Day by Day

Safe Haven – Shelter From The Storm

Safe Haven

Christians face many challenges in their lives on a daily basis. For some, it might be health issues. For others, it may be struggles with finances. Still others face uncertainty with respect to their careers. Relationship issues burden yet others. Some are even more unfortunate as to face multiple difficulties all at once or in an seemingly unending sequence.

The Psalmist also has experiences that cause him to “wrestle with his thoughts” and to “have sorrow in his heart everyday” Psalm 13.

We do well to draw on the Psalmist’s response to the challenges that we face in this life:

“But I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation.” Psalm 13:5

He encourages us to “Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22

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Who has the write of way? ….. A literary masterpiece

Who has the write of way?

A literary masterpiece

(Captured from live rapid exchanges online)

A:  It is frightening sometimes the level of illiteracy. I have come to realize how much of a blessing proper education is and being able to know when you are making errors.

B: The amount of people who confuse “to” and “too” is amazing two me!

C: …and then there is Desmond Tutu…..and ……’s tootoo…..

D: U got me their!

D: Anyone nose what I was doing their?

A: Know weigh! Ewe lossed me as usual!

D: I feel like I am going to laugh until I dye!

E: I’m in tiers over heir.

D: I am still laughing. That was grate!

D: I can’t weight for the next one. I am in suspends.

A: The hole of use are a set of thyme waisters!

D: Don’t pint your finger at me!

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Are You Enduring or Enjoying Your Life?

Are you enduring or enjoying your life? That is question that I put before you.

Even as we reflect on our own lives and try to come to some conclusion, I am going to  assume that some of us have less JOY in the mix than is desirable.

I am guessing that in some of our lives ENDURE has got the upper hand on ENJOY.

Today, I present the first step in a formula for tipping the balance back in favour of ENJOY.

STEP 1: SELF

Re-visit how you see yourself.

Enjoy is incompatible with low self-esteem; self-hate or compounded frustration.

The greater the level of discomfort with yourself the lower the chances of experiencing JOY in your life.

If you listen to your “self talk” you can establish the level of JOY that you are experiencing and that you are likely to experience.

The less you love yourself and the worse you feel about life the lower will be the fount in JOY in your life.

Conversely, the more comfortable you are with who you are and the more fulfilled you feel about who you are the greater the prospects of experiencing unbridled JOY.

So, what am I saying? I am saying that whether you experience joy or not starts with you and how you think about yourself.

I am saying that JOY is not totally dependent on others and what happens outside of you.

Joy is yours to grasp. You too can ENJOY life…but it starts with coming to grips with yourself. It starts with understanding who you are and respecting yourself.

This does not mean that there are not things to be fixed and adjusted. But, you can only experience JOY when you learn to love yourself – blemishes, warts and all.

Tips for improving your self esteem include:

1. Watching your self talk

2. Not comparing self to others

3. Using valid and reliable yardsticks

4. Being realistic

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Pause For Peace

If you are facing challenging times, pause for a brief moment (2:15 minutes) and experience this calming bit of wisdom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft2E4BO22pA&feature=related

Here is a bonus for you (Psalm 91)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvhWTWpNWL0&feature=endscreen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4uWhg9vRcE

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Were Charlie Parker And Don Drummond Musical Twins?

Were Charlie Parker And Don Drummond Musical Twins?

Their birth dates were not the same (Parker August 1920/Drummond March 1932) so biological twins is not what is intended.

The type of music they played was also different.

I met Charlie Parker as a young lad being inducted into jazz by my cousin. I met Charlie at the same time as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. John was a bit too deep for me. Dave Brubeck came along with Paul Desmond. Desmond was just mesmerizing. He was so cool. He dampened my enthusiasm and appreciation of Charlie Parker.

My introduction to Don Drummond came years later through the medium of dance music. The Skatalites were all the rage. One night at the UWI Student’s Union will live on my memory. “Please, please don’t crowd the bandstand”, pleaded the MC as everyone wanted to be as close as possible to one of the most skilful aggregation of musicians ever assembled anywhere on the planet.

I should link Roland Alphonso or even Tommy McCook the sax players to Charlie Parker. However, it is not the instrument that causes me to tie Parker and Drummond together.

I just watched a documentary on Charlie Parker and one thing that stood out was the “never ending solo” that he blew. The documentary suggested that the drummer had to throw part of his equipment at his feet to get Parker to stop.

That was vintage Don Drummond!

Don would stand quietly for long periods. But when he got inspired he would blow and blow and blow.

Both Parker and Drummond did the unexpected with their instruments. Listening was an adventure.

Unfortunately, they both had bouts of mental illness and departed relatively early (Parker at 34 in 1955/ Drummond at 37 in 1969)

They leave behind exciting catalogues.

Click the links below to meet Charlie Parker and Don Drummond.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWufkk1iAgs&feature=related   Don Drummond Man in the street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_j4Bkj8oQk&feature=related  Don Drummond Addis Ababa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZYaSkhRhoE&feature=related Charlie Parker Beebop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsAMAIaas94&feature=related Charlie Parker Ornithology


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