Archive for February, 2010
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 28, 2010
What drives you each day to do the things you do? What motivates you and why? What is it about your life that is so special to you and what do you get out of living it? These are questions we seldom ask of ourselves. We go through our lives in a very routinely way. Our basic needs must be met of course, what we will eat, how we obtain food and shelter. Outside of these base things what else do we think we need and why? When we are born we have only one instinct for survival and that is food and drink. It is only as we grow in whichever society we happen to be that other factors come into play. We discover that to get what we need we must conform to a set of rules. This then drives us along as we attempt to fit in. If we don’t follow the rules we don’t survive. This makes us ambitious so we strive to do our best. Some people however want to go a few steps further and are never satisfied with their lives, always striving to reach a horizon that moves further away as each step is taken. What is the point in being over ambitious? Some people are never satisfied and they have to accumulate more and more things. For some people it is money which drives them endlessly forward. If you read Scripture it warns us of the futility of acquiring too much during our lifetime. At the end of the day all the wealth we have accumulated passes to someone else! Our basic needs in life should be enough for us and we should be satisfied with little rather than with much. It is nice of course to be comfortable and have that feeling of security but how easily we can be robbed of everything we’ve got. I know a person who has accumulated great wealth and has become so security minded that the outside of his house has enough floodlights and cameras fitted to satisfy a prison. He obviously has alarms too and the perimeter walls and electrically operated gates make it just as secure. If he had nothing but his basic needs he would not have to worry about theft. Once we travel down that road we are lost. So why do we do it? Why do we accumulate things when most of the time we have no need of them? Why do we live in a dream world? The best things in life come without a price-tag. The simple things in life give more pleasure than those which cost a fortune and we don’t have to worry about them. It might we worthwhile to evaluate our priorities occasionally so that we don’t fall into the bottomless pit where there is no hope.
Shirley Anne
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Posted by Shirley Anne on February 27, 2010
So, you go with the flow. You have no opinion about an afterlife. You believe that one does not exist. You cannot explain why you think that way but you just do. You are just like the other sheep in the fold. You say you are not and that anyone who believes that nonsense in an afterlife is in fact under an illusion and it is they who are the sheep. You need proof before you believe but you have no faith to believe what you cannot see. So you carry on in the belief that there is no afterlife. Maybe you believe in something else. If asked about that belief you cannot explain why you believe but say that it is just as viable a belief as any other. That means you hope it is the right one else your belief is founded upon nothing. So why believe in one thing and not the other? If asked whether your beliefs have grounding in fact, you cannot answer. What benefits are there in believing in anything? You might as well believe in anything if in fact there is no benefit from it. So what benefits could there be and are they worth pursuing? In this life a benefit may enable a better lifestyle but that would mean that your present circumstances were not good enough. That again would mean that you are ambitious to improve your situation and why not? What benefit would that be to you? Perhaps you like the idea of being better off than all your neighbours. If so then that means you don’t care much about them. Well if you do care then what are you doing about it? Probably nothing. So why bother with that sort of ambition? At the end of your life you will have achieved basically nothing. Those you leave behind will surpass you. All you have gained will be lost to you and others will reap the benefits. Why then don’t you see that they are satisfied whilst you are still alive? That would make your existence something to be proud of, wouldn’t it? But then that would mean you would be proud. If you don’t mind being proud then that’s alright but others will not see it that way. Do you want to be remembered for being a good person or one that is proud and self-seeking? If all of this is nonsense then what is it that makes sense to you? On what thesis is that based upon? As we grow we form opinions about those things we encounter and either accept them or reject them. We may not know the truth about them sometimes but that often does not prevent us from rejecting them. We can be very irrational in this sphere. We reject things we know nothing about and often accept things in the same way. We resist anyone who tries to tell us otherwise. We can be letting ourselves down by doing this. Somebody somewhere actually knows the truth but are we ready to believe it? No. Why? Because we don’t have the faith to believe. Maybe the sheep description is wrong. Perhaps a more apt description would be an ostrich. Open your heart to faith, then follow your heart when you realise that the truth has been revealed. What truth is that? That is for you to discover. But don’t delude yourself, don’t kid yourself that what you believe is the truth if in fact you know it isn’t. You will know when it is.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Religion | Tagged: Philosophy, Religion | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 26, 2010
