Tuesday 11 December 2012

A time of love and joy...

Another year drawing to an end...

It's truly amazing how time does fly, and how each day just goes by ever so quickly...
The whole year is a rush of work and studies, deadlines...and then come the end of year, the unwinding starts, holidays are planned,end of year Christmas parties, Christmas holidays bring families together, and resolutions are made for the New Year, most especially for the over indulgence of that 'stuffed turkey'!!

Christmas, the time of giving (more generously), charity, love, world peace (we hope and pray), and most importantly the significance that brings people the world all over together gathering in churches to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
It's a joyous time for everyone, and there are selfless people in the world who will go all out to make it a special time for those unfortunate.
The greatest gift of Christmas, is the priceless moments of being with family and those dear to you, and being at home...and appreciating what you have.

Life can be so unpredictable that we have no idea what tomorrow will hold for us, or how it can change so many dimensions in our life, in the most wonderful and amazing way. We're so busy planning our life sometimes that we don't make accommodation for the unexpected....and when the unexpected does happen, it's a true test of our ability to adjust and make changes.

As you set out for preparations for this time of year, may you be an inspiration to others in giving, loving and spreading joy and cheer to all those around you, and making a difference in someone's life.


 

May the spirit of Christmas bring loved ones together to know and feel the blessings of forgiveness, humility and generosity, and the power of having faith and believing that any dream and change is possible if we allow and open our hearts to do so...
















Monday 3 September 2012

ROOM FOR ONE ...



"I'm never getting married" is a line that many young people at one time in their lives are familiar with. There are some who actually follow through with it for the rest of their lives and are quite content too. There are others who obviously change their minds during the course of their life, and are constantly on the look out for the right or perfect person.
It has become quite the culture for couples to cohabit pre-marriage or even just to have a life partner, and this seems to work amongst many individuals. With a change in acceptable norms of society today it seems that as long as couples are happy ( hopefully for all the right reasons), there lies no qualms about it.
So much for looking for the so called 'right' or 'perfect' person when we know that they just don't exist. It is merely loving the imperfect person perfectly, and the love that emanates between the two that makes everything about that relationship so right and perfect, and most of all one that lasts.

It is not easy to be able to 'share' yourself with someone as time goes by, as one becomes so set in their individual routine of life, and they have to accommodate someone else who 'destabilises' what seems a perfect balance. We wonder whether that once comfortable single life would mean the end to those days when you just wake up in the mornings and plan to be spontaneous with your whole day, or just simply decide to lie in for the morning and maybe afternoon, or just stay in your PJ's for the whole day, just because you can.
Well seemingly and hopefeully some of that doesn't have to change...only if you've drawn up a contract in advance with the specifications!
All in all, life wouldn't be all that fun if it was just a 'room for one'. I believe that there is a someone for everyone out there, as much as many people are content without the so-called 'headaches' of having somebody else and just enjoy being able to have 'me-time' all the time.
If you haven't been blessed with a partner yet, you're blessed with plenty moments to appreciate, and get yourself ready for that day when Mr or Miss Compatibility walks through your door.



'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight' ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)


Never give up or lose faith...the time will come...there is a time for all things in life that must and will be..


Count your blessings!!


Monday 23 July 2012

Precious years, how fast they go...


Time is such a priceless asset these days and to many there's simply never enough of it to complete that which we must, want to or need to. Life has become seemingly so fast paced that it almost always seems that we're racing against time to get things done.
It's when we remember someone dear that we've lost in our lives that we realise just how precious time is, and how those years gone by, as long as they may be, seem like only just yesterday.
Everyday becomes so priceless, yet somehow we forget because we are so caught up in our rat-race world of monotony and making a living...we take life for granted.

We need to value the time we have NOW, because this is the time in years to come that we would look back on and probably have woulda's, coulda's or shoulda's ... and there's simply no time for that.





Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.


                                                                William Henry Davies



May time be always on your side, through all the rush and demands of life...and don't let life pass you by in the midst of all it's ride!!

Hold dear to those near and loved, and make every moment count.















Wednesday 20 June 2012

End of a chapter, start of a new journey....


