Retirees taking the time to build muscle to help themselves reduce the risks of age-related illness by working out in a group – setting to off-set the on-set of ageing”
We are all ageing.
We all lose strength & bone 🦴 mineral density as part of the ageing process.
We are all ageing.
We will die eventually. Nobody gets out of life, Alive.
I hypothesise that there is a direct observable CAUSE & EFFECT relationship between a person’s MOBILITY & MUSCLE 💪 BUILD & STRENGTH.
My understanding is that There is a 1% decrease in strength every year after the age of 25, more so in females than in males. By the age of 60 you would have lost > 30% of your strength and bone mineral density (oesroporosis).
This is largely a preventable cause.
My tip: do weight training (progressive)to “off-set the on-set “ of ageing. We are depreciating but the depreciation rate affects the “effective useful life of the non-current asset”(accounting terminology and analogy) from my 10 years as An Accountant/Business Consultant.
Every person has a body they are inhabiting that depreciates/ages at a different rate. Some faster than others. You come across individuals that look and behave older than their respective age.
Combined with a suitably balanced nutrition plan to suit you (age, activity level, body type etc), cardio exercise & a flexibility program, you can slow down the ageing/depreciation rate.
This would have a positive flow-on effect on the life that you’re living.
For example, the risk of living your retirement years with high susceptibility to fractures and breaks of Bones 🦴 would drop significantly.
The risk of Experiencing severe mobility issues that restrict the scope of your activities will increase. These can have severe consequences on a person’s health.
It could contribute to rising mental illness rates leading to suicide, dementia etc.
Photo (above): don’t end up like this friend of mine in the photo… you have the power to do something about this NOW).
He regrets not being made aware of the benefits of weight training & soon something preventative in his early life
It affects your mental state
Ultimately, it (immobility) affects your mental state and put you into a negative mindset. Over 25% of the aged population who have hip surgery due to falls die within a year. That’s great for doctors and surgeon’s pockets and lifestyle but disastrous for the poor individual
Change in habits now – begin the workouts you’ve been putting off and start eating 🍽 more balanced meals.
Your activity levels will have a significant impact on the QUALITY of your life, not just your length of life.
It’s never too late to start.
So… start… Just DO IT (love this original Nike slogan)
Life is about choices. Choose well.
It’s your ONE ☝️ LIFE after all (unless you have 9 lives like a cat 🐱… meow!!)
Cheers 🍻 & ahoy!
The Old Captain Viking Pirate 🏴☠️ ⚔️Muscle 💪Monk ⚔️😎 …& thoughts on ageing & mobility issues & its relationship with Muscle
We ALL need to summon the Superhero within to build & hang on to as much muscle as possible to stave off the early on-set of ageing-related illness
What I said above will not happen if I move … travel WITHIN…. Travel with my VIVID IMAGINATION and most importantly, I Continue to be CURIOUS and travel & have adventures, filled by this insatiable curiosity.
~ As an artist, I am a traveller.
In body and in spirit & imagination. I yield to my SPIRITUAL LEADING.
The Creator bestows on us the gift of creative thinking & doing. Our recognition & use of our gifts, given by God, is, in turn, our gift
The Body of Christ (BOC), like our own bodies, is composed of individual, unlike cells that are knit together to form one Body.
He/she is the ‘whole” thing, and the joy of the Body increases as individual cells realize they can be diverse without becoming isolated outposts.
Do you think we are half machine/mechanical and half mysterious?
I think we are.
However, most people live in one or the other(machine/mechanical & mysterious) and almost completely ignore the other.
Here’s what I am trying to say –
Grace …
specifically, God’s Grace, is the intangible … the considerably incalculable part of our human nature.
This is the mysterious … quantum realm.
It is the quantum realm that … is where God does his work.
Individually, we, function and do all our work in the 3rd dimension, in this realm as we know it … what I refer to as the mechanical realm.
And what’s the difference?
Well, God gives us Grace.
He asks and beckons us to build on this fundamental … and all his fundamental work.
But, it is quite difficult for us, to build on this fundamental in this ‘mechanical realm’ because we don’t strive to do this work in the ‘mysterious world … mysterious realm’ that he works in.
For many, it is very difficult to ‘build that bridge’ between the two worlds … between the two realms.
Individuals simply do not know HOW. They have never been taught how.
God gives his grace. He gives us the tools we need to carve/sculpt ourselves & the lives we choose to live. With his guidance, you are the Artist.
