Just one step at a time

A - Available?
Yes. Very.

B - Best friend
I think they faded with adolescence, but I have a handful of close friends

C - Cake or Pie?
Hmm… probably pie

D - Drink of choice:
Fruit juice

E - Essential thing used everyday
My laptop

F - Favourite color:
Pink

G - Gummi bears or worms:
Gummi bears

H - Hometown:
Currently London

I - Indulgence:
A looooooooooooong bath

J - January or February:
January

K - Kids and names:
None

L - Life:
Needs to be taken one step at a time

M - Marriage date:
Still to come

N - Number of siblings:
One - younger brother

O - Oranges or apples:
Oranges

P - Phobias:
Spiders

Q - Quote:
“God has not always answered my prayers. If He had I would have married the wrong man - several times.”
~Ruth Graham

R - Reason to smile:
Friends

S - Season:
Spring

T - Tag three people:
Aphra
Barbara
Suzy

U - Unknown fact about me:
I have a heart-shaped mole, but I’m not telling you where (No, no there!)

V - Vegetable you do not like:
Mushroom

W - Worst habit:
Picking at myself

X - x-rays you have had:
Teeth, wrist, foot

Y - Your favorite food:
Steak and chips!

Z - Zodiac:
Taurus

Jo

See my brainscanner results

Joanna is obviously dormant:

See my brainscanner results

How often do you get a second chance? (Writer’s Island prompt)

The Story of the Lost Son
Luke 15:11-24 (The Message)Then he said, “There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’

“So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.

“That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father.

“When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’

“But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.

A Story About Forgiveness
Matthew 18:21-22 (The Message)

Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?”

Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.”

How often do we waste our second chances, waste grace?

More often than we deserve. And yet… we still receive that second chance.

How often do we withhold a second chance - grace - from another?

More often than we should. For in receiving our own second (third, fourth, fifth…) chances, we should extend that same grace to others.

“Lord, make me a channel of your peace, your grace. For it is in pardoning that I am pardoned.”

Oh to go back in time,
to write the wrongs,
to change the past,
to erase the mistakes we made.
But to wipe away the past
means we change the present,
risk the future.
A paradox of uncertainty
created by hasty, pain-filled actions.
We cannot be other than who we are becoming,
and we become from who we were.

Writer’s Island prompt.

Why does the Koran advocate beating women as a solution to family difficulties? Does it advocate this for men causing difficulties? I’m not sure. But I’d like to know.

An article in the Yemen Times titled ‘Why there must be violence against women‘: the author is protesting against human rights NGOs who say women who are beaten should complain to the police.

“This title may sound strange, but it’s actually not just a way to attract readers to the topic because I really do mean what it indicates. Violence is a broad term, especially when used regarding women. In this piece, I want to shed light on those instances where violence against women is a must.”"In some cases, violence is necessary, but there must be limits. Those “good human rights organizations” don’t make any exceptions in their solutions because their aim is to serve society. Will it be a better society once we see wives, mothers, sisters and daughters going from one police station and one court to another, complaining against their husbands, fathers, brothers and even sons?”

“If a daughter or sister makes a mistake – especially a moral one – that negatively affects the entire family and its reputation, what’s the solution by such organizations?”

Here’s a simple solution: don’t beat them! There, that wasn’t so hard, now, was it?

And yet… all in the name of religious and moral instruction.

Frei: The Senate yesterday passed a bill outlawing water-boarding. You, I believe, have said that you will veto that bill.
Mr Bush: That’s not -
Frei: Does that not send the wrong signal…
Mr Bush: No, look… that’s not the reason I’m vetoing the bill. The reason I’m vetoing the bill - first of all, we have said that whatever we do… will be legal. Secondly, they are imposing a set of standards on our intelligence communities in terms of interrogating prisoners that our people will think will be ineffective. And, you know, to the critics, I ask them this: when we, within the law, interrogate and get information that protects ourselves and possibly others in other nations to prevent attacks, which attack would they have hoped that we wouldn’t have prevented? And so, the United States will act within the law. We’ll make sure professionals have the tools necessary to do their job within the law. Now, I recognise some say that these - terrorists - really aren’t that big a threat to the United States anymore. I fully disagree. And I think the president must give his professionals within the law the necessary tools to protect us. So, we’re not having a debate not only how you interrogate people. We’re having a debate in America on whether or not we ought to be listening’ to terrorists making’ phone calls in the United States. And the answer is darn right we ought to be.Here is the full transcript of his conversation with BBC World News America presenter Matt Frei.

