I remember when I used to stress myself relentlessly trying to get my three young children to eat what I cooked, it was good it was green it was even served with something sweet. Still we had a food fight almost every night.

 Then one day it dawned on me how I could win. I started with Flintstone Vitamins and then I gave up and started playing chess. I discovered what they really liked and cooked enough to have leftovers for two days. They were athletes at an early age and would eat their favorite food until it was all gone. They liked string beans seasoned with a pinch of sugar and bacon grease, they ate cabbage with Zummo sausage and they ate potatoes smothered over rice and on and on. I stopped fighting, they got healthy fat and everyone slept well.

On any given day someone will ask me why am I always smiling there’s a simple explanation however it’s hard to explain. The love of Christ dwells inside of me and even when chaos seems to be all around I can close my eyes, take a deep breath and just smile. Sometimes I smile for no good natural reason, but the longer I smile the sooner a memory comes into focus. You know, that letter you got from that someone special, the success of creating something with your own hands and the act of self-control that was real hard to keep but you did it. That’s just some of the things that Christ gives me that allows me to smile even through persecution.

Do you remember when your children were young and you were raising them the best you could and people would tell you that you can’t be your child’s friend. Well that was true back then. Now the children are all grown up and they happen to be the only true friends you have. Of course you discover this after the revelation that the friendship you thought you had was a farce.

My children know me better than I thought they knew me, at least from a friend’s point of view. They know my strong points as well as my weak one’s, they know how I sacrifice and give of myself till it hurts. They know my love for them is different than the love for a man, the love for their father and the love for my parents and sibling.

There is a thin line between friends, acquaintances, comrades and haters. Do you know where you stand with others? Better yet do you know exactly how they view their relationship with you? It’s obvious to me that I have to do better so that I can prevent being taken by surprise.

We’ve often heard what to do when you don’t know what to do, but just how often do we find ourselves at a loss for words.  When you don’t know how to describe the feeling that you‘re experiencing deep inside, just what can you do?

 Today was a day just like every other day. When my work day was over and I was preparing my body to go home all I could think of was how I would put my feet up and sit still for an hour. What would I do for that hour while sitting still, I thought that maybe I’d read a book or talk on the phone, however when it did ring I really had nothing to say, so I listened.

 So to answer my own question, “What to say when you don’t know what to say?” Listen!!!

The Difference Between a Job and a Career
By:Dee Piziak

It is estimated that the average worker will have 14 jobs in his or her working lifetime. It is no longer a bad thing to change jobs. But that doesn’t mean you should wander aimlessly from company to company. If you know the difference between a job and career and think long-term, you will prosper wherever you go.

A job  is:

A regular activity performed in exchange for payment
A position in which one is currently employed.  

A career is:
A chosen pursuit; a profession or occupation.
The general course or progression of one’s working life or one’s professional achievements over time

Bottom line: your job is what you are doing today. Your career is what you've done over the past years and/or what you plan to do in the future. So when you think "career", you have to think long-term. And when you think long-term, you begin to realize the following:

Everything you do counts
Everything you do needs to have a good reason behind it
You have to make good decisions
Always think "What's my next step?"
What you do today determines your tomorrow
Mistakes can potentially haunt you for a long time

You should pay serious attention to this "career" thing. Your job feeds you and your family today. Your career will feed you and your family tomorrow and beyond.

Vesoix, a city close to Switzerland.

At least we can still drive our cars and sit on a park bence!