Thankyou, and goodbye LONDON!
Alas, the time has come to say goodbye to this amazing and unforgettable city with some of the most beautiful and incredible people I will never forget.

It has been a journey of great times, happiness, chartered memories and unforgettable moments. Life can surprise when you least expect it, and when it does, somehow you just know you're ready.
Change is almost always a good thing, it's how you embrace it and plan to face the challenges that come your way that make you strong and prepare you.

This has been an incredibly awesome journey for me, and it only gets better!










Whatever journey ahead awaits you, may your path be filled with enlightenment, happiness, joy, peace and an abundance of love, always...


Though you may travel the world to find the beautiful, you must have it within you or you will find it not.- Ralph Waldo Emerson



May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

XOXO



Wednesday 6 June 2012

Everyday is a blessing

When you wake up in the morning whether the sun is shining or not, there's always a reason to give thanks for another day, and most especially for life. Some people are most definitely not 'morning people' as they would rightly admit....and misery loves company as they try to suck out every drop of joy and happiness that could possibly be in their presence...C'est la vie...let them be.

People mostly realise just how precious everyday is when they lose someone close and dear to them, or when time has selfishly shortened their time on earth. Life has new meaning. What was once a mountain challenge in one's life suddenly becomes smaller than a mole hill. Priorities in life change, and love encompasses everything you do.

Be thankful for your life, and don't take a moment for granted.

May there be love, light and joy in all you do, and in all those hearts that you touch!





Have no regrets, this is as good as it gets.... Don't expect more or less, just go out and give it your best...
Nobody and nothing can stand in  your way....


You've got what it takes to win....no climb is too high!


Today is YOUR day!!


God's blessings be with you always.






Wednesday 16 May 2012

Moving on...

London....



London, a city of cultural diversity, music, theatres, busking, walks along the rivers, and a timeless romance, and the city where you see more foreigners than the very English themselves...not forgetting the packed red double decker buses and the sometimes sardine-packed underground tubes during peak hour travel...and the orderly fashion of commuters travelling the escalators as though they were trained ants, with almost every second commuter sitting flipping through the Metro in the morning and reading through the Daily Mail in the afternoon, if they're not engrossed in a novel or Sudoku, or busy eyeing out the next person's attire, or simply the opposite sex...

A city where almost every pub around lunch time is never deprived of beer thirsty guzzlers.
...where the sunshine is like GOLD, and the heat on your skin is like a once in a lifetime treat, so much so that you rush out to the nearest park, strip off to the bare essentials to cash in on that quick tan...just to bask in that glorious sun as though you were lying on a sunny seaside resort (one can dream :) ).
You can appreciate the seasons in all its glory and fulness just like you hear about it when you're a kid....the snowfall in the winter, the beautiful and colourful flowers at spring time, the fabulous sun and heat (ok, so maybe a week or two worth of actual summer), and the brilliant brown golden colours during fall.

One is never short of any ethnic cuisine that one may desire, with Indian restaurants favouring the public tastebuds having its synonmous accompaniment with that quenchful lager, especially at one minute past twenty three hundred hours...











A city where indelible memories are made and the great few that imprint on your heart, will always house a special place...


It's a good GOOD LIFE!!

Live your dreams!!


Sunday 22 April 2012

Mon Amour

 "Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts" Oliver Wendall Holmes



We love with our hearts on our sleeves, take the chances, love with no regrets, go the miles no matter how far the distance, take every possible bold step and dive into love...and it's all so worth it!!




The feelings that warm our hearts and lighten our thoughts, knowing that when love is unconditional, the destiny of our journey becomes more exciting, and the journey that more adventurous and fulfilling, and no step is too big to make....
Love is in the heart to be shared, passed on and given..



As a new journey awaits, may each realise their own with no reservation of the heart and see where love can take you!

Life moves so fast and if you don't stop and look around once a while, you're sure to miss it... along with all the possibilities that surrounds you. Don't let it pass you by!!


                        Embrace the moments that life offers you!!






Tuesday 3 April 2012

A Love so Rare...



