A.C.T - Attitude, Character and Temperament


"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."  
- Oscar Wilde
 








YOU forgot!
YOU didn't do it right!
YOU suck!
What are YOU doing? Whatever it is, it's wrong!
I'm not going out in public with YOU!
Just don't open YOUR mouth, YOU have nothing intelligent to say.


Or maybe they don't say it to your face, they say it to someone else behind your back?


He forgot!
SHE never does anything right!
He sucks!
SHE doesn't know what she's doing. Everything SHE does is wrong!
I'm never going out in public with HIM again!
SHE'S so stupid! SHE shouldn't open her mouth.


There are people in this world who will only make note of your errors, and not their own. They concentrate on the negative rather than the things done well. 
People make mistakes. It's human nature (for now). Everyone fights with self-doubt every once in a while and insecurities haunt each of us. We all fall down. Hopefully you have a friend that picks you up and dusts you off and sets you back on that path again. Unfortunately, a lot of us have  those cranky judgemental individuals that add fuel to our low self-esteem and enjoy throwing dirt into faces instead.


NO ONE has the right to take YOUR sunshine away! When they do and all you can see is a cloud of dust, walk out, crawl out from under that dust cloud to a safe place where you can wash your face and get back out there.


John 3:18
"My children, we should love people not only with our words and talk, but by our actions and true caring."


How is YOUR A.C.T? Are you a friend or foe? Do you lift people up, dust them off? or are you the one that throws the dirt? Your Attitude, Character and Temperament has a lot to do with the way you ACT around others. You can be a heart breaker or a heart healer. Which one are you?


John 2:9-10
"Anyone who says, 'I am in the light,' but hates a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light and will not cause anyone to stumble...'"

A Mean Garlic Dip That Bites Back

I made this dip a couple of days ago and I just love it! I took what ingredients I had in the fridge and just put them together. It's pretty strong for those Garlic Lover's out there. Mean enough to keep even the vampires away.

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp hot chili sauce
1 small purple onion diced in small pieces
3 cloves Russian garlic

Mix all together.

Tastes good with Nacho chips, regular chips, pita bread, fondue and perogies. Just make sure your spouse has some too. It's pretty potent.


Remembrance Day
Next week is the time we share in remembering those who fought for our freedom. If you have a story or poem you would like to share with us please send it to anoesdelacourt@yahoo.com.

Heart to Heart with Mary and Martha
My Auntes are getting set up to answer your questions on anything from cooking to the meaning of life.  If you have a question for these dear old ladies please send them to my email anoesdelacourt@yahoo.com and I will make sure it gets to them.

Have an amazing day!

Now What Do You Do With a Friend? You Stick By Her!

Friends... What is a friend?
Dictionary definition is:

1) A person whom one knows likes, and trusts.
2) A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

There are times I wish I could put my arms around my friend and shake him/her silly... Does this mean they are still my friend and I his? There are other times when I could put my arms around them and hug.

Je hebt iemand nodig (You need someone)
Stil en oprecht (Quiet and straight forward)
Die als het er op aan komt (That when the time comes)
Voor je bidt of voor je vecht (Will pray for you or fight for you)
Pas als je iemand hebt (When you have this someone)
Die met je lacht en met je grient (Who laughs with you and cries with you)
Dan pas kun je zeggen: (Only then can you say:)
'K heb een vriend. (I have a friend.)
Toon Hermans 'Liggen in't gras' (from his book 'Lying in the grass')


Friends can sometimes drive you crazy, but a true friend sticks by you no matter what (especially when you are driving them crazy). A friend loves you enough to call a spade a spade... even to your face. A friend laughs with you and cries with you. A friend will even ask you to take care of his mother.

John, a disciple of Jesus, was the only one (out of the 12) who was at the cross.
Max Lucado in 'No Wonder They Call Him Saviour' describes the scene beautifully, "He came to say goodbye. By his own admission he hadn't quite put the pieces together yet. But that didn't really matter. As far as he was concerned, his closest friend was in trouble and he came to help.
"Can you take care of my mother?"
Of course. That's what friends are for.
John teaches us that the strongest relationship with Christ may not necessarily be a complicated one. He teaches us that the greatest webs of loyalty are spun, not with air tight theologies or foolproof philosophies, but with friendships; stubborn, selfless, joyful friendships."


