Coffee and Conversations

The one about watering

2016-01-24T22:33:00.003-08:00

Because once in awhile we need to be reminded.

"Stop watering things that were never meant to grow in your life. Water what works, what's good, what's right. Stop playing around with those dead bones and stuff you can't fix, its over, leave it alone! You're coming into a season of greatness. If you water what's alive and divine, you will see harvest like you've never seen before. Stop wasting water on dead issues, dead relationships, a dead past. No matter how much you water concrete, you can't grow a garden." - T.D Jakes

Of Sankofa

2016-01-01T01:14:00.000-08:00

Sankofa is a Ghanaian word that means looking back in order to look forward. It’s December 31^st and as I reflect back on last year a time like this, I can honestly say that it left me barely standing. 2014 was not gentle. It was filled with scares and countless hospital visits, lots of dead ends, lost hope, endless battles; with myself and God; it was tears, ugly tears, Lord-take-this-cup-away-from-me tears. My knees hit the ground in search of God more times than I could count and when I couldn’t pray, I filled journals. In other words, it was ruthless. I zombied my way through the year, something similar to a scene from The Walking Dead, I was trying to survive.

So going into 2015, I didn’t have a single resolution, I was going to just wing it and see where it takes me. But God! God restored alot of things (most importantly, me) this year. And as I sit here reflecting on 2015, I’m grateful, not just for what He was able to do but to be alive. Really alive. To have back my hope for the future. To still have faith. And I’m grateful for His grace and mercies. For His loving-kindness, for His strength that was displayed many times in my weakness, for providing in my times of need. For the lessons I had to learn in pain.

My song this year was ‘Good Good Father’, God is indeed a good father. Even when things were not so rosy, this song reminded me of His goodness. The greatest lesson He taught me this year was how to keep my eyes focused on Him despite my circumstances, how to trust that He is indeed working all things together for my good.

Life also taught me plenty, among the many lessons, I learnt how to ask for things without fear, for blessings that I thought were impossible, to opportunities that seemed beyond my reach. And I was surprised by the ‘Yes’ answers and even the ‘try again next year’ encouraged me. I realized that the more I asked, the more courage I got to work hard and ask for bigger and better.

Most importantly, I learnt how to say no to people and situations that were unhealthy or taking away from me. Because saying yes to others many times meant saying no to myself, I slowly perfected the art of saying no and it’s been so liberating to put and to love myself first.

And now as I think of 2016, I look forward to what God has in store for me. I look forward to opening myself up to endless possibilities. To spreading my wings. To reaching out, to loving harder. To achieving. To getting out of my comfort zone. To walking with God, to being open to His will for my life, wherever He may lead me. To living and learning and giving life my best.

So here's to "the year of digging deeper. living not existing. searching. wanting. believing. achieving. thriving. being honest with yourself. making sugar. forgiving yourself + others. the year of loving yourself. soaking love inside of you + others. darkness or no darkness, this will be the year of creating light. reaching out to God. being openminded. Good vibes. connection. accepting and releasing anything or anyone that doesn’t want us in their lives. we are marching forward not backwards..”- Karen Owusu

To whoever is reading this, I pray that 2016 is all that you want it to be and much more.

Happy New Year.

The One About Forgiving Myself

2015-11-20T06:24:00.002-08:00

kaboom pics

Forgive yourself. When you wake up late.When you procrastinate.When you fail yourself.When you fail others. When you can’t leave the house.When you’re late paying bills. When you don’t have a job. When you’re failing in school.When you’re not pleasing your parents.When you hurt yourself. When you hurt others.When you lie to yourself. When you lie to others. When you love the wrong person.When you make the same mistake.When you feel defeated. When you lose your temper.When the last time turns into a time again. When you cheat yourself. When you’re not good to yourself.When you don’t have a plan. When you feel hopeless. When you hate yourself. When you’re impatient. When you tell yourself to give up. When you stop believing in yourself. When you lose faith. When you doubt yourself. When you forget to say I love you. Forgive yourself. - unknown

