New beginnings...

(New) Beginnings: the point at which something begins; a rudimentary stage or early period (usually used in plural)

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components.

Novel: new and not resembling something formerly known or used; original or striking especially in conception or style

The beginning of life (or a new chapter in life) is always met with a sense of unease at the unknown. One thing we do know is that it will be anything other than the former things that are familiar. The thought of new beginnings always takes me back to the beginning of human life, child birth. Consider with me the process involved in bringing a new life into this world. There is preparation as the baby turns and engages the birth canal and the mum's body prepares to guide baby through. Then the games begin! I have to admit that I am single and childless and really want children BUT, in the last seven years I have developed a bit of a hobby of collecting the worst birth experiences of my friends and family and even strangers! I know it sounds a bit insane but when I started I thought that by being confronted with the reality of childbirth it would take away the fear...well I WAS WRONG!!! I am now suitable petrified! 

The truth it would seem is that childbirth is painful, feels unnatural and there is a foreign entity that has taken over your body leaving you with little control, if any during the event. Did I mention the PAIN? The purpose with which God added physical pain to out make up is to warn us of impending injury, or injury that has already occurred, basically a warning to beware. The word "pain" comes from the Latin "poena" meaning a fine, a penalty. In our context however, pain refers to the ushering in of new beginnings. Why? you may ask; because there will always be a measure of pain or discomfort in change, usually the more pain the bigger the change. 

Imagine how inconvenient childbirth is for the baby! It has got to be a pretty good deal living in a warm climate, food brought to you, waste taken away, you can sleep all you want to, no bills, not pressure, no catching the flu or competition, no stress and no nonsense...then you get (as my good friend likes to say) 'thrust into existence without anyone asking your opinion on the matter!

So we know that we can choose change, change can happen accidentally, as a matter of course (the world is constantly changing around us) or it can be 'thrust upon us', and yes this is a "when" not an "if" situation. We all like the term 'new beginnings' because it sounds nice, a fresh start in a new place with nice people, a new opportunity something good around the corner. The reality is that new beginnings cannot come about without change. Change is a word that can spell impending doom; for some it is a divorce, being made redundant, a death or even an election in an African country! Most people shy away from and even fear change not realising that through change, we find those novel moments that bring forth new beginnings, new hope and occasion to relies our dreams. The question is, when change comes do we take it head on and view it as a novel moment of opportunity and carpe diem (cease the day!) or do we shy away in fear? 

Unity in seeing

PhotoFriday Challenge contribution to 'Best Friends' 

Unity ~  The quality or state of not being multiple (oneness);a condition of harmony (one accord); continuity without deviation or change (as in purpose or action);  the quality or state of being made one (unification).

Seeing things differently does not necessarily mean that we are in discord. Consider the body; arms, legs, eyes, feet, mouth, ears...all so very different in sensing, being, acting and participating yet all in one accord. Why does the body work well? Well aside from the fact that it was designed by an intelligent creator; it has a sense of order and each part accepts the other for what it is and the part it plays. Your arm doesn't try to hear any more than your lips try to walk because each part is designed specifically to carry out its function and only in that role does it experience unity with the body and a sense of achieving its purpose.

People are the same in relation to one another. What may seem like an unlikely match may work exceptionally well if each party knows and works within their specific role / function.  Take my dear friend and her other half; they seem to me to argue constantly much like milk and oil they don't seem to have elements that allow them to blend much. If you didn't know them you would think it an ill match indeed! But, upon closer observation one can see that their relationship works even though they are so different. They see the world differently approach life issues differently and respond almost at odds to each other. However, the inner working of their relationship (based on their Christian faith) allows those differences to become complementary and their different ways of seeing provide them with a wider view than their individual narrower views would allow. Their differences draw them together on the basis  and understanding of their faith in love and they have created a new way of seeing as a unit (it doesn't always sound it but there is oneness there!) Being and extrovert does not mean that introverts will be the death of you! You might find that they bring you the balance that you lack... and introverts, it wouldn't hurt you to be a little outgoing would it?

My Uncle John (God bless him!) is in his latter years, a calm, chilled out sort of gentleman who is really an amazing person to know and talk to. Well, when I first met Uncle John as a teen, I was loud, spoke too quickly opinionated and a bit of a bible basher to be honest, basically a handful! So as you can guess an instant clash of personalities! Over the years we did not see much of each other until last year when we both became unwell and trying to recover. I went to visit him with my sister, (at this point I am old and wiser and less 'bashy' with my bible and more graceful). I had started taking pictures of landscapes and Uncle John is a lover of art so, you guessed it, common ground was found and the result is a most treasured friendship.

