The Pain of Grief

I wanted to share this story to encourage those dealing with one form of grief or the other.

My friend lost his father on the first day of this year, 1st January 2014. He had died of injuries sustained from a gas explosion while trying to make breakfast on the morning of 27th December 2013. On that first day of the new year, while people were celebrating and wishing their friends and family 'a happy new year', this family was trying to deal with the shock and pain of losing the head of the family,the breadwinner and the pillar of the family. My friend was devastated.... His father was not just a father to him, he was his confidant, friend and mentor. According to him, they had made so many plans for the future,so many dreams together, so many goals they were both going to achieve as a team... But death had snatched his father away untimely.. My friend is the first of four children and had only recently graduated from university... He was thinking of furthering his education, and his dad was going to sponsor him, before his death. They were not only going to miss him for his love and care, they were going to miss him for his financial responsibility.

My friend happens to be one of thousands or even millions of people going through grief at this point in time... The pain of losing someone dear could be very unbearable sometimes. The circumstances in your life may become overwhelming, everything may be crumbling and your world may be falling apart.. Around you, the challenges may be daunting and there's a void in your life may seem to deep to fill...  When it really hurts, God may seem faraway... but He's there.. In your darkest hour, in your pain and grief, He's there.. Sometimes, it's difficult to understand why He lets certain things happen... His ways are not our ways.. His thoughts are not ours too... He still cares... In His love, you will find solace... and in His strength, you will find strength to move on... If He didn't have a great plan for you, He wouldn't have let it happen... Hold on... Healing is on the way....

HUMAN BODY PARTS FALL FROM SKY IN SAUDI ARABIA

HUMAN BODY PARTS FALL FROM THE SKY IN JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA



Human body parts fell from the sky in the busy Saudi city of Jeddah on Sunday, 5th January 2014. Police believe they could be the remains of someone trapped in an aircraft’s undercarriage bay- and they suspect the possibility of it being a man.

The remains landed in the Mushrefa neighbourhood of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, and police suspect they belong to someone trapped in a plane's wheel bay.

Gruesome pictures of the body parts were leaked on social media sites and in Arabian media, according to Metro.

“Police received a telephone call at 2:30 am from a witness reporting the fall of human remains at an intersection in Mushrefa neighbourhood” in the Red Sea city, spokesman Nawaf bin Naser al-Bouq said in a statement.

Initial indications were that the remains “fell from a plane’s landing gear,” said Bouq, adding that investigations were ongoing.

In a desperate attempt to cross borders, especially at poorly monitored airlines, it is fairly common for people to try and hitch a ride in Saudi planes' wheels bays- most reportedly freeze to death when they get to a certain height.

Police are however saying that the incident is not connected to that of the Saudi Arabian plane arriving from Mashhad, carrying 315 people that had to make an emergency landing in Medina this weekend. 29 people were reportedly injured.

The Girl Who Had No Sandals

About a month ago, I met a little girl at school. She was crying quietly at a corner... I watched her shoulders heave as she sobbed.. I saw her try unsuccessfully to use the back of her palms to stop the tears from flowing.. I watched the other children look at her as the passed and I saw the different expressions on their faces. Some of them were puzzled, some were indifferent, some were amused.. A few showed concern, but they didn't stop to ask the little girl why she was crying. I walked past her too, but then I turned back and went to sit beside her. She didn't even notice, but after a while, she must have realized there was someone beside her, because she looked up at me- startled. I asked her why she was crying and she only cried harder. Then finally, in a soft voice that was barely audible, she narrated how she had been punished at school for not wearing the uniform she had been given a week earlier. I reminded her that the school reserved the right to punish anyone who flaunted the rules of the school. She nodded her head agreeably. I asked her why she had refused to put on the school uniform, and she said it was because she did not have school sandals. I was about to say "what about the one you are wearing now?", when I looked down at her feet and saw the sandals she was wearing. They were torn, old and shriveled. "How can I wear these sandals with my new school uniform? My mother said she's still saving for new ones". She didn't need to say anything more. I understood. I looked at her small feet and I made up my mind to buy her new sandals.

Today, I came across that little girl again.. She was wearing the sandals I bought for her.. She waved at me with the brightest smile and it made my day.. I remembered her teary face a month, seeing her so happy was the best feeling in the world!