For a long I time I was unable to forgive myself for things I'd said or done, for failing myself and others or for the times I had broken my own heart, repeatedly. But I've been on journey of embracing my humanness with open arms, and she is warm and comforting and loving. This journey has required me to let go and forgive myself. Many times it has forced me to look myself in the mirror and say 'darling, it's okay. You did the best you can or you are doing the best you can.' And its been so freeing - to know that I'm human and I don't have to always have it together. To know that there are moments when I will break or fail and it will probably suck but it will be okay. Its freeing to know that it's okay, its really okay.

I've realized as I learn to forgive myself, I forgive others freely, as I love myself deeply, I'm able to pour out that love to others with the same intensity, and as I show myself grace and compassion, I'm able to do the same for others.

You Are So Much More

2015-05-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning to the words of T.B LaBerge

"Your worth is not a math problem, just because you do everything right and the results don’t come out right, it doesn’t mean that there is a something wrong with you. It’s not about what you bring to the table, it’s about you coming to the table at all, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you will be able to enjoy your time there. Life is not about being like all the rest of the world, just because you are single, it does not mean you are any less valuable. Just because you didn’t pass that class, it does not mean you are worthless to society. You are so much more than the “no’s” and the confusion, you are a living and breathing soul, one that is called beautiful and wonderful!
No star stops burning in the sky because it isn’t a planet, it does what it needs to do, so must you. So be, and continue to be, until you realize what that truly means because when you see what you really are, you start to see life differently. You were never meant to compete with those around you, you were meant to live life in a way that invites others to join you in this journey."

What I learned from a 45-Year-Old Woman

2014-12-05T03:28:00.000-08:00

Source

"When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see."

~Chinua Achebe

I've realized that the ~~younger~~ older I get, the more I want to spend time in my mother's kitchen soaking up all the lessons I can. Gone are the days of being 16 and having the 'you can't tell me nothing' attitude or feeling like older people are just out to spoil the fun. But because they've been there and done that and gotten the T-shirts, I'm wise enough to take their words of wisdom.

I recently came across 45 lessons life taught me by Regina Brett which she wrote the day before she turned 45 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The lessons are a reflection of lessons life has taught her from being a single parent for 18 years, from her struggle to find the right partner in life, her battle with breast cancer and what she's learned from her readers as a journalist.

********************************************************************************

"Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. When in doubt, just take the next small step. Life is too short – enjoy it. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Pay off your credit cards every month. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. It’s OK to let your children see you cry. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don’t worry, God never blinks. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.Over prepare, then go with the flow. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple. The most important sex organ is the brain. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

Always choose life. Forgive. What other people think of you is none of your business. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does. Believe in miracles. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

Your children get only one childhood. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need. The best is yet to come.No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. Yield. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift."

Have a lovely weekend!

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2012-10-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

I randomly took this picture on a day out in town and every time I look at it Philippians 4:13 (one of my favorite verses) comes to mind.

Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me in My Early 20’s

2012-08-02T03:50:00.001-07:00

Painting by Frank Morrison

To my baby sister. Your best years lie ahead!!

# 1. Listen to your elders' advice. Not because they are always right, but because they have more experience of being wrong. ~ Unknown

Listen to your parents or any older person trying to give you advice. You may think they are not ‘with it’ or they couldn’t possibly understand or relate to the problems under your scorching sun, but they do. They’ve been there, done that and got the T-shirts to show for it. Take their advice, eat it; swallow every morsel because its words of wisdom served with love and experience.

# 2. Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. ~ Muhammad Ali

If you find yourself in a position of influence, power or plenty, don’t take it like you are better than the next person, view it as an opportunity to give back, share knowledge, mentor, and invest in other people’s lives. Let God use you to bless others.