I have noticed a slight change in my habits lately. Nothing major, just subtle things. One is I am dining out more frequently, two or sometimes three times a week. Another is I am visiting my local pub less frequently, one visit only so far this year! That will probably change though. I am being more selective in the jobs I take on board and where schedule time is involved a little less accommodating. Whereas before I would make myself available even if it was inconvenient, I no longer do that unless there are extenuating circumstances. I have noticed that I am tending to do more of what I want to do and less of what I don’t like or prefer not doing. If you had seen me on Wednesday you would have thought, ‘What on earth is she doing’? I had arrived home after a morning’s work and it was already past lunchtime. I had a few things to do before I could eat and got those out-of-the-way. I began to prepare something to eat, a simple dish of bacon, eggs and tomatoes. I had been cutting away the fat from some rashers of bacon and I opened the kitchen door to throw the fat out for the birds. I glanced down the steps to my right and saw what could only be described as a small lake! The grid to the drain had been blocked with fallen leaves. It would take but a couple of minutes to clear, or so I thought. I decided to delay cooking my lunch and clear the drain. The water drained away in a few seconds but it took ten minutes to place all the leaves in the garden waste bin. I checked the other two grids to see if they were blocked. One was blocked but the other wasn’t. By this time I was thinking, ‘Oh well, I’m not that hungry’. I started to clear out the second grid. Well that wasn’t easy. This grid is where the kitchen waste is piped and it had become blocked by solidified grease and dishwashing liquid or soap. This meant I had to roll up my sleeves, get down on my knees and handball it out of the grid. The smell was atrocious but it had to be done. I removed a bucket full of solid matter and flushed out the system. By the time I had finished more than an hour had passed and I’d still not eaten. I had to get washed and changed before I could cook my lunch and sit down to eat it. This is nothing new to me. I guess I am too much of a ‘handywoman’! I am only glad the weather was fine or it could have been worse. I suppose that when you have time on your hands you can get up to all kinds of mischief!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Maintenance | Tagged: Activity, Life, Maintenance | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 25, 2010
On 1st January I started another blog on Blogger. It was experimental and I was just trying out the platform. Well now I have removed the link here and closed the Blogger site. It was a waste of time.
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Posted by Shirley Anne on February 25, 2010
I’m feeling so loved. It isn’t the kind of love I would get from a lover. It isn’t the kind of love I’d get from a friend. It isn’t the kind of love I’d get from a mother but this love is so much better. My Father loves me. It wouldn’t matter if I didn’t love him. He would love me just the same. I have two sons. I love them both. My love for them would not change no matter what they might do. I may disagree with them, I may think their lifestyles were not right. Nothing they could do would make me love them less. I would be sorely disappointed if they were wicked sons who were bent on doing evil things but I would still love them. I would be constantly wishing they would turn away from their evil ways and would be there for them when they did, welcoming them with open arms. That is how it is with my Father. He waited for 43 years for me to turn to him and when I did he was there waiting to welcome me. I feel so loved and I know I am not worthy but his gift is his love freely given to me because I turned to him. There is no greater love than that love which was given to me. I didn’t earn it. I couldn’t earn it. I will never earn it. If I did good works all the days of my life I still would not be worthy. The gift comes unconditionally to those who believe and turn to him. Simple isn’t it? I’ll say no more…………
‘For it is by grace that you are saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works so that no-one can boast’……….Ephesians 2:8-9
Shirley Anne
Posted in Religion, Uncategorized | Tagged: Religion | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 24, 2010
If you look at my Zone 1 page you will find an invitation to add the next line. The idea is that you decide where it will end. Each day I will check for comments and the first one I see will be added to the page unless it is rejected then the next comment will be added instead. Just for a bit of fun…………
Shirley Anne
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Posted by Shirley Anne on February 24, 2010
I wrote a comment on someone’s blog recently in response to a certain question that was posed. For many people sex is an important part of their lives. For some it is essential but for others it isn’t. The whole subject of sex and sexual activity is regarded as a private affair to most people. They prefer not to talk about it in any detail because they consider what they do to be nobody else’s business. Of course there are several ways to engage in sexual activity and that in itself might be regarded as enough to keep things private for fear of being labelled ‘kinky’. What goes on behind closed doors should be left to the imagination. It isn’t usually debated among family or friends but may be talked over with strangers. This is human nature at work. We live our lives behind a false screen. What we present to those around us might be totally different from that we present to strangers who have no inkling of how we normally act around family or friends. We lead double lives to some extent and some people carry that trait much further by living two totally different lives, one private and one exposed. This is brought about fear, fear of being judged.