Did I read this right, or is Bush saying he will veto a change in law in order to allow this method of torture legal status?

Oh, and don’t use us as an excuse to justify yourself. Admittedly, I’ve not lost a loved one to terrorist action, so I can only say this impartially.

An angel appeared and said,”Why are you spending so much time on this one?”

And the Lord answered, “Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart - and she will do everything with only two hands.

The angel was astounded at the requirements.”Only two hands? No way! And that’s just on the standard model? That’s too much work for one day. Wait till tomorrow to finish.”

“But I won’t,” the Lord protested.” I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days.

“The angel moved closer and touched the woman.”But you have made her so soft, Lord.”

“She is soft,” the Lord agreed, “but I have also made her tough.You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish.”

“Will she be able to think?” asked the angel.

The Lord replied, “Not only will she be able to think,she will be able to reason and negotiate.”

The angel then noticed something,and reaching out, touched the woman’s cheek. “Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one.”

“That’s not a leak”, the Lord corrected, “that’s a tear!”

“What’s the tear for?” the angel asked.

The Lord said, “The tear is her way of expressing her joy,her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,her loneliness, her grief and her pride.”

The angel was impressed.”You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing.”

And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don’t take “no” for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without, so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They’ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

I exploded at work yesterday. It had been a long time coming and had been building up over the last few days. I knew it was due - but like any explosion, it always seems to happen on the people who’ve actually been nice! Not the ones who ‘deserve’ it. I’m sure hormones have some part in it too.

And then I spent what felt like forever bawling my eyes out. At work. Smooth!

After work we had music practice for church on Sunday. Church Boy (for those of you who remember him: for those who don’t, he goes to my church, I “like” him, and for most of the last two years was somewhat obsessed with him) was heading up the practice. I warned him, said that most times I’d opened my mouth that day I’d burst into tears. And promptly did so! Poor guy. He didn’t know quite what to say. Wasn’t sure what the right thing was. Then he said the one thing I needed to hear (and I don’t know if it’s because that’s what I said to him a couple of weeks back when I bumped into him in a similar state outside church): “do you need a hug?”

Good God, YES! Of course I do! Oh how good it felt. Step aside from whatever feelings I have from him, being held - properly held, his arms around me, almost protectively - by a guy, a proper, solid guy, not one of those stick-thin ones that looks as though they’d break if you breathed on them, let alone embraced them, felt so good. It was all I could do not to ask if we could skip practice and would he just hug me for the next hour. Touch is so important.

We then went to the pub after practice. New pub (for me). Nice sofas. We collapsed onto one and I kicked off my shoes, hauled my knees up on to the sofa and twisted round to face him. And he mirrored. For a good hour we were sat there, knees touching - well, a hair’s breadth between, touching intermittently - occasionally his fingers would brush my leg as he gesticulated to make a point. And he didn’t pull away or get uncomfortable.

For those of you who know our history, you’ll probably appreciate why I am so chuffed! To have got to this stage of being comfortable around each other, hanging out, that he doesn’t feel he has to watch what he does or says, is such progress. And I’m so glad to have a good friend. Who gives good hugs when they’re needed!

Anyway, today I felt a lot better, was much calmer and didn’t let work pile on top of me so much. And I think the hug and time spent with CB really helped.

Vesuvius is dormant.

For now…

Everything we do, see, hear, touch, taste, experience, say changes us.
Everything we don’t do, see, hear, touch, taste, experience or say changes us.
Our choices - for better or worse - change who we were and who we are becoming.
I am not who I was when I started to write this. And by the time I finish, I will not be the same.

Everything is always changing. Every second of the day.
Sometimes these changes are huge: life, death, love, hate, newness.
Although change unsettles us, although we often resist it, it still changes us.

Prompt from Writer’s Island.