# 3. When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want? Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in rereading your financial statement? Of course not. What will matter then will be people. If relationships will matter most then, shouldn’t they matter most now? ~ Max Lucado

Your relationships are important; don’t take your family and friends for granted. Don’t be too busy to make time them. A Tweet here, a Facebook wall post there is not enough. Call them. Tell them how much you love them. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

# 4. Sometimes we forget to live for today & postpone doing things to 'SOMEDAY' or 'ONE DAY' and without noticing, life slowly passes by. Start living NOW. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion, that special perfume, dress or tie for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person comes into your life. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. ~ Mary Manin

Life is extremely short; don’t let it pass you by. With every passing year you grow older, breathe easy and enjoy it. Take the time to do things that truly make you happy. Create memories. There’s no better time and place like the ‘Here and Now’.

# 5. Everything you want is on the other side of fear. ~Jack Canfield

Fear will cripple you if you let it, so face it!

# 6. Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger, more skilled, self-confident and successful. ~ Mark Victor

Don’t shelve your dreams because you don’t have enough money. Start with what you have. You want to be a writer, start writing. You want to be a fashion designer, start drawing up the designs. You want to be a photographer? What are you waiting for? Horn your skills. The secret is in the starting.

# 7. Good things come to those who ~~wait~~hustle.

Nothing will ever come easy. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you, look for them. Knock on doors till you knuckles become sore. Don’t take no for an answer. Go the extra mile. Everything is in the ‘extra’. You may have to work 10 times harder but one day it will definitely pay off.

# 8. “This little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine. Everywhere I go, I'm gonna let it shine; hide it under a tree Oh no! , I'm going to let it shine. Jesus gave me the light, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it Shine. All the time. Let it shine!”

Remember that song you sang in Sunday school? Have it on repeat for the better part of your 20’s! Who am I kidding? Sing it for the rest of your life. Let it be a reminder that you were born to shine! It doesn’t matter how dim you think your light is. Let it shine! Like in the parable of Talents; ‘It’s not about how much you have but what you do with what have’.

# 9. Nobody notices a patch of grass; they see the tree. ~ Wayne Burrow

There will be a lot of pressure to do what others are doing, to think and behave in a certain way, to dress in a certain manner, because that’s what’s hot on the streets. But don’t conform. Embrace your uniqueness. Be comfortable with who you are, warts and all. Don’t be afraid to voice your thoughts. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain. Let your individuality shine. Stand out!

# 10. It's so easy to compare yourself with other people &; feel that they are doing better than you are but truth is, we are all on different unique journeys. Wake up every day and beat your own records &; you will surely find success because at the end of the day, success is a fight; a fight between YOU & YOURSELF. ~ Unknown

There will be a lot of changes in your 20’s. You will see some of your friends getting married, having babies, climbing ladders; all kinds of changes. But don’t compare yourself or your progress with anyone’s. You are on your own unique journey, understanding this will not only help you live the life you truly love but it will keep you focused on your own journey.

#11. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

You will make wrong choices. I can guarantee you that. But don’t carry around bags of regret all your life. Make peace with the wrong choices you’ve made and let them make up a better person.

# 12. You will spend most of you early 20’s searching; like a wandering soul, looking for satisfaction in things, in money and in relationships. You will then realize that those things are not enough. It never is. You will want more and even with more you’ll still feel empty. At the end you will realize that true fulfillment and satisfaction comes from God.

# 13. “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” ~ Kathryn Stockett, The Help

Don’t forget that. Don’t look for validation from anyone instead master the art of speaking positive about who you are, what you can do and who you can be.

# 14. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. ~ Steve Jobs

Do you want to wake up every day dreading the next 8 hours you’ll have to spend at work cooped up in your office cubicle? So what if applying for an 8-5 job is the conventional way to go. Don’t settle just for the paycheck and don’t trade your happiness for a job that does not give you any fulfillment. Pursue your passions.

#15. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. ~ Ps. 90:12

It’s a scary thought that our days on earth are numbered, you never know how many days you have left. But what if you knew the exact number; 2 days, 3 weeks, 1 month? Everything from your priorities to how you live your life will change. Ask God to teach you how to number your days, how to live your life with purpose, passion, wisdom and faith.

