What I’ve been up to

Not much really. Working hard. Getting my life back in order (New Year and all that). Just finished reading James Patterson’s Honeymoon (2005). It was so good I went to the library and found another of his books I hadn’t read yet (1st to die) and that, dare I say it, was even better. I must I admit that while I didn’t figure out whodunit in the beginning of the book, (1st to die: kudos to Patterson) I didn’t fall for those false clues cleverly planted in the script. So I did discover whodunit before it was actually revealed. Yep. *Plucks imaginary suspenders* I’m feeling pret-ty proud of me :D

Blessings

Another Reason I need a car

Another reason I need a car materialised at my side last night while I waited for a taxi to take me home.

“Hello, did we have words?” he asked.

“No, were you standing there? I didn’t see you.” This was truth. If only it could have stayed that way and been reciprocated. I sighed and began the obligatory greetings and pleasantries people exchange at the start of the New Year. That’s when he began THE TALK. THE TALK is the reason I wish he would cross over to the other side of the street when he sees me and the reason I strain my eyes hoping a taxi would appear on the horizon.

No such luck.

THE TALK began in response to my wish for good things for him in 2006. To which he responded that he also wished for good things for US.

US? I thought and tossed out a flippant reply, hoping to deflect the obvious direction of the conversation. Again, no such luck and still no taxi.

“I think I have deep feelings for you. Yeah, I’ve been thinking about you and I can’t seem to get you out of my mind. And when I can’t stop thinking about a woman it usually means something. Maybe God … yuh know .. who knows?”

You may be thinking awwww and that I am being such a (insert word for female dog here) but you have to meet him in person to understand the full extent of his annoyingness. You would have had to tell him many, many times that you are not in the least bit interested in him that way. You would have had to endure these types of conversations in maxis and taxis with other people listening in. In my defense I’ve never been unkind. I’ve shared the good news of God’s love and invited him to church. We’d get along just fine if he would just accept that there is no US and there never will be an US.

Okay, movin on. Did he just imply that God has a hand in my being on his mind? Puhlease. Of course on his next breath he asks, “Um, what’s your name again?”

I could not help it, I laughed heartily and asked. “Hold on, you have deep feelings for me and you can’t even remember my name?”

His excuse: “It’s a very unusual name.”

Seriously, I gotta get that car. If only I knew how to drive.

Tuesday & Wednesday

Tuesday

Okay I had started writing my post for Tuesday and my internet explorer crashed before I had time submit my entry. Of course this would happen the one time I had not previously typed and saved my entry prior to going online to post it. But no biggie. It was probably divine intervention since I’d had a crappy (pardon my English) day. Highlights: bad hair-day, no makeup, late for work, funeral and splitting headache. To put it mildly I was feeling a little blue. So I went to bed early and got up feeling much better.

Wednesday

Today was much better than yesterday. Hair-not so bad, makeup-yes, early-er than yesterday for work.

I started this year feelin out of sorts with myself, my Father and most people around me (especially at work). All the textbooks teach you not to bring your personal life to work with you and I agree this should be so. However, my faith is such a large part of me that if something’s not right then it affects every area of my life. I become short-tempered and frustrated and things I would normally be able to handle I blow a fuse over. In short I’m miserable. It’s funny how things could be bothering you and affecting your life without your really acknowledging it. That’s what was happening to me and I didn’t even recognise it. I was harboring unforgiveness for some ‘friends’ and it was making me unhappy. But I got a breakthrough today (read more about it here) so that my smile doesn’t feel forced and fake anymore. (Thank God for small mercies.) That really was not my style. I might have wished for a fabulous hair day but this was so much better. Praise the Lord!

New Year, New Beginning

It’s a new year. I did say I would not make any new resolutions this year seeing as I’ve so little to show (in my own estimation) for the year past. I still don’t know how to drive, have yet to read the entire Bible and have gotten caught up in mistakes I swore never to make again. Resolutions? Not for me.