I try to discern between the KEY ones and those that need to be forgotten.
One of the most important lessons is that God is so Gracious and in his grace, he accepts ‘ME” for all that I AM … my good parts and my not-so-good parts.
He accepts my failures just as he accepts my strengths; he accepts my personality quirks and my considerable short-comings … and everything in-between.
I AM a Perfectionist.
I’m not sure if I am a ‘perfectionist’ but I could be lying if I said I wasn’t.
It can be quite difficult for me, for example, to admit that I can NEVER be GOOD ENOUGH. If this is a sign of perfectionism, than I am guilty. Maybe I am a perfectionist.
At times, no matter how sound my strategy or plan or much study I do … or how hard I work … it inevitably seems that I’ll ALWAYS be a FAILURE when it comes to being perfect.
But … here’s the thing ….. it doesn’t matter … because GOD LOVES ME ANYWAY!
This belief and thought, comforts me. Comforts me greatly.
Believing in this thought … gives me one of the greatest sense of peace, serenity & security & confidence in this crazy, noisy world.
Gives me peace of mind … gives me CLARITY. Do WHO I AM … WHAT I AM … WHERE I AM and Where I AM GOING. and knowing in my heart that he is there in my corner, every step of the way.
I believe that it is this FAITH … this BELIEF … and the POWER OF BELIEF … more than anything else, enables me to last this long
… this long, being alive.
It is this exact faith … this considerable belief that gives me HOPE for whatever the future holds for me.
I have absolutely NOT AN OUNCE OF DOUBT that when everyone else fails me … when ALL else fails, GOD STANDS WITH ME.
ALWAYS.
I am GRATIFUL for God’s GRACE.
Amen.
The Power of Five. Nature displays beauty for a brief moment of time … it is created and then it disappears. Forever dynamic. It is God’s work on display.
Be more Humane. Begin with you, first. Be more humane with you, first. Then … share that humane-ness with others.
** HUMANE-NESS IS DYING **
The tired soul is dying Leaving a void within, The Humane-ness is lying In silence, again, we begin; In Freedom & bondage Where deception runs deep, They pass to their advantage – The kingdoms are for keep.
And gaze while they’re sleeping By reaching for height, They rest in your feeling An amazing bright light. When doubt fills our glories Of layers unfold, It is then that the stories Of our history are told.
Outnumbered I spoke with them Recalling memories of delight, But who could decipher them When we’re living in fright. Beyond all refusal The doubts in our glories, The wind is a dismal, And Are part of these stories.
The waving of tall grasses, The song of the hidden sinner, That croons as it passes You do so with a little quiver. The heavy-heart is a fool The summoning of jealousy, The confusing schedule Must blend until you see.
Without these, indeed, you Would discover before too long, Just like I would read to you The words of a beautiful song That exhaustion would linger When flowers don’t bloom, The melodies of a singer, Of The hypnotic tune.
And, melding with each For far too long There, sadly humane-ness is dying We are in need of a happy song.
Paul 💝alentine –
My gift 🎁 to you. P. ~~~~
I love this quote. Increasing your awareness is parameters to having clarity and success in your life.
SEARCH. Become the BEST ‘searcher’ you can be.
One day .. you may find ALL the answers you’re seeking for YOUR questions to give ‘meaning’ to your life.
A wonderful book says –
“Seek and ye shall find;
Ask and ye shall receive.”
True.
Individuals like you and me have been battling many battles since we were born. Heck, human beings have all battled battles every day since the beginning of time.
I like to think of these as the PRISONS WITHIN. Most of us live within the prison of our own minds, with anxieties, fears and uncertainties cluttering our brains and steering us away from mental freedom.
Currently, we are waging a war against being distracted. Yes, you read that right … we are constantly waging a daily war against formidable Goliaths, ripping our control over our ability to FOCUS.
These formidable Goliaths control the platforms and framework on which the increasing advanced technologies rest … and are voraciously consumed by the masses. Individuals have easy and relatively cheap access to and from the Weapons of Mass Distraction (WMD).
In the 90s, we came to know what the “Weapons of Mass Destruction” were during the annihilation of parts of the Middle-East.
Yes, you could argue that we are winning against the infectious diseases that have afflicted the human race. The advances mankind has made in the last 50 years in the fields of Bioengineering and the hard Sciences have benefited the lives of millions.
