masterwordsmith-unplugged

In the light of all the absurd and bizarre incidents that are happening in our midst, it is easy to lose hope and to sink into despair. But we have to be strong enough to believe that good can and will triumph over evil and that justice will prevail...we can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, only if we try...

I hope the following tale can breathe hope into your spirit...It's rather long but worth reading.

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Sometimes, only if I try, that is the only way I can know if it can be done or not.

There was a young man named Kimana. He wanted to marry the Sky Maiden. He wrote a letter to her father, the Sun Chief.

Kimana went to Rabbit. "Will you take this letter?"
Rabbit said, "I cannot go to Heaven." Kimana went to Antelope.
"Will you take this letter?" Antelope said, "I cannot go to Heaven."
Kimana went to Hawk. "Will you take this letter?"
Hawk said, "I can go halfway. But I cannot go to Heaven."
Then Frog came to Kimana.
"Why do you not take the letter yourself?"
Kimana said, "This I cannot do."
Frog said, "Then I will take it for you."
Kimana laughed. "Can a frog take a letter to Heaven?"
Frog said, "Whatever it is, I can do it. But only if I try."

Now, Frog lived by a well. Every day, the girls who served the Sun Chief came to this well. They climbed down from Heaven on a web made by Spider. Then they filled their water jugs and went home. Frog put the letter in his mouth and hid in the well. The girls from Heaven came for water, singing their song.

Good day to you, my sister.
Good day to you.

They lowered their jugs into the well, and Frog jumped into one. The girls did not see. Then the girls climbed back up the web of Spider. They went into the house of the Sun Chief and left the jugs in a room.

Frog was alone. He jumped out of the jug and spit the letter out on a bench. Then he hid in a corner. The Sun Chief came for a drink of water. He saw the letter and opened it.

He read,"I, Kimana, a man of earth, wish to marry the Sky Maiden, your daughter."
The Sun Chief said,
"How can this be?"
He went to the girls who fetched water.
"Did you bring this letter?"
The girls said, "We did not."
He went to his wife, the Moon Lady, and read it to her.
"What should we do?"
The Moon Lady said,
"Don't ask me! Ask your daughter!"
He went to his daughter. The Sky Maiden said,
"Let us see if he can bring a wedding gift."

So the Sun Chief wrote a letter and set it on the bench. Then he went away. Frog came out and put the letter in his mouth. Then he climbed into an empty jug.

The next day, the girls took the jugs and climbed down to earth, singing their song.

Good day to you, my sister.
Good day to you.

They lowered their jugs into the well, and Frog jumped out. The girls did not see.Then the girls went back to Heaven.

Frog took the letter to Kimana, and Kimana read it. "You may marry my daughter if you bring a purse of money."
Kimana said, "This I cannot do."
Frog said, "Then I will bring it for you."
Kimana laughed. "You took a letter to Heaven. But can you bring a purse of money?"
Frog said, "Whatever it is, I can do it. But only if I try."
Kimana gave Frog a purse of money. Frog took hold of it with his mouth and carried it to the well. He climbed in and waited.
The girls from Heaven came to the well.

Good day to you, my sister.
Good day to you.

Frog got into one of the jugs. The girls returned to Heaven and left him in the room. Frog set the money on the bench. Then he hid.

The Sun Chief came and found the purse.

"How can this be?"
He went to the girls.
"Did you bring this money?"
The girls said, "We did not."
He went to his wife. The Moon Lady said,
"Don't ask me! Ask your daughter!"
He went to his daughter. The Sky Maiden said,
"Let us see if he can come fetch me."
So the Sun Chief wrote a letter and left it on the bench.
Frog put the letter in his mouth and climbed into an empty jug. The next day, the girls carried him to earth.

Good day to you, my sister.
Good day to you.

He jumped back into the well, and the girls went back to Heaven. Frog brought the letter to Kimana, and Kimana read it.

"You may marry my daughter if you come and fetch her."
Kimana said, "This I cannot do."
Frog said, "Then I will fetch her for you."
Kimana laughed. "You took a letter to Heaven. You brought a purse of money. But can you fetch a bride?"
Frog said, "Whatever it is, I can do it. But only if I try."
Frog climbed back into the well. The girls came with their jugs.

Good day to you, my sister.
Good day to you.

They carried him to Heaven. Frog jumped out. He spit in all the jugs of water. Ptui. Ptui. Ptui. Then he hid in an empty jug. The people of the house came and drank the water. They all got sick.

The Sun Chief called for the spirit doctor. The doctor told him,
"You promised your daughter to a man of earth, but she has not gone. He has sent an evil spirit with a sickness. The evil spirit is in the shape of a frog."

The Sun Chief went to his wife. The Moon Lady said, "Don't ask me! Ask your daughter!"
He went to his daughter. The Sky Maiden said, "I will go."
The next day, the Sky Maiden went with the girls down to the well.

Good day to you, my sister.
Good day to you.

The girls filled their jugs, and Frog jumped out. Then the girls left the Sky Maiden and went home.

