Words To Nourish The Mind

I have been reviewing the book; Dealing with Disappointment by John Hindley.  I continue it today with part 2. A common thread that has been running throughout the book is that life on this earth does seem to be one huge disappointment. We are constantly chasing the next big thing, whether it is a promotion or a better house. Somehow what we have now is not good enough and striving for things in life is portrayed as the answer to our disappointments. And to some degree, this may be true. It's always nice to have nice things as it gives us a feel-good factor, but for how long? The real question is how true is this? From my own experience and the book, it probably not very true because more often than not, once we get the upgrade in life, we may get an instant high but that buzz seems to be superficial and empty at the same time. We just have to look back in the last couple of years to realise that there is at least an element of truth into this from the disappo...

This book was a relatively easy read with the simple idea that leaves you to question: is life just one big disappointment?  In many ways it does seem so; the author delves into different areas of disappointment in our lives. I suspect most if not all are relatable to everyone. Firstly, the author says we actually should be disappointed by life, as things are not as good as they should be. We live in a frustrated and frustrating world; the frustration is because of the fallen world when sin entered humanity. We all carry this divinely inbuilt sense that the world should and could be better. The book goes on to say that on the other hand, we are sometimes too disappointed with life.  We expect satisfaction from other areas of lives to overcompensate for this.  When this satisfaction is denied, it starts an over-disappointed cycle. For example, I came across a thread where the mum wrote in and expressed disappointment in her children’s grades, which led her to ques...

I loved learning about the story of Reformation Day. The significance centres on how the Bible became accessible for everyone to read - historically the general public wasn’t allowed to read it, only priests or those considered anointed within the church were allowed to read it. The priests read the Bible in Latin, so for most people, it wasn’t even possible to read it. God’s word was entrusted into the hands of those in power, who were deemed qualified to understand it.  What the priests were teaching, was not actually in line with what the Bible said, as one monk, called Martin Luther found out. He started to read the Bible for himself out of pure frustration.  According to the teachings of the priests, believing in God seem to be just to be an endless set of rules and it left him feeling as if he could never be good enough for God. Little did he know at the time, he was about to birth a revolution that quite literally changed the world. This set him on a path of ...

The demands of modern life are never-ending and it often feels like a constant juggling of work, appointments, events, chores, grocery shop etc. In the midst of all this, we are beeping, tweeting, clicking and messaging. The list is virtually endless - I find myself drained and exhausted by the end of most weeks and just to do it all again on Monday. I typically run out of steam on Sunday, even the simplest tasks seems to be an effort or a chore – I felt I was in a crash and burn cycle, something had to give. I sat in on a woman’s ministry talk for working mothers on how we can manage the different demands or roles of work, home and life in general. I was left feeling quite perplexed as to why I am struggling so much.  On the surface, I seem to be doing everything right, from food preparation in advance to the delegation. The main premises of the talk was to think about your family values or priorities, asking yourself what is important to my family and use our time to ref...

Exploring the world keeps me alive. Exploring the world inspires my soul. Exploring the world ignites my spirit. Exploring the world educates my mind. Exploring the world gives me a sense of peace. Exploring the world gives me an appreciation of adventure. That is the magic of getting lost into the wanderlust Beauty of the world. Exploring the world keeps my focus on: The present and not the past. The possibilities and not the pain. The healing and not the hurt. The wisdom and not the wounds. The moments and not the memories. That is the power of seeing the world through a different lens. A breeze of fresh air can clear your soul. A quiet lake can refresh your spirit. The smell of wildflowers can connect your senses. A small act of kindness can restore your faith. Seeing the beauty of the world doesn’t change your story But it does pave the way for a new one. And that is the power of seeing the world through a different lens. To s...

The constant noise and distractions, make it difficult to embrace life. The busyness is drowning out the love, peace and joy that I have yet to notice. The softness of His touch and the gentleness in His spirit patiently awaits. The human mind can never be satisfied And is always hungry for more and the thirst has yet to be quenched. I am in search of something that fills my voids. The stuff of the world gave me a temporary high But soon depleted, leaving me to wander alone. I am running on empty, As I have yet to find my why. I can hear the delicate breeze of life that tells me I am alive or am I? The strife has become embedded in my DNA, It made it hard not to cave in. I saw the problems and not the possibilities, The bareness and not the beauty, The lifelessness and not the Light. I desired for a solitude that allows me to escape. I am so shattered in my spirit that I failed to see the glimmer of Light, Which entered my soul, ...

In a world of suffering, it is hard not to live in A space of suppression. In a world of injustice, it is hard not to respond in anger. In a world of unrest, it is hard not to reside in isolation. In a world of darkness, it is easy to lose hope. In a world of heartache, it is easy to feel bitter. In a world of brokenness, it is impossible not to inherit pain. Acceptance of these things doesn’t make them right But it does make us free. Life can be unfair, But it is still good.  Whenever there are obstacles there are also opportunities. We just need to remember the lessons and not the scars. Because yesterday’s scars are today’s strength. When we choose to respond with love and peace, Change will start to happen because To reflect a different message to the next generation. We first have to lead by example. Maybe when there are no perfect endings, It’s time for a new beginning.   Life’s defeat can also be life’s inspiration. ...