a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
There are times when people pass on and you wonder…
Was it that we didn’t pray enough?
Was it that we waited too long to pray?
Was it this and was it that?
Then it dawns on you once again!
That The Scourge of Death,
Though a most unwanted visitor,
Is the only certainty in the cycle of life.
And will call at His own time!
Like seasons come and go,
So does the life cycle of man!
Rest in peace, my lady.
Your absence will be felt.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Image credit: Funcrisp.com
Have you ever had a mill stone tied around your neck? No? You are not sure? Well, unforgiveness is a mill stone!
Bearing grudges does not only feel like the weight of an albatross sitting on your neck, it is giving free rental space in the hardware of ones brain to issues better tossed out.
Forgiveness frees your heart and mind in ways that are beyond measure.
I forgive, not even for the sake of the person who has offended me, but to set myself free.
You forgive for your own sake, because not forgiving is called slow poison.![1448465122541[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/14484651225411.jpg)
This poison taints your heart, taints your mind, taints your life and it is a hindrance to the fullness of your joy because it will always remain a dark shadow and an acid leaching away at the insides of the unburdened.
It is a given that somethings may happen to us that makes us feel as if we can never get past it to the level of forgiveness, but indeed we can, when we seek the grace, even if we don’t forget the incident because it is difficult to delete certain memories that have become ingrained in our memory banks.
However, our minds are very resilient and will fight for us if we give it the chance to. Sometimes, if I am mad at someone and they are within reach, I simply unburden my grudge and move on. It is not worth nights of lost sleep. Not one bit.
I speak deeply from painful life experiences that I thought would make me cynical, embittered and an unforgiving soul.
…But love set me free! I had to actively seek peace, forgive and let go for me to be free indeed. It was so bad at a point that I secretly wished every imaginable ill on Earth on the offender and when I say that it took the serenity and the divine grace of God to expunge my bitterness, I don’t mince my words.
When I accepted those words ”daughter you are loosed” over my life, my joy burst through that no dam could contain it. Now all I feel is pity! Maybe, one day, I shall speak of these things.
It took learning to realize that even though forgiveness does not excuse a behaviour, it prevents that behaviour from destroying one’s heart.
Forgiving was unlocking the door to set a captive free and that captive was me.
Not forgiving meant empowering the enemy some more and remaining a victim.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
The Daily Post prompt I Can’t Stay Mad At You.
Do you hold grudges or do you believe in forgive and forget?
![1448164839831[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/14481648398311.jpg)
Dear Lord,
May our aching hearts find healing in your presence.
May we rise against the hurt and the destruction,
Which pervades our society today,
So that we can reach for the silver linings hiding in dark clouds.
Grant our minds a sublime state of being,
Where negative spirits of hatred, of distrust,
of aggression and its virulent forces cannot find root.
Let your peace that brings tranquility reign in our lives,
As you cast your shadow of protection over us.
May those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High God
Abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Amen.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Please just take a moment and listen to the Jim Reeves below. Thank you.
Honestly, I enjoy quotes because these short words tell succinctly, lessons that an entire book may be unable to tell. Thank you Chape for inviting me for a round of 3 quote challenge.
Events of the past couple of days have made me dwell so much more on thoughts of unity and prayer, because as we know very well that, in unity we stand, but in division we fall.
I remember when we were much younger and would get into squabbles with each other, my mother was the constant peace broker and she would use simple demonstrations to teach us certain things. Let me share one of them with you.
We had several old woven baskets which were used for storing spices or herbs in the house and she would fetch two of these baskets which were special handiwork of Nsukka tribeswomen – it’s weaving was not so intricate yet effective.
She loosened a bit of the frond at one end and asked each of us to pull at a strand, and the basket unraveled.
‘‘Can one palm frond make a basket?” She inquired.
”NO, Ma!” We answered in unison.
Comparing the unraveled basket and the one that stood intact, she asked us which one was useful in its state and we pointed at the one which was still intact.
”You are one when you stand together and you would be of good use.” ”When you choose to unravel and stand alone, you serve no purpose to anyone and you are weakened because your frond can be bent and broken, while the fronds that are intact cannot be broken together.” She intoned.