Frog jumped out of the well. "I will lead you to your husband."
The Sky Maiden laughed. "Can a frog lead a woman?"
Frog said, "I took a letter to Heaven. I brought a purse of money. I fetched a bride. Whatever it was, I could do it. But only if I try."
The Sky Maiden said, "Then it is you I will marry."
She took Frog back to Heaven and married him. They lived on and on. And Kimana is still waiting for his bride.

-Author Unknown-

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right!

I was astonished recently to discover that my 15-year-old daughter is struggling more than I had thought with living in our new home. I got re-married last summer and my daughter Kolbi had seemed to be adjusting very well. She’s always smiling and cutting up with my new hubby, Charlie, and me. However, yesterday, the truth was revealed about how she really feels.

“I don’t feel like I have any ownership in this house, Mom. It’s not my home. I just want to go home.” As we sat in the car with tears streaming down her face, Kolbi vented about our home and this new family situation. The fact that she was focusing on ownership in our home really struck me as odd since we had built three bedrooms onto Charlie’s house, just so that our girls would have their own spaces and feel that this was their home. I was stumped. All I could hear were Kolbi’s complaints and didn’t know how to help solve the situation. I was caught up in what she was saying rather than listening between the lines. Finally, the truth hit me. Kolbi wasn’t missing her old house. She simply wasn’t feeling “at home” in her life.

Feeling “at home” has nothing to do with the house you live in. To truly feel “at home” you have to be authentic. What I soon realized as I listened to Kolbi’s list of complaints, all of them aimed at her new step-sister, was that she’s been holding her voice in. As the anger spewed from her, I knew her anger wasn’t really towards her step-sister. It was a direct result of her disconnecting from herself. Kolbi’s been holding her voice in and not saying what she needs. She’s been walking on egg shells with her step-sister and feeling as if she has no right to express herself. She doesn’t’ feel ownership with this new home because she is not “at home” with herself.

As often happens when any of us feel that we are “walking on egg shells” or uneasy with our outer situations, Kolbi’s anger is an indication that she isn’t being true to herself. Instead of giving herself ownership in this new home by speaking her mind with her step-sister, she has been holding it in and shutting herself down. She actually said to me, “Well, I only have two more years with her. I’ll just suck it up until then.” As Kolbi’s mom and as a spiritual coach, I know that’s the worst thing she can do. The longer she holds her voice in and walks on egg shells, the greater the eruption will be when it all comes exploding out.

To have ownership in your life you must give yourself permission to have it. This can mean many different things; you have to decide what that is for you. In my daughters case it has to do with having a voice. Kolbi has been denying herself the right to say what she feels. As parents, Charlie and I have both encouraged all three of our girls to openly share their emotions. It is Kolbi who is saying “NO” to herself. It is she who needs to give herself a voice and ownership in her life. When she finally does, this will naturally help her to open up to feeling more “at home” in our house, and within herself.

by Terri Amos-Britt

Author's Bio
Terri Amos-Britt is the author of "Message Sent" and her recently completed book, "The Enlightened Mom," as well as co-author of the bestseller, "Wake Up Women." As a spiritual coach and motivational speaker, Terri shares her experiences as a wife, mom, step-mom, former Miss USA and television host, inspiring others to release the emotional chaos in their lives, creating lives of passion, purpose and love. Terri is the co-founder of the Enlightened Family Institute with her husband, Charlie Britt. Their mission is to bring hope and healing to individuals and families all over the world. For more information, please go to EnlightenedFamilyInstitute.com.

Every Saturday afternoon, a cute and adorable seven year old girl named Xuan will come to my house for an hour or so and I would have the time of my life tickling her brains. From the moment I wake up, I look forward to that time when my little darling will be calling out my name before I open the gate for her. Together we have gone through many story writing adventures and we built her blog where she typed the stories that she wrote, although she is not too regular or careful :-) with spacing and spellchecking. Xuan is an exceptionally gifted child who reads extensively (including three volumes of the Harry Potter series and the whole Twilight series) and has flair, grace and elegance in her writing style which is far beyond her tender age. You cannot imagine the joy, satisfaction and fulfilment I derive from my sessions with her!

Last Saturday, I told her I was reading "Marley and Me" and showed her a newspaper cutting about a lady who lamented the death of her dog. Xuan loved the story. Taking the cue from there, I challenged Xuan to join my essay competition ;-). With much excitement, she declared that she wanted to write a tale about Woofy, an imaginary dog. Without any delay, she started her story, working furiously without lifting up her head even once to ask me any question. Soon, her father came and alas, I had to say farewell to my little darling Xuan.

"Don't forget to finish the tale in your best handwriting or else you will be disqualified immediately," I called out to her as she waved goodbye.

With a smile, she nodded and replied confidently, "I know. You don't have to remind me. Bye..."

