First - things -first

👌👌👌

I got married at 25, finished my PhD at 27 and became a Professor at 40.

So fast you see! Yes, everything around me worked fast. It is now that I realise that it was a misplaced priority.

My ambition blindfolded me and I got it all wrong, that is why I am sharing my experience through this medium to warn and encourage our young mothers not to be careless as I was back then.

I worked very hard as a lecturer and as an administrator, always so busy that it became my language to my children...."I'm busy"

My mum was around to nurse the children for me for some time. The moment they clocked ten, I sent them to boarding schools, though my husband was not in support of this. I always found my way.

I had no warm relationship with my children, 2 boys and a girl.

I never knew it was a bad idea not to have time for my husband, children and the household, until 5 years ago, when guilt, loneliness and restlessness filled my heart.

I sent for my children to rejoice with me on my 60th birthday.

The two boys, living in Canada said they are "busy" and that their sister will come down from South Africa.

Two days to my birthday, my daughter sent this message to me, "Mum, I am very sorry not to be around over there, there is no time to squeeze out, my husband needs my attention at his newly established clinic and presently, I'm pregnant. "I'm very very busy,
I'm also lonely in a strange land. Please pray for us mum. Happy birthday". I could not recover from the meaning I got from the message.. "First-things-First". When they needed me for warmth and discussion, I was not available, now I needed them for warmth and discussion I could not get them, rather they returned my slogan back to me, "I'm busy"

To worsen the matter, my dear husband died in his sleep a month after. ...Only one of the children came ​without​ his family to the burial ceremony.

I was dumbfounded!!! Considered Opinion: it is good to work and be a hard working fellow.
But hear this important and salient truth:

Parenting is sacrificial work, give it all it takes. Avoid any work that will take away your attention too much from your home - Avoid it and be careful!

SOLIDIFY YOUR HOME FIRST, CREATE TIME FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND CHILDREN.

ESTABLISH THE FEAR OF GOD IN THEIR HEARTS THROUGH YOUR ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR.

THOUGH IT IS COSTLY NOW, THE FUTURE REWARD IS WORTH IT.

THIS IS AN EYE OPENER FOR BOTH MEN & WOMEN.

LET'S BE SELFLESSLY AVAILABLE WHEN OUR CHILDREN NEED US.



Source : unknown

WHEN TO BE SILENT

*The  Bible says:-*

1.  *Be silent In the heat of anger - (Prov 14:17)*

2.  *Be silent When you don't have all the facts*  *- (Prov 18:13)*

3.  *Be silent when you*
     *haven't verified the story- (Deut 17:6)*

4.  *Be silent If your words will offend a weaker  person - (1 Cor 8:11)*

5.  *Be silent When it is time  to listen - (Prov 13:1)*

6. *Be silent When you are tempted to make light of holy things - (Eccl 5:2)*

7.  *Be silent when you* *are tempted to joke about sin - (Prov 14:9)*

8.  *Be silent If you would be ashamed of your words later - (Prov 8:8)*

9.  *Be silent If your words would convey the wrong  impression - (Prov 17:27)*

10. *Be silent If the issue is none of your business - (Prov 14:10)*

11. *Be silent when you* *are tempted to tell an*
 *outright lie - (Prov 4:24)*

12. *Be silent If your words will damage someone else's reputation - (Pro 16:27)*

13. *Be silent If your words will damage a friendship - (Prov 16:28)*

14. *Be silent When you are feeling critical - (James 3:9)*

15. *Be silent If you can't say it without screaming it - (Prov 25:28)*

16. *Be silent If your words will be a poor reflection of the Lord or your friends and family - (1 Pt 2:21-23)*

17. *Be silent If you may* 
       *have to eat your words later - (Prov 18:21)*

 18. *Be silent If you have*already said it more than one time - (Prov 19:13)*

19. *Be silent when you* *are tempted to flatter a*
*wicked person - (Prov 24:24)*