Let us remember to band together in prayers, in wisdom, in strength and in positivity to be of good use.
On that note, I will leave you with these African proverbs:
”If you wish to go quickly you go alone, but if you wish to go far, you go together.”
”When trees stand together they make a forest.”
”When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.”
”Two ants do not fail to pull one grasshopper.”
I would like to invite these awesome bloggers to participate in the quote challenge:
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
You know,
Empty dreams,
Don’t make beautiful Worlds!
The consistent actions of you and I, do!
So tell me, what do you propagate around you?
Are you engaged sowing seeds of accord or discord?
Would you just take a moment and check your circle of influence!
Plant that seed that you want to reap! It will grow into a tree of bounty!
Cease wasting time on wishful thinking!
We can be the World that we wish to see!
Shalom!
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Images: Pinterest
The winds whispered and then they howled,
The thunder clapped and began to roar,
The lightning danced, throwing fire darts in mad glee,
The Earth rumbled in the quake,
It’s groaning and shivering,
A disheartened statement from deep tectonic plates.
We thought that all would be rendered asunder…..
…..But then came The voice and whispered into the ravaged Earth,
Dripping red with blood,
Peace! Be still!
……and the Earth stood still.
May the peace that transcends common understanding,
Be your portion today and always.
PEACE!!
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
The Daily Post prompt Victory
Forget the sad times. This week, it’s all about reveling in a win.
![1447500820472[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/14475008204721.jpg)
I had my post for today all ironed out and set to go, until I woke up this morning and saw the news and I simply lost the desire for a light and chatty post.
A sick feeling settled in my stomach as I watched in utter stupefaction, the constant replay of attacks on innocent people gathered together for a concert, gathered to cheer their teams at the stadium; coldly murdered.
It wearies one to ask why? Why this hysterical, senseless killing? It just no longer makes sense.
Just several days ago we were reeling from this and now this.
I have a very special affinity for Paris and France as a whole. It means more to me than just a lovely holiday spot.
I am bilingual ( English /French ) a language that I spent 5 years to learn and I owe loyalty to this beautiful Nation for the opportunities it presented to my life.
For several years, I worked for the Embassy of France and the European Union.
I met my husband at “Maison de France” and I always feel like a part of me has come home when I visit Paris.
They welcome and throw their doors open to all and sundry who come to pay homage to this iconic city of European heritage and they are the least discriminating people that I happen to know from my sojourns in different parts of the World.
Shame on this infamy!
Shame on humans whose behaviour are nothing less than cowardly and dishonourable!
Even as the bloodbath and carnage of innocent ones soaks into the soil of its land, France’s pride and it’s beauty can never be cut down!
Hearts bowed in pain, we grieve.
Thrumming heat in our veins we scream.
Why do you kill me?
For I have done you nothing!
I have dined with you!
I have lain with you!
I cried with you and I laughed with you!
∴
Yet you gather like locusts,
To feast on my flesh!
Have I done you any wrong?
That you kill us in throngs?
A mother weeps for a lost child!
A father bemoans his loved ones!
For the souls cut down in cold blood!
Who have done you no wrong!
∴
Let our courage not fail us!
Nor our hearts cease to beat within us!
For they shall never know peace!
For the loss of the deceased.
The torment of their souls shall never cease!
Until they seek to find peace!
Peut les âmes des défunts reposent en paix/May the souls of the departed rest in peace!
Vive La France!
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Here I often sit and ponder,
As the days go by,
The rising and setting sun,
So quickly passing by,
Where yonder shall tomorrow find me?
It’s only God in heaven that knows!
For that answer my friend is blowing in the wind!
Will I mingle with the free?
Will I be among the living?
For these answers I do not know my friend,
For it is blowing in the wind!
Will I scribble to the delight of others?
Putting smiles and streaking hearts with joy?
For this I shall strive some more,
But the answer my friend, is blowing in the wind!
Shall I rock grand-babies on my bent knees?
Singing hush lullabies to darling little ears.
This I know not my friend,
For the answer is blowing in the wind!
