The Best advice.

According to P.K. Shaw in my Collins Desk Top Calendar on Feb 23rd, “The best advice we ever had was given us as toddlers: take one step at a time.”
Again very simple advice, but how often do we heed it, hey? I can’t speak for you, but often it seems I am trying to do many things at once, and often because of that, many of them are attempted out of Order, and quite often I find I just have to stop some things and go back and beginning again take them one step at a time and in the right order too.
How about you? Is there something that you are currently doing that you to need to just stop and start again, taking it all just one step at a time?
Just something simple and yet profound for you to contemplate on today and hopefully to put into action. Sooner rather than later, hey?

Have You Missed the First button Hole?

Coming from My Collins Desk Top calendar on Feb.18th is this observant quote from Goethe. “Once you have missed the first button hole, you’ll never manage to button up.”
Again a very simple observation from everyday life, but one with a profound implication to many things other than clothing with buttons, isn’t it?
Yes there are some things that even if you start out wrong, you can correct along the way if you have the time etc. But there are many, many more things in life, as well as with clothing, where, we don’t have that luxury; and if we start out wrong, then we will always finish up wrong every time and the only way to fix it, is to start all over again at the beginning, and literally, begin again, hopefully this time getting it all right, right from the start.
So it makes a lot of sense to spend a little more time and care at the beginning and get it right first up doesn’t it? Rather than to both start and finish wrong and waste all the time and effort.
So today and not just with your Clothing, what do you need to spend a little more time and care with, just to make sure you both start and finish with all your buttons in the right order and place?

How Many Times Is Too Many Times?

Read in the Herald Sun newspaper on 6/2/09 that a 68 year-old South Korean grandmother had failed her driving test 771 times, but will keep trying. It seems she has taken the test every working day since 2005 and failed every time.
Whilst on the one hand one could be tempted to admire her determination, one can’t help thinking that enough is enough, and if for whatever reason, she hasn’t gotten it now, she never will.
What about you and me? Do we really know when enough is enough and it is time to try something else? Or are we like this lady, and won’t except reality, even when it slaps us in the face? Even when it does that 771 times?
Now I am not trying to stifle enthusiasm and continuance in difficult things. But I do feel it is important that we both recognise and accept our continuing failures and adapt to them. If we can’t do that, then please give up and attempt something you can do and stop wasting everyone’s valuable time and especially your own resources.
By all means try new things and by all means give them your absolute best shots and your best efforts, but if then you still haven’t succeeded, please try something that you are better suited too. Just something to think about for today.

Agapanthus and This Heat.

We are currently going through about our twelfth year of drought and lately it has been extremely hot, and many plants and shrubs are dieing because of it. In the past I have written a couple of blogs in defence of the Humble Agapanthus and sung its praises as being very drought tolerant.
So you can just imagine how hot and dry it has been here when even the tough old hard Agapanthuses all around the suburbs, are having their normal succulent leaves cooked and burnt dry.
Just goes to show that nothing is completely tough, and even the toughest, whether plants or people have their Limits, and need a bit of proper nurture and care from time to time. Push them to far, like the drought is doing with the agapanthus and even the toughest will eventfully weaken.
So how are things currently in your life right now? Do you think you are tough and can handle everything that comes your way? But in reality you are starting to show signs of stress and your leaves are starting dry out? In some cases, like with this current drought, there is not much one can do for the agapanthus as water is in short supply and great demand for other plants. But in some cases you do just need to take a breather and refresh yourself some how, before you shrivel up completely.

Best Way to learn. 4/2/2009

Read a quote In “Our Daily Bread” for Feb.4, where it said, “ A good way to learn God’s truth is to teach it to others.”
Now without wishing to get bogged down on the religious side of this quote, (Which I firmly believe) I do also think that this quote is also relevant for all aspects of our life too. I have found many times, that as I am preparing items to pass onto others, that I study the subject much more carefully and thereby discover much more than my normal casual readings had previously discovered.
So I would like to encourage you today to spend much more care and concern over the important things and also to pass them onto others, so that both of you can learn more each time. Secondly the best way to teach anyone is by example, so as you learn more and more each time in theory, pass it on, not just as theory, but pass it on as part of your normal life practise. i.e. teach by example as well as by word. Well that’s my say! What say you?