For some people sex is an obsession for others an obligation and yet for others it holds nothing special. We are all different and have differing tastes and needs. In the comment I wrote I explained that for myself, sex isn’t anything special to me. I can take it or leave it. Sex itself is really a form of relief, a release from the body’s urges. Some people can control or suppress their urges whilst others cannot. After sexual activity the body is satisfied and so is the mind, for a season. Then it starts over again later. Although I like sex I am not obsessed with it and in fact can live quite happily without it. I have done many times and for long periods, even years. The old local joke, ‘I would rather have a pan of Scouse (Irish Stew)’ applies.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Behaviour | Tagged: Behaviour, Sex | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 23, 2010
It can only get better. How many times have you heard that spoken? We say these things but in reality do things get better at all? You may say that things do get better on an individual basis but overall things do not get better at all. We see all around us degradation, disrespect and dereliction in respect to one another as well as to the fabric of our existence, our environment. Many strive to improve things but others have no intentions in that direction. The result is a superficial improvement, a kind of dual standard in our lives. There is an element amongst us that is hell-bent on destroying anything that is beautiful, constructive or an improvement. Things can only get better but only if we are all pulling in the same direction. Therein lies the problem. I feel that we, as a society of people will never reach that ‘Shangri-la’, that level of perfection whereby we all live in harmony if we cannot all be of the same frame of mind. We must however keep on trying.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Behaviour, Philosophy, Religion | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 22, 2010
l think many of us remember the parable of the lost sheep as told in Scripture but how many of us would really understand it’s meaning? It is a nice story in which the shepherd has one hundred sheep but one goes astray and gets lost. Leaving the other ninety-nine sheep the shepherd goes in search of that lost one. Why was the sheep lost? What made it lost? From what was the sheep lost? The story relates to those among us who have strayed away from the rest but it is specifically in relation to those who walk away from God and do their own thing. Whether you believe in God or not the fact remains that we have lost sheep among us. Those who go against society are lost sheep too, you only have to watch the news on television, listen to the radio or read the newspapers to know that is true. We are constantly bombarded with the evil doings of those who have fallen by the wayside. No amount of legislation or social guidance will alter that fact. As a society we repeatedly try to make people behave and when they don’t we resign ourselves to having to live with it. The real cause is a falling away from God but not everyone will go along with that idea. The result is nothing is going to change. History proves that we don’t learn by our mistakes and it proves that we think we can manage all by ourselves. We cannot. We need to find the lost sheep among us and put them on the straight and narrow way. That way is not the path most of us are on now for it has proven to go nowhere and achieves nothing. Anyone who thinks otherwise is under an illusion. There is only one way and that is the way of God. Don’t be a lost sheep. You’ll be better for it.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Religion | Tagged: Religion | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 21, 2010
I’ve been at it again! Enjoying myself! The more I age the more I see the importance of enjoying my life. There are many things in life which are depressing and we could easily succumb to those things and be miserable. When I say enjoying myself I don’t just mean having a ball, wining, dining, going to the cinema, having friends around, sailing around the world even. I mean enjoying every moment that I am alive and breathing. In life we have to endure the good and the bad and even the ugly if you wish so it’s no use bemoaning the fact. If you can smile in the face of adversity you are doing well. Moaning and complaining about something that isn’t going your way solves nothing and only serves to make you irritable and miserable. This can rub off on others and cause friction which in turn makes us even more miserable. Who is the wise one here, the one who moans all of the time or the one who has a cheerful disposition and laughs at it all? Life is short and don’t we know it? Smile and the world smiles with you. Cry and only some will cry with you. Be alive and be happy, even if you don’t feel like it. See the difference it will make to you as a person and see the difference you will make to those around you. Last night, Saturday, I went out with a group of people who have a hobby, archery, for one of their social evenings. I was a guest of one of their group, a friend of mine. It isn’t the first time I’ve been to their social gatherings but each time I go I have a great time with them. I could be tempted to join in their activities on the archery field but I am not sure at this point if I want to. They are a lovely group of people and I get along with them very easily. The point is, I have enjoyed myself and I hope I have brought some enjoyment into their lives too.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Philosophy | Tagged: Happiness, Health, Philosophy | 6 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 20, 2010
Here in the UK there is an organisation called Ancestry.co.uk which advertises often on television encouraging people to search their family history. I think many people these days are using sites like this one to do their research but of course there are other ways to carry out the research too. I made an attempt at delving into my family’s history many years ago but gave it up as it was too time-consuming. My youngest sister took up the challenge a few years ago and as far as I can tell she did better. I know I come from Scottish stock on my dad’s side of the family and believe the same for my mother’s side too but I am not sure. I also believe there is a dash of French genes in my family but I never did prove that. As far as I know though there are no skeletons in the cupboard, no surprises of a more unsavoury kind but who knows? I suppose many people are put off tracing their history for fear of finding something they don’t wish believe about their family. They might think if word got out it might not be so good for them. Others might like the idea of having some colourful character as a great, great, great-grandfather or something, maybe a pirate or two. Does it really matter? Does it really matter whether we have a colourful history or not? Why bother tracing one’s past if not to reveal something unusual or is it just for curiosity that we stir our imagination? Skeletons in the cupboard or not will not alter the past. It will not alter who we are now, which is more important. It may be nice to discover how important our families were in the past and to feel that applies to us today but as they say, ‘It is nice to be important but it is more important to be nice’.
