The Years Roll Over: Bring It On, I Say!!

 

HAP-PPY NEW YEAR!!  

Thanks for stopping by again,  I haven't seen you since last year - gosh, you're looking great!

Did you have a good festive season?  It was a quiet one for us, but that was all good.  WookieeMan had a birthday a few days after Christmas, and we both worked through, except for the stat days.  

But two 4-day weekends in a row - we ain't gonna grizzle too much :-)

And, of course, there was New Year.  Again, a quiet one at home, and in bed by midnight (!) - the neighbourhood fireworks made sure we were awake at the time, though.

At this time of year, a lot of people usually make New Years Resolutions.  Have you made any?  Care to share what they are?  I used to, but they never seemed to take long to break.  So, a couple of years ago, WookieeMan and I developed "a plan so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a Weasley". We now have "a summit" around New Year, and discuss/decide what we want to acheive over the following 12 months - as a couple, and individually - in any area, be it socialising, health & fitness, work, hobbies, faith... you get the idea, and how we aim to acheive said goals.  I then type it up and print it on to wallet cards, which I laminate and keep in my wallet.  During the year, we check in with it from time to time, and next New Year, we review it - before starting the process all over again.  It's a great way to keep track of goals, and have accountability - not to mention, visually checking your acheivements over the year. Works for us!!

Ah, yes... challenges.  Don'tcha just... love 'em?!  They're not always good ones, but they make a difference nonetheless.  But there is one thing that I am determined about, this year:  something I started to realise and put into place over the last several months.  And that is: 

                    and

Up to this point, one of my main concerns in life was about how what I do or say affects others - dregs from the past. Did I come across as stoopid, dopey, irrelevant or worse?   But then I realised that it was impacting on my self-worth and mental health.  Then the proverbial lightbulb lit up;  maybe it's time to practice what I preach and share on Facebook.  Respect and honesty are still right at the top of my list, but now so is being true to who God made be to be, not what others think I should do.  After all,

Now I am in no way advocating just do what you want when you want, and hang everyone else.  Respect and honesty are right at the top of my list.  To my shame this has not always been the case.

In our daily devotional today, it talked about God transforming us, based on Romans 12:2:   

"All kinds of potential are locked into your spirit.  And for the Christian, transformation at its optimum is the outworking of the internal.  God placed certain things in you that must come out... and when you're tired of trying to unlock your own resources, allow Him to release in you the power to become whatever you need to be."  

"Christ empowers us to slip out of who we were forced to be, 

and transforms us into who He created us to be."  

(Bob & Debby Gass, "The Word For Today")

You may have noticed over previous posts that I possess somewhat of a sense of humour.  And that I like cutesy kinda stuff.  So in keeping with these traits, as well as living up to my newish philosopy (for want of a better word), and the New Year, let me leave you with a few little gems that tickled my funnybone (and speak volumes in the process), in the hope at least one will raise even the shadow of a smile; I would consider that a success. Loud chuckles, giggles and guffaws would be even better :-)

     

 

PS:  I'm really excited and thankful that there have been over 170 views of my little blog.  Thank you so much!!  Friends from the US of A, New Zealand, Australia, and France have stopped by.  Bonjour, mon ami, et merci.  My thoughts and prayers have been with you in light of the recent shocking events in Paris.
Please feel free to leave a comment below, if you so desire :-)

See y'all next time!!   

Who Says Society Says?

I read an interesting "Lifestyle" article on a NZ news website the other day - all about hair.  Apparently "frizzy" hair is possibly making a comeback - thanks, in part, to celebreties like Solange Knowles.  My initial reaction was "YUSS!!!!" with an imaginary fistpump. There is good reason WookieeMan sometimes refers to me as sporting the windswept and interesting look - even on a day when there may be no wind.  Reading the rest of the article, the author then started talking about The Best Products To Use For That Hair Type. You probably know the type - ordinary folk would probably need to choose between buying these products or feeding the family that week.

On one hand, that could be good news for people like moi.  On the other hand, it seems like yet another indication of exactly how much impact there is from the world around us. I mean, when did we start getting more concerned about labels, and brands, and Keeping Up With The Joneses, Smiths, Browns, or Kardashians?  What's with that?  Who said we HAVE to have the latest gizmowhosmagat that will skype, fold your laundry and cook your meals at the same time? (Mind you, that has possibilities...)

Several years ago, I knew an elderly couple in smalltown NZ (they had THE CUTEST little poodle named Tricky).  Mrs T was a member of my then church, while Mr T wasn't.  In fact, from all accounts, he didn't socialise much at all.  My little sis BlondFT and I would go and visit them occasionally. Well, Mr T became terminally ill.  Sometimes I would go for a visit, and sit and talk with him, or read to him.  I found out later that I was one of the few people who he was willing to see.  He felt that with me, "what you see is what you get."

Now this may sound all very Pat-Myself-On-The-Backish.  But there is a point.  Coming from someone like him, that was a tremendous compliment,  one that I have not only held on to in the years since, but have tried to be worthy of.  It took me 30 years or so to discover that I'm an OK person (contrary to what I had come to believe up till that point), and I've been building on it ever since.  Surprisingly, I found the best way to do it - is be myself.

It doesn't matter what others think of us:  we're too fat/skinny, pretty/ugly, dress like a streetwalker/dress like our grandparents, prudish/worldly... you get the idea.  What REALLY matters is that we are who we are.  God made us to be individuals, not off a production line.  He knows every hair on our head (Luke 12:6-7); the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11); He gave each of us our own gifts - skills, things we're good at.  (And let's not forget one very important point:  God doesn't make junk, so who are we to contradict Him and say "yes He did with me"?)

"I've just got the latest iPhone 84", your friends brag to you while swanning around in their designer jeans by whoever, while sipping their soymilk-decaf-chai-latte-with-organic-honey ("because I really MUST lose another 2 kgs so that I can fit into the diVINE dress that was the centre of attention at Paris Fashion Week"). "Oh - are you still using an iPod 73? How quaint and cute.  Do they still make parts for those?"  

Just because everyone else does it - doesn't make it right.  At no time do we need to compromise our principles and values for ANYONE - especially not to fit in with the crowd.

Who knows?  If you make a stand (even if it's just quietly to yourself), there could be someone else who has been wanting to break free of "social bondage" - someone else might just take notice, and follow your lead.

And now, to paraphrase Richard Simmons,  go out there, and have an awesome day!!  And I'll see ya later :-)