When you pick a flower, it is no longer connected to the soil and therefore begins to slowly wither away and eventually...

it DIES.

“If you love a flower, don’t pick it up.

Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love.

So if you love a flower, let it be.

Love is not about possession.

Love is about appreciation" 

-Osho

OK...Every living atom eventually dies, but if you pluck a flower prematurely, it dies faster.

The disconnection from the natural source of nourishment dehydrates it and expedites the fading of its beauty. No replacement of habitat or supplement of sustenance can revitalize the flower to its natural composition...it just won't ever be the same!

This was the contemplation in my mind after I was told by a man: "I want you all to myself". (LOL) Now despite what his real intentions were, I was immediately flabbergasted/ disgusted because this sounded like a plea for selfish possession to remove me from my world of beauty and try to alter me to fit his needs...unsolicited submission--ugh, I totally ran with the comment!  A lifted upper lip and a walk in the opposite direction later, my mind dissipated to the metaphor about the flower being separated from its thriving habitat...

It is human nature to seek beautiful possessions.As visually inclined creatures, we like to have nice clothes, nice cars, beautiful plants in our homes, attractive partners etc. No one ever wakes up and says "I want an ugly mate" or let me get the ugliest car on the lot. There has to be some element of beauty for us to make a selection, whether it be appearance or an attribute, we naturally crave beauty around us similar to the flower. 

There is nothing wrong with the desire for aesthetic satisfaction. What scares me is when value is lost under the selfish possession of one who cannot reciprocate the natural nourishment for that flower. For example, relationships. Everyone has an innate "shine". There is something about you that makes you, "You". When you meet a person who is self-indulged and all about themselves, or egotistical--only has you to help them, that innate "shine" fades and becomes a source for their satisfaction only. Similarly, when we pluck flowers from a garden and place it in a vase of water inside the house, we do it for our visual pleasure not realizing the detriment caused to the flower as it lacks the natural source of photosynthesis. Therefore relationships should embrace the individual "shine" of each partner where it is at and one should not find it as a reason to change one another or "pluck them from the source of their beauty".

“The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.”

--Ernest Hemingway

In essence, if you love something, let it "GROW". Let it bloom in its natural realm, let its beauty radiate...let it be.

-ImJessSayin

Peace be Still...

In my existence, I've experienced grief, pain, betrayal, deceit, loss etc! But, nothing quite compares to the element of peace that I have been able to cling to that transcends over "those troubled waters"...

Truth is, "life is gonna happen". It is an inevitable reality that things WILL happen in our lives that we have no control over. Natural disasters, crime, illness, or economic distress are just some of the in- explainable occurrences that can arise . Although these unforeseen events come our way, we have control over our reaction and how we choose to deal with it...Perspective is Everything.

As I have matured, accepting the unexplainable has become easier. I am able to inhale, exhale, accept things as they are and move on! Worry is not an option anymore.

In contrast however, the immature mindset dwells on circumstances. It ponders on the why me? Why now? It dampens perception and reacts to emotional triggers. It does not search for options to make things better. These very attributes contribute to negativity and blocks the possibility for peace & growth (the beautiful things in life).

I think of it like this: no matter what happens in the day, the sun will ALWAYS rise, so don't trouble yourself with worrying or looking for something to fight about--"choose your battles". Nothing is too hard or impossible to overcome. Metaphorical waves of life may come crashing, but the water always calms.

I'm reminded of  this lesson of peace from the parable when Jesus calms the storm. Jesus and his disciples set forth to go over to the other side of a lake, so they got into a boat and set out (Luke 8:22). As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep and the torment of the sea threatened the ship. The disciples were frightened as the winds blew hard and the boat was swamped. In fear and worry, the disciples went to Jesus and said "we're going to drown" Jesus woke up and calmed the wind and raging waters, and then all was calm...(just like that!) He turned and looked at everyone and asked his disciples, "where is your faith". Haha! Jesus was a "G".

The mental image that plays in my head of this story is a group of  frightened men hollering and pacing in a crowded boat under a gray stormy sky and this one man (Jesus) in the cut, just sleeping...no worries! LOL

I absolutely love this story! It reminds me to be calm and remember who the master of the stormy seas is and who is the master of the torrential winds...therefore, no matter what the atmosphere is looking like, no matter what situations may occur, remember who my peace is, call on Him, and have faith of the unseen that things will get better.

[Peace is one of my most favored traits. I try to function by it in all I do and  I admire people who have peaceful dispositions.]