However, I have reconsidered. I think it would help to have something to work towards and if I fail… well at least I tried and did not just wander aimlessly along to end up nowhere. So here goes:

From yesteryear
1. I can’t get close enough to God so hopefully the close of this year will find me in a closer relationship with my Father
2. read the bible (I am beginning a ‘bible in a year’ program but I am not holding myself to the finishing of it – I will be satisfied with just spending more quality time in the Word)
overcome sins that so easily beset (impossible by myself but with God all things are possible)
3. learn to drive (important - I hate public transport and need a car)

New possibilities
4. Ministry – I haven’t been involved in much work in church because of my schooling but that’s over now and I want to get more involved in the work of ministry.
5. Writing - been torturing myself with ifs, buts and maybes for months now. This year I will put pen to paper and seriously try – what the worse that could happen?
6. Business – have been exploring a business idea for the past 2 months or so. It may not be possible right now but it can’t hurt to have all my facts and figures in place.

Happy New Year!!

Hi again. It's too late for Christmas greetings but not too early to wish everyone all the best for the upcoming year. So I want for you what I want for myself: a closer walk with God, happiness, peace, prosperity in all that you do within the will of the Lord and fulfillment as you walk within His will for your life.

Blessings

Have A Good Weekend

Well, I'm going to my sister's in a little while. Sadly she has no computer and no internet. Noooooooooooo! We're going shopping tomorrow for Christmas curtains and such and later it's off to our church dinner. I'm really looking forward to that. So I'll be back on Sunday afternoon. I hope everyone has a blessed weekend.

Thinking of You

The following I started to write as a 'Thinking of You' type greeting card. It didn't quite turn out as expected. I can't really see anyone actually sending this to an individual. Nevertheless here it is.

I'm thinking of you today
And of things that could never be
Of words I could never say
Words I hold inside of me

Am I your friend, or is there more
That I see in your eyes
In the gentle touch of your hands
And the sweetness of your smile?

Do you know I wonder, can you tell
Whenever I find you near
How my heart trembles inside of me
And I'm sure its not with fear?

If only I could reach out my hands
And draw you close to me
And feel your heartbeat next to mine
Beating in harmony.

Impossible, these dreams I know
They could never come true
But still I find myself ...
Thinking of you.

Meditations of my Heart

I’ve started a new blog, Meditations Of My Heart, the sole purpose of which is to share my reflections as I study the Word of God. I love to read devotions and hope to be able to write them also. This will be good practice I think. Honestly, it will also serve as an incentive to keep studying the Word of God.

Important Life Lesson

Below you will find an important lesson that we should all take heed of.

Enjoy!

Jesus Is The Reason for the Season

It's the first of December and Christmas is that much closer. I must admit I love Christmas: the music, the shopping, the movies, the love, the excitement, the decorations...I could go on and on. But I also don't want to lose sight of the fact that it's all about Jesus. Jesus who was born so that one day He could die for my sins. So as I start my countdown to Christmas I wanted this to be the first thing I posted, to remind myself in everything I do that it's all about Him. The following letter was found on Shelley 's blog and it very eloquently reminds us never to forget Him as we celebrate

Remember My Birthday?

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated.

During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer. It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me.

As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration.

I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face......... and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me.

Since I was not invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a great time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying : "Santa Claus, Santa Claus"... as if the party were in his honor !

At 12 midnight all the people began to hug each other ; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and .... do you know .... no one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one ? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.

Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts, the parties and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all you heart.

I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invitation, will be left outside.

Do you know how you can answer this invitation? it is by extending it to others whom you care for... I'll be waiting for all of you to attend my party this year... See you soon ....

I love you !

Jesus

Robert Liparulo's Comes A Horseman

Comes A Horseman, the first offering of acclaimed newspaper reporter Robert Liparulo is already receiving rave reviews:

"Robert Liparulo writes the kind of thriller other authors write in their dreams, and readers devour until the wee hours of the morning! Make way for a new master of the genre and a can't-put-down knockout with Comes a Horseman." —Mark Andrew Olsen, author of The Assignment and co-author of Hadassah.

"Robert Liparulo is one of the best writers to hit the block in a long time. Comes a Horseman is brilliantly conceived and executed. It will leave readers desperately wanting more." —Ted Dekker, author of the #1 best-selling Obsessed .