It's a story that you've heard a thousand times over of how couples meet, fall in love, stay together, break up, make up or move on. I've heard it from a couple married for 70 years, with a love so strong and still ever so evident with the touch of their hands, that look in their eyes when talking to each other, the love in their tones, the indescribable silence of a love that has spoken volumes over the years, and needs no words.... 



And when that time comes, the start of it all, the exchanged glances, the non existant surrounding present save for the mesmerising words that captivates the heart in an incredible and unforgettable way, a work of divine Providence, it remains an indelible moment to the heart for a life time, all of which time can only surpass to a greater level. It's that moment when the birth of a love sees a new dawn, and a reawakening that love does and can exist in it's rarity of 'true love' and 'love at first sight' and 'love will make a way, and overcomes all boundaries'....when months passed feel like years, even with the cruel distance between, and the winter months come alive with the warmth of a glowing thought embedded in far away hearts....

An overwhelming feeling of a wait that has finally reached the end of a somewhat arduous journey.

May the love you feel seem like a  thousand years, and may you love for a thousand more...

Just go for it!

Somewhere out there, there is a love for every heart....every heart deserves happiness and the joy that comes with it, in it's course of life.
When opportunities come your way, don't lose the chance and regret never taking that opportunity of just going for it....it could turn out to be something most precious and priceless that time might never offer you again.

If it hasn't happened, it must and it will, as all things in life take it's course, find equilibrium, love and peace. It is the open heart that is willing to 'see' and accept, that will find no fear in the slightest obstacle or challenge that comes it's way.
Life is worth every chance and risk when it comes to love, and worth the wait, when it's truly meant to be!





"Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinion of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth."
                                                          Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923)



Strangers Are Friends We Haven't Met

God knows no strangers,
He loves us all,
The poor, the rich,
The great, the small.....

He is a friend
Who is always there
To share our troubles
And lessen our care....

No one is a stranger
In God's sight,
For God is Love
And in His Light
May we, too, try
In our small way
To make new friends
From day to day....

So pass no stranger
With an unseeing eye,
For God may be sending
A new friend by.
                                                     (Helen Steiner Rice)



May you be blessed with love, peace and happiness always, and may the hurdles of love never phase, but strengthen you!!




                                              

Friday 30 March 2012

A SpRiNg of love...

Finally the time has arrived! The clocks have gone forward, we have longer days, warmer days, and definitely a spring to our step!

We're bursting with bounding and endless energy, recharged and revitalised, entering into a new season of nature, life and love. A time when we feel somewhat inspired and motivated, with hopefully new ideas and thoughts on the horizon, and maybe even life changing decisions.





With couples walking hand in hand exploring this amazing and extraordinary city that seems to come so alive when the season changes, enamoured with romantic night walks, in awe of the beautiful architecture that surrounds them with a story behind each of it, savouring exquisite cuisines, and charting memories of timeless moments in what can be considered a city of love.



Like the seasons of nature has its way with all beautiful creation around us, so too are the seasons in our life, ever changing and growing, with challenges and triumphs.

Enjoy this wonderful season!! May it be alive with love, joy and endearing moments of timeless happiness!

never let yesterday use up today~ richard h nelson

Let every spring day count!

Sunday 11 March 2012

never forget....

Pic from HERE...







We come from a culture, tradition and way of life, an aspect of our life that will always be home. Wherever we decide to go in the world at whatever stage in our life, we cannot forget where we've come from, it's a part of us that we were born into. As much as we can settle in another part of the world, our culture will always live in our hearts because we will always belong there!

We're always looking for greener pastures somewhere else in the world, when we have it all already. Home is truly where the Spirit of the great heart is!







Remembering where you come from always helps you know and appreciate where you're going in life.

Never forget...no matter where in the world you are or go to...

Thursday 23 February 2012

For you...





For the love you brought and gave so selflessly and utterly unconditionally, the joy, faith and happiness that you surrounded everyone with, your infectious laughter and warm smile, your radiant beauty, the way you lit up any room when you walked in, and the honour and pride of knowing you and having had you in my life, I remember your life with the deepest love and warmest memories, and thank the Lord for your birth, and amazing life you shared with us.






A Mother's Love


A Mother's love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendored miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.


