thoughts – Page 15 – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

Daily, Family and Society, Quotes, Stories Around the World

The Three Sieves

Posted on December 17, 2018October 23, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Think before you speak. Read before you think.” Fran Lebowitz

The greatest ability that puts man apart from the rest of the oxygen dependent genres is the ability to read, write, think, comprehend and speak various languages understood with all of his kind. The gift of verbal and non-verbal communication of man is at a higher level than the rest of the living species.

“There is a time and a place for things. Sometimes one needs to put a filter on oneself. That can be a good thing.” Tori Amos

Which is why before we say something rash or simply repeat the hearsay, think if doing so is worth the time, effort, energy as well as the consequences and the aftermath. The wheel of time is such that it can be only move forward. Once a particular event has happened for good or bad, we can’t change it but only deal with it or take corrective measures.

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“Speak only if it improves upon the silence.” Mahatma Gandhi

Unless we learn to sieve our words and thoughts when we tweet, speak or cast them to the world around us; we would end up with a whole load of regrets, guilt and uneasiness. It is easy to fill in conversation gaps, catch attention or be the first with the information; yet unless it is true, beneficial, required, non intrusive and kind; saying nothing is more restful to oneself and others as well.

“Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give.” William Arthur Ward

“One day, the old wise Socrates walks down the streets, when all of the sudden a man runs up to him “Socrates I have to tell you something about your friend who…”
“Hold up” Socrates interrupts him “About the story you’re about to tell me, did you put it trough the three sieves?”
“Three sieves?” The man asks “What three sieves?”
“Let’s try it” Socrates says.
“The first sieve is the one of truth, did you examine what you were about to tell me if it is true?” Socrates asks.
“Well no, I just overheard it” The man says.
“Ah, well then you have used the second sieve, the sieve of good?” Socrates asks “Is it something good what you’re about to tell me?”
“Ehm no, on the contrary” the man answers.
“Hmmm” The wise man says “Let’s use the third sieve then, is it necessary to tell me what you’re so exited about?”
“No not necessary” the man says.
“Well” Socrates says with a smile “If the story you’re about to tell me isn’t true, good or necessary, just forget it and don’t bother me with it.”
Socrates

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Family and Society, Reflections

Gearing for the Holiday Season

Posted on December 16, 2018November 2, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Holidays – any holiday – are such a great opportunity to focus on bringing the family together. Lidia Bastianich

Come December, across many countries families come together, friends meet up, work schedules get hectic and team up so as to bring together the close of the year. In some places while the financial year may be of a different time frame, the last month of the year still holds a special place with schools closing for Christmas, offices, workplaces and even hospitals gearing up for some holiday cheer as well as couples, friends and families going to new places to celebrate the end of the year and welcome the next one.

I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending.Fred Rogers

One of the challenges of the holiday season is not to get completely lost within the web of pure commercialization with shopping sprees, parties around the clock and the whole gala of the year end. No doubt we need them too, but with the whole family and friends getting free time for the season, submerging ourselves into the consumer aspect alone is a dimming outlook. One of the essential things that we can give others is time. Take out some time this holiday season and spend it with our family and friends. Spend some time with those who we are in irregular contact with. Share your precious time with children, extended family and community so that we create good memories as well as foster our relationships for better.

Source:https://vk.com/comeshome

Thoughts turn to other’s just a little more this time of year. Days grow shorter and memories grow longer. Families and friends gather in celebration or hope. Giving is a reflection of our love and caring for each other and those less fortunate. May your thoughts turn to gratitude this holiday season and carry on throughout the next year. James A. Murphy

For those of us who are always short of time especially during holidays, one of the best ways to free up some time is not to simply organize but prioritize as well as delegate the work. Toddlers running underfoot would love spending some time with the baking batter, cutting up dough for cookies or having fun with glitter art and paints in their play pen. Even teenagers when they opt to stay at home would help especially to make edible art and designs, put their interior designer experimentation into good use or can start on the music lists for the season, provided we encourage them to help and give them an outlet to express their creativity and energy. Getting the whole family involved is no easy feat yet the memories made would light the dark moments in our life. This holiday season, the most precious and priceless thing to spend on would be time and striving to do so would make the holidays worth the store of treasured moments.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.” Helen Keller