It has made our lives more convenient. The question we’ve got to ask is – convenience in place of what … our freedom and our ability to control our lives?
However, the recent COVID debacle may not support this (winning against infectious diseases).
It seems, to me anyway, that while the infectious diseases are under control (Externally) … we are losing a lot of ground in our true UNDERSTANDING OF THE SELF. This is significantly affected by the increasing tendency to be DISTRACTED.
Our individual ability to MANAGE THE MIND … our ability to manage the CONFLICTS WITHIN .. INTERNALLY … has been on a downward spiral.
People are struggling to achieve “Peace of Mind” at all levels of society. It is an epidemic.
You, me … each and every one of us NEED to guard the doors of our mind like a good bouncer guards a nightclub door and stop potential trouble-makers.
Individual’s skills at doing this varies greatly and I believe the majority still have a long way to go in terms of mastering that skill being the BEST BOUNCER TO THEIR BRAIN.
In order to be a good bouncer, you must first try to become more AWARE of YOU. This increase in AWARENESS should be a positive one. You should then FIRST try to find your own HEALTHY STRESS LEVEL in life, for example, are you a –
1) Racehorse
2) Tortoise
Your increase in Positive Self-Awareness should be built on a strong foundation of the KEY SKILL OF IMPERTURBILITY.
And what does this mean?
Wonderful insight in to the mind of a Great Leader.
Be courageous. Everything stems from courage. Never let anyone or anything tear your dignity from you.
PRESENCE of MIND.
Being “imperturble” refers to having the coolness and Presence of Mind under ALL Circumstances … not some of the time but ALL of the time.
Having the presence of mind in ALL weather .. in calm weather … and in storms …
Having a presence of mind means having a CLEARNESS OF JUDGEMENT in MOMENTS of GREAT PERIL.
This is one of the KEY SKILLS needed to live a relatively GOOD LIFE.
For life.
This is a key skill that is not spoken about often … a skill that does not get ‘the light of day’ … The KEY SKILL of IMPERTURBILITY.
To dig deep, you have to dig deep.
Improving your AGILITY ABILITY Ratio strengthens your Aura of IMPERTURBILITY.
Another version of the “Warrior of Love 💕 “ within
In my experience, because individuals don’t know themselves as well as they think they do, they don’t know what their STRESS TOLERANCE Levels are. As a result, their ability to RESPOND to Stresses is very poor. They essentially DO NOT have the necessary skills to RESPOND appropriately and sufficiently.
Improving your AGILITY ABILITY is heavily influenced by your ability to ADAPT. It is in the process of adaptation that you strengthen your Agility Ability Ratio.
As a mentor told me long ago –
“It is not the smartest or strongest who survive .. it is the one that ADAPTS the fastest.”
In my experience of life and from learning from other peoples’ experiences through life, another thing that helps is to begin by ACCEPTING the IDEA … the School of Thought … that ALL STRESSES OF LIFE is “NORMAL”.
This perspective helps improve your ABILITY to ADAPT and hence your AGILITY ABILITY Ratio.
One must continually enhance one’s ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE. The goal is not to chase “Happiness” or “Meaning “. No, the goal is to appreciate EXISTENCE… that you ARE ALIVE. That you are BREATHING. That alone should boost your CONTENTMENT. True contentment is the ONLY PATH to move you closer to Happiness.
Well, that is a very powerful statement: “… only to discover that it (your life ) was wrong!”
Who is the judge here?
Begs the question that you are not living your life for yourself but living a life to please others. Who is the judge here? Your work colleagues? Your neighbours? Your family?
Should we Seek meaning or happiness?
Living your life with “meaning” can come at the expense of your happiness.
There is definitely a positive correlation/overlap between your level of happiness and the sense of meaning you feel in life.
But research (& common sense) shows that it is only about 50%.
The balance of that comes from the individual – the individual’s character.
There are various studies done on this “non-overlapping “ parts between meaning and happiness.
They did it ( studies ) both ways : –
They studied meaning, while controlling for happiness and studied happiness while controlling for meaning.
Here’s what they’ve found – they found the Ghosts inside of YOU – meaning and happiness are two sides of the same coin.
Do you know – “YOU?” How do you know? What makes you so sure you know, YOU?
Two sides of the same coin …
Happiness & meaning are effectively two sides of the same coin. For a number of reasons –
1) Is getting what you NEED more important than getting what you WANT? How does that affect your perception of meaning/happiness? Why? Are we suffering from a case of increasing GREED OVER NEED?
