For me, life’s little luxuries are those little pleasures or comforts that make life worth living; not necessarily are these the most expensive items money can buy, though often they are, in a sense, priceless. I make the case for water, which I believe, fits perfectly into this category.
Sometimes one’s confidence is fragile, fickle even, and can be upended by something as stupid as a gift bag. Berating self often follows unless one takes negative thoughts to the sword. The sword of God’s Word certainly came in handy to put an end to this latest bout of failure.
How often has there not been a chain of events precipitated by something rather inane only to escalate into something else: be it a heated debate, a quarrel, a falling out, and the like; some of epic proportions just to discover an error of judgement rooted in a flawed communication process that has misfired for various reasons.
King Charles III was officially and regally crowned king in all his glory and power this past Saturday. In the light of all things balance, I will tread a fine line between the loyal royalists on the one hand versus the detractors and anti-monarchists on the other to give you my middling take on this. Who cares and why you may ask? Well, I found myself pondering on the life and reign of another great king …
Yes, we can regulate external behaviour, but what about the heart – what goes on inside man’s mind and soul. Powerful deterrents help society to function effectively, but what does one do with the proclivity to find refuge in the dark instead of the light?
There are times when you need to make a choice and stick to it – no grabbing elements in equal proportions. No, it is a black-or-white choice; it is one or the other, not a little of both. It is not cutting back a little here or doing more there. It is not tweaking a mind-set, rather it is a wholesale rejection of an idea, ideology, or whatever you have in mind. You are either in or out, not in and out.
Have you ever had the misfortune of running into someone who was not at all what they seemed to be at first? Initially, they came across as virtuous but it soon dawned on you that the individual displayed serpentine traits, often while others were unable to see through the façade. What does one do if such a situation arises? What has it to do with balance, boundaries and discernment and why is deceitfulness so dangerous? Well, Danielle’s predicament can provide some insight.
Crossroads, forks in the road, stop signs, glaring lights; whatever it may be, it sure has a way of telling us to alter our course. Something that seemed so simple has been thrown off-centre and one finds oneself still trying to pick up the pieces. In just such a way, calamity knocked on Chloe’s door one day… And she needs a miracle, redemption and resurrection of sorts. What does the Bible say about resurrection and redemption? How does a miracle involving Jesus, Lazarus, Mary and Martha shed light on this?
In her effort to gain instant gratification, Maxie ended up paying a hefty price for it and we benefit from her pain by paying attention to her story. It mirrors someone else’s as graphically depicted in only three chapters of the Bible, yet this biblical story has reverberated through the ages and affected each of our lives, whether we like it or not. Who is she?
Everyone gets betrayed sometimes. Often by someone you trust or who is close to you for some reason or other. It was the same for Amore! Jesus, too could relate to humans on this score – betrayed with a kiss. Listen to how their stories intersect and let me know your thoughts.