Prayer for April 30, 2017

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your continued blessings and mercies. I pray for healing for those who are sick and comfort for those who are grieving. I pray for my family - immediate and extended and far and near, for my work family and for my church family. I ask your continued watchful eye over us all. I pray for traveling mercies for those who travel by car, by land and by sea for our safety. Father, I pray for our leaders so that they can make the right decisions to keep our country in balance and that whatever disunity exists will cease. Lord, bless our teachers, police officers, corrections officers, health care practitioners and those who work with the elderly so that they would have fortitude and patience with those who they attend to. Heavenly Father, in your name I pray. AMEN

Sibling Rivalry

Children love to argue and for simple things. Sibling rivalry can be frustrating for parents. I have no answer because I get tired of hearing them and I just ask them to stop the bickering. I encourage sharing and that's a problem. If they are playing a game, it all starts well and then, there is an eruption of fighting words. There are even negotiations to switch a sibling with a neighbor or friend. I really do not have the solution but I just wanted to vent because it gets tiring. I try to intercede when it gets too loud or overbearing and I am seen as picking sides. So I am on no side and have no opinion and everyone is wrong. I really don't know.

I do know that there will be some contention at some point and that I do need to let the children solve their problems in some cases. I am learning to be patient and I have to keep working on that. I shared in some staff meetings that patience is my weakness. If I have a job interview tomorrow, I would still share that and add that I am working on it and I have matured significantly over the years. I hope my children can build that maturity but for now, they are children and I have to work with them.

Like I said, I don't have the solution and will never pretend to. I am open for suggestions from other parents on how they deal with sibling rivalry.

Ribbon

POEM: A Thought for Friends

As I wake up this day
I know I need to pray
and there is so much to say
so many hurt
and so many sick
so many hungry
with nothing to eat or drink
and while I used to think
that I had it bad
there are so many hurt
and those who are sad
but I must remember
my friends and family
those who make my life
a bit more happy
God placed them in my life
for some reason
because these people
don't depend on the season
to call or check in
so when I pray
I cannot leave them out
I don't want to be selfish
and say I forgot
Bless them Lord
and keep them safe
walk with them, Lord
in every step they make
Heal our burdens
comfort our cares
take all that concerns us
and keep our minds clear.

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POEM: Endurance

Sometimes pressure is a pleasure
but in most times, it's not...
While we treasure
some simple moments
when you have pain
it feels like it's forever constant
and sometimes even violent
to the point that it's potent
and you still can't figure out
the concept
because you are so in depth
it's so heart felt
that even when you wept
you still did not understand
the feelings that you kept
and even as your back is 'down wet'
and you hit the reset
button nothing matters anymore
because you've already
surpassed the score
and what's more
you endured the pain
and still see no gain
but yet you can't contain
the immense joy
in knowing that
you have survived
another day

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POEM: Checking the Score

While you may not always

get the score you desire

it doesn't mean that

you can reach for higher

You don't have to take

the offer from the first buyer

or accept when

anyone calls you a liar

instead you should

count your blessings

and remember

the old time sayings

that your grandparents

shared because they cared

they did not fear

for your life

instead they spoke

positivity despite the strife

so you need to open your sight

and open your ears

to hear what is being said

and give credit

where it's due

cause it's easy to say

you knew

we know it all

and yet can't find the solution

because we prefer to

live in confusion

and don't see that unity

not only brings harmony

but positivity and good energy

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Pet Peeve: Poor Customer Service

Some of the customer service issues in agencies are not the front-line people - it's the processes, management or lack of people or resources. Billing issues, agency line ringing to a voice messaging system which does not announce the agency, weeks for someone to respond to a simple email, sitting waiting for almost an hour before being attended to for a very simple matter. It's not good enough - it's irritating.

People say to complain but around here when you complain or get angry, people label you and ostracize you because they can't take criticism. Today, I let my anger get the best of me. Why should I have to sit in any agency looking at a numbering system (where you pull a number) for almost an hour before a number is called. When the number is called, it is only for you to pass your documents and then you still have to wait for your processing to be completed.

I think in this small community, things like this should be of the past. I don't know what the solutions are but what is in place cannot work. I find that this society thinks it's okay to lose time from living sitting in agencies for hours back and forth. Leave it to me and many services would be able to uploaded via email or online, and appointments set for in-person interview and collection of documents. 

It works for the US so why can't it work here. The front-line people are not the problem because they seem to try and they juggle a lot and take the hard words or attitudes from people like me. Well I couldn't have given anyone an attitude today because I was never served! I had to leave to attend to something else.

My blog is one forum to air my concerns while I build the courage to take it somewhere else. What I will do is work on improving customer service where I work so that people won't complain about my backyard too.

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My 11pm Rooser Call Has Deeper Meanings

A rooster crowing at 11pm is strange in my yard. I don't know who or what bothered it but I prefer the crowing in the morning. Now that's how life's challenges come. We would prefer for certain things not to happen at all or to happen when we think we are ready to deal with such. Everyone knows that is not the case. We all have to deal with failure, grief, misfortune, jealousy, and the breakdown of relationships. Sometimes, all of these happened concurrently leaving you with no room to rest or recover.

Maybe the rooster was disturbed or possibly offset by my blue light on the porch for Autism Awareness. Our neighbors sometimes do things that we don't like but in the spirit of brotherly love, we compromise and try to work along. I've already turned off the blue light and put on the regular one. The yard is quiet once again.

I find that I have been frustrated these past few weeks and I had to work through that to get myself back on track. I guess I'm like the rooster - disturbed for a moment but resettling. The frustrations are still there for me but I have to continue to mange the situations that I can and understand those that I cannot correct.

Life is not easy and most situations are not for the queasy but we have to persevere.



Ribbon