What are some things you wish someone had told you in your early 20's?

In God's Hands

2012-07-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

pic source Google

"I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all, but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."

~ Martin Luther

Notes: Learning to trust God in everything is a lesson i learn everyday and looking back through the years,I can say that He has been faithful.

On Life, Death and the inBetween

2012-06-12T06:03:00.008-07:00

Photo taken by my friend, Ezekiel.

On Sunday after church I took a walk to the flea market a few minutes away from where I live. I was exhausted, mentally from thinking about the pending graduation pandemonium and the work awaiting me; to be edited, designed and put together and so for that half an hour, I decided that work could wait. I walked around, slowly. On the surface you would think I was any other vintage loving shopper looking for something to take home, but deep down I was searching for something deeper; clarity, understanding and answers, to life amidst the confusion that is death.

I should explain. Sunday morning two cabinet ministers, their body guards and crew died in a plane crash. A couple of weeks ago, Marina Keegan, a 2012 Yale University graduate died in a car crash, just a few days after her graduation. She had a promising future. She was due to begin her internship at The New Yorker. She was 22. Just last week I saw the news about the Dana airplane crash that killed all 153 passengers and others on the ground.

I personally didn’t know the cabinet ministers involved in the crash and I didn’t attend college with Marina but when I saw this article here with the faces of those involved in the Dana Air crash, it became personal. They were faces of people who had promise; a student waiting to join college, a mother and daughter on travel, a father returning to work after his child’s naming ceremony, a young family of six. When I saw those pictures, those people stopped being nameless faces on the Nine o’clock news, they became real; the brevity of life became so real and so did death, all over again.

Forgive me if I don’t pepper this post with nice words, there are no nice words for death. No ma’ams... and sirs. I hate death. I hate it for being so final. I hate it for being so sudden and painful. I hate how it doesn’t allow you to say goodbye, or give you a chance to right the wrongs. I hate that when the chapter is closed, we can’t go back and take back those words we said in a fit of anger, that we can no longer dream and chase those dreams. It’s over.The end.

But it happens everyday; we flip through the channels and hear about people dying all the time; buildings collapsed and another lot killed. We sympathize for a few minutes. Sigh. Say how life is fragile and sad, and then we change the channel and start complaining about the price of milk or petrol, because life has to go on. But for someone somewhere, life stops and their lives will be on hold for months, even years and for others it will never be the same, because to them it was personal; it was their father, sister, cousin, daughter, a son.

Death makes the loudest wakeup call; it woke me up early this morning with hard questions on my mind; What am I here for? Who am I living for? I’m I living for Christ. Where am I storing up my treasures? I’m I investing in the right things, on those things that truly matter? I’m reminded of this every time I hear about death. But at times I forget. Boy, how easy it is to forget and think that tomorrow is promised, that it’s a must for us to wake up. It’s the exact opposite, all we have is this very moment. Today. 24 hours. 1440 priceless minutes to really live.

In Marina's final piece ‘The Opposite of Loneliness’ for her column in the Yale Daily News, she wrote, “We’re so young. We’re so young. We’re twenty-two years old. We have so much time.” This touched me because this is me, this is you; the dreams, the future, plans of tomorrow. I’m always making plans for tomorrow; overwhelming myself with to-do lists. I mean, I'm still young, I have all the time in the world, at least thats what I hope I do. But what if all I have is now? What if it all ended today?