Everyday in life, I'm reminded of God's goodness. Of how far I've come and how far He's brought me. Everyday I'm presented with circumstances to give back from all I've been given. Sometimes, we need to see the littleness of other people's problems, to appreciate the bigness of our God through the littlest of our blessings. Sometimes we refuse to be bothered by the needs of the people around us, because we feel it is not our problem, or we have 'bigger' problems in our own lives. It is amazing what big difference a small random act of kindness can do for someone who is in dire need. Eleanor Roosevelt once said "Caring comes from being able to put yourself in the position of the other person; if you cannot imagine, 'This might happen to me, ' you are able to say with indifference, 'Who cares.'"

TRUE OR NOT? Kim Jong Un fed his uncle to 120 starving dogs???????

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un (R) and his uncle Jang Song Thaek (L) in September, 2013

Shocking reports (though unconfirmed) have surfaced, suggesting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un executed his uncle and a handful of the man’s aides by feeding them to a horde of 120 starving dogs. The reports claim that Jang Song Thaek, the former No. 2 official in the secretive regime, was stripped naked and tossed into a cage along with his five closest aides.

“Then 120 hounds, starved for three days, were allowed to prey on them until they were completely eaten up. This is called ‘quan jue’, or execution by dogs,” according to the Straits Times of Singapore. The daily relied on a description of the execution in a Hong Kong newspaper that serves as the official mouthpiece of China’s government there. More established outlets in mainland China have not repeated the account.

 The entire process lasted for an hour, with Mr. Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader in North Korea, supervising it along with 300 senior officials,” the Straits Times said in a piece published Dec. 24, 2013, but only now getting traction in the United States. Two American national security officials contacted for comment said they had not heard that account, which first appeared in the Wen Wei Po newspaper on Dec. 12, 2013, and declined to vouch for its credibility.

Love.......... A Head Thing or a Heart Thing?

So I'm wondering... When a person is in love.. is she supposed to let her heart guide her, or should she follow her head.

Frankly, I'm more of a head person... Possibly because I'm more of a realist than an optimist..

Still, that's just my opinion... I'm curious to know other people's views on the matter... 

Boots in Fashion!

 Source: Zada Flair Clothing and Accessories (Ankle Boots)

 Contrary to what some people may think, boots can be worn for reasons of fashion rather than for utilitarian purposes. Fashion boots come in a wide variety of styles and are used for casual, formal, and business attire. The variety of styles in fashion boots include ankle boots, calf-length boots, knee-length boots and over-the-knee boots. Ankle boots are the most widely-worn style of fashion boots. 

Personally, I'm a huge fan of ankle boots... Once I discovered flattering ways to wear them, i now practically live in them! My opinion/ Every woman should own a pair at least.. *winks.. 

Summary?...  If you know how to pair your ankle boots properly, you can wear them in different situations, from casual to chic to classy....

"Why boots? Because they give the best proportion in the world. Because, taken top to toe, every woman looks five-hundred times more dashing in boots than without. That's why boots" (Vogue, 1967)

 So what are you waiting for? Get yourself a pair of boots today!

How to wear ankle boots for women? If pair your ankle boots properly and know how to wear ankle boots for women in different situations, you can wear ankle boots stylishly from summer to winter, for casual look and you can even wear ankle boots for work! So versatile with its style, ankle boots have become the fashion essentials that you can never resist! - See more at: http://stylewithshannon.com/how-to-wear-ankle-boots-for-women/#sthash.SbKTHh8o.dpuf

How to wear ankle boots for women? If pair your ankle boots properly and know how to wear ankle boots for women in different situations, you can wear ankle boots stylishly from summer to winter, for casual look and you can even wear ankle boots for work! So versatile with its style, ankle boots have become the fashion essentials that you can never resist! - See more at: http://stylewithshannon.com/how-to-wear-ankle-boots-for-women/#sthash.SbKTHh8o.dpuf

How to wear ankle boots for women? If pair your ankle boots properly and know how to wear ankle boots for women in different situations, you can wear ankle boots stylishly from summer to winter, for casual look and you can even wear ankle boots for work! So versatile with its style, ankle boots have become the fashion essentials that you can never resist! - See more at: http://stylewithshannon.com/how-to-wear-ankle-boots-for-women/#sthash.SbKTHh8o.dpuf

How to wear ankle boots for women? If pair your ankle boots properly and know how to wear ankle boots for women in different situations, you can wear ankle boots stylishly from summer to winter, for casual look and you can even wear ankle boots for work! So versatile with its style, ankle boots have become the fashion essentials that you can never resist! - See more at: http://stylewithshannon.com/how-to-wear-ankle-boots-for-women/#sthash.SbKTHh8o.dpuf