Photo by Toa Heftiba 

                                        Changing of the Guards   

Isn’t it ironic that the passing of Queen Elizabeth II came two days after the new Prime Minister of England received her appointment into the office. We saw a quick glimpse of Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday September 6^th reaching her hand out to Liz Truss and then passing two days later. The United Kingdom embarks on a new journey with an inducted Prime Minister and crowned King. Queen Elizabeth II acquired the Crown after the death of her father King George VI in 1952. Her reign extended for 70 years as the Queen of England. Historically, this has been an amazing fete.

As Head of state, King Charles III is ultimately responsible for the spiritual and psychosocial development of the people of the United Kingdom and associated colonies. The Prime Minister’s role is to lead the Parliament and implement measures to transform the economy.

Photo by Miguel Bruna

                                                                       Warrior

Do you consider yourself a Warrior? If so, the world needs more people like you, so stand up and be counted. A warrior is someone who knows what they want and go after it. They stand for what is true to them and will not take down to anything. They have great beliefs, ideals              and have an unwavering faith.

A warrior personifies a person of great strength and fortitude. When things get tough, the tough get going. When life gives them lemons, they make lemonade. They are not the ones to even contemplate throwing in the towel, retreating or looking back. They put their hands to the plow and keep on pushing. They are “steadfast, immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord. They know that their labor is not in vain.”

I recently heard of the story of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky statement when someone offered him a ride to leave Ukraine prior to the battle that they are facing. His response was “I don’t need a ride; I need some ammunition.” He is a true warrior for all tense and purposes. He is willing to fight for what he believes in.

                                           What is Your Love Language?

We are quickly approaching February 14^th which is dedicated for a day of showing others how you love them. It is called Valentine’s Day. There is no distinct date as to when the first Valentine’s Day first occurred and by whom, but there is one thing that all of the historian’s agreed upon was it is celebrated in mid-February and was named after St. Valentine. The Britannica Encyclopedia cited different theories and legends concerning Valentine’s Day. I am actually referencing the one about St. Valentine sending a greeting to his love interest while in a Roman jail in this post. I encourage you to do further research about this subject as well. Everyone need to know that they are loved. If no one has told you today that they love you, let me the first to say that I love you with the love of the Lord. There are several kinds of love: agape, storge, eros, and philio love. Love is a four-letter word, but so powerful in its execution. The bottom line about love is how we communicate it and how it is communicated back to us.

The five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. It is an extremely popular book and teachings by Gary Chapman in 1992. It caught on very quickly and is still very relevant today. Love languages are divided into two categories. The first one is how you express love and the second one is how you receive love. Each one has their significant place in our lives.

The first love language is considered the primary love language. It is how you give or express love. The secondary is how you receive love.

                              Take Care of Yourself

Take care of yourself is a familiar phrase that we have been using more lately. It may sound like a cliché, but it carries weight. It appears that the days are shorter and before we know it, it will be December 31^st and we will be setting goals for the new year. It is actually 77 days left in 2021. I said that to make a point, because we focus on the mundane, hustle, bustle, busy things of life and we forget to take care of ourselves. We care for so many things and others we totally put our needs on the back burner. I hope by the time you finish reading this blog you will have a new sense of self.

A new sense of self is not meaning for you to be selfish, self-absorbed, or self-centered. It merely means pay attention to what your needs are. I am not telling you to forget your obligations or the things you need to do a daily basis, but to make sure you become more aware of what your needs are and “take care of yourself.”

                                                                         Parenting

Parenting is the act or process of raising a child. It is when an adult takes care of a younger child or sibling.  My parents were raised by their father and their older siblings, because their moms passed away when they were young. My dad was 6 months old when my paternal grandmother passed away and my maternal grandmother passed away when my mom was 6 years old.

When we think of parenting, we automatically think of a mother and father raising a child in the home together. There’s a new term called co-parenting, where the biological parents may live in different homes, and they share the rearing of a child or children. There are other instances where a grandparent, adoptive parent or foster parent takes care of a child. They do this by providing food, clothing, shelter, physical, psychological, social, emotional and spiritual care for a child.  

                                                                                                  If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time

As we become older it may cross our minds on what could we have done differently. Many of us conclude that we cannot turn back the hands of time. We should not have any regrets or have any "should a, could a, would a" moments. However, I often think about if I had an opportunity to talk to my younger self what would I say. There are so many life lessons that I have learned that would be helpful. These are the things that I would say. 