I know I talk alot about Life; I'm passionate about it because I've only realised how special it is as the years have gone by. This morning I woke up with a new resolve, one I hope to keep. I’m passing this world once, just once. Therefore from today, I choose to embrace life with renewed gusto. I will live it out loud; live it for God, live it with purpose and live it GOOD. I will savor every waking moment; drink it up like it’s going out of style tomorrow. I will look for a great cause, one bigger than myself, bigger than my very existence. I will stop complaining and start counting blessings. I will appreciate life’s small joys; ripe fruits, park benches, laughing so hard till I end up in tears, singing along to Ray Charles’ Midnight Train to Georgia. I will Love. I will Forgive. I will say I’m sorry. I will choose happiness, let go of everything that puts me down. I promise to be better, to do better. I will live my life so loud that when it’s over, there will be an echo. But at the end of the day, despite all this, I don’t want my living to have been in vain. I pray that God teaches me how to live my life in the light of eternity.

On January, Life and Alex

2011-02-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

First few shots of Mombasa Sunrise by Sami Khan

It rained two nights ago. I have just realized it’s been awhile since I last smelt the rain on the ground or swallowed a chestful of fresh damp air, just like it’s been awhile since I last wrote here yet so many days have passed and so many things I’ve wanted to tell you like about January, Life and Alex.

January came only for a brief visit; I feel like I just offered her some hot coffee and after a couple of sips amidst talks on the year to come, she announced she had a bus to catch, no it wasn’t the coffee. But before she left she introduced me to Alex. Alex is the little boy I met for a short time on that Sunday afternoon at the Cancer ward for kids. It was my first time, Shanis invited me, it’s something she does on most Sunday afternoons; spending time with the kids.

I didn’t talk much to him; Alex. It was a mixture of a lot of things, like the fear of getting attached, the lack of the right words to say or maybe saddened by the fact that his face showed a lot of pain. Two weeks later I got a text; it was Shanis telling me that Alex was gone. Just like that.

It’s the second day of February and here I am at 5:17AM thinking about January and Alex, about the brevity of life and purpose. And in a way these thoughts have deepened my longing to live for God. I don't want to just live, but to live an abundant life. And I'm learning that an abundant life is not necessarily in the length of days we live or the material things we accumulate here on earth but life in God, which is eternal.

There has to be more to life, really, and I want to find the ‘more’. I don’t want to wake up one day and realize I have been chasing after the winds. On my everyday journey through this life I want to find my God given purpose on this earth.

I found this poem by Claudia Minden Weisz (the mother of a Rett Syndrome child) thought I'd share it.

And God Said No

I asked God to take away my pride. And God said "No".

He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. And God said "No".

He said her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience. And God said "No".

He said patience is a by-product of tribulations. It isn't granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness. And God said "No".

He said He gives me blessings, happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain. And God said "No".

He said suffering draws me apart from worldly cares and brings me closer to Him.

I asked God to make my spirit grow. And God said "No".

He said I must grow on my own. But He will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. And God said "No".

He said He will give me life, that I may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me love others, as much as he loves me.

And God said "Ah, finally you have the idea!"

I Need You

2010-05-06T00:14:00.000-07:00

If one day you feel like crying, call me. I don't promise that I will make you laugh, but I can cry with you. If one day you don't want to listen to anyone... call me. I promise to be there for you, and I promise to be very quiet. But if one day you call... and there is no answer... come fast to see me. Perhaps I need you..

Rough Path

2010-04-06T02:03:00.000-07:00

Don't fear if you are going through a hard time in life, because as you walk that rough path God is going to provide you with strong shoes.

Photonotes: Baby Davel wearing his dad's shoes.

God

2010-04-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

'Seasons change, friends move away, and life goes on from day to day. Flowers fade and streams go dry and many times we wonder why. Yet we can always be assured because God tells us in His Word, that unlike changes in the weather, He is the same yesterday, today and forever.'

photonotes; one of those views outside my window

Worry Not

2010-03-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

"Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday." ~ Author Unknown

Photonotes; baby Davel looking worried yet he's only 2 yrs old.

Peace

2010-03-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." ~John 14:27

photonotes: my nephew Michael

In His Hands

2010-02-24T00:18:00.000-08:00

'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' ~ Jeremiah 29:11

photonotes: my little cousin.

