Tag Archives: Faith

TIME

*Please visit my new website:

https://ssdfilms.wordpress.com/

It is packed with unseen footage of my new documentary ‘Chasing Humans’, I am also using the website for one of my Master’s degree course. I would be publishing new articles on it today and every fortnight. I would also appreciate any comment and discussion on the blog.*

Thank you, guys! 🙂

Artist John Seymour Lucas 1849-1923. Dated 1885

 

The world is still reeling from the effects of Coronavirus, here in the UK, we have the second-highest number of deaths in the world. It’s nothing to be proud of, it is heart-wrenching. I know a few people who have been affected by the passing of a loved one, believe me, it is not a good place to be.

Life is beautiful and challenging at the same time. When my dad passed away, I thought the world has come to an end, and when my family and friends consoled me with the fact that, time is a great healer, I didn’t believe them.

Is time really a healer? How do we tell the thousands of people who have lost loved ones that time heals? In my experience, time doesn’t stop the pain, even time cannot replace a loved one. Time can only give you the space to grieve and come to terms with their passing.

I think of my dad every day, just like that painting of the artist John Seymour Lucas, we can never replace time lost. It’s gone forever. However, we can cherish the memories, and hold them dear to our hearts.

As I was rummaging through the cellar today and found this precious painting of the artist Seymour Lucas, so we can check through our memories and find treasures of loved ones, who have been locked safely away bursting forth in our hearts. We can recapture times of joy, of laughter permeating through the fog of sadness, shining gloriously through the tears and sorrow.

TIME doesn’t heal, it helps us in our moment of weakness, to reclaim everything we hold dear.

Much love, always! 🙂

Looking Through Heaven’s Eyes

 

I love the story of redemption. The ability to be able to start again, rebuild and succeed appeals to me immensely.

And that’s what heaven did through Jesus’s crucifixion on the cross. No matter how bad we’ve erred the fact that there is redemption means heaven is looking at our frailty through the eyes of grace.

I am a product of heaven’s grace through the redemptive power of Jesus, and I am proud of that.

 

I leave you with this song from the Prince of Egypt ‘Through Heaven’s Eyes,’ it blesses my soul. Have a fabulous week ahead, friends!

Much love, always!

🙂 🙂

Chasing Humans: A Poetic Film

”Human life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lightning.’‘ – Samuel Butler. I agree because life and love is a journey. Find out more in this short documentary I wrote and directed with a friend.

 

Here’s a transcript of the film:

Life is a journey, and it starts with a cry… the cry of a new-born baby. It ends with moans, groans, or the contented sigh of an older man or woman who’s led a fruitful life.

Or it can end in running feet, a chase, a stab, searing pain, blood splattered on the sidewalk, the cold street receding away as a young life flitter away into nothingness…

A life cut short…

Humans are chasing humans and killing without thought or regard for the pains inflicted on unfamiliar people.

Life can end well, or, it may end in tragedy.

Twenty years ago, I got married to the man of my dreams, and two years later, I was in the hospital, in labour, and anticipating the birth of my son.

It was a complicated process. A short life, my son passed away two days after he was born.

My life stopped briefly.

I didn’t know how to process my grief. I cried every night, and I prayed every night.

Days passed. Time didn’t wait for my grief. And I healed with the love of my husband and family.

Three months later, there was a miracle.

I was pregnant again. This time, everything felt different, but I was hiding my fears. I smiled openly while I cried and cringed inside, wondering if the new life growing inside me would live, and survive.

Nine months later, I welcomed another son.
He lives. He’s kind and makes me laugh. He’s energetic and loves life. I had two more children, a daughter and another son.

My family means everything to me.

But something is wrong.

I’ve lived in London for over fifteen years, and every time there’s a young life wasted on the streets, I remember the child I lost.

Although my son died as a new-born baby and in different circumstances, I relive the pain every time I read or watch the news of another senseless killing of young people on our streets.

