Sharing Christmas with Jonathan

"if anyone has material possessions and sees a brother and sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 1 John 3:17"

Its true that nobody can single handedly solve all the world problems, end poverty or eradicate hunger but one kind gesture can help make a difference in the life of another in need. Its also ironic that even in developed countries poverty and homelessness are still rife.  Weeks ago, Jonathan Corrie a homeless man died just yards away from Dail Eireann, the Irish Parliament further highlighting the growing housing issues in Dublin.

Jonathan Corrie.

Jonathan was one of the many people in dire need of help that never came. Whether you like it or not, we all have a Jonathan around us. He is the homeless man in the street corner begging for a meal. Many times we walk past people like Jonathan, destitute and hungry in our society. Many times we turn a blind eye and heart to the growing number of hungry people in our society. Jonathan could be closer than you think. It could be a neighbour in dire need of help or a faceless stranger on the streets but a Jonathan nonetheless.
I decided to share the festive cheer with five nameless strangers, mostly homeless people; beggars on the street. My bags did not hold much but its five less people frowning at Christmas. Its sharing Christmas with Five Jonathans.

 One particular person kept repeating wao! wao! that he wasn't expecting such kindness and that made the effort of walking in the cold searching for the perfect gift worth it.
My gifts were not much but it was something and I felt good sharing. So in the spirit of the season and even beyond look for the Jonathans in your area and make Christmas count. If you don't know a person in need make your donations to any Charity Organisation, there are many in need of funding especially at Christmas. Remember, you don't really need much to make a difference as "every little helps"
P.S..Special thanks to my darling brother, friend and little boo for assisting me in the Random Act of Kindness. You rock even in shorts..lol.  God bless you.

Victor Famose.

True mark of maturity.

I read somewhere that "hurting people hurt others" and I've discovered that statement to be hugely true! Statistics show that most people who have a tendency for abuse had at sometime experienced some semblance of abuse themselves-an apple does not fall far from the apple tree the saying goes. There is no excuse whatsoever to inflict pain on others no matter the provocation as I believe we are the product of our choices. We can choose to either dwell on the errors of others or forge new frontiers for ourselves, the choice is yours- you have the choice to be better than your past, toxic environment, alcoholic or bickering parents and to chose more positive options. The purpose of this discourse is that in the face of certain situations don't just jump into conclusion about people but leave room for errors. Sometimes people act in error because they do not know any better, they are hurting or simply having a bad hair day! I greeted a lady the other day and she plum ignored me! I was clearly embarrassed as it wouldn't be the first time she'd give me the cold shoulder.

www.bezambee.com

 Luke 6:27-31 - Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.  If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you".
 My first reaction was to never greet her again after all I'm a "bigz girlz" too...what's her story? Well her story was she was really having a rough time as a single parent coupled with other ...ishes! She may not be handling her "...ishes" well but that's not for you and I to judge but show Godly kindness and love.

I have learnt not everybody deserves a piece of your mind nor every situation your response. Everyone wants to be the "bigger person" well being the "bigger person" may require silence instead of a tirade of well intended advice/opinion, saying sorry when you are obviously wronged just to maintain peace. True maturity is not merely descriptive tag but a conscious act in the wake of touchy situations! that my friend takes Grace and wisdom. "A person's wisdom yield's wisdom but it's to your glory to overlook an offence" Proverbs 19:11.

The next time I ran into my friend at the bank, i walk up straight to her and said "hello". Despite her "...ishes" she smiled and said hello with gusto! 

Chose Kindness Always #hotchocolateforcoldmornings

For some reasons, when we were younger my sister would never wear any new stuff in the middle of the week. No matter how beautiful the outfit is she'd wait till the beginning of a new week to show it off. It didn't matter what it was, how much it costs, as long as it new; it deserves attention and celebration..lol.  My loko baby sister believed starting and showing off her new stuffs at the start of a new week gave her a boost!!