I am so happy today because once again, Xuan has written a lovely tale. Needless to say, I spoil her with lots of presents and stickers etc. Perhaps that is why God gave me two boys. I would have spoiled my daughters rotten if I had any :-). So here's Xuan's "WOOFY IN MY HEART" which she wrote by herself. I only made a few corrections here and there. The sentence style and structure is Xuan's original work. I decided to type it in my blog because if I were to ask her to do it, I would have to wait for some time and this story has to be shared.

Xuan - You rock!!! And I know you will go very far when you grow up!!! I am so proud of you and love you lots!

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WOOFY IN MY HEART by Xuan

Chapter 1

My dog's name is Woofy. My parents bought him in 2002, the year when I was born. Woofy died recently at the age of seven just before my seventh birthday. He was a very active dog that always barked whenever he saw me.

Everyone in my family would fuss about him. Cheng would spray her perfume on him. Ling would give him doggy biscuits and other treats. Wei would keep on hugging him and patting him saying, "Ooh! What a cute puppy you are! Who's the most beautiful puppy in the world?" I would keep on cuddling him and saying, "Best dog on earth, aren't you?"

And he would reply, "Woof! Woof! Woof! with a merry smile!"

Since the day I could walk, I would go downstairs straight away each morning and lay out his doggy food for him and put fresh water into his bowl. In no time, he was a full-grown dog.

One day, I had to go on a trip to Ipoh to visit my relatives. I was sad to leave Woofy behind because I had to be away for a fortnight. I told my family to check on him, to give him food and water everyday and if anything happened to him, they had to tell me immediately.

Finally, I said, "Bye...Farewell until I return." Then I went into the car with a sad face, waving goodbye to him.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Woofy whined with a gloomy face. And in his eyes, it seemed like he was saying, "Bye bye! I will miss you!"

I had a great time in Ipoh until I remembered Woofy. I was having dinner one evening and I suddenly turned pale.

"You look pale," said my aunt. I managed a weak sigh.

When I went back to my room, I kept thinking about Woofy. I couldn't get him out of my mind. I kept thinking Woofy, Woofy, Woofy. I lay down on my bed and tried to calm down.

Then I pulled the blankets up to my neck, rested my head on my pillow and closed my eyes. Finally, I drifted to sleep.

Chapter 2

Morning came and I still thought about Woofy.

"Good morning, Mother Sunshine!" I cried when I woke up. I paused, "Good morning, my dearest Woofy."

Before I could go to the bathroom, the phone rang. I went to answer it. My heart started pumping so fast that it skipped a beat. Could it be one of my family members calling me? Could it have anything to do with Woofy if they were calling me?

I picked up the phone nervously, feeling scared and with a pale face.

"Hello." It was Ta-Ze (eldest sister). "Ah Xuan, are you there?"

"Yee---eesss," I stammered.

"Oh Xuan, I have bad news. Woofy is dead. Yesterday, he fell asleep in his kennel at nightfall and he never woke up. This morning, I saw him lying there and asked mom and dad to rush him to the vet but it was too late."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" I screamed and cried and cried with the tears flowing down my face.

Immediately, I rushed home with my aunt.

Chapter 3

"Xuan! You're home at last. Come and see Woofy," said Ta-Ze.

"Thanks, Ta-Ze," I said.

"No problem," she answered.

I panicked when I saw Woofy. He was lying there with no more movement of any sort. Eyes closed, his breathing had stopped.

"Woofy," I cried, wit tears rolling down my cheeks. "Oh darling Woofy, what happened to you?" And I sobbed and sobbed.

Then Mom said, "Never mind, Xuan. Woofy has gone back to doggie heaven."

Later that evening, Wei and I took two spades and together we dug a hole in our backyard. We carefully lifted Woofy and put him inside the hole. Then we slowly covered the hole with the soil.

"Woofy, goodbye," I said softly. Then Ta-Ze and I walked back slowly.

Since that day, I would go to that spot every morning to wish Woofy a good day and I would think about the great times I had with him.

Now, he lives in my heart. (I added this line and also chose the title).

A few days earlier, I wrote a post on A Look at Susan Boyle and Her Dream. Without appearing sexist or ageist, I thought I'd better feature Paul Potts and Connie Talbot's performances in BGT (Britain's Got Talent). The following videos are my favorites amongst the many that feature these two singers. Be enthralled by their angelic voices as they sing ever so effortlessly from their hearts, expounding their deep emotions through their sensitive intonation and brilliant vocal and tonal quality.

Hey, women, time to drop your duster.

LADIES!!!!!!!!!

Remember…a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.

‘A house becomes a home when you can write ‘I love you’ on the furniture.’

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - ‘in case someone came over’.

Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!

Now, when people visit, I don’t have to explain the ‘condition’of my home .

They are more interested in hearing about the things I’ve been doing while I was away living life and having fun.

If you haven’t figured this out yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short. Enjoy it!

Dust if you must …….

but wouldn’t it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?!

Dust if you must,but there’s not much time . . . .with rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must,

but the world’s out there with the sun in your eyes,

the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain.

This day will not come around, again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it’s not kind. . .

And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!

Share this with all the wonderful women in your life.

It’s not what you gather,but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

HAVE A NICE DAY!