Shall tomorrow meet me,
Sipping warm cocoa in my rocking chair,
Telling tales of days gone by?
The answer my friend is blowing in the wind!
Yesterday is gone!
Tomorrow belongs to God!
My today is a present gift as I sit here!
Let me be happy, and have peace!
I shall leave tomorrow’s answer, to the blowing wind.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
The Daily Post prompt Six of one, half a dozen of the other
Write a six-word story about what you think the future holds for you, and then expand on it in a post.
Whats on my mind you ask?
This evening, I went grocery shopping with the children and as we traipsed lazily down the aisle, a young, tall, slim, beautiful lady passed me by with a young child.
The first thing that I saw was her hair that was shaved to the scalp and she wore the skin-cut with pride.
I tried not to stare, but I knew. My spirit grew disquietened.
In my heart, I knew that this lovely soul is battling for her life.
We walked past her and continued our shopping but my mind couldn’t focus.
After a while, I backtracked several aisles down to find her. I felt a bit nervous that she might not appreciate my disturbing her peace, but a little voice in my heart said Go! So I continued.
I approached tentatively and out-rightly told her that I noticed her shaved scalp and she confirmed that she has breast cancer.
My heart went out to this total stranger. I have witnessed first hand the heart-rending havoc that cancer wreaks on sufferers.
We talked for a while, it turned out she has a chemo/radiation session tomorrow and of course she is trying to live life as normal as possible especially for her young child.
By the end of our discussion, ironically, she ended up comforting me. We shared a blessing and a hug.
I admire her strength and really wish her well. I wish her miracles. 
I wish more Grace and strength to those who are suffering at this time.
May faith, peace and healing hands be your portion.
Kind regards.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Mountaintops and Valleys.”
Describe a time when you quickly switched from feeling at the top of the world to sinking all the way down (or vice versa). Did you learn anything about yourself in the process?
Despite conscious efforts not to be a depressing wet blanket, to maintain a sunny and optimistic outlook in life, there are times when life throws you sucker punches that leaves you gasping for breath and almost asphyxiated. You are left grappling at anything that will keep you from sinking down the bog that is eager and willing to swallow you whole greedily.
I can think of personal events that hit me in the solar plexus and dragged me from high to rock bottom.
I hate to pull out the tissue box, but I have also learnt that talking about these things, helps to heal gaping wounds.
Without expending a lot of adjectives and flowery prose, losing a baby or even a pregnancy plunges one from the delight of expectancy to nothing… to the pits of despair, hopelessness, anger, sadness, and a multitude of emotions that I can barely define. I leave the rest for you to imagine.
Hearing placating words during such occurrence was barely sufficient if not upsetting. I remember when I suddenly lost my 28 week old baby, and a friend said to me “don’t worry, another baby will come” all I asked was whether a child is a replaceable item like furniture?
My dad’s passing was not a sudden event. It was a painful, grueling battle with cancer and it was not the best of times. Watching the strong man whom I loved so much bowed down by a vicious ailment which left him the ‘sufferer’ and those around him stricken beyond words is not something that I would wish anyone.
We fought like Tigers, but we were left beaten, bruised, bloodied and we lost. Knowing that he was ill did not make the pain any less. My sole joy is that I can honestly testify that my late dad was a good, gentle and upright soul. I will always miss him.
Another event that struck like a bolt of lightning out of the blues was a car accident that I was involved in. You might want to read this A letter to the young man that died. That saying, that a split second can change everything about someone’s life remains true.
I did not come away from these experiences empty handed. I have learnt and still learning to live in the moment and appreciate it. That I can be strong when there is no other choice and not to take anyone or anything for granted.
My biggest lesson so far has been a spiritual journey in Trusting, Believing, and having Faith in God. He has been my source of strength, sanity and boundless peace during these stormy times.
If per chance sharing my experience (that it is possible for someone to rise from the shadowy doldrums to face the light) serves as a source of inspiration and hope for anyone, then something positive would have been achieved.
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
P.S. No more soppy prompts please. I am out of tissue box. Thank you 😉
Image credit: Sayquotable.com
a cooking pot and twisted tales 