Pray about everything: There may be times in your life that you think you have the answer to it all, but don’t be deceived. You should always pray. Start your day with prayer and end it with prayer. Also pray throughout the day. Pray in your decision making, pray for a covering over your household, your family, friends and your foe. “Pray without ceasing.” Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.”

Work smarter not harder: Anytime you are creating work arounds, short cuts, loopholes make sure you’re doing it in the best interest of everyone concerned. Do it honestly and with integrity. Allow God to impart ways for you to accomplish your goals in a shorter period that it may have taken others longer to do. Whatever you do, do it with a spirit of excellence and to the glory of God. He will make the most difficult things become so much easier.    

Have you ever wondered how some people are so spontaneous? They appear to be really quick on their feet and are ready to give an answer before you can wink an eye, or at the drop of a hat. They seem to know what to say just at the right time.

Spontaneity is another word for spontaneous, impromptu, someone who 'arises from a momentary impulse.' It is described mostly by doing something quickly without having a lot of thought behind it.

Some people may be spontaneous as it relates to going on a trip. They intend to stay for a few hours and then decide to stay longer or overnight. Some may decide to jump in the pool without being properly dressed in their bathing suit. Now that it truly spontaneous.

Some comedians are definitely spontaneous. They start telling jokes and it seems like they just get on a roll, telling one joke after another. They can stand on a stage and find an unsuspecting person in the audience and crack a joke that would cause the whole crowd to just bust out into laughter. They are so spontaneous that everyone sits in amazement and ask how did they come up with that joke so fast. They have such a uniqueness that not too many people have. They are just gifted and talented in the area of spontaneity.

Actors are spontaneous as well. They are given a script to learn their role and it comes so natural to them, it seems like it's in real life. They sometimes put their spin on the character and add impromptu words as if it's part of the script. That is really being a great actor when scenes are that was not in the original script. It somehow makes it feel so natural and not acting.

                                New Beginnings

Today is Saturday 1/2/2021 and yesterday was 1/1/21. It has a nice ring to it, but it encompasses so much more when you stop to think about it. We have embarked upon a new year, new day and no one knows what is actually going to happen from one minute to the next. We all must be hopeful and trust that our prayers and thoughts towards the future are wholistic. Our future endeavors affect us physiologically, sociologically, spiritually, and psychologically.

No matter how we envision our future, we must face each day with one thing in mind, it’s a new beginning. We can’t worry about what happened on yesterday, because it’s gone and tomorrow is not promised. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. There is a familiar phrase, carpe diem (seize the day). Take advantage of today and let’s see what we can accomplish in the next twenty-four hours. Another phrase that comes to mind is:

                              Yesterday is History,

                            Tomorrow is a Mystery,

                                  Today is a Gift,

                                                             That’s why we call it the Present

Matthew 6:33, states “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” This verse is encouraging us to put God first in everything we do. All of the plans that we have been thinking about and working towards putting into action need to be submitted to God first. He will lead and guide us into the things that works best for our future, purpose and destiny. No matter what our ambitions are for the coming year we must “count up the cost” and “write the vision and make it plain.”  We must ask ourselves how my actions will affect my future, family and friendships.

When it’s all said and done we can truly say, “I did it God’s way and not my way.”            

               It is good to give honor, homage, and a shout out to our mothers. They are responsible for so many things, but they are never too busy to care for everyone in the household. They can meet everyone’s needs at the drop of a hat. They make you feel special as if you are the only one that matters, even though there maybe 7 or more just like you. They are the counselor, teacher, intercessor, chef, chauffeur, nurse, money manager, seamstress, custodian, maintenance person, and so much more.

They are known for their funny sayings, wit of humor and life lessons. These are the things I have heard them say. Please feel free to add your memories as well:

                       • Every good-bye is not gone

                       • Every shut eye is not asleep

Ask For Help

There comes a time in all of our lives that we need to reach out to others for help. Help means to "make it easier for (someone) to do something by offering one's services or resources."

We all have heard the phrase "no man is an island." This is a true statement, because we are not meant to be alone. God provides different people and resources to meet our needs. There is someone right now to come to your rescue and who is routing for you to reach your destiny. They are available to assist you just in the nick of time. We should never feel like we are walking through life alone. Even when you believe that you're at wits end and no one is in your corner or doesn't care about what you're going through, there is someone  to help you. Just look around you and identify someone that is willing, ready and waiting to help you along your journey through life.