The "Good Ole Days"!

This morning I was thinking about the "Good Ole Days".Days gone by when I was a girl. I lived in the best parish and the best neighbourhood in Jamaica; South St. Elizabeth! I am of course totally entitled to my own biased opinion and since it's the truth anyway?!!

Well I was remembering that 'round about this time of year many of us whose parents were small-holding farmers,had to stay out of school for a couple of weeks,to help with farm work. It was and still is the planting season and every hand was necessary to help. The very survival of the family and the community depended on the harvest. Despite the hard work it was always a good, happy time. There was a feeling of family and community camaraderie that prevailed.

Neighbours helped each other to get the planting done within a set window of time. Children learnt to work together with their parents and we also learnt the importance of taking care of our own to the best of our ability. "Many hands make light work" was a common saying by the old people and it was certainly true in our community. People cared about each other; we shared each others' joys and sorrows,we would laugh together and cry together. Neighbours were usually extended family members anyway and even those who were not,were treated as if they were.

We were not rich in material goods but we were rich in many other ways; ways that mattered most. There was consideration and compassion,there was kindness and kinship,care and concern for even the least among us. There was a bond of family and friendship that tied people together over many generations. It was a community in which decency and good morals were encouraged,poor manners and bad conduct was discouraged,and honor,integrity,respect,and godliness were highly valued.

I wonder what made the difference in our community? Was it because we were a poor farming community and we understood the divine principles of sowing and reaping,of springtime and harvest? Or because so many of our men were fishermen and they shared an awe and appreciation of God's mercies - "they that go down to the sea,witness the power and the glory of the Lord God up close and personal"?

We were a community that confronted life and death as part of the natural process of existence. Children shared in the reality of life experiences. We worked with our parents. We suffered through the loss of crops and the resulting hardships that would follow. The children of the community knew that a father may not return from sea if there were extremely strong winds, a storm or hurricane. We were not shielded from the everyday events that made up a whole life experience. And I believe that these were character-building for all of us.

Today, I am convinced that by and large most of us are strong,determined,hard-working,ambitious and resilient because we were allowed to be an important participant in the real issues and experiences of our community. We were encouraged to be builders of the community in every sense of the word. Understanding and maturity came early to children back then.

Compare that with how things are today. I believe that we now deprive the younger generations of the chance to appreciate and to be fully appreciated for their contribution to family and community by "molly-cuddling" them,way too much. Yes,it is good that we can do "MORE" for our kids in terms of the material provisions we make for them. But by providing everything they ask for whether it is needed or not, without their active contribution or even awareness in many instances of the needs of the family as a unit and the community in which they live as a whole,we do them a disservice.

We are depriving our children of the chance to be the best person that they could become. We ought to wake up to our responsibility; we are letting our children down. We must find ways for our children to have the opportunity to develop sterling characters that will bring honour to God first, to themselves and to their family,community and their country.

Improving on the legacy of our parents is great but if this is at the cost of a moral,caring,sharing,family oriented,community connected society,then we need to start a-weeping and a-wailing for the long gone "Good Ole Days"!! LadyZaidie

Book Burning

So, someone ordered the burning of a man who wanted people to have and read a book. Then they tortured and murdered lots more people because of that same book.

So, one head of government ordered some books to be burnt, then he ordered over 6 million people to be burnt as well and he said he was just going by what was written in a book.

So, some people are still burning that book; they arrest,imprison and murder people because those victims/martyrs believe in what's written in a book.

So someone wants to burn a book. So that makes the news headlines all around the world.

So now,lots of people might start killing other people out of retaliation for the burning of the book.

So people who believe in one book, want to retaliate against the senseless act of killing innocent people,by burning the book on which the beliefs that led to murder were based.

So then, who wins when a book is burnt? Who benefits, who is enriched, uplifted? Who is saved?

The burning of religious books is never motivated by love/Love. It is grounded in fear, hatred, revenge and intolerance. These seeds can never produce anything good.

If we want to reap a harvest of love; love for one another as human beings,then we must sow seeds of love. For whatever a man/woman/boy/girl sows that shall they also reap, eventually.

God is Love. If our actions and/or our words are not about love, then it is against God and in support of the destroyer of souls. Anyone who is not with God is against Him.

