STRESS

Stress results when demand exceeds supply or availability. It may present in any area where any form of resource or substance is in more demand than is available or may be supplied. Stress could be financial, emotional, physical, mental or social. Some areas are more recognised as prone to stress than others.

Stress in one area easily reflects in other areas of an individual's life. Family needs for instance, in excess of income, easily results in financial stress. The consequent lack of needs may then soon cause relationship difficulties in the home with the normal request for healthy interaction being too weighty for breadwinner who already is struggling with the pains of stretched income. Mental stress soon sets in with trying to make sense of the difficulties and devising solutions. Emotional stress often soon follows, with the varying unanticipated demands on mental resources and soon this may reflect in ill health, physically and mentally.

It is best therefore to manage any signs of strain in any area of life as soon as possible, before complications sets in with the stress rippling into other close areas, and gradually to a larger zone.

Self awareness is a key tool in stress management as individual stress markers vary widely. Knowing stress indicators for those around us at home, work or elsewhere helps prevent stress getting worse by nipping it in the bud.

Stress less else you'll rest less!

Stress indicators may include loss of appetite, irritability, excessive eating, resorting to substance misuse, insomnia, social isolation and seemingly benign activities like unnecessary shopping ( ?retail therapy)

Health Check
What areas of life is demanding more than one feels capable of? (social activities, relationships, career pursuit, family care............)
It may be healthy to refrain, retreat or rest for a while.

Address the signs of stress you see, else it may grow fast and destroy lots!!


STRESS LESS TODAY
SO YOU MAY HAVE
A BETTER TOMORROW!

The glaring gap!

Situations I have dreaded include having a medical emergency in a train or plane. Well, that which I feared did happen! 

It was rush hour on a hot summer weekday, when the train jam packed with commuters, stopped in a tunnel between two stations. It gradually emerged a passenger had passed out and help was needed. Long story cut short, the basic needful done and arrangements confirmed with the ambulance crew that they would be waiting on the platform at the next station, I agreed to wait with the patient and complete the handover. 

I was mightily relieved my unplanned shift was fast coming to an end, the sight of the ambulance team on the platform giving fresh relief! Help was offered to support my elderly patient from getting off the train. He was now conscious, coherent but frail and tired, from the drama and unknown preceding events of his day! Supported on both sides by hefty healthy looking men, there was no doubt they were more than able to get him off the train onto the platform! 

Alas! Strength was not all that was required, the obvious gap between the train and the platform was not heeded, and the frail patient was seen to start descending into the unminded gap!! Disaster seemingly imminent, roused alarming sounds with a rapid response, the man was quickly saved to everyone’s relief. Had the supporters not been strong enough, a glaring unminded gap could have resulted in a fatal accident for  the frail old man! 

A quick handover to the waiting crew and with gratitude to God for an “uneventful shift”, I continued on my journey with great relief. Can’t remember if that was meant to be my stop or not? I have since wondered how often on life’s journey, glaring unminded gaps have caused much harm or even death..

The gap…

A lot of hard work may well have been put in, yet precious investments may be lost in a moment, when glaring gaps are not minded. Frequently the gaps are glaring and if disregarded costs much more! 

There are glaring gaps on life’s path   Disregarded, cause much harm               The small prints on bank letters,         Teachers’ warnings on school reports   Oft disregarded costs us much                And if just minded saves a lot! 

Gaps may be tiredness, or body aches, Signifying a defect in a healthy course,     Attention paid to warning signs              Saves much pain in many ways          Please do the needful and heed the alert It always helps to mind the gap!

Staying Focused

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THE PREGNANT DEER

In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth. She finds a remote grass field near a strong-flowing river. 

This seems a safe place. 

Suddenly labour pains begin.

At the same moment, dark clouds gather around above and lightning starts a forest fire. 

She looks to her left  and sees a hunter with his bow extended pointing at her. To her right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her.

What can the pregnant deer do? Remember she is in labour!!

What will happen? 

Will the deer survive? 

Will she give birth to a fawn? 

Will the fawn survive? 

Or will everything be burnt by the forest fire? 

Will she perish to the hunters' arrow? 

Will she die a horrible death at the hands of the hungry lion approaching her? 

She is constrained by the fire on the one side and the flowing river on the other and boxed in by her natural predators.

What does she do? 

She focuses on giving birth to a new life.

 The sequence of events that follows are:

 - lightning strikes and blinds the hunter.

 - he (the hunter) releases the arrow which zips past the deer and strikes the hungry lion.

 - it starts to rain heavily and the forest fire is slowly doused by the rain.

 - the deer gives birth to a healthy fawn.

Check the circumstances that took place above and ask yourself whether the deer has any influence in the chain of reactions that took place to her enemies right in front of her very eyes.

In our life too, there are moments of choice when we are confronted on αll sides with negative thoughts and possibilities. What we must not do is take our eyes off the ball. We must remain focused on the issue at hand.

Some thoughts are so powerful that they overcome us and overwhelm us. 

Maybe we can learn something from the deer.

The priority of the deer, in that given moment was simply to give birth to a baby.The rest was not in her hands and any action or reaction that changed her focus would have likely resulted in death or disaster.

Ask yourself:

Where is my focus?

Where is my faith and hope? 

In the midst of any storm, do keep faith in the Creator always. He will never ever dissapoint you. NEVER.

Remember, He neither slumbers nor sleeps!! The strong person knows how to keep their life in order. Even with tears in their eyes, they still manage to say "I'm ok" with a smile. 

I send this to you because you are a strong person. That was why God heard your prayers and said hard times are over.

If you believe in Him share this to all the people that matter in your life. 

