Inspiration from Petra Pierre - Robertson

  Good Morning! “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:23) Have you awoken with a song on your lips? Then, after topping up with a good devotion and positive outlook for the day, you venture out and, vaps! Disrespectful, unpleasant, in a mood, bad vibes, trouble, or all of the above are thrown at you?    Jus so...? I went into the grocery. I wanted to get out quick. COVID-19 was still a real threat, so I didn’t go often. I beckoned to a young worker (who appeared to be a trainee since I had never seen her before), to assist me in retrieving an item. She came instantly. She was pleasant. Most of the employees at that supermarket were.   Good Customer Service Upon retrieving the items, she told me to go in the line for customers with 1 - 10 items. I had ten 'bib records' but about 17 items...(librarians would understand. Lol). Put another way, I had ten unique items: about seven were second copies. I ...

  Exodus 15:2 “The LORD is my strength and my defense Just about 3-years old, he displayed an obvious preference for his mother as did most boy children at that age. His dad laughed it off, reminiscing on the similarity in the relationship he and his brothers had with their mother as boys, while his sister displayed a preference for their father.  Preference? One evening, his dad was tied up in what was supposed to be a short meeting. As it turned out, it was not that short, so I left for home, alone, with the toddler.   This was not a normal occurrence.   We usually drove home together after church.    When I drove up, the house was dark. As I got out of the car to open the gate, he clung to me and fearfully whispered, “I want my daddy.” I was stunned. But mommy is here, I responded, expecting him to be pacified by my soft assurance. “No!” his eyes widened, and his request became more urgent.  He pushed at me and looked fearfully around, “I wa...

  White? For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known . ( 1 Corinthians 13:12) I asked for a blue Mist Sprayer, because I already had a white. On receiving the package, I noted the image of the blue device adorning the box.   I opened the box in anticipation. T he device was white.  I did not want another white. Disappointed, I took it out of the box, and placed it next to the other white device which I had owned for over a year. I frowned.   I reexamined the box before returning my attention to the two devices. White   "You mean to tell me I had a blue all along?'  I was so confused I spoke aloud to myself, but I did not answer back.  Instead, I placed them side by side and examined them closely.  Fast and furious the analogy came.  Fast and furious, I turned away from the clutter of work on my work-from-home-desk and started documenting the symboli...

He makes the clouds his chariot     and walks upon the wings of the wind. (Psalm 104:3) He makes the clouds his chariot!   (Photo by Andre Moura) I remember that day clearly. I was a teen. I stood by the traffic light waiting for the all clear to cross the busy road when a strong breeze blew. It almost pushed me onto the road in the path of the speeding cars. I was no more than 80lbs at that time  (I never crossed 80lbs during my teen years; but that is the subject of another blog). I struggled to remain unmovable against the gust, but I couldn't. In desperation I grabbed the pole supporting the traffic light, to keep from being pushed onto the road by the strong wind.   I struggled against just a small gust, yet the Psalmist asserts that God walks on the wings of the wind (Psalm 104:3) ; and I am certain he was alluding to the strongest wind one can possibly imagine! What a powerful analogy to depict the authority of our God. Even the wind obey h...

  "Bright eyes gladden the heart..."  Proverbs 15:30   On April 29, 2020, at the daily press briefing, the Chief Medical Officer officially began the operationalisation of the 'New Normal'. This he said, was the forerunner to any possibility of easing restrictions arising out of COVID-19. He introduced six aspects of the 'New Normal', one of which was the wearing of masks. Covered faces and expressionless eyes It was and still is startling to move around amid covered faces and mostly expressionless eyes. With lips now covered, eyes which in the past, some could NOT look directly into while communicating, are now the only means of communication. The act of greeting must now be communicated with the eyes rather than lips which, can twitch but not necessarily smile. A smile lights up the eyes. Lips may deceive; eyes don't. So, while the mask hides the face it reveals the personality.   With the new normal, eyes expose masked feelings when they either glance, ...

Losing a loved one is painful This  blog is written for a young woman who is grieving the loss of her brother. I am responding to her in a blog so others who may be in the same dilemma may find answers and peace.  The young lady, who I will refer to as N, shared with me  her concern with respect to where her brother was.  "I just want to know where he is and if he is ok.  Is he up in heaven?  If so how is it the Bible says when God comes he would resurrect him?"   The concern of the young lady is echoed by so many who have lost loved ones.  It is so comforting to think that they are up in heaven.  But if they are in heaven how can 1 Thessalonians 4: 16 - 18 be explained?  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord...

Sing among the branches Psalm 104:12 (ESV) The birds of the heavens...sing among the branches.   "I thought birds sang sweetest in the morning. But I was wrong. They sing all through the day. I just didn't hear them since I was never home to listen...and even when home, the noises - cars, people, movement- crowded them out...but now...I hear them. They do sing...all through the day... #StayAtHome" (Petra Pierre - Robertson, April 23, 2020)   Ironically, exactly one year ago today, I came to this startling realization as I ‘worked from home’ in silence, during the height of lockdown, because of rising cases of COVID-19. Birds always sing!    They don't only sing when they are happy,  They don’t only sing only when they are free…   Singing a regular part of their daily activity They sing when they are working They sing when it is raining They sing when clouds are dark They sing when big dogs bark And although the songs differ based on the emotion or sit...