Source:https://vk.com/comeshome

Daily, Family and Society, Photography Art, Quotes

Enjoy the Wave

Posted on November 28, 2018October 15, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“The story is about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time. He’s enjoying the wind and the fresh air-until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. “My God, this is terrible,” the wave says. “Look what’s going to happen to me!” Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, “Why do you look so sad?” The first wave says, “You don’t understand! We’re all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn’t it terrible?” The second wave says, “No, you don’t understand. You’re not a wave, you’re part of the ocean.” Mitch Albom

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One of the constraints of man is we focus a lot on our own issues forgetting that our existence is not by being alone but as a part of a bigger network. We devote our time and energy towards the end goal, little realizing that one day we will all crash just like everyone else. That is why the joy of the ride should be more important than reaching the final post. Although it is imperative to set down life goals for oneself, on the way to achieving them it would be best not to not forget that our journey is one among the billion other journeys taking place. During the intersections and the temporary stops, it would do good to greet others and smell the flowers, for although our destination is predetermined, we never control the entire route or the final stop.

Source:https://vk.com/englisharoundtheworld

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Daily, Family and Society, Photography Art, poetry

Who You Are

Posted on November 2, 2018October 13, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

As I was watching the preschoolers laugh and joyously enter the gates of their daycare, what passed through my mind was how much will change for them through the years. On a retrospective view, we had started off the years of toddler-hood with all innocence and a joyous outlook. As the years go by, we learn of names, colours, sizes and preferences. When the teenage years come, it becomes to more of a personal struggle to find ourselves. Sometimes we get lucky and find our settings and tuning by youth. Yet there are days when we still lose our bearings and need a little soul searching to get back on track. Whereas, some of us will need more years to wander to get the right track. When we heed to too many directions, we get confused and discover that we have lost ourselves on the way. Instead of running in circles and loops, to break free is the only way out. The truth is deep inside we know who we are, we only need to listen to it more to find and define ourselves back. Else the eternal doubt of “Who are you…” will always linger in mind, heart and soul.

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Not by Erin Hanson

You are not your age,
Nor the size of clothes you wear,
You are not a weight,
Or the colour of your hair.
You are not your name,
Or the dimples in your cheeks,
You are all the books you read,
And all the words you speak,
You are your croaky morning voice,
And the smiles you try to hide,
You’re the sweetness in your laughter,
And every tear you’ve cried,
You’re the songs you sing so loudly,
When you know you’re all alone,
You’re the places that you’ve been to,
And the one that you call home,
You’re the things that you believe in,
And the people that you love,
You’re the photos in your bedroom,
And the future you dream of,
You’re made of so much beauty,
But it seems that you forgot,
When you decided that you were defined,
By all the things you’re not.

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https://vk.com/public75290000

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Christian, Life, Reflections

The Priceless Gifts

Posted on October 7, 2018October 6, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

As children, we were always eager to attend parties as well as host them. For which birthday girl or boy wouldn’t love cutting the cake, opening all the presents, giving away the game prizes, handing thank you kits for all the guests and in short, having loads of fun. The pre-birthday days or rather week would be all hush-hush with eager eyes and ears round the place hoping for the best surprise gift. Post the birthday, we engage in the fun of our gifts. Yet a month later down the road, with some of the gifts the novelty may wear off, while others may be still in use for some more time or their use may have been past time though they may still be precious to us.

It’s almost the similar scenario for Christmas, country fair prizes, competition prizes and so on. No doubt, the joy of getting a gift or winning a prize is exhilarating but it lasts for only some time. Then it fades away into a sweet memory.