2) With respect to time, Happiness is more about the “now “ or present moment … so you could be very happy now but have less meaning in your life. Meaningful memories, however, goes across time. Memories however, gets deleted, distorted or destroyed over time…. From diseases of the brain 🧠 like Alzheimer’s.
3) The extent of a person’s social connections and authenticity in those relationships is key to a person’s perception of happiness & meaningfulness. A person may be happy (be a taker) and seek more meaning (giver) or vice versa.
Connecting/Belonging allows you to have both – happiness (getting from others) … & meaning (giving to others)
More authentic social connections help you stay alive.
4) The circumstances & difficulties a person is born with or faces in life has a big bearing on perception of happiness & meaning. Being born in certain countries (USA comes with limitless advantages) but from a developing country like Somalia, has huge disadvantages.
5) Awareness of SELF: issues of personal identity/culture are very important to a person (meaningful) … even at the expense of unhappiness (put in jail or killed). For many people, expressing the SELF is more about meaning, not happiness.
Are you GOD? Is that blasphemy to think or say that? Why? WHAT IF you … me… every one of us are part of GOD. If you believe in the SPIRIT then… GOD lives in you. You are God. I AM GOD.
Life is NOT about Time Management, it is about ENERGY MANAGEMENT. Learn to manage energy better by becoming a better conduit of energy, the better at life, you become.
To me, the answer to all these questions… these fears … lies the most important relationship we can ever have.
“What relationship is this?” You may ask
You see, the world is filled with threats and constant reminders of our inadequate-ness and that we don’t “quite measure up to some predetermined standard).
Some of these threats – whether it be imagined or real – targets our safety, to our sense of being ok ( heavily influenced by our sense of worth” and for many, very low self-esteem).
Well, I believe the Answer to all these fears/threats lies in the most important relationship we can have that gives each and every believer, the ultimate security.
This relationship gives the only true safety. I amReferring to being in the RIGHT relationship with the God… the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.
Yes, that is correct… it is our relationship (if you’re a Christian), with God.
He was there before the beginning. He has no end. He has seen and suffered all. He has known fears.
He, alone, sets us FREE.
To dig deep, you have to dig deep. … to find the REAL YOU. And when & IF you find him/her … would you like him/her?
As I said in a previous blogs, I am not genuinely afraid about anything – except for what the writer Henry Thoreau said, of coming to the end of life and finding that I have not lived.
A lot or people say something to this effect these days, but they think “having lived “ means having a lot of adventures or a lot of fun or a lot or money.
I DO NOT think that has much to do with it.
I believe that we should strive to Fill our lives with things that LAST FOREVER… things that are ETERNAL.
Living a life of significance or purpose comes from filling your life with things that last forever. You need to focus on things that are eternal.
That’s why the usual things people seek time and time again … to guarantee importance in their lives – money, fame, power – don’t work very well. They ALL have something on common: they all come to an end, often during the person’s life and certainly thereafter.
So, “what are these things that last forever … that are eternal?” You may be wondering.
Here are a few – care, compassion, justice, mercy, trust, forgiveness, grace… can you think of others?
These are all aspects of the greatest value of all – LOVE.
Without it, nothing else matters. And I believe the source and perfect giver of love is God.
To live a life of meaning and purpose, first SEEK TO GIVE …
I believe that to live a life that matters … a life that counts, one has seek to fill it with ACTIONS and ATTITUDES … towards making someone’s life better. That act alone, is one that is eternal.
The more YOU GIVE… the more you RECEIVE (in terms of meaning/purpose/matter). A life of significance/purpose will usually have lots of people in it.
And why?
Because, my tribe-within-a-tribe members … because people are the only part of this world which Will LAST FOREVER.
So, what have you done for someone lately? Without expecting a “favour in return” … or “reciprocal action?”
“Imagine at your death bed, the ghost or your dreams … the ideas , the abilities, the talents … given to you by life but for whatever reasons, you never pursued those dreams. You never acted on those ideas , you never used those gifts … those talents .
And there they are standing with ANGRY eyes … that we came to you.
“What dreams.. talents… ideas … have you not realised? Are you content with the life you had?” God asks
It would be ideal, at least in my eyes, that you reply –
“Yes, Lord, I have lived a life that I am very content with. I thank you for the gifts you have given me. I have used them as best I could (but probably not as optimal as I could have.