John was Christ's friend. Not that the other disciples weren't. They just allowed fear to run their lives until the resurrection, but John stuck by his friend.
Do you stick by your friends? Even when they irritate you? Even when you don't see eye to eye? Even when it could cost you your life?

Take the opportunity today to tell your friend how much they mean to you and love them.

To the "Deeds" ladies... It was an honour to work with you today cleaning up the fireworks mess at Riverside.

I love you guys!

Behind the Mask

 

My daughter was making masks today. Beautiful ones with feathers. Then she put on a puffy skirt and danced as if she were at a Masked Ball. 

I remember, long ago, in a far away galaxy, I too loved to get dressed up.  Behind a mask, I could be anyone and it was usually a princess... one who knew how to use a light saber. 

Princess Leia was my hero. No damsel in distress was I... I packed a piece and knew how to use it (it was never loaded). I wish I really had Leia's strength sometimes. Reality was, I could easily be pushed over. But everything was always OK. I hid it behind a different mask... the smile. 

"I'm OK." We flip from one mask to another not letting people see who we really are. What's really going on inside. We're afraid that people won't like the real us.

I had a Birthday recently and all my heart really wanted was the gift of time with those I love (and a pair of slippers, a Black Forest Cake and Sushi). :) In the past, I could never be honest with my needs.

"World Peace." I would reply. Even though it's something I desire, it's also a frustrating answer for those who asked, "What would you like for your Birthday?" I didn't want to be an inconvenience or trouble. So, I shrugged my shoulders and left it up to others never to rock the boat.            

This year was different. I didn't beat around the bush and I had a wonderful Sushi lunch with my Baby Sister and another great Swiss Chalet lunch (on a different day), with my parents and precious time to just hang out with my family. It was great. 
Sometimes it's scary to let people see the real you. You run the risk of getting your heart broken. On the flip side, it's a lonely place when you don't let people in. 


Take a risk today. Tell someone, something about the real you inside... behind the mask.

Oh, by the way... I'm still waiting for my slippers and Black Forest Cake... Just putting it out there.


Behind the Scenes

Album: My Paper Heart
Artist: Francesca Battistelli

You may think
I’m just fine
How could anything
Ever be out of line?

I take my time
To set the stage
To make sure everything
Is all in place

Even though I’ve got the lines rehearsed
A picture only paints a thousand words

(Chorus)
Things aren’t always what they seem
You’re only seeing part of me
There’s more than you could ever know
Behind the scenes
I’m incomplete and I’m undone
But I suppose like everyone
There’s so much more that’s going on
Behind the scenes

Sometimes I can’t see
Anything
Through the dark
Surrounding me
And at times I’m unsure
About the ground
Beneath my feet
If it’s safe and sound

When it’s hard to find hope in the unseen
I have peace in knowing it will find me

(Chorus)

You may think I’m just fine
How could anything ever be out of line?

Dead Plants on my Window Sill

"Your green thumb must be on vacation." He smiled at me, "If you need something to write. How about writing about the dead plants on our window sill." He was joking of course. I had asked for my husbands help in finding a topic to write about today. You see, I've been given a challenge to write one blog per day for the month of November. 
"Some of the leaves are still green." I replied, deciding to take on his challenge. Besides, the plants weren't totally dead yet.

John 15:1-5 CEV
"Jesus said to his disciples: I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit. But He trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit. You are already clean because of what I have said to you.
Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me."

"I don't love me." I have felt this about myself many times over the 45 years of life that I've been given, "My nose is too big, my face is too small, my eyes are too close together." That's just my physical features.
"I yell at my kids, I lack compassion for whiners and I have not loved those around me as Christ wants me to." These are my characteristics or spiritual features. Now, I need to get into the regretful choices I've made over the years... Na... I'll skip over those... it would take too long to write them all down.
Yes, it's true, I don't always love me. Perhaps, you don't always love you?
I know someone who does love me 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and that's what keeps me going.
When we disconnect ourselves from the vine and we try to do 'life'  on our own we end up brittle, dry and lifeless. Like those plants on the window sill (although they are not quite dry and brittle yet, with some tender love and care, they can be revived... hopefully). Same thing with us. When we feel angry at ourselves, or regret choices we have or have not made, we become crusty and lifeless and that's when we need to get fed, watered and get ourselves connected to the vine, and fast, before we make more regretful choices that end up killing us.