So, burn a book and a burning hell might just be ones final destination. "Depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels". Jesus on the Day of Judgment.

As people of the Book - the Bible - we must conform all our thoughts, words and actions to its teachings. Only then will our names be found written in the only book that will matter on Judgment Day; that book is the Lamb's Book of Life. Is your reaction in words and thoughts,to the debate about the burning of the book,pleasing to the Lamb?
"Think on these things". Peace, Love and Understanding in Christ Jesus. Amen. LadyZaidie

Blessings as Always. LadyZaidie.

"We Fall Down"

The popular gospel song made so by Donnie McClurkin says "We fall down but we get up ..." and yes, I agree but I would like to vary this statement a little. This little however makes all the difference to me. In my life I fall down and most often, I have to say it is the Lord Who lifts me up; it is He that picks me up. By myself I would still be flat on my face, broken, disheartened, hurting, sad or mad but unable to help myself, unable to get up. It takes faith and favour to get up and it takes the love of Jesus to pick me up.

When Jesus said to the lame man at the pool of Siloam, "Take up your bed and walk", it took faith. For 38 years he was unable to help himself, unable to get up. But what a difference the Word makes! When Jesus spoke, His words inspired and strengthened;faith exploded in that man! Faith that came from hearing the Word of God! "And the Word became flesh and lived among men" and in Him was light which was the very life that God was offering to mankind through Jesus Christ the Lord.

And then, there was Jairus' daughter. When Jesus arrived at her house, it seems it was all over for her. People were a weeping and a wailing; it appeared that she was dead. But Jesus was and is able. He took her by the hand and commanded her to rise. I believe that His touch made the difference then, and today it still makes the difference. Like the woman with the issue of blood that reached out and touched the hem of His garment;restoration flows from Him to His downtrodden, fallen, broken children.

I know that to all appearances I have been down and out many times, no chance of recovery - as if my best years were behind me, it has been said. Then a miracle happens and here I am. And I am here because He IS!! Love lifts me up, the Word lifts me up every time I fall down. When I cannot find the strength to get back up again, He is my Shepherd Who lifts me into His arms, lays me down beside still waters and restores my soul.

Jesus is Love and He is the Word of life, eternal life to me. In Him I am more than a Conqueror; His strength is made manifest in my weakness; the weaker I am, the more glory He gets because the more obvious is His favour, His help, His grace, provision and bountiful blessings in my life.

So if you fall down and can't get back up again, just call on the Lord and He will lift you up and place your feet on solid ground so you can stand again, secure in His Love and His Life. Love & Blessings. LadyZaidie

My Beloved Son, My Beloved Daughter

Just lately I have been pondering on the relationship that parents have with their children. I have been thinking just how special that bond is and how please we are at times when our kids behave in a manner that reflects our teaching/training/morals/choices and a host of other things that we feel are positive and life enhancing. It is such a joy. We count ourselves blessed and highly favoured.

On the contrary when they behave in a way that causes them hurt, impedes their progress or devalue their lives and their potentials we are disappointed, pained and even confused in most instances. This is especially so if we feel we have done all we could to guide them, equip them to make better choices/decisions.

Our God and Heavenly Father must have felt the same way about His 2 sons; Adam the First and the Second Adam. Joy, and pleasure, delight and happiness in relation to the Second and sadness/pain/heartbreak/disappointment with the First. But the real joy must be that unlike Cain and his response that he was not his brother's keeper; the Second Adam felt the opposite and to that end gave His very life - embraced death on Calvary's Cross, so that Adam the First and his descendants could have life abundantly and eternal! How amazing is that! How pleased a parent must the Father be!

Believe it or not, the Father's great joy is in seeing us; seed of the First Adam, laying hold on the salvation purchased at the Cross and coming into relationship, a pleasing relationship with Him again ... Us being mindful to walk in His way, after His guidance,in obedience to His law and according to the plans/dreams/desires/purpose He has for us.

The Father still hurts when we go astray. He still has no desire that we should remain separated from Him. Just as earthly parents, flawed and imperfect as we are have no heart/mind/strength to see our children; our sons and daughters living careless/aimless/thoughtless/purposeless lives. More so the Father above. He knows exactly what it is we will lose by our wayward behaviour He knows it is our eternal soul that is at stake; tye price we will ultimately pay for disobedience.