I give thanks to you, my God. Please accept my soul into your consciousness.”
Your soul is an accumulation of all that the ghosts inside of you had experienced to that point …
In the air … in the heavens.
Is that “the end?” Is it … ETERNAL END?
The End.
Are you AWAKE… truly AWARE? In the Quantum world the Experimenter becomes part of the experiment.
That is the “hard problem” of the Quantum
⁃ fine-lines with Black fine-nib pens on white paper
⁃ the human physique by playing with Dumbells, energy inputs, processes and imagination
⁃ Lifestyle variables to DESIGN TAILORED LIFE & LIFESTYLE SOLUTIONS for individuals
⁃ Consciousness to “see” what many do not in the current & future
First and foremost, I AM AN ARTIST 👨🎨…
Of LIFE.
I may need a different mix of chaos & order … a more challenging mix of comfort & discomfort … a varying mix of stability & flow compared to more “normal “ people.
People may find it weird, but …
That’s ok.
I see life as an very large experiment made up of many smaller experiments. I refer to these experiments as experiences.
And I Am … the Scientist at heart… with an artistic soul.
I practise the Art of Physique Artistry/sculpting. The Art of the building towards better BALANCE & SYMMETRY with the OPTIMAL FLOW of MUSCLES.
WHAT WORKS For ME.
I remind myself that I must experiment with WHAT WORKS FOR ME.
As an Artist 👨🎨, money does not validate my credibility.
As an Artist, my credibility lies WITH ME, GOD & My WORK. In other words, if I write a Blog … a poem … if I sketch ✍️ a fine-like picture of beautiful building architecture … then, I write or draw – whether it will sell or not.
Since my Artist is a child, the natural CHILD WITHIN… I try to make some compromises to its sense of timing.
Timing is important … a characteristic that is not given it’s fair due.
Many times I will write poorly… draw badly … sculpt awfully … perform poorly. I allow myself to do this … to get to the OTHER SIDE. The side that spurns creative thought …
In my experience, IMAGINATION & CREATIVITY is it’s OWN REWARD.
I have been and am, continually in awe of the wonders & daily little miracles in life … of Life, itself.
One of My jobs is to continue to be in awe of the wonders of life and retain my CURIOSITY… to ALWAYS DEEPEN my understanding and increase AWARENESS of the MYSTERY of LIFE.
As an Artist, my sense of self respect comes from my belief that I am created in the image of God, my internal reflection and from DOING THE WORK.
What work?
My work …
One fine-line-sketch -at-a-time, one set of exercise at a time, one poem at-a-time, one blog-at-a-time … one dream at-a-time. Five years working on a lifestyle proto-type, 10 years working on an entrepreneurial adventure, a lifetime pursuing a dream that takes a lifetime.
As an Artist, making money is not what drives me. I do not need to be extremely wealthy & rich but I do need to be RICHLY SUPPORTED by those who love & BELIEVE in me.
My CURIOSITY NEEDS to be fueled for my intellectual, spiritual & philosophical needs. These needs as well as my insatiable physical & emotional needs have to be continually fed to continuously EVOLVE.
I must …
Never allow these needs to be stagnant, for this will show in my work. If will show In my life. It will show In my temperament. …
… In my aura, my vitality.. my life force.
It is very important that I keep moving …. As this allows me to CREATE.
I need to CREATE to express my love for life … of life . If I fail to create, I get moody.
Nobody likes a moody – me.
In order to CREATE I must stretch the boundaries … making new laws … encouraging novel ways of looking at things … and not necessarily following the existing laws and staying within the current boundaries.
First, I must BREAK ALL THE RULES.
As an Creative Artist, I need to continually FEED and NURTURE my ARTIST CHILD… for the more I nurture this INNER CHILD, the more ADULT i am able to appear.
Through the right plan, positive mental attitude, Brad applies principles of my program towards being a lot more who he already is (the BEST he can be)
There is a CONNECTION between SELF-NUTURE & SELF-RESPECT.
When I allow myself to be bullied (very seldom), and somewhat allow to be forced by other peoples’ need for me to conform … to be more normal or more nice, I lose myself.
Sometimes I do. I lose my – Self.
I allow myself to succumb to the whims of the ordinary man, to be ordinary like the ordinary. Something My inner fibre of being just does not agree with.
I sabotage my CHILD ARTIST.