"Not for the faint of heart, this is quality writing that deserves a lofty niche within the action/suspense genre. It is well-researched and meticulously detailed, and the characters are fascinating and 'real,' the dialogue clever and altogether human, the plot compelling. What I'm trying to say is, I love it!" —Frank Peretti, author of Monster and This Present Darkness .

Frightening and fiendishly smart, Comes a Horseman is a must-read! Robert Liparulo's intense thrill ride will keep your nerves frayed and your lights on. —David Morrell, best-selling author of Creepers and The Brotherhood of the Rose

Comes A Horseman became one of Amazon’s top 100 thrillers approximately one week after release and a prominent Hollywood producer has already optioned the movie rights to this book.

Interested?

About the book:
Reeling from a series of attempts on their lives, FBI agents Brady Moore and Alicia Wagner follow a trail of evidence that leads to a conspiracy a thousand years in the making. Finding clues in the dusty tomes of the Vatican's Secret Archives and the paintings of William Blake and Hieronymus Bosche, they plunge deep into a pit of evil ambition.

Want more? Read the first chapter.

Hooked? Buy the book.

Trini Women

Hey all, I received the following joke in an email and simply had to share. Ladies, don't try this at home (unless absolutely necessary)

Three men were sitting together bragging about how they had given their new wives duties. The first man had married a woman from Barbados and bragged that he had told his wife she was going to do all the dishes and house cleaning. He said it took a couple days but on the third day he came home to a clean house and the dishes were done.

The second man had married a woman from Grenada. He bragged that he had given his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. On the first day he didn't see any results, but the next day it was better. By the third day, his house was clean, the dishes were done and he had a huge dinner on the table.

The third man had married a Trini girl. He boasted that he told her that her duties were to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn't see anything, the second day he didn't see anything but by the third day most of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye. Enough to fix himself a bite to eat, load the dishwasher and telephone a landscaper.

Droppin' In

I haven't been around for a while. Keeping busy trying to finish a project at work since Monday. I'm about done in so I think I'll take a rest tomorrow (from working late that is). Saturday, I hope to tie everything up so that I can begin my Christmas preparations. Yup. Need to look for those curtains, finalise arrangements for Children's Christmas Treat, start looking for those presents, then there's the painting to be done, the cleaning, the shopping. Oy! *holds heads* Will continue this train of thought later.

Blessings and oh! Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends.

Flooding

Well, I'm home today because quite frankly my house is surrounded by water. The rain's been falling heavily over the past couple of days and we're feeling the effects. It's the first time I've experienced anything like this. The house i used to live in was on a hill (no flooding there :D). At present the water is not high enough to get into the house. I hope it stays that way. I have really great neighbours though. They came through the water to check on us and help us move furniture (the men that is). I thought that was so cool. We're somewhat new to the neighbourhood so it was really appreciated.

On the bright side (got to look for that silver lining) I'll get to see the final game between Trinidad and Bahrain later on today. Yay!

Blessings
Kelly

Results:Trinidad (1):Bahrain(1)

As you can tell from above the game was a draw. We're disappointed but hey, there's still tomorrow. I've heard it said, from the experts, that we need to win by two clear goals to qualify. Here's hoping that we do.

Trinidad vs Bahrain (World Cup 2006 Qualifier)

History is hopefully in the making for my country as we prepare to play two World Cup qualifying matches against Bahrain on the 12th and 16th November, 2005. The first match will be played on our home ground so today there is a tangible air of excitement and expectation as we get ready for tomorrow’s match. Our national colours of red, white and black are very much evident today from Trinis wanting to show support. The last time we were this close to qualifying was in 1989 (?) when we lost our qualifying match to the United States (no hard feelings, people :0).

I admit I don’t really follow sports as such and don’t know much about football (soccer to some). For example, I still don’t understand what it means to be offside. I do know however that when the ball goes inside of the net it’s a ggggggoooooooaaaaaaalllllllll. We’re hoping for lots of those.

Real Men

Travelling home yesterday I saw these words written on the rear window of a maxi-taxi, “Real men seek the Lord”. Well, duh, you might say but I think that the author of these sentiments had a valid message. As far as I can tell there are more women in the church than men. Does this mean that it’s easier for women to get saved than men? If so, why? This lead me to thinking about the authority that God has placed in man. Does it make it harder to submit to God? God’s order of the family is Himself first, the husband and then the wife. Do women find it easier to submit to God than men do as a result? I know there are probably other factors that would affect this decision but I’m just thinking here.

