Tag: #happy

Armchair Traveling

~ blacklilymusings ~ Leave a comment
brown arm chair
Photo by Melissa Thomas on Pexels.com

Tunisia at Sunset.  Morocco in the heavy heat of the night.  Paris in the bustle of dinner time.

In these times of quarantine, I’ve found adventures in the most wonderful app.  It’s Hellotalk.  Fellow language learners reach out to practice their english with me, while I practice my feeble french.  With the time change, it’s often hard to connect in usual times to others in far off locales.  The benefit of these crazy times, is everyone’s sleep schedule is out of whack.

So Ottoman from Morocco munches on popcorn drizzled with chocolate at 3 am in the morning and talks to me about Life.  It is as magical as one would imagine.  Kal gets up on top of his roof to take a picture of the sunset in Tunisia for me.  Sofiane in Paris tells me what she will make for dinner.

This time of Quarantine has connected and united all of us in so many ways.  We speak of the boredom.  Our governments.  We speak of what we miss.  We laugh at the absurdity of life in quarantine and what we will do when it’s over.

And we practice our respective languages.  We encourage each other to make mistakes and to push past our comfort zones.

We are all just a gorgeous kaleidoscope of heart beats scattered over this wonderful blue green jewel we live on.  Catapulting through a starry universe.  Enjoying the gifts of our various countries even in this limited time.

We are all the same no matter where we live on the globe.  We love our families, our cultures.  We treasure good health and a peaceful land.  I pray we are all back to regular activity soon.

In the meantime, I will enjoy my armchair travels. Life is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

 

I Am…

~ blacklilymusings ~ Leave a comment

photo of a woman standing in a cave
Photo by Stijn Dijkstra on Pexels.com
Because of “I Am”…

I Am Strong.

I Am Able.

I Am Peaceful.

I Am Patient.

I Am Joyful.

I Am Loving.

I Am Wise.

I Am Enough.

If I Am…

Weak. Unable. Anxious. Impatient. Irritable. Unkind.

I Find My Way Back to Jehovah.

To His Throne.

Til He is My “I Am” Again.

No Is Really Yes

~ blacklilymusings ~ 2 Comments

close up photo of text
Photo by KML on Pexels.com
The Word No seems Restrictive. Punishing. Sacrificial.

But Really when we Say No, it opens the door to Say Yes.

>>>

When we say No to Overindulging, we say Yes to Self Control. The endorphin rush from Advocating for Yourself feels better than any “Over Anything” ever will.

When we say No to Gossip, we say Yes to our own Integrity. And to the Integrity of Others. Others’ Pain is Sacred, we should treat it as Hallowed Ground.

When we say No to Lust, we say Yes to Love. Self Love and Love for Others. Nothing good comes from the Intense Fire of Lust, just Scorched Earth.

When we say No to Laziness we say Yes to Productivity. There’s nothing sweeter than the Satisfied Elixir of a Day Well Spent.

When we say no to Negative Emotion, we say YES to JOY. Probably my favourite of all Trade Offs.

So, for me, I will not focus on The No…I will see I’m really invariably Saying Yes.

I Say Yes.

xoxo

Martin Luther Had It Right…

~ blacklilymusings ~ Leave a comment

We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.

Whether a country Builds Walls or Disallows More Immigration, it doesn’t Change The Fact that we Share This Planet Together.  We are Neighbours even if there is a Ocean Separating Us.  In My Completely Uneducated but Heartfelt Opinion, to be Nationalistic and Alienating other races as Less than Worthy or Putting Our Needs above the needs of other countries may Seem Good in the Beginning. But we all Need Each Other.  It never works to Be Selfish.  Putting our Needs First and Not Considering the Needs and Comfort of Others Never Works.   One day we will have A Need.   Invariably It Happens.  We will need someone to Consider what we need.  Put Our Needs in their hearts and minds.  We can expect from others, how we have treated them.  We can expect Tariffs.  Fines.  Denial of Support.

Our Forefathers of Democracy Had it Right.  They wanted a Country where Differences are Tolerated.  Compassion and Benefit of the Doubt were Bestowed Liberally.

Some Would Say that makes Us Patsies.  Easily to Be Taken Advantage of.  But if you Believe in Light Dispelling Darkness.  And Good Trumps (Did I Use That Word?) Evil.  Then we Must Have Courage to Live it.  Make it An Action.

Hold Onto The Greater Good Mentality.  Tolerate.  Support.  Show Grace.  After all, this Country was Built on Christian Beliefs.  We Believe that there is One Judge.  And One Must be Accountable For Himself.  Live the Truth.  Let Others Live Their Truth.  And Trust Your Creator to Do What’s Needed To Sort Out the Rest.

Here’s to Democracy.  Here’s to Freedom

xoxo

Pivotal Points

~ blacklilymusings ~ 4 Comments

We all have Pivotal Points in Our Lives.  A Big One happened For Me about Fifteen Years Ago. Prior to, I  was Living Fairly Status Quo.  Checking Off Lists.  Doing the Right Things.

I Felt Dead Inside.

Nothing Reverberated.  All of It was for Somebody Else.  Their Idea of a Life Well Lived.