For when I am not creating, I am not a very nice person to be around. I am certainly not “normal” or very nice – go myself or to others. Many say I am “weird”.
So be it.
In my experience, There is a connection between self-nurture and self-respect.
Be the best you can be for you, first, then by default, everyone gets the best of you.
Vv.
Every time I create something from nothing, I feel the creativity is a spiritual journey. For me, doing the ART WORK is a SPIRITUAL PRACTISE.
To me, there is never a “finishing line” or point where I can say that “I have made it!”
It seems that when I feel I “got there” … “there” vanishes. Vanishes into thin air. Just like that . In sculpting the physique for example, I have been working towards the elusive holy grail of bodybuilding: balance & symmetry.
Haven’t found it for almost 30 years now.
Every time I create … I have a piritual journey.
I NEED to keep moving … like a Spiritual Shark 🦈… if I stop improving, I will sink to the bottom of the Ocean of life and …
Die.
MY WAY like LIFE’S WAY is not the “straight & narrow path” as the majority take … but one instead which is literally “my way”
MY WAY is a SPIRAL PATH… not the straight & narrow. My way is a spiral path because I AM an ARTIST, but more importantly, I am created in the image of God.
It is a simple and as complex as that.
As an artist, I am a traveller. In body and in spirit & imagination. I yield to my SPIRITUAL LEADING.
The Creator bestows on us the gift of creative thinking & doing. Our recognition & use of our gifts, given by God, is, in turn, our gift 💝 to God.
When you Accept this DEAL OF A LIFETIME… I believe it is the beginning of TRUE SELF-ACCEPTANCE.
Give thanks and praise the Lord.
Amen.
FIRST: MOVE INTO THE BODY, HEART ❤️ & SOUL.
To move into the body, heart & soul, one must first resolve to ACCEPT that one MUST MOVE OUT OF THE HEAD/MIND.
This is not easy.
Especially in a “busy” world with a lot of external & internal noise.
I make exercise a key part of my life because I am and have been seeking a form of MOVING or MOBILE MEDITATION. The execution of well-chosen exercises allows me to practise this … what I call – moving meditation.
This meditation experience puts me squarely IN THE MOMENT… in the NOW.
If I don’t respect the weight and/or don’t focus, I will get injured. I have not gotten injured lifting weights since I began almost 30 years ago.
My goal has always been to seek BALANCE & SYMMETRY in body… which translates to balance & symmetry in mind, heart & soul.
Like I said, earlier, many of us (like me), we DO learn by doing. Exercise, for example, is often the impetus that moves us … moves us from stagnation to inspiration… from seeing problems to opportunities for find solutions … from self-pity to self-respect & living with dignity.
One of the things we learn is that – I AM Stronger … WE ARE … STRONGER THAN WE THOUGHT. From my experience, we learn to have a different worldview… we learn to look at things with a new Perspective.
And a lot of times, this different perspective is the KEY to experiencing life a little differently … a little bit better …
With …
Added …
FUN.
Thank you
Yours in care, compassion & trust,
P.
I love fine-line pen 🖊 sketching. No pencil, no rubber. Black pen strokes. Can you spot the “mistakes?”
The 💝alentine tribe (minus our dog 🐶 – Mr Fuzzy/Fussy cuddles
Marriage is Teamwork.
No matter what a husband or wife happens to be or do, MARRIAGE IS TEAMWORK.
From my experience of being married for almost twenty years now and also from learning from other peoples’ experiences, marriage is a great example of ULTIMATE TEAMWORK.
I would go further to say that, given the high rates of divorce, marriages that last are not just because of teamwork but they have teamwork because they are a TEAM THAT WORKS.
Marriage is not about the hope of WORKING AS A TEAM, it is about two people WHO COME TOGETHER… & FIT … like 6 fits into 9, to make “69”.
God does not give individual gifts 🎁 to frustrate a marriage. No. God gives us unique gifts to ENHANCE the marriage. God does not lead two people into a marriage to see “sparks fly”, pulling a husband & wife in opposite directions.
No… God, leads them into marriage to blend and maximise their strengths, their usefulness.
Whenever this happens in my relationship with my wife, I pray to God for his help…. To give me the strength, courage & wisdom to make good decisions.
This is where our faith in God helps us during turbulent times in the marriage. There are many forces (internal and external) that work hard to tear a marriage apart.
If you believe in your marriage & what it represents is important to you, ask for God’s guidance and work hard to keep your marriage .
