I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. – 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (KJV)
Life is so unpredictable and emotions are unstable. Why are some people impatient, unappreciative and irrational? I am one of those people who prefer to walk the walk as opposed to talk the talk (though I can do both while staying true to my word). I get in a different state of mind when someone purposely and repeatedly steps on my shoe. In such case, the best approach is to keep my cool; However, there comes a point when I just have to put an end to the madness or risk making a fool of myself.
All of last week; until this morning, part of me was stuck in my own gray cloud. I have been collaborating alongside an individual, who to my surprise has turned out to be quite difficult. Today was the final straw after receiving an unpleasant message. People shouldn’t judge each other; lest people who don’t even know us. And why was I being judged? Simply because I didn’t give a lot more of myself and time. I chose to be silent (as it was the best thing to do) and let this person have a moment of glory. I prayed for more compassion and for the ability to see clearly through the tick gray cloud that completely enveloped me at that moment.
Thankfully I was sane enough to remember that I had wonderful friends around the World I could call and talk to. I am glad I did because these wonderful individuals kept me grounded by turning the unfortunate incident into a joyful celebration. I continue to stand in awe of my Lord and I thank Him for putting so many wonderful people in my path; their friendship, honesty and undying compassion uplift me. I love my friends dearly.
I know that as long as I am doing what is good and what is right, my future will always have blue skies in it.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:1-4 (NIV)
One of the best things we truly enjoy to do in this Life is to give a little bit of our time to others. Sometimes we give too much and it’s fine too. We do not wait until someone calls for help to assist them; we offer to help. For instance, it breaks our hearts to see an elderly weeding or cutting down a tree. We know they are more than able to complete the task ahead of them; it’s just that ‘Compassionate Human Side’ of us which kicks in and urges us to act; to get up and reach out. Fighting it only makes it worse and leave us empty.
Most of the times, these individuals are reluctant to accept the help. When it comes to this, we barter for something (in our case that something never gets taken away). When at the end, they realized we tricked them, well, we all have a good laugh. We are always available to lend a hand and our help is always free. We strongly believe that helping someone should be free (of course, to some extend).
Last month after helping a neighbor remove the remainder of his tree stump, he surprised us with samples of beautiful Christmas Card collections and a gorgeous 2013 Boys TownTreasured Moments Wall Calendar. You see, he had to leave them in our mailbox because we politely made him understand that our help is free and he wanted to do something nice for us in return. That was quite a nice surprise and we thanked him.
Yesterday we had the opportunity to help out another neighbor clear the weeds in his front yard and organized his tools in the garage. I just got tired of seeing him sneezing and struggling to do the work himself. I cared less that he had a full house; I was more concerned about his allergies. He offered to pay which was a huge no-no for me, especially given the nature of the task. I said I would take a few branches of a Pine tree he had lying around (to use as plant border, see an example here). He agreed and we sealed the deal.
An hour later with a blistered finger, the job was complete. He was grateful and I was happy I could help.
Prior to leaving, I spotted what turned out to be a Vintage Wood Crate in his garage. As I began to inquire about the little treasure, he started moving his tools from the crate into an empty box and handed the crate over to me. How cool was that? In my state of gratitude I managed to let out a sincere thank you. The thing is, I have always wanted to own a Vintage Wood Crate and — oh, I still couldn’t believe that I was getting one.
Vintage Wooden Fruit and Vegetable Crate.
Here’s the slightly new and improved Vintage Wood Crate, serving now as storage for our Giveaways goodies. I cleaned it up, did a little sanding here and there and spray painted it. I used Brushed Metallic Satin Spray Paint Nickel for the crate and Brushed Metallic Satin Spray Paint Sparkling Canyon for the Tulip.
I was blessed to receive all these beautiful things because I gave of my time to assist someone else, freely.
Click here to learn about cleaning Wooden Antiques.
“Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France.When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them:do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move. You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.” ― Pablo Picasso
When my Son was born, I silently wished he stays little forever so that we could cuddle all day long. Then I wished he could walk, talk and eventually go to school. As parents, it’s sometime hard to alleviate the fears of letting our children go into the World, for the first time, without us being present to monitor. We unconsciously go into an anxiety mode and literally drive ourselves crazy over every single detail. That was exactly what happened to me.
Yesterday, while picking him up from school, his teacher told me that he is a very intelligent kid and he is the only one in his class to be up to date with reading. Lo and behold! I know I have a loving an amazingly smart kid; however, coming from his teacher, I was floored. My son learned to read books at the age of two and drew his first car at the age of two and a half. My 5-year-old could tell you the name of a car just by its shape; how crazy is this? He recently acquired a science book, which he reads every day.
