Tag: Blogger

As Little Children

~~ a devotional ~~

by tkbrown

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

Leo Tolstoy

Jesus said, ” . . . except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 18:3). Children accept the world around them. They adapt to whatever conditions they must, and–without even knowing it–they try to help others adapt to those same surroundings if they see someone struggling with this task. They accept others as they are. They may not always accept what others try to put upon them, but they accept the right of others to be different from them. We typically think of children being the ones who need to learn how to live, but we adults could learn a thing or two about life from children.

1 — “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'”

2 — “And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,”

3 — “and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.'”

4 — “‘Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'”

5 — “‘And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.'”

6 — “‘but whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.'”

Matthew 18:1-6 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

Referring back to the Tolstoy quote above, which is easier: to change oneself or to change the world? It stands to reason, it is easier to change self and to accept the world as it is. Each of us has control of ourselves, but none has control over anyone else — much less of the world. Why then, does everyone think first of changing the world to suit self? How many people can I summons in an effort to change the world? Would it not be easier for me to just act as a little child might–accepting the things and people around me–since I do not have the right to change them?

In Matthew 18:1 (above) Jesus’ disciples asked Him which of them would be greatest in heaven, and He told them, “. . . to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven, one must humble himself as a little child. . . .” In Matthew chapter 23, verses 9-12 (below) Jesus is speaking to His disciples and to the multitude. He tells them to, “. . . call no man ‘father’ or ‘master,’ for God in heaven is the only One worthy of being called ‘Father,’ and He–Jesus Christ only–is to be called Master.” He went on to say, once again, “. . . he who is greatest among us shall be servant for he who exalts himself shall be brought down, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.'” Thus, those who try to lord it over others will be of little stature in heaven. It will be those who meekly and humbly go about their order of business with others who will be greatest in heaven.

9 — “‘And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.'”

10 — “‘Neither be ye called masters: for One is your Master, even Christ.'”

11 — “‘But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.'”

12 — “‘And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.'”

Matthew 23:9-12 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

Do you make a habit of ordering others around, or do you prefer to follow and serve? It seems Jesus was telling His disciples it would be those who tend to hover in the background–doing the menial tasks no one else wants to do, serving others, who will be exalted in heaven. Most children seem to automatically understand that cooperative interaction is far better than bossing others. If we–as Christians–would take a little time to sit back and observe children at play, we would see in most of them how we should be interacting with other Christian adults. Thus, “lest we become ‘as little children'” when working with others to further the cause of Christ, we may not be pleasing God in the manner Jesus taught.

“But Jesus said, ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'”

Matthew 19:14 — “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

~~~~~~~~~~

Photo Above: by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.com.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sources:

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Matthew 18:1-6. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (22 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-Chapter-18/.

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Matthew 19:14. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (22 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-19-14/.

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Matthew 23:9-12. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (22 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbible.me/Matthew-Chapter-23/.

Schlottman, Andrea. (2022). books on the wall. “booksonthewall.com.” (22 May 2022). https://booksonthewall.com/blog/leo-tolstoy-quote/.

~~~~~~~~~~

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

I would like to thank my friend at https://chasingthemaximumlife.wordpress.com/ for nominating me for the “Very Inspiring Blogger Award!” It is a special honor to be recognized by my blogging peers recognizing the inspirational quality of my work. Our sources of inspiration vary from person to person. I am pleased and humbled to know my posts inspire other bloggers to keep pressing forth. Thank You, so very much for this honor.

If you have not visited her blog, hurry over to https://chasingthemaximumlife.wordpress.com/ for a special treat on fashion which is going on as we speak! The tips are amazing! I am sure you will agree. It will inspire you to “take it to the limits” when you next dress to go out on the town.

~~~~~~~~~~

Rules for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

  • Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to his/her blog (see above).
  • Answer the questions asked.
  • Nominate up to 9 other bloggers and ask them five (5) new questions.
  • Notify the nominees through their blogs by visiting and commenting on their blogs.
  • List the rules and display the “Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award” logo.
  • Provide a link to the Award Creator–Rising Star at https://idealinspiration.blog.
This is: “Ideal Inspiration Award Nomination” X2

The Ideal Inspiration Blogger award is a non-official award created by the members of Team Ideal Inspiration and is given to bloggers by bloggers as an acknowledgment of the inspiring work published on their blogs. The award reflects the positive impact people can have on one another in life. It is a recognition of bloggers by bloggers as a means of further inspiring aspirations to positively impact the artistic expression of other bloggers.

The Ideal Inspiration Award was introduced by Rising Star from “It’s all about inspiration” @ https://idealinspiration.blog. Thank You, Rising Star for seeing the benefit of such recognition being focused upon other bloggers. Thank You for creating this award. It is humbling to know others view my posts as worthy of peer recognition. You have created a way to help bloggers recognize other bloggers who inspire them to keep pressing forward. I am honored to be nominated for this award by https://chasingthemaximumlife.wordpress.com.