                                                ~ Helen Steiner Rice







Today, like every other day, I am thankful for having known  and being blessed with the the most incredible, beautiful woman that I would ever know in my life. The immeasurable kindness and happiness you blessed us with,  and for believing in us and that no dream is too big, is most certainly a 'Mother's Faith'.

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Goodbye Whitney.


Thankyou....for the music!




An icon...... a legendary exceptional classic with an indefinable voice that brings warmth within you and reaches those notes 'up there' ever so magically!!

We all have one song, a few songs or almost all her songs that we can relate to at some stage in our life, be it that first crush, first love,that first slow dance, moments of great friendship, having immeasurable hope, inspiration for the love of children, trying to see that for a moment in a song we CAN have world peace, the painful times of loss and love, the encouraging moments for women to realise their strength, and standing by and believing in your faith.




She has shared or played some part in our lives, whether we knew it or not.
Her incredible talent for touching millions of hearts across the globe, will be dearly dearly missed. And somehow, now, everytime we hear her beautiful songs, we will remember and think of her in a different light, and not just another one of her songs on the radio.














Rest in peace.....may you use your magical voice and sing with the angels in heaven above!

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (9 August 1963~11 February 2012)

Monday 13 February 2012

Don't Give Up!

'Patience is a virtue'



Pic from here

Like anything in life, we need to have patience and the faith never to give up,be it the dreams we have in life, relationships, or challenges that are hurdled our way.
We all have dreams and aspirations in life that most times and sometimes seem so within reach, because we tend to make most of them attainable, rather than 'that trip to the moon one day'...which by the way is not actually very far fetched today!

The time frame for these dreams may vary accordingly. They may not always be within our actual timing, sometimes surprising us with a most natural and sooner than expected occurrence.
At times, they seem to grow further and further away, and become out of reach and eventually out of sight.
We work so hard to get to that point to achieving that goal, only to have more obstacles come our way. Life would probably be a bog standard routine day if we didn't have some of these challenges to face. It's not about throwing in the towel, and giving in, when it gets tough. When something is worth the importance to you, don't lose focus of your goal, even though the road might be a challenging one....it's all part of the journey.




People tend to give up on relationships so easy these days, as though love were worth nothing, and they forget the reasons that brought them together in the first place. It's about standing together with the one you love, and not giving up together!
Life is not about us giving up when we feel we can't handle a situation or circumstance that arises. It's about charging through the hurdles with faith, courage, confidence and belief.

Nothing is out of our reach, if it is our hearts desire, and we stand firm to it.


Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Psalm 27:14 KJV



When you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt


THE RACE AND CHALLENGE IS OURS TO COMPLETE...BY NEVER GIVING UP!!

Life can be awesome for you!
                                                           Have a blessed day.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

FOOTPRINTS

Everyone goes through challenges in their everyday life. We tend to take on so many needless burdens. For sure this road we're on, we're not alone.
Prayer and faith can get you through.

You may seem so alone in your trials and tribulations, but no matter how heavy the weight is, you can be reassured that it is miniscule to the burden that many others are carrying, and your weight is lightened along your journey.

John 3:16

New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.



Pic from here


 
If we can see the good in everyone's heart, 
we will see the angels that God brings into our lives.








 









Sunday 5 February 2012

The month of LOVE


Verses from here
 Corinthians 13: 4-7

It's a leap year, and some guys will probably be expecting their dear sweetheart girlfriends to propose to them, or, it provides a bold opportunity for a girl to ask the young man out whom she's had an eye on, on the last day of February, the 29th......
hmmm...what are the chances??

If it's meant to be, who can hold back and why should you. Love can overcome all challenges and obstacles, if you believe that it can happen, then love will find a way(God guided). Who's to decide what rules there are, and what rules should be made when it comes to love? In love there are no rules. You are who you are, and need to be accepted for that. As unconventional as it may sometimes get, it is your lives and happiness that really matter in the end.
You could call it a 'a leap of faith for love'.

In the bigger scheme of things, we have the one life, the one life where we don't choose who we love (given there are cultures that accept and allow this), but rather, a love enters your life in the most unexpected way, when you're not looking.
Everyone in their own way deserves to be loved, and deserves the happiness that comes with it.

