-used excuse of those who actually can't be bothered to write back, yet are unwilling to honestly say so). She said she was going to use the pictures in "next week's" feature. I replied asking her to please let me know when she did.

Well, needless to say, she never did use them, nor did she ever write back. Now don't get me wrong -- I am certainly not upset about this at all -- but I'm occasionally reminded of it and I just wonder, huh? As in, WHY do people do this? Why say one thing when you mean another, why say you will when you won't, why put on (in this case) an "image" of sincerity and bubbly affability, when the reality is an insincere hollowness? And if one can be like this in even small, simple things, how does one deal with bigger issues, matters of importance that require unshakeable integrity, commitment or trustworthiness? It strikes me as I write this however that it really doesn't matter whether something is small or big -- we should mean what we say all the time, be honourable and dependable in all our dealings.

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone was the same regardless of circumstances, or who they're dealing with? If people were frank, straightforward, and genuine -- weren't phony, superficial, or false? If you could take a person at face value, and at their word?

sisters

For there is no friend like a sister
In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.

From Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market

to be a child

Know you what it is to be a child?
It is to be something very different from the man of today.
It is to have a spirit yet streaming from the waters of baptism;
it is to believe in love,
to believe in loveliness,
to believe in belief;
it is to be so little that the elves can reach to whisper in your ear;
it is to turn pumpkins into coaches,
and mice into horses,
lowness into loftiness,
and nothing into everything,
for each child has its fairy godmother in its own soul.

Francis Thompson (1859-1907)

B's story

Once upon a time, in a faraway Kingdom, the prince invited all the ladies to a royal ball. One of the girls was named Cerise, and she was ready to go to the ball. At the ball, the prince was ready for the ball. When Cerise arrived, he was dazzled. Another guest came and she was much prettier than her. The prince was even more dazzled. And so he danced with her. And it was arranged that the prince would marry the mysterious guest. Cerise was watching the lady's every move and found out that she was going to destroy the castle! She tried to warn the prince but he would not listen. So because she knew karate she managed to stop her. She brought the lady to the prince and had her arrested. So the prince married Cerise. This story tells you if you do suspect, stop the crime. The end.

rejoice today

Jesus really got it right when He said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3). How wonderful to live life with child-like faith and simplicity, seizing each moment of each day with passion and exultation. I wonder, when did we outgrow that? Now it has to be a conscious decision -- a deliberate, continual choice to live joyfully, and in the moment. Psalm 118 says "THIS is the day the LORD has made" -- not yesterday or tomorrow, and -- "Let us REJOICE and BE GLAD in it".

It's strange how our minds dwell on the past, or jump ahead into the future -- often with great negativity -- when right NOW is the only time we can be sure of. We put off living, and the present slips away -- wasted -- and is gone forever.

This reminds me of Canadian physician Sir William Osler's address to students at Yale University in 1913 -- he told them to live in "day-tight compartments", similar to the water-tight compartments that keep ships afloat (remember Titanic?). Osler urged that "you so learn to control the machinery as to live with 'day-tight compartments' as the most certain way to ensure safety on the voyage... Touch a button and hear, at every level of your life, the iron doors shutting out the Past -- the dead yesterdays. Touch another and shut off, with a metal curtain, the Future -- the unborn tomorrows. Then you are safe -- safe for today! Shut off the past! Let the dead past bury its dead... The load of tomorrow, added to that of yesterday, carried today, makes the strongest falter. Shut off the future as tightly as the past... The day of man's salvation is now" (Way of Life, William Osler).

"Live neither in the past nor in the future," Dr Osler said, "but let each day absorb all your interest, energy and enthusiasm. The best preparation for tomorrow is to live today superbly well".

Dr Osler also had a beautiful poem written by the classical Sanskrit writer Kālidāsa on his desk called Salutation to the Dawn:

Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life,
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendor of beauty,
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow only a vision,
But today well lived makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day!
Such is the salutation of the dawn.

So again, THIS is the day the LORD has made, let us REJOICE and BE GLAD IN IT!

B's words of wisdom

"Think of 'what if' thoughts like what you get in Gmail. The email might be 'what if the house burns down?'. Just delete it. Then go into the Bin folder and delete it forever. And if you keep getting those sort of emails, just tell the person not to send anymore or you'll be furious!"

B's story

Once upon a time, a princess named Ruby was playing in the garden. It began to rain! She looked up into the sky and realised the rain was actually pearls! She gathered some of them and went back to the castle. The queen was surprised to hear it actually rained pearls! The next day, Princess Ruby was reading a book about a girl who had seen the sky raining pearls! As she read on, she found out that this was called "lucky rain". The more she read on, the more she found out about it! And she also found that the more she collected the pearls, the more luck in her life there will be! One day she was really lucky! She won a gold medal in the Olympics! And a lot of great things happened in her life! So if you look carefully enough, you can be like Princess Ruby too! The End.

mom story

Irene at BloesemKids was SO sweet as to feature me in her super cool column "Mom Stories". BloesemKids is a beautiful blog for design-conscious parents, which includes finds, and crafting and cooking features. Thanks so much Irene!

{KID} independent

Wow, I just learnt of this cool site -- {KID} independent!

It's chock-full of indie goodness for kids and moms, and they were so kind as to feature Sailor Ghost! What an honour :))

Christ Notes

Some time ago, a lovely lady I got to know via Flickr introduced me to Christ Notes. The cool thing about the site is that it has a "Daily Bible Verse", as well as "Weekly Wisdom". You can even sign up to have these emailed to you regularly (but for some reason, it's not working for me and so I have to keep visiting the site). This week's "Weekly Wisdom" is great -- press on everyone!

