In Vietnam you will see some beautiful trees that produce some beautiful flowers!! At certain times of the year, different types of flowering trees are brilliant with lavender, red, yellow, orange, or purple blossoms! These various blossoms can release such sweet fragrances, too. When John and I first came to Vietnam, I would often stop in wonder and delight to enjoy the beauty of these trees and their flowers. After living here for a longer season, however, I realized that I have to purposefully be aware of and enjoy this wonder and beauty that I live in. This phenomenon is so true in many other areas of our lives. How many times do we think “the grass is greener on the other side,” when truthfully we have just forgotten how beautiful the grass is on our side. This is a good time, right before spring begins to blossom in the States, to remember to purposefully engage in the wonder of the world around you. Instead of speeding through the day to get the tasks done and to get to the end…stop. Take time to experience the beauty of the world around you. That beauty is not only in nature, but also in the people in your life. It is in the relationships we have. Enjoy the season of your marriage. Enjoy the season of your children. Enjoy the season of your parents. Enjoy the season of friends. Enjoy the seasons of your life. Seasons change. You may think they will last forever, but they do not. Enjoy the season while you have it. Move through each season with the idea of “no regrets” as you leave one season to enter into another. Here are some pictures of the beauty of different seasons I have walked through in the past few months… Take time and enjoy!
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A basic definition of friend is a person you know with a mutual affection between you. Seems so simple, and at the same time, it can become quite complex. Complex? How is that? Well, not everybody is my friend. Especially someone that I do not share ANYTHING with! Or someone I only know about through another person, so I don’t have the experience of engaging in conversation and life events with them.
Then, in a big pool of people I know, not everyone will become my friend. You see, another part of the definition of friend is one who is attached to another by affection or esteem. A friend must become someone who shares a level of kindness and respect towards me. A person who belittles me; a person who is ashamed of me; a person who ignores me; a person who uses me for their own personal gain; a person who abuses me…this person is not a friend. We are not engaged in a relationship of mutual affection or esteem for one another. Now, I must say that friendship for a 5-year-old will be different than a friendship for a 55-year-old. And at the same time, even the 2-year-old begins to learn the basic concepts of kindness…that building block of relationships called “sharing.” In a friendship there is a mutual affection and esteem for one another—in other words, a shared affection and esteem. Here is a beautiful vision of friendship at its highest level: There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Living this expat life and having to navigate many changes over the past 7 years, friendship has been a major cornerstone in making it through! I have come to value the idea of friendship even more. Both to receive the supply of help and support that friends give and to be that avenue of supply and help for others! Learning to esteem the gifts in others and the value of their differences. I may not always want to agree or be in an extremely vulnerable relationship with some people, but, at the same time, I want to value them and to do them no harm. So…let us think about FRIENDS. What kind of friend do we want to be and who do we actually bring into our world of friendship. Let us not cheapen this idea of being a friend by the influence of the social media concept of “friends”. Let us keep the higher vision in focus both in the friends we choose and in the friend we will be.
As I enter this NEW YEAR, what do I want to be NEW in my life and the world I impact? There are things we cannot control but, at the same time, there are many things we do have control over. There are choices we can make. I ask you to stop and think about what you can choose to do or have this year… Then make your list of New Things for 2021, or maybe refresh some old things and bring them into a New Year. MY LIST OF NEW THINGS FOR 2021:
Let 2021 be an AMAZING year for you! Be AMAZED and EXPECTANT at the NEW that will arise in this year and in your life. It’s time to focus on the LIGHT and not the darkness. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Here is a video to help you take 2 minutes to calm your mind and your body so you can reflect and hear your heart. |
AuthorCindy writes about her adventures, observations, and other nuggets from living in another nation. She and John live in SE Asia. She will also share nuggets from her 58 plus years of life. Categories
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