as elder fire turns to coal
and we become the flame
how will they know that
we are not the strangers

heir of kindling stokes us now
bringing heat and brilliant blues
stacked together on the beach
our heritage laid upon a pyre

seaside lovers warm their hands
while longing looks a blaze ignites
send up sparks to darkened sky
season ash then consecrate by name

We all need a change of heart in order to be saved from “heart failure” and, ultimately, death. We all need to repent. But, here’s the catch. We can’t.

Repentance is a paradox, a contradiction. We can’t repent on our own. Have you tried? It never works. You might be fleeing anger or pride or lust for a while, but then you can’t help but go back to it. Everyone has this problem. Even the Apostle Paul had this problem. In Romans 7, he says “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”

Paul goes on to say that it’s sin living in him. It’s our sinful, fallen, old nature in us that keeps us from turning from sin and turning to God. Something else needs to help us, or we’re doomed!

It’s like the Lord of the Rings. Whether or not you’ve read the book or seen the movie, you probably know that it has a lot of battles and hand-to-hand combat in it. There are elves fighting orcs. There are dwarves fighting trolls. There are talking trees that fight with wizards. There’s a lot of fighting.

One thing I’ve noticed about it is that the good guys are always about to lose, at least three times in the movies, I’ve noticed this. Their forces are outnumbered. They’ve lost all hope. They’re doomed! When all of a sudden, here comes… Gandalf! Or the mountain men! Or the eagles! Someone comes to save the day.

It’s like that with us and repentance. We cannot do it on our own. We’re losing the battle. We need God, not only to save us from death and hell, but also to give us grace to change our rotten hearts.

Our repenting does not save us. True repentance does not give us God’s grace. True repentance is the result of God’s grace. He loved us, bought us, cleansed us, saved us, so that now we, His children, can and will repent.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Repentance is a heart transplant that we can’t do on our own. We need the Doctor—God—to do it in us. Repentance is a u-turn away from where we were headed—our sin; towards where we should go.

Towards the cross.

Towards our King.

Towards Jesus.

My father, Panfilo Piccini, is not the best of cooks but an inspiration, none the less. Dad was a hair stylist for many years (50+) and with much sadness, retired at 75 years old. Now he is an avid gardener, extremely well-read, passionate Yankee fan and keeps busy as Mom’s prep cook.

Why is Dad an inspiration? He had a well established salon, loved the business of hairdressing and took great pride in his work. Dad was a teacher and educated many stylists in his art. Last but not least, Dad was a man who worked his plan and made his dreams of a successful business a reality. Even though there were many lean years, my Dad persevered and raised 4 kids, owned 2 houses and made a living at what he loved. His entrepreneurial spirit lives in me and as I start my own business, I hope to be as well respected and accomplished in my trade as he was.

Dad and I have more than passion and entrepreneurship in common. We both think my Mom is a bully in the kitchen (sorry, Mom. I love ya). Although Dad calls my mother a “slave-driver”, I secretly think he likes chopping, mashing, stirring and being creative in the kitchen.

My father’s one true culinary claim to fame is his Eggplant Parmigiana. This dish is so tasty that even I eat it (and I DO NOT like eggplant. Again, probably another thing I shouldn’t admit). To be honest, I don’t know how he makes it but there is enough cheese in there to choke a pig. And let’s be honest, even a bumper would taste good with all this cheese on it. The following recipe is adapted from a Mario Batali classic.

If you don’t love eggplant, you will now. If you don’t’ like to cook, then maybe you will be inspired to try something new…just like Dad.

Mangia!
Nina

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the baking sheet
• 2 large eggplant, about 2 pounds
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted under broiler

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Using some extra-virgin olive oil, oil a baking sheet.

Slice each eggplant into 6 pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Lightly season each disk with salt and pepper and place on the oiled sheet. Bake the eggplant at 450 degrees F until the slices begin turning deep brown on top, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven. Remove the slices from the baking sheet and place them on a plate to cool.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In an 8 by 12-inch brownie pan, place the 4 largest eggplant slice evenly spaced apart. Over each slice, spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and sprinkle with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella over each and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon grated Parmigiano and cheddar. Place the smaller slices of eggplant over each of the disks and repeat with tomato sauce, basil, and the 3 cheeses. Repeat the layering again until all the ingredients are used.

Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the top of the eggplant dish, and bake uncovered until the cheese is melts and the tops turn light brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Basic tomato sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Yield: 4 cups

M. Nina Piccini is the owner of Dinner Bella, Personal Chef Service, in Rochester, NY.

website: http://www.dinnerbella.com

I like fashion and could spend hours in front of the computer checking out various websites. My favourite stores include Banana Republic, Tristan & America,  Club Monaco and a new store I’ve discovered recently, Anthropologie. Here are some outfits I like from Banana Republic.  Did I mention I’m in love with Anthropologie’s new collection?

I took Jack to the zoo Sunday.  I told him he’s only allowed to see four animals. 

Sound mean?

Too bad. 

The zoo is Jack’s great passion in life, but I hate it.  Please, all adults, join with me in admitting that the zoo is boring:  the lions doze; the bears, made autistic by their captivity, pace the same figure-eight over and over; and the chimps and apes, who actually are interesting, hide.  

Jack’s lucky to have a stepdad nice enough to take him to the zoo at all.  Four animals, I tell him: in and out. 

He accepts the rules.

He invites his friend, Patrick to come with us. 

I know his game, and head him off quickly:  “That means you both get to pick only two animals” I tell him. 

Jack accepts this grim math without complaint. 

As we walk toward the zoo entrance, the boys run at three pigeons scuttling in front of us.

“That counts as one animal,” I say.

“Wha…..!”  Jack is shocked. 

Just kidding, I tell him. 

Inside, after we get the zoo map, I ask him what two animals he chooses. 

“Rhinoceros,” he says, “. . . . .and . . . the wild hogs.”

The wild hogs?   Wild hogs over the baboons, or the asian horses?  It seems a poor use of his two picks.  I lose some respect for Jack as a zoo connoisseur.  

When I crouch down and open the map to plot our route, I see that I’ve been outwitted by a six year old.   The zoo is laid out on a long, straight, half-mile boulevard, with animal exhibits stretched on either side.   The wild hogs are at the furthest end of the zoo – we have to walk past every other animal to get there and back. 

Jack’s a worthy adversary.

I fold up the map.

“Mike,” Jack asks casually as we begin our stroll,  “Does it count as one of my animals if I look at another animal?”

“Nope” I say -  he’s beaten me fair and square.  “Unless you stop.  If you stop, it counts.”

So here I go – taking my first tentative blogging steps. Having enjoyed the travel stories of fellow bloggers and taken inspiration from them, I plan to share my travel highs and lows – hopefully mostly highs.

I’m not going to tell you what I had for breakfast on my last trip – unless it’s particularly scrumptious! Instead I plan to deliver some of the latest travel news, views and naturally send postcards from my trips in a bid to transport you there, and offer up some inside tips on my favourite destinations.

On the advice of more experienced bloggers, I feel the need to focus in on certain areas of travel to avoid the “what makes your blog different?” question. This has proved difficult – focus isn’t always my strong point and let’s be clear – I LOVE TRAVELLING! All of it… well, except for the bit when you land in Athens for your connecting flight to London to hear your luggage is still in Mykonos. But back to the love stuff – I’m the sort of person that plans destinations to visit two years in advance (i.e. South Africa and New Zealand, 2011), that uses the in-flight magazine on the plane home as vital research for my next trip. But I’ll try my best, and for want of a better term here is my blog manifesto:

1. If you love champagne but only have lemonade pockets this blog’s for you. I like travelling in style, (though low cost airlines are by no means off limits – except one but perhaps I’ll blog about that later). For me it’s about getting the best value from your lavish stay, so expect talk of luxury hotels and resorts, tips on the best deals around and ways to save money on your bookings.
2. As a travel writer, journalist and editor I am always on the look-out for an angle – from the sublime to the ridiculous – so expect a curious take on the world.
3. Though travel, hotels and cruising are my mainstay interests I’m an expert in shared ownership (that’s timeshare and fractionals to most). I’m also a bit of a techie geek and lover of great photography so I might go off topic occasionally. But consider it all part of life’s rich tapestry, who knows, you might even discover something you like about a little known (but also much loved) way to travel, or find a lifesaving iPhone application for when you need to order dinner from a menu in Esperanto.