20. *Be silent When you are supposed to be working instead  - (Prov 14:23)*

*"WHOEVER GUARDS HIS MOUTH AND TONGUE KEEPS HIS SOUL FROM TROUBLES" - (Prov 21:23)*

*" YESTERDAY I WAS YOUR SAVIOUR. BUT NOW I AM YOUR JUDGE"*

A lady committed a crime and she was sent to court. The punishment for the crime was life imprisonment. She shed tears for help but to no avail. When the case was called in court she started weeping. Her husband, family and friends who accompanied her started weeping but there was no hope. But something happened. Before the lady could stand in the witness box a man stood up and the court room was silent. Everyone looked at Him. He was noble and gentle. He stood in the witness box and interceded on behalf of the woman. The case was difficult, yet He used all His strength, energy and resources to fight on behalf of the woman. After a long legal battle between the man and the accusers, the lady was set free. The lady fell before the man and asked *'WHO ARE YOU'* The next day the lady deliberately committed another crime and was sent to the same court. As soon as she entered the courtroom, she saw the man who interceded for her the previous day on the judgement seat. He was no longer a lawyer, but a judge. With smiles on her face the lady said *'I have come again'* The man lifted his head and said 'yesterday I was a lawyer, so I fought for you, even when you were guilty. But today I am a judge and my judgement must be fair.' With tears in the ladies eyes she asked for the second time *'WHO ARE YOU'* and the man replied *" YESTERDAY I WAS YOUR SAVIOUR. BUT NOW I AM YOUR JUDGE"* Today Christ Jesus is our lawyer and redeemer, but a day is coming when He will give a fair judgement to everyone. *JESUS IS COMING SOON, SO PREPARE TO MEET HIM*. 

📖 The man who translated the Bible into English 📗📚

MEET WILLIAM TYNDALE ~  the man who translated the Bible into English and was burnt alive at the ridiculous young age of 42 years old, for his efforts. (Google Foxe's book of Martyrs.)

Please; kindly read this to the end. 

Nearly 500 years ago, this week, William Tyndale, fondly called 'Father of the English Bible' was strangled and burned at the stake after being tried and convicted of heresy and treason for translating the Bible into English.

HIS OFFENSE!
He translated the Greek Bible into English. Simple:

That you have a Bible in a language you can read is largely due to his labours, and many of the very phrases you read in it retain the flavour of his understanding of the Greek and Hebrew.

A graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, Tyndale had a powerful desire to make the Bible available to even the common people in England, in order to correct the 'Biblical ignorance of the priests.' At one point Tyndale told a priest, "If God spares my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow, shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost." 

Today, 90% of the King James Version of the Holy Bible and 75% of the Revised Standard Version are from the translation made by Tyndale, a man to whom you owe more than you'll ever know. 

A nice dream, but how was Tyndale to accomplish his task, when translating the Bible into English was ILLEGAL at the time?'

He went to London to ask Bishop Tunstall if he could be authorised to make an English translation of the Bible, but the Bishop would not grant his approval. 

However, Tyndale would not let the disapproval of men stop him from carrying out what seemed so obviously God's will. With encouragement and support of some British merchants, he decided to go to Europe to complete his translation, then have it printed and smuggled back into England.

In 1524 Tyndale sailed for Germany. In Hamburg, he worked on the New Testament, and in Cologne, he found a printer who would print the work. However, news of Tyndale's activity came to an opponent of the Reformation who had the press raided. 

Tyndale himself managed to escape with the pages already printed and made his way to the German city Worms where the New Testament was soon published.

Six thousand copies were printed and smuggled into England.

The Bishops did everything they could to eradicate the Bibles. Bishop Tunstall had copies ceremoniously burned at St. Paul's; the Archbishop of Canterbury bought up copies to destroy them. Tyndale used the money to print improved editions!

Tyndale continued hiding among the merchants in Antwerp and began translating the Old Testament while the King's agents searched all over England and Europe for him.