Compare these gifts with the priceless gifts from our Heavenly Father. The heavenly gifts, whether of providence, nature, family, grace or blessings far outrank all the materialistic gifts of the world. The inner joy and sanctum of peace granted by the gifts from Our Father doesn’t change with the shadows, neither do they wax and wane with time. Instead, they grow quietly and steer us through the battlefields and downhills we face in life. For like the stars above, Our Father is always there keeping watch and guiding us through His Light and His Grace when we have lost our way or are left in the dark.

As James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Sometimes it’s only in hindsight that we realize these precious and perfect gifts bestowed on us. Yet even then, the beauty of these priceless gifts don’t fade away but persist with time. Even words can’t express the joys of the gifts. The only way to thank the Lord for the benevolence of His Grace would be to live by His Word, which though may sound difficult, is feasible.

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Daily, Personal Musings, Photography Art, Quotes

Stirrings of Autumn

Posted on September 20, 2018September 11, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Late yesterday as the leaves of various shades cluttered the lawn, I was deeply contemplating on whose turn should I make it to clean up the mess, when the first stirrings of “autumn fever” drafted into my mind.

The lawn and the backyard was a mess; but among all the fallen leaves was my thought that at one point of time, each leaf was a small tiny green point on the branch from where it unfurled through the spring and summer. Each leaf had its’ own world to see. Some were of the sunshine rays and early morning dew , of rain and wind, the little crawlies of nature among various views. At the end of their time, they all had their own story to tell.

Sometimes I feel, our days are like the leaves in fall. There will be times when we will have to stand alone. There will be days when we have to make our choices and sacrifices, face reality and find our own path. All this requires us to find the courage and faith from within ourselves, donning the mantle of true faith in quiet confidence with the willingness to take risks and to settle for nothing less than what makes us truly happy. For by this, we can hope to discover the true purpose of our life.

“Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love – that makes life and nature harmonise. The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one’s very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”[Letter to Miss Lewis, Oct. 1, 1841]” ? George Eliot, George Eliot’s Life, as Related in Her Letters and Journals – Volume 1

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Christian, Reflections, Stories Around the World

Are you like the little boy ?

Posted on September 11, 2018September 6, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Actions speak louder than words or even beliefs. Yes, this old adage goes a long way and it does ring almost all the time. We belong to a conversation savvy world, where words and deeds are at polar opposites. It goes same for those of who often give out advice. Or for those of who often preach. Many of us do read the Bible regularly, some occasionally but the more important fact lies in the fact that how many of us have honest faith in God’s words. During difficult times, and here I don’t mean physical hardships but mental, emotional, social or even financial ones; do we really lift our burdens and hand it over to the Lord or do we fret and worry about tomorrow. We are human, so we do tend to worry but how many of us have the real conviction that just as the Lord brings hardships, He will always provide too. For that we need absolute faith which doesn’t come without absolute trust in His Grace.

This story below is one of a boy’s absolute faith in the Lord, that put an entire congregation to shame. For those of us who have previously come across this story, the food for thought is: who would you be: the little boy or the congregation ? And for those of us who haven’t heard of this story, do read on.

This is a story of absolute Faith
It was a dry summer, and farmers, residents of a small village, were worried about what would happen to their harvest. On one Sunday after the Mass, they turned to their pastor for advice. “Father, we must do something, or we will lose a crop!”
“All that is required of you is to pray with absolute faith. Prayer without faith is not prayer. It must come from the heart, “answered the priest.
The next week the farmers gathered twice a day and prayed that God would send them rain. On Sunday they gathered as usual for the mass and someone was the last to arrive. This time it was a little boy who rushed in putting his umbrella in the stand. After the mass, the farmers came to the priest.
“Nothing happens, Father!” We every day get together and pray, but there is no rain and no.
“Do you really pray with faith?” Asked the priest. They began to assure him that it was so. But the priest replied:”If you pray with faith, then like the little boy, you would have taken your umbrella with you !”

“Finally, brethren (sisters) of mine, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His power” (Ephesians 6: 10).