My beautiful wife of almost 20 years now. My love for this human being keeps increasing every single day.
As I see it, much of the problems & tension that occur in marriages comes from the INABILITY to BALANCE the ACT of GIVING to your spouse /other while retaining a SENSE OF SELF.
In other words, the tension comes from grasping or holding onto what we consider our INDIVIDUALITY. I believe no matter what our gifts, talents or personalities… when they are given To god.
With strong belief in God, he will work & blend it all out and provide balance, because that is just what God will do.
No other team that you are a part of in life – business, sport, religion, politics etc … will ever be as IMPORTANT or benefit & challenge you like a successful marriage.
It takes WORK… a lot of real hard work. It is the complete & ULTIMATE example of TEAMWORK in life.
With God (part of the team, too).
Here’s a few questions for you:
1. Has there been a time when you put one of your individual goals “on hold “ so your spouse could pursue a dream?
It was more of an invite, not a requirement. Jesus, gave his disciples a choice … he gave them the freedom to decide for themselves.
He gave them the option to say “no”
In other words, he allowed them to keep their dignity. He gave them respect. As you know, the “no” Answer is perhaps the greatest expression of self respect … the greatest expression of dignity possible.
So … as a Christian… as a believer, like I am, let me ask you some questions :
⁃ do you follow him?
⁃ are you going to follow him?
⁃ Why / why not?
If Beauty is balance & symmetry. If Beauty is truth. Then, it follows that truth is balance & symmetry. To be balanced & Symmetrical is to be God-like.
Ask, Seek & Knock.
Many individuals do not like to ask questions. One reason is that they don’t want to depend on someone else. To ask, makes them feel a sense of humiliation.
Personally, I’ve been asking questions since I was a toddler, some of which certainly makes me look like a fool. My insatiable CURIOSITY gets the better of me all the time as I don’t really ask questions for answers but for better understanding.
Here’s the thing, To ask, you may run the risk of indicating:
⁃ You don’t know.
⁃ You ran out.
⁃ You don’t understand.
⁃ You’re not prepared.
⁃ You need more information.
⁃ You came up short.
⁃ You can’t find it.
⁃ You failed.
⁃ You’re not sure.
As Christians, we should never be afraid or shamed of asking … of asking questions. Not asking questions, undermines our need for God.
Jesus says we should ask … we should knock … we should seek. And why?
Because asking puts us back in alignment with God. It assumes a “two-way relationship “… a NEED-Relationship with him. You could say a “hand-to-mouth” spiritual existence.
We live in modern Societies that tries to satisfy every desire … with instant gratification. Over time, this constant rush to fill every felt need of the individual … rips … steals the soul of a person.
We eventually get our soul back but … at a price.
“And what is this price?” You may ask
I will answer that question with a question: What do you think is the “price” you pay … for losing your soul?
Balance & symmetry brings you closer to harmony … to beauty …closer to infinity. Just like mathematics does
Can you live without knowing the answers to questions? Many are simply not willing to live with questions.
To have questions, brings down your aura. It leaves us feeling vulnerable, weak, even needy.
Questions open up holes to others where they may not have perceived to be… it raises doubts with regards to our theology or our lifestyle.
If you’re anything like me, you have many questions about life and living. You have questions for God and seek answers from him.
Sometimes God answers us with questions . Sometimes, we get questions from God. questions that may leave us humbled, awed, speechless, weak and believing.
Believing, not because we’ve Found the answer but because we’ve seen God.
I have more questions now than when I started. I’m sure you do, too. That does not matter … that is not the important point.
What matters … is that you, me… we … christians … SEE GOD.
It is only when we allow ourselves to SEE GOD that we discover the TRUEST ANSWER to ALL our questions.
And do you know what the truest answer is?
Well, It is to … WORSHIP HIM.
We must ALL follow him. We must ALL follow the man who said the greatest Leadership statement ever made –
“Come.. follow me.”
I know I AM. Who’s with me?
May God continue to shower his blessings down on you
Until next time,
Christians believe in Jesus Christ, their saviour.
Do you believe in him?
DO you believe in God?
Life is NOT about Time Management, it is about ENERGY MANAGEMENT. Learn to manage energy better by becoming a better conduit of energy, the better at life, you become.
A little play-with-words from me … to you… a small snippet of un-edited thoughts on ART –
Changing lives. Empowering people. One life at a time. 
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