I’m Not Dumb, just not as smart as I thought I was.

I’m Not Dumb, just not as smart as I thought I was. 6/2/2009
Yesterday I posted a blog entitled, “ I’m Not Dumb”. Sadly two of my children immediately wrote back indicating otherwise.
Following is what they wrote:
1st Born: “Clearly, you didn't learn to spell. College has an e not an a. Although I am sure that the Bible Collage would look fantastic."
2nd born: “Ahhhh the irony!!
Quote "Even if you have to go back to school, or in my case Bible collage..."
Really? An artful display of a bible made up of varying layers of materials!?"
Ah well. I guess I can still draw some encouragement from their comments can’t I?
1. At least I know that they still read my blogs, which is a good start.
2. I also know that at least the money I spent on their eduction wasn’t wasted.
3. And at least I know that they feel comfortable enough with me, to try and correct their dear old dad.
4. And also, (although I’m not completely sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing), they both seem to have inherited a fair bit of my warped sense of Humour too!
Anyway, this blog is simply to correct yesterdays mistake and to show that I am fallible too, and to thank my kids for pointing this out to me. Yet again!!!!!! Have a great weekend.

I’m Not Dumb.

This is another Bill Watterson quote that I can resonate with. ”I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information.” Do you feel the same way too? Not dumb, just that the information that you have, and sometimes, vast information too, is just not relevant to the circles you flow in?
So what can we do when we find ourselves in this situation? I can think of at least 3 options.
1. Remain silent and only speak on those subjects that everyone either knows or wants to know.
2. Speak up and share what you know, whether people wish to hear it or not, and think you are Dumb or worse, arrogant.
3. Or: Learn more about more relevant and important matters.
After all if you are smart enough to learn “thoroughly useless information”, then you are smart enough to learn thoroughly useful information too. Even if you have to go back to school, or in my case Bible collage, and get a degree of some sort that will help you in life. Don’t give up or settle for less, even if you are 35 like I was, when I went “back to School” so to speak.
Do not settle for having a command of thoroughly useless information, when you can also have a command of thoroughly useful information too.

Quote From Thomas Jefferson.

This quote, also from my Collins desktop Calendar says, “In Matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”
Now it is many a year since TJ was alive (1743 – 1826), let alone whenever he said that, but that advice still stands firm today and is needed as much, if not more in our times, as in his.
There are indeed many casual, unimportant things that we can bend to and go with the flow of the times. But there are also many things. Many important things, where we mustn’t bend, or go with the flow. But like TJ says: “We must stand like a rock”.
I don’t intend to give you a lesson on morals here, as I am sure that, whether you are currently standing firm in them or not, you do know what is right from wrong, and where you can bend and where you must not bend, but stand firm like a rock. So I will leave it here for you to analyse your own morals and where you need to let go and flow. And where you need to reach out and anchor yourself like a rock in fast swirling waters even. Hold fast even to another solid rock if necessary, and stand firm. Over to you now.

How Far Behind Are You?

I took this quote from an e-mail that my son sent me. I assume that it too is a calendar quote * from somewhere. I just don’t know where.
“God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind that I will never die.” – ‘Bill Watterson ‘.
So how are you travelling with the things that you have to do? Are you Like Bill Watterson, that far behind that you will never catch up? If so maybe you need to sit down and re-evaluate what you are trying to do, as opposed to what you should be doing? For example, how many things that you are now currently trying to do, that can be done by others, perhaps even as good as, if not better than you?
Or? How many of the things that you now deem vitally important and urgent, are really that important or urgent? And how many really important things are you putting off now, just to do the urgent, which often aren’t all that important anyway?
In other words, if you are beginning to feel a bit like Bill Watterson and will never be able to catch up, then now is the perfect time to just re-evaluate things and get your true priorities right. And get them right, right now!
* Just found out it is a Calvin & Hobbes Quote. ie. From its author Bill Watterson.