 I can't confirm the veracity of her claim but I do know new is beautiful, fresh and good. Every new day deserves a new set of attitude-no carry overs. God does not recycle his love and mercies, He gives His children fresh daily doses."The steadfast love of the lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning" Lamentations 3:22-23. In the spirit of newness, start this week with kindness and relate with people in kindness. In the face of difficulties, be kind anyway. People will not necessarily appreciate you but chose kindness always. In due time you'll reap the reward. IT PAYS TO BE KIND  Have a great week peeps.

Transformed by LOVE.

I loved horror movies!!! The gorier the better! I remember laughing through The Blair witch project when it was released. My friends on the other hand were scared shitless and screamed all through the movie. It was simply hilarious! Can't remember which was funnier? My friends or the movie that was tagged the scariest at the time. It was just a movie not reality....silly! I was never really a fan of the action movies so could never sit through a film by Rambo, Steven Seagal or all other macho type men but bring on Zombie the flesh eater, evil dead 1&2 etc. These were my favourites for some unfathomable reasons not some silly romantic films. I despised girl flicks. They were pointless and plain unbelievable. Who writes or believes this crap? Love was a MYTH. My disdain for love stemmed from a childhood that was starved off love. I never experienced the hugs, kisses, or gentle words that are some of the expressions of love. My parents weren’t overt love people, they weren't built that way. I recall with laughter the first time, I gave my father a christmas card; he brushed it off with a shrug and a gruff thank you. I knew my gesture embarrassed him....outward expression of love still embarrasses him. So I conditioned myself not to FEEL. More so, I transferred my warped childhood experience of love into my relationship with God and men-expecting nothing but rebuffs, criticism and judgement. But somewhere deep inside, the little girl in me loved Mills& Boons-romantic novels that celebrated happily ever after. It was a deep set hunger that my subconscious desired to be with filled but never found. I envied friends whose family basked in display of affections. So watching horror movies and showing indifferece was a facade I built to deceive the outside world and unfortunately myself. Over time, I became conditioned by events and circumstances until JOSHUA CAME ALONG. I must confess nothing prepared me for motherhood- not the ante-natal classes or the nine long months of waiting for the delivery my son. I never experienced the sudden rush of love that every mother talks about when handed their new babies. Ours was a relationship and bond that grew with time. With Joshua I have learnt to love and be loved in return. Love can be spontaneous but the spark can be quenched if not kindled daily. It requires daily commitment to remain in love no matter the circumstances. Who knew a special little boy could break the reserves of my lacklustre heart and turn this horror movie loving woman into a mushy little girl. Dearest Josh, in the six years you've come into my life, I've learnt what it means to forgive and be forgiven. I'm not ashamed or afraid to publicly display my affection for you with a hug and a kiss. Only you could teach me that love is not a feeling but commitment and It is hard work albeit an enjoyable one. I have learnt to be protective, selfless, share, patient, tolerant and humble enough to say sorry when I’m wrong though I’m older and could always claim to be right. Through you, God has transformed this cold heart of stone into a warm heart of flesh. Now I know how the Disney character in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was transformed by love into a dashing prince through the power of LOVE. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Above all, I have learnt to experience God in a new way through the eyes of another human. When you look at me, you don't see imperfections but LOVE wrapped in the finished work of grace and I've come to see myself that way too. Finally, I can no longer stand horror movies. I tried watching "The hills have eyes" the other day but could not look beyond the trailer. Thanks for helping me grow into a better person. P.S. To celebrate Valentine's day, I'm not cooking dinner but would order Chinese take-away. I'm not in the mood for any culinary adventure after my disastrous stint in the kitchen trying to make pancakes. however will be trying out that recipe I found on spicebaby.com for SPINACH IN AN OMELETTE...YUMMY. http://www.spicebaby.com/combos/spinach-in-an-omelette-mix-up-your-egg-recipe.html#&panel1-1