A copy of Tyndale's "The Obedience of a Christian Man" fell into the hands of Henry VIII, providing the king with the rationale to break the Church in England from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534. 
In 1535, Tyndale was arrested and jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde (Filford) outside Brussels for over a year.

Tyndale’s work was denounced by authorities of the Roman Catholic Church and Tyndale himself was accused of heresy. 

Tyndale, 42 was finally found by an Englishman who pretended to be his friend but then turned him over to the authorities. After a year and a half in prison, he was brought to trial for heresy -- FOR BELIEVING, among other things, IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS and that THE MERCY OFFERED IN THE GOSPEL WAS ENOUGH FOR SALVATION. In August 1536, he was condemned and was executed [burned alive at the stake] publicly on October 6, 1536, in a small town in Belgium.

As he burnt to death, Tyndale reportedly said "Lord, open the king of England's eyes."

WAS HIS PRAYER ANSWERED? 

YES! The prayer was answered first in part when three years later, in 1539, Henry VIII required every parish church in England to make a copy of the English Bible available to its parishioners. Today, Tyndale's prayer is fully answered, not only are the King's eyes opened, but the Bible a universal instrument. 

* In 1611, the 54 scholars who produced the King James Bible drew significantly from Tyndale, as well as from translations that descended from his. 

* In 2002, Tyndale was placed at number 26 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons; but in heaven he surely would be before the preceding 25. 

A very important and interesting piece of history worth knowing and appreciating by all believers. 
And may it *challenge* us to spend quality time in this same glorious book that this great servant literally gave his life for. 

Today it's hard to imagine the world without an English Bible, and there could now be as many as 900 of such translations in existence – but before Tyndale it had never happened. He's known as the Father of the English Bible, since the later, epochal work of the King James Version of the Bible largely consisted of Tyndale's scholarly and accessible translations.

The English language, as with scholarly understanding, continues to evolve – and so the work of Bible translation continues today.

But without the courage and genius of men like Tyndale, who challenged the status quo before them and died for doing so, it might never have been possible.

Know your worth!!

#KnowYourWorth
#Shared
A father before he died said to his son:

 “This is a watch your grandfather gave and it is more than 200 years old. 

Before I give it to you, go to the watch shop on the first street and tell him that I wanted to sell it and see how much it is worth.

He went and came back to his father, and said, "the watchmaker paid 5 dollars because it's old”. 

He said to him : “go to the coffee shop”. He went and came back, and said, “He paid $5 father”.  

“Go to the museum and show that watch”. 
— He went and came back, and said to his father, “They offered me a million dollars for this piece”.  

The father said: “I wanted to let you know that the right place values you in a right way.

Don't put yourself in the wrong place and get angry if you are not valued. The one who knows your value is the one who appreciates you.

"Don't stay in a place that doesn't suit you".

Know your worth! 😇😇😇

Is there anyone richer than you ??!!

Someone asked the richest man in the world, Bill Gates, “Is there anyone richer than you in the world ?”

Bill Gates replied, “Yes, there is a person who is richer than me.”

He then narrated a story.

“It was during the time when I wasn’t rich or famous.

“I was at the New York Airport when I saw a newspaper vendor.

“I wanted to buy one newspaper but found that I didn’t have enough change. So I left the idea of buying and returned it to the vendor.

“I told him of not having the change. The vendor said, ‘I am giving you this for free.’ On his insistence I took the newspaper.

“Coincidentally, after two to three months, I landed at the same airport and again I was short of change for a newspaper. The vendor offered me the newspaper again. I refused and said that I can’t take it for I don’t have change today too. He said, ‘You can take it, I am sharing this from my profit, I won’t be at loss.’ I took the newspaper.

“After 19 years I became famous and known by people. Suddenly I remembered that vendor. I began searching for him and after about 1½ months of searching, I found him.

“I asked him, ‘Do you know me?’ He said, ‘Yes, you are Bill Gates.’