Like the prodigal son we must run home to our Heavenly Father.

We need to realize just how much we are loved and how His loving arms ache and wait to welcome us.

Imagine hearing the words "this is my beloved son, or, this is my beloved daughter in whom I Am well pleased"!!

Love & Blessings. LadyZaidie

He holds the Dream in His Heart

Have you ever had a passion, a vision, a dream and then run out of energy, drive, interest, stuff to keep pursuing, following, reaching out to achieve? I have. I had a vision, an answer to a question that I asked the Lord as to a course , a purpose for my life. He revealed it to me; not the complete picture but what I needed to get started; enough to make the first steps. Yet after some disappointments, some obstacles and stumbling blocks I seemed to have lost the focus, the passion. Other things took precedence and what was left over was insufficient fuel to drive the dream.

Now the Lord has reminded me. He has filled me up again. He has turned me around; turned me back to face the right direction. The Lord has renewed the vision, reminded me of His purpose, His plan. I love Him for being so patient with me. I love Him for holding my vision in His heart, nurturing and keeping it for me until I would make myself available to Him, again. He is faithful; more faithful to me than I could ever deserve.

I am reminded that God never forgot the dream He gave to Joseph. I am sure Joseph must have lost faith, lost hope in the validity of his dream when he was going through stuff. But all the time God was keeping Joseph, He was also keeping the dream alive. Once the Divine gives us a gift; and the vision/dream he gives us is a gift, He never rescinds it. But He keeps it in His heart for us.

It is what a parent does. Jacob held the dream that Joseph told in his heart. At the lie of Joseph's death , Jacob must have been bewildered. No wonder he was inconsolable. But God preserved his life long enough to see Joseph's dream become a reality.

Mary the mother of Jesus also held the things said by the prohet and prophetess at Jesus dedication ceremony in her heart. And she also held the comments of the rabbis at the temple when Jesus was 12 years old in her heart. Finally at the cross she saw the fruition of all that was prophesied; Jesus died to save a fallen race; He is the Messiah of all; the promised Offsping that would bring redemption. Jesus is the second Adam.

I have learnt that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine and He works all things together for good to those who love the Lord and are called; given a vision, a dream according to His design and His riches in glory.

Blessings and Fulfilment in the Name of Jesus our Lord. Amen. LadyZaidie

Travelling Mercies? ... Granted!!

As I waited for my friend to pick me up at home this morning, I took the opportunity, as I have so many other mornings, to talk to the Lord again. I had my morning devotions earlier but I ove to talk with my Father and He knows His daughter is a real chatterbox and anyway He loves to talk with me too. I gave Him praise for being the awesome God and Father that He is to me. I thanked Him for His love, His favor, His presence, peace, provision and prosperity. I asked for forgiveness and that I would decrease even as He would increase according to the declaration of John the Baptist. I want to live and move and be all that my Lord has destined for me. I loved on Him;thanking the Holy Spirit for being my Teacher, Comforter, my ever-present Help. I prayed and committed loved ones to the Lord. I ended as the car pulled up at the gate by asking for travelling mercies.

About 15 minutes later, I again had reason to loudly and gratefully thank my Father in Jesus's name for manifesting His reply in to my prayer in such a dazzlingly miraculous manner. I confess I have never been so close to getting seriously hurt in a car accident before in my life. A driver exited a side road inches in front of us. In order to avoid this high impact possibility my friend verred away. This sent us spinning to the right into trafic and then to the left as iron barriers reared in front of us and then again to the right - We were on the highway at 9:35am.

This morning 4 of us had reason to give praise for the angels that the Lord God sets over His children; to keep us and to bear us up lest we dash our foot against a stone or a car against other cars or even a highway barrier. We were 3 in our transport, the other driver makes 4 whose lives have been spared for another day. It was unanimously agreed in our car, it could only have been God that protected us. We were able to keep right on driving without any harm occurring. Correction; I broke a finger nail!!

As for me, I can truthfully say beyond a shadow of doubt that I know it was my God who heard and answered my prayers. The others may have prayed; I do not know. But I sure did and I know it was the Lord who covered us and kept us according to His promises in Psalms 91:11. Praises be to our Lord God and Father Most High foreveremore!!

The Cab Ride | Quotes Inspirational

The Cab Ride | Quotes Inspirational