That’s about it for now. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you and hearing your comments. Happy travelling!

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  

CONFUCIUS

Be back tomorrow

Funny really how we can hold ourselves back from time to time and not even know it til someone helps to open up a new avenue to set you free. We create our own whipping posts.

Bring it on I say, each challenge a new opportunity to further set myself free.

And appropriate I think, a passionate and most grand version of the Allman Brother’s ‘Whippin Post’ performed by Frank Zappa.

So….go on….stop blaming other people for the stuff that shows up in your life. Take back your power and unleash yourself from the whipping post.

Go on now….and don’t forget to say ‘thank you!’

BB Webb

in those times of uncertainty in our lives concerning our dreams i think the best way to stay focused and motivated is to remember why we do what we do… why do i want to sing? yes i love the way a note resonates within me- it feels beautiful. and the communion with the band makes me high…but why i sing is because i love to connect deeply with others through my singing… i love to inspire and elevate people through music. MAKE THEM FEEL… or think…or motivate them to live their own dream… it’s an honor to give that way, to commune and share that intimacy with others… and when i can tear down my own walls and truly get to the root of that connection with others something profoundly spiritual occurs… we all have something that is a gift to connect divinely with ourselves and others… something that is beyond passion. where you have to do it or you feel like you can’t breathe… that is our mission… what holds us back from completing our mission on this plane we call earth? f.e.a.r. (false evidence appearing real) of what? failure? success? can we dare to switch our way of thinking? our failures can be transmuted into lessons learned. because the lessons are also part of this mission. our purpose… sometimes there’s the fear of not being good enough (i know this is a confidence thing that a lot of people struggle with, but the desire is there for a reason, you have to explore that desire or you will live your life feeling unfulfilled)… sometimes people think it’s too late (there’s always a way to express yourself, let’s say you wanted to be a dancer and you are getting a late start, you could still study/learn/grow in your dancing and choreograph or teach or perform and create and connect with the divine through dance in a way that would fulfill your spirit)… sometimes people are too focused on the competition.. a wise woman once told me “there’s no competition for your TRUE life’s purpose, so there’s no need to worry, hurry, or feel that you have to force things to happen.” sometimes people get so caught up in the logistics…and yes you must take action and yes you must think outside of the box and yes you must feel and know your own uniqueness in your mission… but behind the logistics is the passion, the motivation and behind the passion and motivation is the LOVE… know that love! live within that love and do what you’re meant to do!

affirmation of the day: “i have ultimate confidence in myself and my deeper purpose.”

Many times we go on our quest to realize our full potential, but it is during this journey that we become derailed and delay our purpose.  This delay can be caused through reaching a false sense of “success” or “comfort.”  

It is during this time that we may lose focus and begin to stray further away from our dreams.  In this haze of comfort we may begin to experience an internal conflict.  We feel stuck and a sense of discontentment on the one hand and on the other we think we should keep pursuing the “success” which lies outside our true purpose.  This internal conflict can cause us to feel less engaged in our daily life and activities.

What do we do with these feelings?  How do we get unstuck?  Well the next statement may seem easier said than done, but we must take action.  When we find ourselves in this predicament we are normally faced with a difficult decision.  Do I continue to conform and live outside of my true purpose or do I EMPOWER myself to step out of my comfort zone and live my passion?

Now here come the ”what if questions” What if I fail?  What if I am faced with challenges?  What if things don’t go the way I want them to?  These are all FEAR based questions, and may be based on assumptions that you’ve seen or heard from or about others. 

I ask, “What if you SUCCEED?“

A question that I challenge you to think about is, “is your fear of failure greater than your possibility for success?”   

Not only do I dare you to dream, but I dare you to truly begin LIVING THAT DREAM!!!

If you would like to discuss how to begin “LIVING THE DREAM “ or other aspects of coaching please feel free to leave a comment or contact James Caldwell-Acha-Ngwodo, MHRM of S-P-I-R-I-T at james@lifecareerspiritcoaching.com.