“I asked him again, ‘Do you remember once you gave me a newspaper for free?’

“The vendor said, ‘Yes, I remember. I gave you twice.’

“I said, ‘I want to repay the help you had offered me that time. Whatever you want in your life, tell me, I shall fulfill it.’

“The vendor said, ‘Sir, don’t you think that by doing so you won’t be able to match my help?’

“I asked, ‘Why?’

“He said, ‘I had helped you when I was a poor newspaper vendor and you are trying to help me now, when you have become the richest man in the world. How can your help match mine ?’

“That day I realized that the newspaper vendor is richer than I am, because he didn’t wait to become rich to help someone.”

People need to understand that the truly rich are those who possess a rich heart rather than lots of money.

It’s really very important to have a rich. - Routine of education.

Death of conscience

Lovely poem by Ram Jethmalani, who died at 95-
————————————
Sometimes in the dark of the night,
I visit my conscience  
To see if  it is still breathing,
For its dying a slow death
Every day.

When I pay for a meal in a fancy place.
An amount which is perhaps the monthly income 
Of the guard who holds the door open.
And quickly I shrug away that thought,
It dies a little.

When I buy vegetables from the vendor, 
And his son "chhotu" smilingly weighs the potatoes,
Chhotu, a small child, who should be studying at school.
 I look the other way
It dies a little.

When I am decked up in a designer dress,
A dress that cost a bomb 
And I see a woman at the crossing,
In tatters,trying unsuccessfully to save her dignity. 
And I immediately  roll up my window.
It dies a little. 

When I buy expensive gifts for my children, 
On return,  I see half clad children, 
With empty stomach and hungry eyes, 
Selling toys at red light 
I try to save my conscience by buying some, yet
It dies a little. 

When my sick  maid sends her daughter to work, 
Making her bunk school 
I know I should tell her to go back. 
But I look at the loaded sink and dirty dishes, 
And I tell myself that is just for a couple of days 
It dies a little. 

When I hear about a rape
or a murder of a child,
I feel sad, yet a little thankful that it's not my child.
I can not  look at myself  in the mirror,
It dies a little. 

When people fight over caste creed and religion.
I feel hurt and helpless
I tell  myself that my country is going to the dogs,
I blame the corrupt politicians, 
Absolving myself of all responsibilities 
It dies a little. 

When my city is choked.
Breathing is dangerous  in the smog ridden metropolis,
I take my car to work daily ,
Not taking  the metro,not trying car pool. 
One car won't make a difference, I think 
It dies a little. 

So when in the dark of the night,
I visit my conscience 
And find it still breathing 
I am surprised. 
For, with my own hands 
Daily, bit by bit, I kill it, I bury it.

Does GOD still speak to people?

A young man attended a Wednesday Night Bible Study and the Pastor preached about listening to GOD and
obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but ponder, 'Does GOD still speak to people?'
After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message.
They talked about how GOD had led them in different ways.
It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home, and he prayed; ' GOD...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.' As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, GOD is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk came. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of GOD, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. 'Okay, GOD, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.' This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street .At the next intersection; he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud,’ Okay, GOD I will.' He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat 'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay GOD, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.' He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?’ Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?' The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk towards the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.
His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an angel?
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man’s hand. He turned and walked back to his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that GOD still answers prayers.Share it help a brother believe in prayer. It is a blessing to do God's work. 

Amen

What kind of children are we creating???

A few weeks ago, I had attended a birthday party of my daughter’s friend. There they played a game, the age old ‘Passing the parcel’, however, what was different was the way it was played. The child who was caught with the parcel when the music stopped was asked to leave the circle, but with that parcel as the gift, and then a new parcel was introduced. The game continued till every child got a gift. I asked the mother what was wrong with the earlier version, the version we had all grown up with.

She said – “I do not like kids to be disappointed. See, here every child is happy as he or she gets to take a gift home.”