I see that some of your leaves are still green....Please do something for yourself and take a risk... Get connected to someone who loves you so much, he thinks you're worth dieing for. Someone worth dieing for by Mikeschair
He came so that we may have life and have it abundantly. He is the living water and can revive anyone who wants it. All you have to do is take the risk and ask. Without risk, there is no exploration and no discovery of something amazing.

Well, I guess I should go water my plants now.

"Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring." Oscar Wilde

Katies Place - Where all cats are loved

"What happened here?" I asked a large orange tabby cat named Sunkist as he rubbed against my legs, weaving through them. It looked as if a hurricane passed through one of the cages sitting in the Annex connected to Curtis' Corner.
"Helllloooo puuuussssssyyyy cccaaaattttt." I sang softly into the cage, hoping my gentle singing would calm the cat before I would have to open the cage to clean it up. I was a bit reluctant, you see a sign was posted to the entrance, "USE CAUTION!!!!! Feral Cat Very Scared." I leaned down to have a closer look. Big eyes were starring at me through a slit in the carrier. Then I saw another pair of eyes. Wider and looking more scared than the first.
"There's 2 cats in there. Why didn't you tell me Sunkist?" He meowed at me, pooped in the just cleaned litter box and left me to deal with the frightened feral's.

My family and I have been helping out at Katies Place for a while now. What began as a teaching tool to help our children give back to the community, is now a labour of love. There are many unwanted and abandoned felines in our community and at Katies Place all are welcomed and loved... none are turned away or disposed of.

If you and your family would like to help Katies Place, see this link http://katiesplaceshelter.com/how-to-help/how-to-volunteer/ for more information to help you get started.

Volunteers are very welcome to pet and give me a massage!

Diana says, "Thanks!"

Phobos

In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.
Ah, how hard a thing it is to tell what a wild, and rough, and stubborn wood this was, which in my thought renews the fear!
DANTE - The Divine Comedy


It's been a while since I last wrote...




I've been a little preoccupied with fear and got lost in doubt. Funny, it was just after May 21st 2011...around 6pm actually when things deteriated for me.
I was called an idiot because of my beliefs and had been given an ultimatum, "Don't push that Jesus crap on me, otherwise....." I'll let your imagination finish that sentence.
It hurt....it hurt a lot and I began to believe that I was an idiot. Feelings of inadequacy overcame me and fear kept creeping in; lost in a dark wood, far away from writing and blogging.

It hurts when someone has a strong reaction to your beliefs, but I did realized something this summer, it hurts even more to not do what you were meant to do.

Where God's love is there is no fear,
because God's perfect love drives out fear.
It is punishment that makes a person fear,
so love is not made perfect in the person who fears.
1John 4:18 NCV


I realized two things after reading this passage:
1) I wasn't allowing God's love in me, he didn't have my whole heart, so how could He drive out the fear? How could His love be made perfect in me?
2) I was afraid of losing the respect of friends and family (my punishment would be banishment from the relationships I have made over the years).

Ignoring my Goliath wasn't going to work, I could no longer run from it. So what did David do?

He picked up 5 stones and his sling and stood his ground.

*No, this does not mean I'm going to hit you with stones the next time I see you (to those of you who think I have a few screws loose), it just means that I need you to know that I love you, because God first loved us.
*No, I'm not going to thump a Bible over your heads either.... Jesus never did, he used scrolls :) Just kidding!
*Yes, I am here if you need to talk and I will answer your questions to the best of my ability.
*Yes, being and idiot is NOT a prerequisite to believing in God. God would prefer it if you weren't a nut case, but He'd love you anyways.

To those who have lost their dignity,
Lord, may I help you to restore it.
To those who are lonely and forgotten,
Lord, may I help you to be their friend.
To those who are hurt,
Lord, may I help you to heal them.
To those who let fear keep them captive,
Lord, may I help you to break their chains.
Amen


Ciao for now!

PS: Be on the look out for my Aunties Mary and Martha. They wanted to start up a column to help me out a bit. So if you have any questions for them about food or life email me at anoesdelacourt@yahoo.com and I will get the questions to them.

PPS: Breaking news! October 21st 2011 is now the last day on earth. Stay away from fire. LOL!


Jesus speaking about the end of times:
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36


I guess some people just don't know that yet.