I No Longer could Tolerate the Feeling of Living Outside My Own Sphere of Individuality.  So Bit by Bit.  Painful Layer by Painful Layer I started to Shed My Old Ways.

I Started to Think for Myself.  I Listened to My Heart.  I Poured Over the Scriptures.  I Spent Time on My Knees.

I Began to Live a Life that Made Sense to Me.  I Changed My Actions to Fit with My Heart.  I Realized No was an Important Word.  I realized Just Because a Different Brain Than Mine Thought it, Did Not, by any means, Make It Right.

I Realized I was Ready to Be Wrong, but I Needed to Sort Things Out for Me. I was Willing to Fail, if it Meant to Learn.  To Be Real.  To Live My Truth, However Bloody and Scratched It Made Me.

That God would Honour My True Intention.  Not to Wander From Him, but to Draw Nearer Through My Journey of Discovery.

Today, By No Means, Do I Have It Figured Out.  But I can say, My Life is Something that Makes Sense to Me.  Everything I Do Comes from my Own Convictions.  My Own Aspirations.  My Own Desires and Intentions.

Pivotal Points are Wonderful, albeit Scary When They Happen.

I’m Here for You.

xoxo

 

 

 

Hierarchy of Hurts

~ blacklilymusings ~ Leave a comment
adult alone dark girl
Photo by Thorn Yang on Pexels.com

Some would say there’s a Hierarchy to Hurt.  Some Hurts are Greater than Others.

So They Say.

So Let’s see How Hurts Stack….

Murder is a Greater Hurt than Smouldering Resentment.

Adultery is a Greater Hurt than a Chronic Wandering Eye.

A Upper Cut to the Jaw a Greater Hurt than a Passively Stated Insult.

A Stab Wound is a Greater Hurt than Testimony Altering Slander.

Change Your Mind?

I Hope So….

I Love You

xoxo

One Sentence

~ blacklilymusings ~ 1 Comment

photo of woman wearing floral stockings
Photo by Dids on Pexels.com

You have a run in your pantyhose.

Let me get the hair off your back.

You have something on your shirt.

Why does the smallest errant food particle…

A hair no longer attached to our head and now attached to our shirt…

A rogue thread in our tights…

Cause us to feel

Naked.

Exposed.

Less Than.

Asking for a Friend…
xoxo

Celebrate The Ordinary

~ blacklilymusings ~ 2 Comments

man wearing blue designer suit
Photo by malcolm garret on Pexels.com
My taxi driver wore a large print houndstooth dinner jacket today. With a scarlet thread. His pants were pressed to such a degree a military man of high station would be in admiration. He used to work at a upscale tailor in Dubai before immigrating to Canada.

Now he drives me to work somedays. Always dressed in his finery. With a smile. His cheery contagious spirit.

He celebrates the ordinary days. Every day is worthy of his best.

>>>

Jimmy texts me from Tokyo. He’s one of the finest lawyers to grace the office of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. He wrote, “I was complimented on my shoes and suit today and I thought about what you told me. You said ‘Life is too short to spend it not dressed well.’ ”

Life is too short for an ugly outfit folks. Ask the taxi driver. Ask Jimmy. Ask me.

I Love You

xo

Strawberry Haired Fairies and Other Brave Warriors

~ blacklilymusings ~ Leave a comment

tilt shift lens photo of infant s hand holding index finger of adult
Photo by Dominika Roseclay on Pexels.com
My Little Neice (well she’s Thirty Five, but to me she will always be the Strawberry Haired Fairy who made me an Auntie at Seven. ) delivered her Fourth Child Hazel Jean Yesterday.

 **Ok – this is being finished a year late***

This Precious Human inspires me every day. She is a Single Mom of Four. Every Day is a Struggle. A Juggle.

Every Day she Clings to Her Joy. Sends me Youtubes and Jokes that cause Tears to Stream Down my Face.

Bible Verses. Inspiring Quotes. Pictures of Hazel with a Spaghetti Hat.

Lots of Nights her Weary Body Finds Rest and Comfort on Her Knees. Trusting the One who Plans our Tomorrows. Our Sorrows and our Joys.

We can Trust what comes from the Hand of Our Creator.

Thanks to all the Strugglers. The Jugglers. The Warriors.

You are my Hero. Joline . You are my Hero.

I love you Girl.

And I Love You Too Sweet Reader.

xoxo

Adding Value VS. Mattering

~ blacklilymusings ~ 1 Comment
adult background ball shaped blur
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

We can Worry About Mattering.  Do we Matter to People?  Do they Care? Are we Important to them?

The Better Question is “Do you Bring Value?”  Because if you Do, You Will Matter.

We will Only Matter to Those who we Bring Value to.  And Value is Measured by one’s own Priorities and Inner Moral Compass.

So I could Matter for all the Wrong Reasons.  Depending on the Priorities of Another.

So My Concern is Not to Matter.  But to Add Value Based on My Moral Code and Noone Else’s.

So What do I Value?

Authenticity.  Kindness.  Joy.  Encouragement.  Love.  Listening Ears. Introspection. An Open Mind and Heart.

So with This List I Enter Life Each Day.

To Bring Value to Others.  In Turn, I will Matter to Those who Share the Same Values.

Thanks to all my Valuable Friends who Matter to Me.

xoxo