a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
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Feeling lazy from yesterday’s indulgence, and with the bunnies still hopping around in my tummy, I am so thankful that I don’t have to traipse off looking for precise photo shoots this morning.
The photo 101 prompt asking us to show our treasure and close up, makes it a bit easy today. I am just going to clip on some photos of my treasures in here.
They are absolutely the very best blessings that life brought me 🙂
There is nothing else in the entire Universe, that I can translate into what these beautiful one’s mean to me.
Thank you very much. Now back to some snooze. Life is a bit on the slow lane 😉
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
A happy Easter to you.
May the gentle spirit
And guiding steps
Of Jesus Christ,
Be a beacon in your life.
Let the love of his pure heart
And the wisdom of his words
Remain a light to your feet
And a lamp to your pathways.
May the Grace of God
from the deep and above
Rest upon you and yours,
Now and always.
Shalom!
♥
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Image credit: Pixabay
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I know it’s not weekend yet, but I am thankful that we are halfway there, or as in my case, almost a day to weekend and the school Spring breaks commences on Friday. YAYYYYY!!!
Our weekend’s over here in the Middle East starts on Thursday evenings and sometimes, it makes my mind go wonky, when the work week starts on Sunday’s and other parts of the World are still on a weekend.
It’s been one of those weeks that’s just bleh; waking up at past 4 am and making the children’s breakfast and food for school with one eye open.
I know that being a mother, weekend does not necessarily spell idling, but some things are taken out of the hectic equation.
My mouth will probably get twisted seven ways from talking, settling squabbles and I will probably pull my hair out now and again, for these days that squad will be fully at home, adrenaline filled and looking up to Mama the squad entertainer extraordinaire to keep them focused and entertained.
I shall however, thoroughly enjoy not having the infernal red alarm clock go off, just when I am getting into the zen part of the sleep; at least for the next two weeks. It even rings in my head when I am awake 
On the other hand, I am equally thankful for a lovely blogger’s bash held in this space. The supportive turn out was just awesome 🙂
I am equally excited that the cover of my collected poetry will soon be ready. There’ll definitely be a sneak peek.
What are the itty-bitty things that your heart knows thanks for?
Do share if you will. Thank you.
You can join Colline’s or Maria Jansson gratitude challenge platforms.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
You know at times, we tend to take a lot in life for granted, going about our daily business grumbling and sometimes without care or in-depth thought as to what others pass through in the course of their jobs.![1451716994149[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/14517169941491.jpg)
It took watching the luxurious building of The Address Hotel rage with fire on the Eve of the 2016 New Year’s day at a close range, to serve as a big eye opener for me, as to the enormous pressure and brave exploits of Fire fighters all over the World.
They put their lives on line every time they step into such blaze and even though some of us will very well say that it’s their job after all and that they are trained for it, it takes a heck of gumption to do the stuff that these courageous humans do.
For All the TEA in China and all the Swiss CHOCOLATES and a million dollars on top, I, Jacqueline, would not venture near that raging inferno that I witnessed.
The orange tongues of the fiery blaze licked with thirst and reckless abandon, in search of who and what to consume. The billowing smoke was choking even from a distance and yet these service men, did such a fantastic and efficient job even as others (including me) were watching in silent prayer.
Since the night of the 31st, the image of the burning skyscraper has been stuck in my head and my vivid imagination has been in overdrive ever since. On television, fire service men tend to look glamourous and sexy, but, gosh, when the chips are down, their job is one tough cookie to bake.
To the brave men and women of the Fire Service all over the World, how can one say thank you to your selfless services?
How can one appreciate the utmost help received from all of you for fire incidents which sometimes stem from actions of irresponsibility of others.
Yet, all I can say, and I know some people have this in mind as well, is thank you very much. Thank you for being there to mitigate a situation that could be worse. Thank you for giving so much of yourself. For your courage and faith in the face of such scary adversary.
Respects.
Bless you all.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
It is often too easy to express gratitude and thanksgiving when everything seems to be in the right place in our lives and around us, and such a hard task to have a grateful heart when everything seems to be falling apart.
No doubt, it is not an easy task to remain on the upbeat and positive, but we should not tarry too long in the doldrums.