In another instance, I was in the park with my daughter. She was playing lock and key with her friends. Now, one of her friends fell down. Her mother, who was on the other side of the park ran to his son, all confused and upset. She scooped her son in her lap and started inquiring – “Are you hurt? Let me see! Do no cry! Shush, mama is here.”

The child, had a scraped knee, who was perfectly OK till then, started crying earnestly.

I was at a friend’s home for lunch. Her 5-year old daughter refused to eat what was cooked for lunch. My friends felt so guilty that her daughter would go hungry, that she cooked up her favourite pasta immediately. According to her, it was not the first time this had happened.

At the School Sports Day, there are no races, no competition. No first, second or runner ups. Because, everyone is equal, there should be no competition between the kids.

Kids today have a room full of toys and games. Some they ask, some they do not. But, they still get them.

Everything in excess is the new mantra of life.

Our parents taught us self-reliance, while we hover around our children and want to protect them at all costs. We like to hold our babies closer to the protection of the nest. We go out of our way and rustle up something when they don’t eat what’s cooked at home for everyone else, because we don’t them to sleep hungry. Instead of letting them play outside, we organize activities for them. We do their homework and their assignments. We even resolve their conflicts for them.

It makes me wonder, what will happen to these kids when they grow up?

Will they get a gift everytime they fail? Will they be able to handle disappointment? A child who has never been denied anything, how will he cope with rejections? There are a growing number of cases when kids run away from home or commit suicide because they are not able to deal with low marks in examinations or when they fail to secure an admission in an institution of their choice.

Will their parents keep them hidden in their bosom all their life? Our mothers never ran after us, a scraped knee was just that. She would ask us to wash it with some water and then forget about it. But, there was no drama that followed.

Falling and hurting was a part of daily life for us. We cycled, climbed up trees and jumped from the stairs. Today, kids travel in elevators and escalators (because they might fall down the stairs and get themselves hurt). Earlier, kids walked and cycled. I hardly see kids walking nowadays, unless it’s for a kids’ marathon and they are required to pose for selfies with their cool mommies.

Will they shy away from competition or be able to survive it? OK, so we can accompany our kids till the college gate and sit in the waiting area while they appear for a job interview. 

A child who is never used to losing – how will he survive in the big bad world?

We are raising our kids to be adult babies.

So what should we do?

Stop telling our children that they are special all the time. They are not, at least not always. So reserve the praises for the times when they actually deserve.

Stop going out of the way to create happiness in their life. The life is a mix of joys and sorrows, and it is for a reason. We have no right to interfere with the nature. So let’s stop pretending that everything is all right when it’s not. Let the kids have their fair share of disappointments at an early age. It’s better to fall at 10, than at 40 !!

-WHO IS JESUS TO YOU???

I went to an Electrician and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD..💡😊 🙌

I went to a Hunter and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied he's the LION OF JUDAH👑🙌💯

I went to a Baker and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the BREAD OF LIFE.🙌🙌💯

I went to the Doctor and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the GREAT PHYSICIAN 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Plumber and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the LIVING WATER 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Farmer and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the TRUE WINE 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Builder and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the CORNERSTONE, FOUNDATION🙌🙌💯

I went to the Gardener and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the LILLY OF THE VALLEY, ROSE OF SHARON 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Fisherman and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the FISHER OF MEN 🙌🙌💯

I went to the prison and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the PRISON BREAKER 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Miner and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the MOST PRECIOUS STONE 🙌🙌💯

I went to the Pharmacist  and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the HEALING OINTMENT  🙌🙌💯

I went to the Publisher and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the giver of GOOD NEWS  🙌🙌💯

I went to the Shepherd  and asked him
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the SHEPHERD OF MY SOUL  🙌🙌💯
I went to a KING and asked him 
: Who is Jesus?
He replied Jesus is the KING of KINGS....👑💪😊

The person I didn't meet yet is you. But now that I have meet you and you have read this post let me ask you😊
-WHO IS JESUS TO YOU???