Here is a song to go with this all. Its one of my favorite. It has an old gospel sound to it, but the message is relevant:

James Cleveland "Peace be Still:

Verse 1
Master, the tempest is raging.
The billows are tossing high.
The sky is o'er shadowed with blackness,
no shelter or help is nigh.
Carest Thou not that we perish?
How canst Thou lie asleep,
when each moment so madly is threat-ning,
a grave in the angry deep?

Chorus
The winds and the waves
shall obey my will, peace be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
or demons, or men, or whatever it be.
No water can swallow the ship where lies
the Master of ocean and earth and skies;
they shall sweetly obey my will,
peace be still, peace be still.
They all shall sweetly obey my will;
peace, peace be still.

 

Choice Vs. Destiny

Ponder this: Is your destiny preordained or the result of choices? And are these positions mutually exclusive?
From the spiritual perspective, destiny has already been ordained even before we were formed  (Jeremiah 1:5, "I knew you before you were formed").  In contrast, free will is just an elusive perception that human nature conceives when they think that  they are in charge of their own destiny. Therefore, the role of free will really is inessential, because  destiny and our choices are already written by the higher power. However, this thought presents  a new dimension because then this may suggest that the Almighty granted us free will as an  "illusion"... but free will is the very instrument he expected us to use to accept or reject his plan  of Redemption? Hmmm....!!! I’m just thinking though, there are unforeseen events that take course in our lives that I honestly can say are out of our control (i.e. infant that is stricken with fatal disease at birth) that is a matter of destiny ... but that does not negate the role of Free Will? Take the following into consideration: Is there a difference in your destiny if you choose to commit your life to the church [The Lord] versus a life of self-indulgence and debauchery?...Yes! Gathering this all together, our choices are pre-ordained reactions to events that lead to our destiny.  Therefore, yes, my destiny is pre-ordained, and although this is so, the choices I make are simply  indications or reflections of my destiny. My destiny has been en grained before I even knew it to  be so...as life goes on, my choices change through experience and maturity, however it does not  alter my destiny.

A twinkle in the eye, is JUST a twinkle in the eye

"A twinkle in the eye, is JUST a twinkle in the eye" 

Romantic relationships cannot sprout simply because two people "get along well" or " like the same music" LOL! There are a variety of aspects that must be satisfied, like: 

1. compatible spiritual values
2. similar intentions with the relationship, & 
3. physical attraction

Now that's just the beginning it goes deeper than that! Can you motivate me? Can I motivate you? Can you make me laugh? Can I entertain you? When times get hard, do you know how to pray for me? Can I pray for you? When times are good, do you know how to celebrate me and vice versa? Are you socially stable? Financially stable? Are you respected in the streets? Do you have un-dealt issues?


Can't be too quick to run into relationships these days, get set up for the okey doke...not me!

My floral obsession

...I LOVE flowers

Some of my favorite picks:

Top left: 24 Roses...simply beautiful

Top right: Asiatic lilies and exotic greenery

Bottom left: 12 Roses of purity

Bottom right: Bundle of purple mums, daisies, and roses

Top Left: Asiatic lilies as buds

Left middle: Asiatic lilies flourishing

Bottom Left: Single hyacinth and greenery

Right: Sunflower

All of these arrangements were hand-picked and arranged by me from the flower shop of course...I would love to have a garden with these flowers one day

Creative mind...Crafty Hands

I've always had a knack for crafts and decorating. When it came down to family parties or creative assignments in school, my natural inclination for these things was on high alert...I just HAD to dabble my hands in these things and have some kind of part in the decorating.

I LOVE flowers, tissue paper, adhesive letters, balloons, doilies, ribbons, pins... etc!

Here are some of my crafts:

In 2011, I had the honor of decorating my God-Daughters's Princess themed baby shower.

I constructed "diaper cakes" for the centerpieces using princess crowns as the toppers, ribbons, and other cute keepsakes.

The supplies:

The finished products

 The paper onesies were used as "Love Notes" to share words of encouragement to the Parents to be and to the baby.

I also had cd's made with adorable songs to celebrate the "Princess'" arrival. Each song title read into a full poem...it was super cute.

Games

For games, we played the traditional bottle drinking contest and the guess the belly size game.

The picture above was a game that we played called: "Guess who's that baby". I collected baby pictures of family members and the guests had to figure out who was who!

Another game that we played was "The diaper game". In this game, popular chocolate candies were smudged on diapers to emulate a dirty diaper. Participants had to guess the chocolate candy smudge on each diaper. It was nasty looking, but sure was fun seeing the guest dive nose first in the diapers.

Style Cap 09/20

Style Cap from 09/20/'13

-White Trimmed top -Denim skirt-Pink sparkly clutch-Pink sparkly heels