If God took you to it, He'll get you through it

Exodus 14 records the story of how the Hebrews escaped from bondage and slavery in Egypt. On their way out of Egypt, they camped in the desert near the Red Sea. They thought God was leading them out of Egypt. However, Pharaoh led the Egyptian army to where the Israelites were, and he trapped them against the sea. The Israelites must have felt betrayed by God, for it looked as though he didn't follow through on his plan to lead the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. But God was faithful to his word -- he didn't let his people down. He led them through the Red Sea and delivered on his promises.

You have probably faced times when you thought that you could never do something, never complete a particular task, or never make it to the finish. However, if God has promised you something, then you can be confident that God will get you through the difficult times in order to bring about his promise.

This is true in Joseph's life. God took him through years of pain and suffering for an ultimate benefit; Joseph realizes this and, in Genesis 50:20, says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." God had a bigger plan for Joseph's life, and God didn't let him down. God led Joseph through his struggles.

This principle is also true in your life. Even though you may be going through extremely painful times, do not fear for God will get you through the hard times you face (see Psalm 23:4). If God took you to it, He'll get you through it.

From Christ Notes' Weekly Wisdom

moments

I read this not too long ago; in the book in which it was quoted, it said the author was anonymous, but I've since found out it's attributed to the late Nadine Stair, who wrote it when she was 85:

If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
I'd relax. I would limber up.
I would be sillier than I have been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances. I would take more trips.
I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day.
Oh, I've had my moments and if I had it to do over again, I'd have more of them.
In fact, I'd try to have nothing else.
I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute.
If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daisies.

* * * * * * *

The part that especially struck me was that she said she would choose to have nothing else but "moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day".

I was walking Kip today, enjoying the serenity of the evening and the fact that I was actually living in the moment, with my thoughts actually dwelling in the now, when it seemed to me that that is what a content life is -- living moments, and not some grandiose, hypothetically endless affair in which one continually plays centre stage. Just moments to be fully experienced as they happen, without pointless reasonings, analyses, and fearful what-if type imaginings. Just moments, experienced with gratitude and a conscious focusing on one's blessings.

B's poem

While (finally) tidying up B's room today, I find this:

Through the year our hair will grow,
But one day the hair will go.
You will have to go to Primary One,
And that will be the end of fun!
* * * * * * *

I also find this:

memo to Dollyland Animal Palace Staff

My doll company is called Magical Letters, and is the most popular company in Dollyland! With the power of Magical Letters to design a webshow titled: "The Life of Hers", it's a show where I show what I do every day and where we are, and how we began to create this show! (with the help of Magical Letters).

Note to all Dollyland Animal Palace Staff.

B's cryptic remarks

"God is the umbrella protecting us from Satan's rain (reign?)".

And yesterday: "Praying for crabs makes me sweat".

in which we are crabby

While at the supermarket today, B and R decided we must rescue the crabs. Now I've always felt terrible for those poor creatures, because their claws are all bound up so tight against their bodies, and they're just dumped all over each other in some huge tub. Crabs are usually killed by being frozen, stabbed or steamed alive. Just thinking of that, and seeing them suffering in the stores, is enough to make me not want to eat them at all; I imagine more people would stop eating meat if they actually saw the cow or pig or lamb they were eating while it was still alive, and then being killed. I don't think many people stop to think of their steak once being a sentient, intelligent, even affectionate, cow whose life was a misery from tiny pen to slaughterhouse.

Unfortunately, I did not think I could afford the entire tub of crabs (well I'd never bought crabs before and only had some hazy notion that in the restaurants they're expensive). So we picked the two that had "spoken" to B (especially the one who could not right himself up). It was something of an exertion for me to pick the two crabs up, put them in the bags, pay for them with my other groceries, and get them home -- I was just so petrified of somehow hurting them.

And then, after I got them home, I realised I didn't know much about them at all. For example, I learnt that these particular crabs are cannibalistic in nature, and so hurried back down to separate them (I had cut off all their bindings). Seeing them stretch their legs after being freed made the girls and I very happy. We decided we'd wait till it was evening before releasing them in the river, having come to some vague conclusion that we'd have to do it surreptitiously because there are always crazed crab-hungry people hanging around.

And that's what we did. When it got dark, we brought them to the river -- in a pram no less -- and released them. B insisted we pray for them, which we did. Now of course there's every chance of them being caught again within ten minutes by those crazed people, but we like to think there's also as much chance of them having a real chance at a proper happy crab life. Well, I'm glad anyway to have perhaps given them at least a moment of joy, and also -- perhaps more importantly -- to have encouraged the mercy and compassion my kids have for their fellow creatures.

Along with hiccups, biting the inside of one's mouth, and sneezing more than twice in a row, stubbing one's little toe against furniture has got to be one of those little everyday physical thingies which are just plain irritating but which we need to learn to cheerfully laugh off.

what time I am afraid...

... I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in [God].

By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear. (Ps 56:3-4)

I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.

And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers of false gods. (Ps 40:1-4)

BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits--

Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's [strong, overcoming, soaring]! (Ps 103:1-5)

PRAISE THE LORD! He has delivered me YET AGAIN! Yes yes yes -- what time I am afraid, I WILL remember His wondrous goodness and loving-kindness to me, and His faithfulness to deliver me!

B's latest composition

To be sung to a "soft, gentle melody":

Decorations, and celebrations
Represent every nation (2 times)

Festivities, and activities
Made for one and all

Decorations, and celebrations
Represent every nation (2 times)

Decorations for different celebrations
Made for one and all

one day at a time

One day at a time sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from you
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.

(One day at a time, sweet Jesus; Marijohn Wilkins/Kris Kristofferson)