Nature abhors vacuum and if at the point in time when our spirits are very low and we fail to fill that gap made with edifying and uplifting emotions, habits, thoughts, reactions etc, the vacuum will be filled with defeatist spirits, with oppressive moods that will suck us down into a pit that requires so much energy to climb out of.
Sometimes, some are never able to regain their sense of self and things spiral out of control.
When things are falling apart, we must struggle to keep our sense of grace, gratitude and thanksgiving, because in deed, in everything we give thanks and our heart of thanksgiving, of gratitude will only expand our coast.
There is a time and season for everything and though darkness may come at night, surely there will be light at day.
For today’s gratitude choice, I am grateful for the light of day.
I am grateful to be among the living and know that I still have the chance today to make better that which I failed yesterday.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to dwell on the things that are important.
I am grateful that even in the time of war that there is still love existing.
I am grateful that I am safe and of sound mind.
I am grateful that the simple things of life are accorded to me from above.
I am grateful that I have met friends such as you in this space and thankful for all the love that I see floating around in this space.
I am thankful for a friend like Oneta Hayes who has gone out of her way to say lovely things about me; I heard through the grapevine 😉 My lady, you are a gem 🙂 Bless your golden heart.
Let us not lose sight of the fact that no situation is permanent that ”this too shall pass” whatever it is and we must make each day count in beautiful ways.
What are you grateful for? When you count your blessings and name them one by one, it will surely surprise you at how much you are blessed.
Shalom
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
The term prized possessions sounds like I simply purchased them from a supermarket, which actually places a finite value on these treasures of mine.
We do not own our family/children but we are mere custodians of these young souls who decorate our lives and our families are gifts bestowed upon us.
The elixir obtained from experience shared, the roads traveled and joy from loved ones can neither be bottled nor sold.
My family are my pride and joy.
They are my treasures of inestimable value and for these beautiful ones, I am exceedingly thankful.
Every other material possession is disposable and replaceable. It’s simply there to satisfy a specific need.
Below is a short related prose that I wrote earlier in the year.
Life on a short lease….
Posted on May 25, 2015
In deed, nothing I have is truly mine,
I am simply a beneficiary,
Of the benevolence of a Supreme Being: God,
I am only a conscious receptor of goodwill and grace,
I am simply a custodian of blessings bestowed upon me,
A mere guardian of gifts innumerable.
Not to be taken for granted.
However we look at it.
I know this.
I am just a sojourner, a wayfarer.
Nothing I have is truly mine.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In response to The Daily Prompt Pride and Joy.
What’s your most prized possession?
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Must Not Fail.”
The fear of failure when it comes to the aspects of life’s material wants has ceased to bother me, because I have really come to realize that we can exist on far less than we tend to surround ourselves with.
I literately and completely believe in the word of God in Ezekiel 34 v 26: that says: I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send showers in season; showers of blessing.
I have seen this proven true time and time again in my life even when I neither earned it nor deserved it.
I know that as long as life exists that hope exists. That faith and perseverance will sustain me.
It is always wise to keep in mind that failure is only a setback and not the end of the street. It is an invitation to learn from, to grow from and an opportunity to start again.
However, as a mother blessed with lovely children, there is a fear that niggles my heart each day and that is the fear in my ability to do a good job in raising my children.
With the amount of corrosive erosion in human ethics and values, I am concerned and wonder if I am doing enough to raise upright children who will be blessings to their generation. Therefore, I must continue to try.
On a personal note, I live with the fear of failing as a Christian in the true sense of the word. Not the picture of me that the World sees through the acts of Earthly Godliness but the intrinsic me that no one else is privy to.
I however remind myself that it is only by the Grace of God that I am redeemed and not by the arm of my flesh.
These two thoughts drive me everyday and if I do not fail in these two things, then I must count myself as extremely successful.
Let us not fail to remember that success is relative. What count’s as success for me, may be viewed as idiosyncratic nonsense to another.
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In deed, nothing I have is truly mine,
I am simply a beneficiary,
Of the benevolence of a Supreme Being: God,
I am only a conscious receptor of goodwill and grace,
I am simply a custodian of blessings bestowed upon me,
A mere guardian of gifts innumerable.
Not to be taken for granted.
However we look at it.
I know this.
I am just a sojourner, a wayfarer.
Nothing I have is truly mine.
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
a cooking pot and twisted tales 