There are two ways to approach difference; either to reject what we don't know or can't understand like I did with Uncle John or find the unity in a new way of seeing as my two friends did. Uncle John and I got a second chance but not everyone does... 

As people we were created to be relational creatures, hence the constant need for affirmation, acceptance, belonging and love, without which we feel incomplete in some way... Looking beyond ourselves and seeking common ground opens us up to a whole new way of seeing through people we would not ordinarily have come into contact or clicked with. We also gain a new insight into our own lives, who we are, our prejudices, misconceptions and error in thinking... 

The principle is this; 'different' is not to be feared but embraced for it is the bedrock of opportunity for us to discover unity in new ways of seeing and open a whole new world to us... Just the way bonding with my dear uncle opened up the world of art and history to me...

Reach out to someone and be the difference!

A picture is worth a thousand words!

       The sky never ceases to amaze me! I could spend the rest of my life just capturing the many faces of the sky and with each image a different story unfolds...

 There are times when words in and of themselves are a stumbling block, a hindrance to achieving your goal, whatever it may be...It is a great skill I think (and one that many of us are yet to master) to be able to detect when it is best to speak and when it is better to act. A picture for the purpose of this reflection refers to action / activity / a way of living. 

In a world where we are constantly assessing people and being assessed for what we have, how we look, our education, our pedigree and indeed our beliefs; often our words can let us down if they are all we have to show for who we are and what we stand for. 

Have you ever met someone who is constantly promising and talking a good game? Many are very good story tellers (no relation to me honest!) but their words grow empty when there is no action to follow. It reminds me of a declaration of 'love' (rather the illusion of love) from a man to a woman. Many talk of how they love and how they are devoted and yet their actions tell a completely different story or rather paint an unrelated picture. The old adage, 'a picture is worth a thousand words' could not be more relevant for our 'cheap talking' generation. My interpretation of it is this; words have a short lifespan of relevance,  after which if they are not followed by a pictorial representation (action) became meaningless and invalid. This is not only true in the realm of romantic relationships, but also in a business context, in social interaction between people and probably most importantly in living out one's faith.

It is best illustrated I feel in the practice of the Christian faith. Being a Christian myself I find that there is a great need for this skill of detection  in determining when it is time to speak and when its time to act (for those of us who are not good at it, the Holy Spirit helps us out). I would add a third consideration; one needs to know when to be still and wait for God's direction. When it comes to practicing my faith, I have discovered that words alone can become quite empty without the enablement of the Holy Spirit and the action of love to follow. This is best exemplified by Jesus himself who healed the sick and gave instruction as well as spent time seeking God for direction in prayer. The three truly are inseparable and often its the combination that brings the desired result...  [ Link: What did Jesus say? ] 

Happy feet

New shoes are by far my favourite things to get ever! The occasion is always right for a new pair of shoes! Its like being introduced to someone new, its exciting and interesting and heralds new possibilities and potentially good partnerships (if you pick the right outfit!) 
 So shoes, happy feet, baby feet...what do they have in common? Its all about how we walk! (and no not literal walking but the path we choose in life). 


Every choice you make in life will direct you down a particular avenue which will change the course of your life, maybe temporarily, but usually permanently. So what and how we decide, determines our walk in life. Each decision alters our direction and ultimately our destiny. Sometimes we enter new frontiers and we take baby steps, unsteady, unsure but cautious in the unfamiliar... then we get comfortable and charge around like toddlers at Legoland without really paying attention to where we are going... Until one day we wake up and  we are all grown up but still at Legoland! 


In the workplace, we are appraised monthly, quarterly, half yearly and annually. Why? because we are there to meet 'SMART' (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely) objectives. Our employers appraise us because they want to know that we are meeting our objectives which will result in success. This is a really good thing to do if you want to make sure your'e on track. I wonder how often people review their lives to see if the path they started out on to meet specific goals is still the course they are on now? Many people think over their day, their week, their month but not many people question the path they are walking on, why they are in that job, that town that relationship... if they are compromising their ideals and morals for something that may not even be what they set out to have... 


Happy feet are those that proceed with that 'first step' innocence and caution of a child learning to walk, allowing the excitement of a new pair of shoes to keep them optimistic about the future without getting lost in the Legoland of life's indecisions and red herrings that distract from the purpose we were born for.   
No retreat, no surrender!