Shirley Anne
Posted in History | Tagged: Family, History, Philosophy | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 19, 2010
Lately I have been extremely busy at work carrying out tasks probably more suited to somebody thirty years my junior. The downside to that is I don’t get much time for anything else but the upside is I sleep much better. Tonight or rather late afternoon I arrived home and soaked in the bath for over an hour. This is unusual for me as I am normally out after ten minutes but how relaxing a good soak in the bath is! I usually play guitar for a spell in the evenings but tonight I am too weary so it is fortunate that I had a spell playing this morning before work. Tonight it is computer time and a bit of telly. My workload for the forseeable future looks promising but I will schedule to allow myself free time. When I am under pressure I sometimes say, ‘I should have been a cake decorator, it’s far easier’. I like decorating cakes, always have but the opportunities are few. Recently I carried out another job in a shop which decorates cakes for all occasions. Some of the cakes they produce are real works of art and it obviously a skilled profession. I am not sure I am that talented but I will have a go. It can’t be worse than being an electrician!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Work | Tagged: Work | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 18, 2010
As we get older we often reminisce about the past, about events from our younger days. We can only do this of course because we have lived a life. Children will ‘remember when’ but it is usually a recent memory whereas an older person’s memory can stretch a long way back. People say that when we reminisce it is a sign of old age. Not all memories are good ones and we can remember bad ones just as well. Usually an event will trigger the memory recall, we see something or hear something which triggers a response. Often we will hanker for things long since gone. ‘We never did it that way in our day’, is an often made comment. Progress does away with old methods but it is not always for the better. Why do we reminisce? Why do we go back in time in our minds? What has passed is gone and the future beckons. It might be that days gone by were better than those we are living through now but it is something that we have to accept. People will always look back and as they get older there is more reminiscing to do.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Life | Tagged: Life | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 17, 2010
In this day and age we must be careful in anything to do with children. Most people act as they should around children but unfortunately there are some who have evil intent. God forbid that any children should suffer at the hands of these people. Having said that I move on to talk about children. We were all children once and that fact is sometimes lost in our thoughts and busy lifestyles. I love children and love being in their company. A few years ago I was involved in children’s work at church and it was very rewarding work. It was during those years that I learned to play a guitar.I did this initially for the children in my charge. Children have a fascinating attraction for me. I love their innocence and simplistic way of looking at things and I treasure this in my heart when I interact with them. The only children I meet these days are those in whose parents houses I am working. Today there was a girl of about six years who went about her business of preparing for the day ahead. It was so lovely just watching her antics as she brushed her teeth while standing on a stool to reach the wash basin then getting washed and running back to her room to dress. Obviously that part was private and that’s how it should be. I hate to learn of a child’s innocence being taken by predators or those who don’t appreciate the harm they do to our little ones. One day they will lose their innocence anyhow but it must be a natural progression. Children must be protected in their innocence.
Shirley Anne
Posted in Behaviour | Tagged: Behaviour, Children | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on February 17, 2010
I have just received an email from a friend and it contained a very familiar message. It was a story about a guy who found a parcel he’d given his wife years before which had been kept unopened. His wife had just died. It goes on to tell of the guy’s philosophy on life and how he lived for every moment. His wife had laid aside her gift for a ‘rainy day’ which never came. I have written on this subject recently. Again I found myself in somebody’s loft (attic) and found there many items in plastic bags. They had been there some time and it was obvious to me that they weren’t really needed. People hoard things instead of making use of them or giving them to somebody who might appreciate them. We do the same thing with our time, wasting it instead of using it. Nobody is guaranteed a tomorrow. All your plans may not come about. It’s a message we all know we should take to heart but do we take any notice? Life is for living so just do it!
Shirley Anne
Posted in Philosophy | Tagged: Philosophy | Leave a Comment »