So this may be the month to make certain life changing decisions, if you know and feel it in your heart, what do you have to lose, aside from the love of your life?







                                        
                               Love builds bridges where there are none.

Thursday 26 January 2012

New destinies

It's a wonder how we spend so much time preparing and planning for what we think our future might hold,and yet, just within a few hours it could totally change to our pleasant surprise.
We get a 360 and with that spin comes along the most unexpected change off course in our journey. Sometimes that change will bring about challenges and diversions or just simply beautiful moments, creating a new destiny that was really mapped out just for you.... A destiny that opens your heart to accepting new ventures in life, which only you can allow to happen.
 Pretty much like love, when it's totally unexpected and when you're not looking.


And it might be part of a grander plan, looking back someday only to realise why your plan was not meant to be.




11) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12)Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
~ Jeremiah 29 : 11 – 13 NIV




                                           YOU are the driver of your destiny!

The fight





Tough times dont last, TOUGH PEOPLE DO!
Ain't that just the truth!
There are so many people that go through challenging periods of their life. We all have someone close and dear to us that we have seen win and lose their battle to cancer.
It's a journey that needs all the love and support to get through everyday, every minute. You will be surprised how instrumental you can be in making their tough time lighter and easier to get through.
A prayer, a smile, a laugh, and little moments out of love could make the biggest change in their lives. To brighten up someone's day can help take away the pain and the mundane feeling that 'it's another day of this'.
If you know someone fighting through this, let them know they have your support. It's a path down life where the love you carry and share is simply a given, and unconditional. Be the strength and courage and the positive energy they need to get through the day.

When you're facing death in life, life everyday is borrowed time.

You can help! There are events that you can support, or simply donate.

Your kindness can save lives!

www.youcure.org
http://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/index.html




Pic from here

Sunday 22 January 2012

Timeless Romantic Classics...

~An Affair to remember~


~Casablanca~

~You've Got Mail~

~Meet Joe Black~





Quote taken from here

                                      For my love...







THE BRIGHT SIDE

Be nice
Think happy thoughts
Champion Silver linings
Love all things (not just cute things like babies and kittens)
When you do love - love like they do in power ballads
(you know like on a cliff with the wind in your hair; your eyes shut. Knowing you'll never know another love like this)
Watch out for dogpoo
Smile at people-even grumpy ones
Be nice (oh I already said that)
Remember that anything is possible ; whatever you do
always try to
Look on
the bright side

 (rachel bright)



Saturday 14 January 2012

life's simplicity

It's the rare captivating moments of life that we sometimes just simply oversee, and let it pass us by.
A moment when you can actually create an impact on somone's life without really realising it until something incredible happens.





A glance, a smile, the acts of sincerity, humbleness from the heart, the little things that we take for granted from people, they're but the simple things in life that are presented to us in it's most natural form, out of kindness and love, and it's so easy to be blind to it because of our expectations that we have in life.



Sometimes we're always expecting so much more from our friendships or relationships, not realising how blessed we actually are to have the most priceless moments that already exist....memories and moments that time can never replace. Indelible moments, that become treasures of the heart.






To have little is to possess.
To have plenty is to be perplexed.


                                                       ~Lao Tzu~                                                                  

                                                          



                                          



Don't let those moments pass you by....it's the kind of certainty that comes but once in a lifetime.


Monday 9 January 2012

Someone's praying for you!


A few days ago I received a call from a very close and dear family friend. At the onset he said "Lisa, you are in my daily prayers". I was extremely touched to say the least. The thought that someone had me in their prayers everyday, meant I was being thought of everyday, touched my heart. Words could not express how greatful and blessed I felt of such a thoughtful, selfless and sincere act.

It made me realise that so often we keep family and friends in our daily prayers and thoughts without them actually realising it. How wonderful to know, and even more of a blessing when you tell them that you prayed for them today, through all the trials and tribuations!



HAVE A BLESSED DAY, and remember someone in your daily prayers!!


RECOMMENDED BOOKS

  • Elizabeth Gilbert: eat pray love
  • Paulo Coelho: The Alchemist
  • Danielle Steel: The Kiss
  • Barack Obama : Dreams from my Father