Nevertheless there really is something special about a man that is able to put away pride and allow the Lord to direct his life. He takes his example from Jesus who despite His own authority submitted himself to the will of the Father. And hey, what god-loving, god-fearing, Holy-Ghost-filled single girl wouldn’t want that?

Dark Star : Confessions of a Rock Idol (Rock Star Chronicles)

By Creston Mapes

I am building a list of must read books, this is a definite addition. The following is a description taken from the author's website.

"Everett Lester and his band, DeathStroke, ride the crest of a wave to superstardom. But the deeper they become immersed in fame, wealth, and power, the more likely they are to be swallowed alive by the drugs, alcohol, and discontentment that have become their only friends. Discontent and dabbling in the psychic realm, Everett is headed down a perilous road of no apparent return when he's charged with the murder of his personal psychic. The only hope he can cling to comes from Topeka, Kansas, and the letters written by a prayerful young lady who lives there. Consistent and persistent, the notes cut straight to Everett's empty heart, offering a fulfillment he's never grasped before. But what if he's found guilty of murder? Will he recognize the spiritual battle raging for his soul?"

To buy the book click on the title link.

Breaking the Cycle - Step 3

Step 3: Examine root causes of behaviour

As stated previously, repentance is turning away from sin. Sometimes we encourage ourselves to continue in sin by not changing underlying situations that contribute to our weakness. We need to examine unhealthy patterns of behaviour, mindsets and the state of our spiritual life and see how these may have affected our actions.

Patterns of behaviour
Sometimes overcoming our weaknesses means not hanging out with certain friends, watching certain movies/tv shows or listening to particular kinds of music if they encourage our weaknesses. For example if you have a drug problem that is encouraged by so-called friends, part of turning away from this would be to abstain from these ‘friends’. Also, in the case of David, sin entered in at the eyes. We need to guard our mind and heart – David should have turned away when he saw Bathsheba but instead sent after her.

Additional points to note in terms of patterns of behaviour are disobedience and idleness. In 2 Samuel 11 David is guilty of both of these. While his troops were in battle, where he should have been, he was at home. Verse 2 of this chapter describes David as arising from his bed at eventide. Disobedience breaks the hedge and gives the serpent opportunity to attack, and, as the saying goes, the devil will find work for idle hands.

Mindsets
If in our minds we have given up, and count ourselves slaves to our weaknesses then we have already lost the battle. Hebrews 4:15 says that Christ our high priest was tempted just as we are but he did not sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13 makes it clear that God will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to bear. With temptation comes a choice, we could choose the way out that God has provided or we could fall into sin. We need to believe God’s word and make the right choices.

Spiritual life
Most times it is when we are weakest that we fall. We are weakest when we are not spending enough time in prayer and study of God’s word. Psalm 119:9 “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” We need to feed ourselves spiritually just as we do naturally in order to stay strong. When we have this firm foundation to stand upon it’s easier to withstand temptation.

Breaking the Cycle - Step 2

Step 2: Repent

REPENTANCE (Gk. metanoia, a "change" of mind). In the theological and ethical sense a fundamental and thorough change in the hearts of men from sin and toward God.
(from New Unger's Bible Dictionary)

A turning away from sin, disobedience, or rebellion and a turning back to God.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Paul speaks concerning godly sorrow and specifies that it is godly sorrow that brings about repentance. Godly sorrow is not simply regret at what we’ve done or the pain caused. It means understanding that we have grieved the heart of God and turning back to Him. Sometimes we think that repentance is simply being sorry for our actions but in truth true repentance is turning away from that which we know is wrong.

The greatest example of true repentance can be seen in words of David (Psalm 51). He came before God with a broken spirit and a contrite heart. After asking God to cleanse him from his unrighteousness we see David’s purpose to change. He tells God that he will teach others to do right and give God the praise.

He also asks God to uphold him with His free spirit. It’s not every weakness that we can overcome by ourselves. Some may require counselling or medical attention in extreme cases (drug dependence) but in everything GOD is our safety net who will keep us from falling.