Car Drawing by my then 2 1/2-year-old.
This is my approach on raising my kids (please, keep in mind that there are always exceptions to the rules).
Television. I do agree that we should set limits on television viewing, not for most of the reasons I have read and or heard of. For instance, television is not the primarily source of violence contrary to what some might think. Children in general, mimic what they live. Raising healthy children has a lot to do with stability, availability, family structure and love. How we treat others, how we behave around our children, how we nurture them and how we make them feel mold their development. Be supportive and a good role model.
Toys. It is never about the quantity; rather, the quality. Also, it’s not so much about the good reviews, but what works best for your child. That is why, as parents, we should know and understand our children in order to serve their best interests. Parents are ought to be the first and the best teachers for their children. We are the ones they admire and look up to. When we need a break from them, let us make sure we provide them with something useful. A toy that challenges their brain while keeping them entertained. When your children outgrow their toys, consider giving them to families in need or donating them to a charity.
Outdoor Activities (for those without allergies and other medical condition) is a good way to help little explorers learn and discover Nature around them. From bug hunting, helping in the garden, flying a kite, drawing on a drive way and bike riding just to name a few. Outdoor activities are a good source of physical and mental health. They boost their passion for creativity and give them a sense of independence. Make sure they are well equipped before they venture outside (hat, sunglasses that blocks 99-100% of ultraviolet rays, sunscreen, encourage them to stay in the shade and give them water to stay hydrated).
Discipline with love. Let them know their actions have consequences. Set limits to promote self-discipline and give them choices. I personally do not do time-outs. I understand it has its advantages; however a kid who knows his punishment for what he has done will start his time-out on his own to attempt to lessen it. In this case, the action-reaction becomes more mental and loses its effectiveness.
Availability. The bottom line, be there for your children. Teach them, help them with homework, talk to them, guide them, encourage them, reach out and get involved in their lives. Let them know you are available for them whenever they need you and mean it. You can help them shine by beginning to focus on their strength and building on it.
Patience. No one person is the same and each child learn at its own pace. You can’t rush them, you can’t force them and you can’t intimidate them. All you can do is support, encourage, be patient and watch them blossom. Every single child is special in its own way. Never compare your children to others because it lowers their self-esteem and they will never forget.
In the interim, I will continue being the best Mom and provider for him and allow the wonderful teachers to do the rest.
“And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” – Isaiah 32:18 (KJV)
For me, regardless of the condition and age of an older home, they are always full of character, charm and hidden treasures. They are cozy, warm, unique and they have history. I am just a lover of old things. I love the worn, faded and uneven edges of the walls, the unique features and I sometimes enjoy the faint crackling sounds when I step on a certain section of the flooring.
If you’ve ever fallen in love with something old then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
When we first moved to the High Desert, I was grateful to find out that my house is in proximity to stores, library, schools, churches and hospitals. For instance, it takes me less than 4 minutes to drop off my son to his school and less than 6 minutes to get to a grocery store. The Vintage and Shabby Chic stores that I frequent quite often are also close.
We bought an older home and as some of you already know, they come with a ton of work; however, after some renovation and restoration, the home becomes a sanctuary, a refuge and a great source of serenity. My home reflects the person I am and reminds me of my promises. The beautiful voices of my darling children echoing wherever they go, reaching my heart and putting my Soul at ease. There’s no place else I’d rather be.
Like I stated above, some old homes do come with hidden treasures. Here are some treasures we found in our home:
• Vintage Poinsettia Wine Glass
• Vintage Horse Grooming Curry Comb Brush from the 1950′s
• Rotary Dial wall mount Phone from the 1960’s (still hooked up)
• Vintage Hammered Copper Hardware (Hinges, Screws and Door Pulls) from the 1950’s
Vintage Finds (Hidden Treasures found in our Home).
As long as we are happy and comfortable within the confinement of our walls; the size of our home should not matter. We are not defined by the size of our home, but by how we live our lives and make our visitors feel.
Home is the place we chose to fill with laughter, love and start creating memories for ourselves and our children. As we aspire to give them a solid foundation of what Living is all about, Home becomes a place we transform to reflect our core values.
“But no matter the kind of house, it is the living inside that makes it wonderful, what happens in each room that makes it marvelous. It is what the house means to those who live there.” – Cynthia Rylant
By JM Perez