Be honest and send this to anyone who makes you smile.

I like you and I'm sending this to you because you make me smile!!

I wish you a pleasant week . - such a beautiful story and a story difficult to come by!!

In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth. She finds a remote grass field near a strong-flowing river. 

This seems a safe place. 

Suddenly labour pains begin.

At the same moment, dark clouds gather around above and lightning starts a forest fire. 

She looks to her left  and sees a hunter with his bow extended pointing at her. To her right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her.

What can the pregnant deer do? Remember she is in labour!!

What will happen? 

Will the deer survive? 

Will she give birth to a fawn? 

Will the fawn survive? 

Or will everything be burnt by the forest fire? 

Will she perish to the hunters' arrow? 

Will she die a horrible death at the hands of the hungry lion approaching her? 

She is constrained by the fire on the one side and the flowing river on the other and boxed in by her natural predators.

What does she do? 

She focuses on giving birth to a new life.

 The sequence of events that follows are:

 - lightning strikes and blinds the hunter.

 - he (the hunter) releases the arrow which zips past the deer and strikes the hungry lion.

 - it starts to rain heavily and the forest fire is slowly doused by the rain.

 - the deer gives birth to a healthy fawn.

Check the circumstances that took place above and ask yourself whether the deer has any influence in the chain of reactions that took place to her enemies right in front of her very eyes.

In our life too, there are moments of choice when we are confronted on αll sides with negative thoughts and possibilities. What we must not do is take our eyes off the ball. We must remain focused on the issue at hand.

Some thoughts are so powerful that they overcome us and overwhelm us. 

Maybe we can learn something from the deer.

The priority of the deer, in that given moment was simply to give birth to a baby. The rest was not in her hands and any action or reaction that changed her focus would have likely resulted in death or disaster.

Ask yourself:

Where is my focus?

Where is my faith and hope? 

In the midst of any storm, do keep faith in the Creator always. He will never ever disappoint you. NEVER.

Remember, He neither slumbers nor sleeps!! The strong person knows how to keep their life in order. Even with tears in their eyes, they still manage to say "I'm okay" with a smile. 

Stay focused! 👍🏼

Naked But Not Ashamed

Marriage is automatically linked with sexual activity, complete physical exposure with no inhibition.

A fulfilling marital relationship is the unity of spirit, soul and body. The mental interaction being the initial step to developing a spiritual union, when the two spirits/ persons blend into oneness. This is subsequently manifest, in the mutual decision of a physical union: internal unity manifesting as physical oneness, the relationship becoming whole. 

Defective relationships can be traced from a defect in the internal union, with not being able to bare oneself to the other for fears of being judged, putting up appearances in a bid for acceptance, physical union preceding a wholesome spiritual union. 

Nakedness with thoughts and feelings without fear, should precede the uniting of the outer bodies, else it’s like a cake looking ready to eat on the outside but uncooked with unbaked dough on the inside..gooey, not good enough to eat, yet appealing to the eyes! 

Naked and not ashamed, spirit, soul and body is the template for a beautiful union, like it was “in the beginning”…

Love is a Person

A person is an existing entity, a being (be+ing). “Be” is existing, the “ing” is continuity. An entity that continues to exist is a “be-ing”. A human being is a being in a degradable body. Not all beings are in human housing or limited to the seen realm. Love is an unseen being, like wisdom and fear, exists in the Spirit realm.

……for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2Corinthians 4:18

The tangibility of the unseen is acknowledged with radio waves, electricity, the effects of which can be transformative but the entity effecting the change unseen. We see light not electricity, hear sounds and radio waves are not seen, yet like Love, these forces exist and continue to.

Love like other entities have characteristics by which they are  individually defined. There are misconceptions about Love, like other persons too, which does not change what Love is, and by default what Love is not.

 

Fig leaves

Fig leaves are known to be evidence of figs being present on the tree. There was however the odd occasion when leaves were seen and no figs were present on the tree! 

The world promotes appearances without corresponding substance. Sayings like "fake it till you make it", have unfortunately been imbibed by many! This has resulted in a culture of deceit, including misleading advertisements, media mispresentation and various forms of dishonesty by which masses have been misled! 

It is sad to see, not infrequently too, people striving to be anything besides who they really are, in a bid to be "successful" and be accepted. Unfortunately the image they are trying to  confirm to is not uncommonly that of someone else who is also trying to be what they know not. 

An inspiring read to be real, is John Mason's book- you are born an original, don't die a copy! It will be sad to strive to be s copy of a copy and never live to realise great potential! 

Soul Search:                                                               What are my fig leaves?                                        What am I trying to cover up?                            What fruits should I be bearing at this stage in life?     

Recommended :                                               The me I want to be                                        You are born an original don't die a copy 

Long Suffering

How long is long suffering? 

Suffering is allowing, but how much should one allow before the line is drawn? I cannot help thinking of longsuffering in relationships, especially in marriage, where it is not uncommon for one spouse to be more tolerant than the other. Where then should the line be drawn? 

Purpose 

When the purpose of an object, person, relationship or anything is not defined, abuse is often inevitable! The challenge therefore, not uncommonly in relationships, is boundaries not being defined or ill-defined. An employee's duties is clarified in a contract to avoid abuse and/or exploitation by either party. Any relationship that will stand the test of time needs clear boundaries to ensure mutual respect and avoid abuse in any form, no matter how sweetly packaged. 

Tolerance
Respect recognises every one has weaknesses, we are all work in progress. Mutual respect therefore makes allowance for the other's weakness, whilst encouraging the areas of strength. Tolerating weakness should however not be to the extent of allowing abuse, and detrimental acts to anyone's well being.

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