Scattered Jewels
Wise people and wise parents take the good things they learn from their upbringing and put it with the good they learn in life …
Rumbling over the potholes and rough roads of life we gain insights. Some are keeper insights and others we should toss as far away as possible, like a smartphone that wants to fly.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50)
Cycle breakers… Just recently there was a tribute to ‘cycle breakers’. People who come from less than idyllic childhood places yet instead of continuing the hurt and abuse into the next generation they attempt to change the future of their children.
When we think of cycle breakers we are thinking of those like the example above. Yet, a cycle breaker could go either way, a bad situation turned into “This isn’t going to continue.” Or a good situation that slides downhill. Perhaps that should be called a slider?
Along that theme, ‘Missy Jones from Mountain Cookin’ with Missy’ writes: “I took the bad and I’ve learned from it and became determined not to pass it down to my daughter. No families are perfect. We all have some kind of trauma to deal with but we don’t have to pass it down to our own children.”
Wise people and wise parents take the good things they learn from their upbringing and put it with the good they learn in life to teach their children. Parenting should not be without deliberate thought and prayer. Raising children should not be just reacting; it should be acting in a responsible manner.
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There is a song, “Me and Bobby McGee”, and the gist of the song is that the singer let something valuable ‘slip away’, and only in hindsight was it realized what was lost. The clincher in the song is, “Nothin’s worth Nothin’ but it’s Free…”
When you pay nothing for something it is usually worth what you pay for it. Then there are the Bobby McGees of life. However, just because we don’t know what the value of something is does not make it worthless.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)
One of my sayings has been “Life makes cowards of us all.” It may make heroes shine more brightly, but at some point, everyone goes through the valley. Yet, as the saying goes, “Courage is not the lack of fear.”
“It is better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.” Robert H. Schuller.
There are a number of quotes on courage in the face of being afraid. And indeed we should not live a life of fear, but we must overcome our fears daily.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)
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“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)
As we grow in knowledge—and usually as we grow in age, life has ways of showing us truths. The saddest truth is we aren’t perfect and we need grace. The good news is that even though we are all beggars at the throne of God, we have that access. We are—“Just beggars telling other beggars where we got the bread…”
Super Women? I hear often about how talented and wonderful ‘women’ are. Think back to the song “I am woman hear me roar…” But the reality has set women up for a fall. Many women have tried to be superwomen only to realize no one could, should, or try to be everything. It’s impossible to be super women, most of us end up more like Wonder Woman… We wonder what we’re doing and where we went wrong.
“—We only have now. This moment. Don’t save your joy for tomorrow, reach out for it today.” Tell the people in your life that you love that you love them. My cousin, Coco and I did some wonky things when we were young, but one thing we got right was our idea that we should do a good deed each day for someone.
The following quote came from a meme on a piece I am signed up for ‘Journey of a Mountain Woman.’ “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of (your) life is to give it.”
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:34)
Everyone’s life is different. It comes as events flow around us.
“Learn to accept your own reality and see the big difference it would make in your life.” Author: Chima_Dickson Official
And while we see it and accept it that doesn’t mean we can’t change it if it isn’t what it should be.
Seth Godin says:*While events might be evenly distributed, responses and reactions rarely are. We are able to choose to see possibility. (Seth Godin)
This reminds us that life is like a kaleidoscope with a whole host of possibilities of outcome which we may choose from. Even the same person can choose to change the outcome of the same event in order that it doesn’t happen more than once.
I heard someone say they were just, “Buying a ticket till the train runs out of track…” and I am intrigued by the statement. I would have liked to ask them what they meant. Was it a hopeless speech, or one of adventure?
Nevertheless, on your journey, life is an adventure. Some days it’s like a rollercoaster, up down, around the bend. It can be a good thing to ask yourself, What’s up with you? Where are you going? How do you fly? Do you fly? What’s keeping you down? How can we tell?
And most important of all, protect your valuables. The most important valuables? Hmm, those are often the things you can’t hold in your hand. Love of God, love of life, love of family and friends…
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Revelation 3:11)