Direction

2010-02-18T03:50:00.000-08:00

“Direction is more important than speed. We are so busy looking at our speedometers that we forget the milestone.” Unknown

photo notes: I wonder why kids don't get the whole shoe thing right?

Lean On Me

2010-02-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

'A Friend is one to whom one may pour out the contents of
one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the
gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth
keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.'
~Arabian Proverb

photo note; neighborhood kids..little angels

Of Seasons and Letting Go

2010-02-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

As we laughed and joked over lattes and black forest cake on Friday, it felt so right, like nothing was wrong but deep down I knew it would be the last time we'd have this much familiarity before the awkward silences and the cautious one sentence text messages.

At some point I lost you in the conversation as I continuously circled the rim of my glass with my finger looking at you. I could hear you talk above the noises in the background and the sounds of the oldies music that sounded normal, but my mind wandered off to the thought of the looming goodbye that awaited us.

Yesterday I took a walk; a walk to nowhere and noticed the Jacaranda tree that stands at the end of the street; the delicate purple color had disappeared. The tree looked dull. Truth is seasons change and so do people and sometimes you feel cheated by change because you want to hold on a little longer; hold on to what brought you together in the first place.

It's painfully true that when the most important things to you become worthless or the most important people become strangers, then you are either changing or you valued the wrong things. Why couldn't the colours of that Jacaranda tree stay all year long? Who changed you or me?

While we stood at that bus stop to say our goodbyes amidst strangers waiting to start their own journey, I knew this would the end of a season and the beginning of a new one; a step to the unknown. That very moment the bus drove away, I closed my eyes and said goodbye to three years. The next time I would see you, we would be expected to act differently; not to share the same cozy hugs we had gotten accustomed to, we would be in a room full of people but would not have the freedom to share our secret jokes across the table or hold each others hands under it; for some time we would be familiar strangers.

In a quest to create a new normal, I found myself seated on a city council bench at a side walk on a Sunday afternoon, watching kids roller skate. The scenario of me seating next to total strangers trying to sort out my thoughts and my life reminded me of last year a time so similar I was with friends; we sat there talking about everything from office gossip, relationship squabbles and just everyday life, some of them are no longer friends; more like people who we once shared familiar experiences and enjoyed every bit of it.

And so, it is on that city council bench that I learned the essence of seasons and knowing when to let go. That change is inevitable; people will come into our lives and some will leave, leaves will fall and others will grow, that we should do is relish every moment, learn every lesson from whatever season we are in. We may not like it and it may be hard to let go...but just as we cannot wear flip flops or summer dresses during winter, we must learn to move on with the shift of seasons in our lives, we dare not get stuck with time because of the fear of change or having to let people go because eventually you notice tiny buds of a new season opening; you usher in a new period in your life, new friends, new experiences, new lessons.

photo from here

The Little things

2010-02-01T05:07:00.000-08:00

'Take time to enjoy the little things in your life because one day
you'll look back and realize they were the bigs things.' ~ Robert
Brault

Stepping Into The Unknown

2010-01-18T01:20:00.000-08:00

' I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year; " Give me a
light that i may tread safely into the unknown", and He replied: "Go
out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That
shall be to thee better than a light and safer than a known way."

photo notes: random morning photo

God is Real

2009-12-14T04:19:00.000-08:00

God is real. Look around you. Look at the beauty of the world; the trees, the rain, all the creations and the people in your life. God is real. Pearl Bailey once said, 'People see God every day, they just don't recognize Him.' Open your inner eyes.

Photo note: evening view outside my window.

Life

2009-12-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin — real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
— Alfred D. Souza

Photo notes: A young version of me

Friends

2009-12-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

' When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.' ~Henri Nowen

Life

2009-12-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

Life is not lived chronologically, by the sweep of a clocks hand or
the sway of its pendulum,but rather experimentally as a ladder or
stair, each experience stacked upon the previous, delivering us to
higher grounds.

~The Locket~
photo notes : my 8yr old niece fitting my shoes.