Hello everyone, i’ve been off for a long while deciding about this next poem, it’s a phenomenom that means alot to me and i always turn to when confused or upset. I hope it makes you think similarly… if not just enjoy the poem and as always please any criticism is welcome and i reply to every and all comments. Thanks
——————————————————–

Passion Makes Perfect

All things in moderation,
Said I, to me,
Perfection is opinion,
The ‘Passion’ to be free,

If my drive is just,
My soul; steadfast,
Accomplishment; my companion,
And with care, it be cast,

From melody, to logic,
Humour to fear,
Success and Salvation,
That lost, lonely tear,

The thrills and the chills,
Pleasure Pronounced,
The warm of my heart,
When love is announced,

Advice of a lost man;
When Dreaming a Dream,
‘Passion’ is what you make it,
Decide what yours means…

Ben James Edwards

Tapas- burning desire for union. PASSION! Start talking about Jo Scott – Hockey. Others can get a hit off of our passion- you ignite something others feel. The reason it works is when we follow our passion it takes us to joy and bliss with life- and this is something we can all relate to. It helps us all connect back to that one source. What’s your passion? What is your love? Follow that thread into your own heart.

-       Let your passion guide you in the pose, its not about how deep you go but that you are staying true and opening to your passion.

With passion pray. With passion work. With passion make love. With passion eat and drink and dance and play. Why look like a dead fish in this ocean of God? -Rumi

Such a beautiful day for a launch, I hope you got to watch… If not, look for the replays. I continue to be impressed every time I see one. /;^)

STS129 Mission Patch

With the idea of men. They honestly believe they are special … different somehow than the rest. And I test them on it. And they fail … miserably. My friend said, “sexcapades.” And I laughed. Because when it comes down to it, I’m not having sex … at all. With anyone. But men don’t believe that.

I’ve perhaps become too jaded. Or hopefully it’s just more discerning. I go out. And I drink. And so one would assume … but be careful about those assumptions.

And don’t underestimate me.

I’m always paying attention … even when you believe I’m not. And at the end of the night, I still operate under my own terms. My own bizarre sense of logic.

And I wake up in the morning … alone. And I am soooo perfectly OK with that.

Were I not, hell, I could change it. But not today … not today.

• excited to listen to this podcast when it comes out and love some of the thoughts Perry posted already:
  • Love for her intimacy with God…and not just the information she knows about Him!
  • When you focus on what you do not have (a relationship) more than you focus on Jesus and His Word…the result is usually compromise.
  • AND…YOU DO NOT HAVE TO COMPROMISE…EVER!!!  If I could sit down face to face with every single girl I would say the same thing…WAIT for God’s best…it’s worth it.
• had my first “see you in His timing”
  • my heart is already aching at the thought of saying more of those soon…
• hung out with Lindo today….man, that kid is too much fun and I love his family
  • definitely made me smile today
  • working on making a video of the tons of pictures I have of him
  • can’t wait for next week so i can give him a soccer ball and whatever else random I find in town for him…so what does a 5 year old like?

  

• “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.” ht: note
  • The weapon of jealousy will NOT prosper against you because we will CELEBRATE what God is doing
  • The weapon of feeling insignificant will NOT prosper against you because HE MADE YOU SIGNIFICANT when He saved you and called you…your significance comes from your salvation…not from “success” in ministry.
• can’t wait to see this girl.
• asking God to hold me tight tonight and help me fight
  • feeling a bit broken tonight.
  • getting away with Him.
• listening to this guy thanks to his free music. 
  • speaking of music. integrity music and their free song on friday makes me happy

This is heavy. My man Bluey Robinson tweeted this earlier today. I didn’t expect this at all….

I love this quote.  Life truly is what you make it.  We all have circumstances that make some things hard to acheive, but we also have talents that make other things easier.   I believe discovering your passion is the key to happiness.  That one thing that makes getting out of bed easier in the morning, that is what makes life worth living.  Your passion is what creates you.  And your passion can be the thing that shapes your entire life.

Too often people settle for what’s comfortable or secure in order to just get by.   I, myself, am guilty of this.  I delagated my passion into a casual hobby, and hobbies are always the first things to be sidelined when life gets busy.  It amazes me just how easily I am able to drop the things that truly make me happy in order to do things that can wait until another time or to do things to please others.

I think people forget just how much power they have.  We have the power to make the decisions that will lead us to greater things, that will lead us to our happiness.  I intend to use that power, I hope you do too.

P.S.

I have seen this quote accredited to George Bernard Shaw, not sure why this one says “unknown” but I liked the graphic.