Time gets away.

Another quote from my Collins Desk top calendar. This one from Verka, (whoever that is!) who is quoted as saying: “Time gets away faster each day so enjoy it, it won’t come back.”
Another very true and very astute observation, I think. But what about you, is time flying faster and faster, as you get older, (it is with me,) and are you rushing to keep up with it all? Or are you prioritising and making wise use of the time that you do have, to do all that you need to do, whilst still enjoying yourself? Or are you rushing to do more than you really should be doing and thereby losing the enjoyment that is due you for doing a good job, rather than a rushed one?
Will you, even at this late stage of the New Year, reprioritise what you have to do, as opposed to what you feel you need to do, and start enjoying this fleeting and fast disappearing time that is left to you? Yes, what say you now?

Great wall of China’s Weakest Link.

Was reading in C.P. Hia’s item in “Our Daily Bread for Jan.31st 09 that: “ The 4,000 mile-long Great Wall of China was built to keep out invaders from the north. The first wall was constructed by Shi Huangdi, the first Empower of China, who lived between 259 and 210 BC. But in AD 1644 the Manchus broke through the Great wall and overran China. They did this by bribing a general of the Ming dynasty to open the gates.”
The above reminds me of one of the many sayings taught to us as Children by our mother. This one was that, “The strongest Chain is only as strong as its weakest Link.”
And we see that in the above story about the fall of the Great Wall of China don’t we. When the invaders realised they could not break through the wall itself, they went for the weakest link, one of the defenders, who for whatever reason (money, advancement, revenge, whatever!) gave way and let them through.
The same sort of thing happens in our own lives in all areas too, doesn’t it? We can build up a mighty and strong edifice, but then for some reason, we scrimp and save on some parts, not giving them the same time, care and concern as the rest, saying, “She’ll be right mate! The rest will carry it through!” Which it may for a while, but eventually it will fail and the lot will be lost. Yes, just Like one weak link in the Great Wall of China, destroyed the effectiveness of the whole 4,0000 mile long structure, so too can our own weakest link, bring down all our own structures, plans and even Dreams.
So today, look around you at your own present structures, your plans for future structures and even your dreams for future structures, and identify your own weakest links. And once identified don’t just say, “She’ll be right mate!” But having identified them, don't just stop there, but go on and remove or strengthen them, so that there are no weak links in your life! Otherwise you just may be the weak Link in everyone else’s life. Is that really so, even now? If so, it is something you probably can change. But it is up to you and nobody else. Your time now!

Are You Really helpful Or Just Hurtful?

In her January 18th “For Better or for Worse” comic strip, Lynn Johnson has the little toddler desperately searching in her toy cupboard for something. Finally she finds what she wants. A toy on two wheels that when you tow it around; it makes all sorts of loud and wonderfully weird noises.
So there she is happily wandering around the house followed by all sorts of loud noises. Much to her great pleasure but also much to the discomfit of her mother, who you see standing with an exasperated look on her face and her fingers in her ears.
At which point her husband sidles up and says, “ We never did thank my sister for sending that thing did we?”
Reminds me of the old Chinese Proverb that says,” Don’t get even with your neighbour who hurts you. Buy each of his children a Drum for Christmas.”
Both sound funny don’t they? But how often do we act like that, hey? On the surface we do something, which outwardly looks good and nice, and kind, but deep down, it has a dark and nasty implication?
It may make us feel good for a time, but in the end, it just breeds further retaliation. So it is far better to simply follow this advice that the Apostle Paul Gives in His Book of Romans in the bible.
There in chapter 12, verses17- to 20 he gives this solid advice:”17Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;* for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ 20No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
So how are you going to respond to the slights and insults of others, this year? By repaying like for like? Or perhaps by some underhanded method, like a noisy toy or Drum, as a so-called present? Or by being kind to them and hopefully turning them from an enemy to a friend because eof you Kindness?
What say you? Because this really is something that you really can directly direct, even if not completely control. So will you?