~~~~~~~~~~

Questions from chasingthemaximumlife:

  1. Who/what is your biggest source of inspiration?
    1. My faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, would be my greatest source of inspiration regarding matters of faith and daily living. My sincerest desire is to be “like Jesus” in all interactions. He set the perfect example of how to live and treat others.
    2. My biggest earthly source of inspiration is “reading.” Oftentimes I am reading something through the course of a normal day, and something stands out to me as if it has been printed in large bold letters. It may inspire something closely related or something that seems to not be related at all, but the inspiration was triggered by what I read.
  2. What is your biggest fear in life?
    1. I don’t really have any major fears other than fearing God–which means I honor, respect, and rely on Him for all strength and guidance. I would not want to displease Him. He is my refuge and my strength. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” (Psalms 46:1).
  3. What is your superpower?
    1. My superpower–or my greatest strength–is my ability to listen and relate to others and what they are going through, then to empathically empower them to search out a solution to the problem pressing in on them.
  4. What is the “most proud” moment of your life to date?
    1. This is hard to answer for: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,” (Proverbs 16:18). Thus, I try not to allow pride to enter into any of my endeavors. However, there are many instances in my life from whence I have gained a better understanding of myself and of others. These would be about as close as I would allow myself to enter into “pride’s realm.”
  5. What quality in humans do you detest the most?
    1. I detest the tendency, in anyone, to abuse children or to abuse anyone unable to defend himself or herself against the abuser.

~~~~~~~~~~

My nominees:

~~~~~~~~~~

My Questions to My Nominees:

  1. Who/What is your greatest source of inspiration?
  2. What do you hope to inspire in others through your blog?
  3. Through what artistic means do you express your inspirations?
  4. When you need to “rejuvenate,” do you tend to need the company of other people, or do you need to spend some time alone for a bit?
  5. When you see someone “hurting” emotionally, do you respond, and if so how?

~~~~~~~~~~

Again, I would like to thank chasingthemaximumlife for nominating me for this award. It gives me the opportunity, once again, to recognize some of my peers who aspire to inspire others. Thank You so very much for providing me this opportunity.

~~~~~~~~~~

SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD

Special Thanks

Thank You so very much, darellphilip, for nominating me for this award. I appreciate your support of my blog posts. It means much to work in a mutually supportive environment with like minds. I believe that is what this award is about. By supporting each other we create a light that shines on those involved in this mutually supportive effort. The resulting “Sunshine” warms our hearts and soothes the soul. It is a blessing from God. Again, Thank You, darellphilip !

To those reading, if you have not visited his blog, you should go to https://darellphilip.wordpress.com/ and see what he has posted. He supports the work of others and consistently searches for more to include in this circle of ‘Sunshine.’ Check it out!

~~~~~~~~~~

Sunshine Blogger Award Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog.
  2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
  3. Nominate 11 people and ask them 11 new questions.
  4. Notify the nominees by commenting on one of their posts.
  5. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post.

~~~~~~~~~~

darellphilip’s Questions:

  1. What are you thankful for right now and why?
    • I am thankful for God’s love — the strength, clarity, love for others He instills in me; for my family — my children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins; for each person with whom I come into contact — face-to-face, in social media, and on this and other blog posts, I am truly blessed by each; for my ability to express myself in written form — both prose and poetry, for this blog page — it has helped me to expand my horizons with regard to who I am and the purposes for my writing ability, and I am thankful for the necessities of life which are provided in abundance.
  2. Who inspires you?
    • my fellow bloggers, other authors, other poets, journalists, academics, family, friends, the news. I often am inspired to pursue a new line of research or thought by the written or verbal expression of others.
  3. Where is your favourite vacation spot?
    • It varies, but typically the Ozarks in the heartland of the United States. It is where I grew up and I am enthralled with the lay of the land. I feel very close to nature and to God when I am there.
  4. When did you first realize your love for blogging?
    • About a year ago, I realized that I truly had the ability to write poetry and prose worthy of sharing with others here on my wordpress.com pages rather than saving all of it for future publication. It has actually helped me with my projects planned for traditional publication too.
  5. Why does Black Lives Matter?
    • For me, saying specifically–Black lives Matter–excludes all other races as negligible and unworthy of mattering. I believe one race is as important–and matters as much–as any other. I believe singling out one race is much more racist than most other racist statements because it excludes ALL other races. I believe God sees the color of our hearts, not the color of our skins, when He determines who is important and that persons of all races matter to Him. Thus, persons of all races must matter to me, not just one race; I believe my responsibility is determining what one projects from his / her heart and then promote those whose projections are aligned with those of Jesus Christ. The riots that are being presented as peaceful protests are harmful to others and to the property of others, as well as to the cause they are purported to support. Thus they are against God’s will, and–as such–I cannot condone them in any form. Peaceful Protests are never violent or demeaning to others. I appreciate you asking this question, because it allows me to say these things with purpose. They have been weighing heavily on my heart.
  6. How many pets do you have?
    • none — I have had pets in the past, right now it would cost more to properly care for a pet than I can manage.
  7. What new skills have you acquired during lockdown?
    • I have been able to take the time needed to improve on my health through nutrition research and finding new and better recipes to utilize in this endeavor. I have also been able to better visualize the end product in my poetry book(s), my novels, and my non-fiction endeavors.
  8. Where does your inspiration to blog come from?
    • It comes from many sources: from reading–the blogs of others, news articles online, journal articles, poetry, and even during sleep. Inspiration comes from all about me, from within me, and from a spiritual connection with God and His Son.
  9. Who is most important to you in your life right now and why?
    • God, my children, and my grandchildren because they are God given gifts. I will never receive a better gift than my children and my grandchildren.
  10. Why should bloggers follow your blog?
    • I try to reflect on events happening in our world as I write. I try to always write with honesty and integrity in a way which allows others to take what they like and leave the rest. I am honored to know others see enough value in my posts to want more people to see and read them too. These award nominations have humbled me much. All praise, I believe, goes to God and His Son, Jesus. I strive to live my life in a manner pleasing to them. Hopefully, the value of that will continue to be seen by others. Thank You for asking this question too. It has given me the opportunity to reflect upon what I do and why. Thank You for nominating me!
  11. When will racism end?
    • I fear–because evil roams the world seeking ways to destroy all efforts for peaceful existence–I fear it will not end until the Lord comes to call us home.

~~~~~~~~~~

My Nominees:

  1. Tangie @ https://www.tangietwoods.blog
  2. Blanca @ https://journeyinfindinggod414907732.wordpress.com/
  3. ChallEngEr @ https://ministryin.wordpress.com/
  4. Nomison @ https://artnomison.wordpress.com/
  5. Sarah @ https://studywys.wordpress.com/about-myself/
  6. Anju @ https://thinkbigcom529246297.wordpress.com/about/
  7. Maurice @ https://soulrenewed.wordpress.com/
  8. parneetsachdev @ https://timelessmind.org/
  9. Maxine @ https://heavensreef.wordpress.com/
  10. Terese @ https://teresebelme.com/
  11. Saania @ https://saania2806.wordpress.com/

~~~~~~~~~~

My Questions for My Nominees:

  1. What is your favorite color and why?
  2. Who is your favorite author and why?
  3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
  4. What is your favorite quote? Why?
  5. In your education, what has had the most impact on you? Why?
  6. What is your favorite course of study? Why?
  7. Who influenced you to begin your blog? Why?
  8. Do you implement your own writing style on your blog, or do you follow that of someone else? Why?
  9. If you could correct one aspect of the world right now, what would it be and why?
  10. Who do you look up to and why?
  11. What, or who, is your greatest source of strength? Why?

~~~~~~~~~~

Again, Thank You, darellphilp, for nominating me for this award! To those whom I nominated, I look forward to reading your responses. Please remember to link back to my site when you complete your post. Thank You!

Vincent Ehindero Blogger Award

What are the award’s rules?

  • 1. Thank the person that nominated you with a link to their blog.
  • 2. Make a Post of the award [with photo].
  • 3. Post the award’s rules.
  • 4. Ask 5-10 questions of your choice.
  • 5. Nominate 10-30 other bloggers.
  • 6. Follow Vincent Ehindero @ vincentehindero.wordpress.com [to qualify for a free blog promotion and shoutout] and more blogging opportunities.

******************************

Thank You, girrrrl_of_two_worlds, for nominating me as a contender for the Vincent Ehindero Blogger Award! I appreciate your recognition of my blog pages. What an honor!

Many Thanks to you as well Vincent Ehindero @vincentehindero.wordpress.com! This award is a great idea! You are to be commended! Everybody, check out his blogsite and thank him for recognizing fellow bloggers in this way!

Then, I recommend that you check out girrl_of_two_worlds blog site, Science-tastic: In Science We Trust. She is very good–a scientist in the making!!! https://juniorblogs.science.blog/2020/03/25/vincent-ehindero-award-and-50-followers/.

My Questions from girrrrl_of_two_worlds at Science-tastic:

  1. What’s your favorite unrealistic eye color [eg. purple or orange]?

purple

2. Growing up, what was your favorite story?

Anne of Green Gables

3. Which song is currently stuck in your head?

"Angry Words"
by: Horatius R. Palmer

Angry words! Oh, let them never
from the tongue unbridled slip:
May the heart's best impulse ever
check them ere they soil the lip.

Chorus:
"Love one another," thus saith the Saviour;
Children obey the Father's blessed command;
"Love one another," thus saith the Saviour;
Children obey His blessed command.

Love is much to pure and holy;
friendship is to sacred far,
for a moment's reckless folly
thus to desolate and mar. [Chorus]

Angry words are lightly spoken,
bitt'rest thoughts are rashly stired;
brightest links of life are broken
by a single angry word. [Chorus]

4. Which chore do you absolutely hate doing?

When company is here: Cleaning up after a meal.

5. If leaves were any different color–which would you like them to be?

Varying shades of blue.

6. If you had the chance to learn any language, minus the hard work, which would it be?

Greek

7. According to you, what was the last experience that made you a stronger person?

The coronavirus pandemic.

8. Do you believe in afterlives and reincarnation?

Yes, I believe in the afterlife, definitely! I am not so sure about the reincarnation — maybe?

9. Let’s say you were doomed to speak only one word for an entire day, what word would it be?

Hello! [Once I have the person’s attention, I could try to communicate with my hands.]

10. What’s your favorite kind of workout?

Walking or Strength Training

~~~~~~~~~~

My Nominations for the Vincent Ehindero Blogger Award:

  1. Sonal Mishra at https://ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com/
  2. Kamya Seervi at https://keepupwithkamya.wordpress.com/
  3. Saania Sparkle at https://saania2806.wordpress.com/
  4. Anurag at https://feelitnwrite.wordpress.com/
  5. Jul | bandito10059793 at https://the-flood.com/
  6. Ayesha at https://themindofayesha.wordpress.com/
  7. Rising Star at https://idealinspiration.blog
  8. Kingston S Lim at https://kingstonlim.com/
  9. Alltheusernameareout at https://studywys.wordpress.com/
  10. Shravanthi at https://shravanthiwrites.home.blog/

~~~~~~~~~~

My Questions for My Nominees:

  1. What would you like to accomplish, over time, with your writing?
  2. When you need to ‘refuel’ (so to speak): Do you prefer to be alone for a while, or do you want to be with other people?
  3. What is/was your favorite subject in school, and why?
  4. If you could have one wish fulfilled for the world, what would that wish be?
  5. What have you done ‘for yourself’ during the coronavirus pandemic?
  6. What have you done ‘for someone else’ during the coronavirus pandemic?
  7. What is your favorite color rose, and why?
  8. Who is your favorite author, and why?
  9. What is your favorite quote, and why?
  10. If you could remove one thing from the world, what would it be?

~~~~~~~~~~

Again, Thank You, girrrrl_of_two_worlds, for the nomination! I really appreciate it! Everybody, if you have not checked out her blog, you must do so! You are in for a treat! https://juniorblogs.science.blog/2020/03/25/vincent-ehindero-award-and-50-followers/.

Stay Safe and COVID-19 Free!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~