Inspiration can come from any number of things.

Inspiration doesn’t need to be more than a momentary occasion. In fact, sometimes, inspiration is just that!

The sight of a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a field of butterflies fluttering over nearly mown grass, the look in a new born daughter’s eyes… all these and more can be enough to inspire you to great and truly wonderful heights.

Some people are inspired by these, other people are inspired by the sight of a monolithic building, a beautiful painting… the list of things that inspire are endless. I personally find a fountain of inspiration in one of my wife’s smiles.

And sometimes, that inspiration will cause complete different reactions from you.

Sometimes, you may look past that field of butterflies to the barn beyond and the interplay of lines there. One day you may see something and not be very impressed and the nest day… it is enough to make you go change the world!

That’s the thing about inspiration: it comes in so very many shapes, forms, and ways!

Writers, painters, sculptors, inventors of all kinds… all have looked at their various worlds and gotten inspiration from each of those worlds in different ways.

Look around you, look at your world through new eyes and see what inspires you there.

Take that inspiration and enjoy it, build on it, and live a wonderful life!

ECLECTIC MIX OF GLOBAL AND UNIVERSAL KNOWLEDGE AND FUN FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS MIND. PROVOCATIVE AND SOPHISTICATED. WEIRD AND FAMILIAR. SPIRITUAL AND SENSUAL. REAL AND SURREAL.

I don’t know where I heard this from, but ever since it has stuck. In fact just the other day I was in a conference call with a very wealthy angel investor and a business associate seeking to raise capital for his business. I had assisted in putting the projections together and he had the passion for the business. Guess how long it took before we got past the projections that took hours of time to create and on to the passion for the business? I think I counted 20 seconds.

It’s all about the people. People invest in people. So when you are building out that novel of a business plan that is complete with executive summary, balance sheets, cash flow statements, SWOT analysis, and on and on. Just know that the single most important piece of the puzzle is you. You are the one that is going to execute with your team on the vision that you articulate to your investors.

I had a very unique experience years ago working on one of the first deals of my young business career. A few of the most respected and wealthiest business people in Canada had decided to make a big bet (for me at the time, but not so big for them) on a business concept I was involved in. Sometime after that first round of financing I was visiting with one of these business people regarding their investment, and subsequent interest in a second round of investment. At this time, I labored with him and his team in updating the business plan and making sure everything was in order. Once completed, I brought this extensive plan to him full of pretty charts, nice pictures, and of course a five year forecast of the billions of dollars we were going to make together. He held the book in his hand, hefting it slightly and looked at me asking if the business plan was complete with no errors. I said that it was, and asked him if he had found any errors. He indicated that he didn’t know, because he had never read it. I was puzzled. This man had invested almost $1,000,000 into our business. Surely he had read the business plan prior to his investment. The answer was no. He made his investment purely on the people, not the plan.

In my opinion, passion is far more important than your projections. When you are pitching a deal you have to feel it, believe in it, dream about it, love it and live for it. Your passion will project to your audience and that will be more impressive than any numbers you put up on a powerpoint.

So the obvious question to ask after reading this post is, why bother with the projections? That would be the obvious thing to do given the projections take months (hopefully you take that kind of time) of research, study and careful thought. Projections and a business plan are the rite of passage, your ticket to play, unless of course you are talking to some friends, family or fools. A sophisticated investor wants to know that you put the time in and not flying by the seat of your pants. So for all of you who would be pitch men out there, my recommendation is to take the time to do the due diligence and let it fuel your passion.

My heart stutters that you are with me.

Groans with passion that your nearness I still see.

Like waves in an ocean hitting the shores,

Your sound in my heart gently roars.

Essence of strength is abounded in you,

To walk with me through and through.

Remembering back a time on Hefner lake,

Where a picture of you did I take.

My soul captured at that moment’s click,

Hope in forever that together we would stick.

Gratefulness beams in all spectrums from me,

For the gift that you are in us to be.

Like the light of the sun that warms during the day,

Your love is my warmth I cherish within to stay.

Our morning time of quiet and conversation,

Was blissful to my soul and life in my attraction.

I love you,

Kameron

“Those who hate most fervently must have once loved deeply; those who want to deny the world must have once embraced what they now set on fire.”

–Kurt Tucholsky

via quotewhore.