My eldest son is now 17. He’s brilliant and hardworking. He had one of the best GCSE results in his school, and he’s currently studying Medicine at A levels. He wants to be a doctor. Samuel wants to help and make our society a better place for everyone.

But should I be afraid anytime he’s out of the house? Or because of the colour of his skin?

Can I have hope that things will improve, and that love may conquer hatred, racism, anger and the ugliness inherent in the human soul?

My son believes in a better society, a better world.

Rafael Benedetti wants the world to see goodness in him. Fay Beneddeti intends to champion the course of women and family. These people are keen to see positive changes in our society.

Maybe, there is hope Afterall.

I won’t be afraid anymore.

Hope, no matter how fleeting is still better than fear.

Loving humans can be a reality while chasing humans could become a myth.

I hope love wins!

I want life to end well for our young people.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Seyi Sandra David.

 

The Theory Of A Second

 

(Photo credit: Flickr)

‘Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods, Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come.’ Robert H. Schuller.

A second makes a year, and in fact, it makes a lifetime! When you calculate every second of our lives, add that to decisions we make in split seconds, and there, that’s our lives all tidied up and going in seconds. That’s all it takes to cross over to the New Year, just one second. And that got me thinking about decisions and the much-celebrated New Year’s resolutions.

We all have to make choices in life, and when doing that, that’s when the seconds ticked by. From the second we decide whom to marry, to the second we choose our careers to when we define our life goals, the seconds are counting.

We can make the seconds of our lives count by weighing up our options, and in the case of the young Saudi Arabian woman who renounced Islam and barricaded herself in a hotel in Thailand, she must have decided to run away within seconds. That decision will now change her life.

Thankfully, the UN has approved her refugee status, and Australia is keen to allow, and process Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun’s asylum application. This brave young woman made a decision that ultimately changed her life.

So whatever you do this year, make the seconds count!

It’s 2019 folks!!

Smile, It’s Christmas!

 

That Special Dream…

(Photo credit: Flickr)

‘A dream doesn’t become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.’ Colin Powell

Everybody has a dream, at least I think so. Some dreams are easy, go to work, come back home, take care of your kids, and you’re clean. Some dreams need getting used to; those kinds involve the lives of others, maybe a nation, a state, or a council.

Take Theresa May, for example, the nation is hooked on her decision, whatever happens with Brexit will go down in history. As a nation, we attach the success or failure of Brexit to the Prime Minister. As the country and the rest of the world waited with bated breath at the deliberations going on at Number 10, I wondered what the Prime Minister must be thinking. As a journalist, I wished I could ask for an interview and ask her how she felt to be in the eye of the storm. And as I penned these words, everyone at the cabinet meeting represents us. And what about the other side of this divorce process? The EU officials in Brussels are also having their meeting while they waited for the UK to announce the decision to either go with the draft agreement or dump it.

When the decisions you make can affect the lives of others, then you have a peculiar dream. You have to climb a pedestal to reach those kinds of dreams and if you fail? You take many people down with you. Those kinds of goals are unique. However, a parent doing two jobs, training her children to be outstanding citizens also deserves an accolade.

I love Oscar Wilde’s quote,

‘To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist that is all.’

You have to live to make a mark in the world, to make a difference. How can we live? How can we find our purpose in life? You can find your purpose in life when you find out what drives you. What do you love doing? My mum loves teaching, she eventually ended up as a teacher and later the head teacher. I have a cousin who loves taking care of sick people; she ended up being a doctor. She goes to the hospital with a smile on her face every morning because she’s found her purpose in life and that gave her the impetus to get up in the morning and make a difference in people’s lives.

I hate slavery of every form. Modern-day slavery, abuse of any kind makes my blood boil. I detest human trafficking and prostitution. I hate every form of injustice. However, how can I correct these anomalies? Through the written word, the dissemination of information. It’s what I call enlightening. People are always afraid of what they don’t know, but when there’s knowledge, a lot of wrongs could be rectified. I believe that’s one of my purposes in life.

A few years ago, on my way home from work, I went shopping. As usual, I bought more groceries than what was on my list. So instead of taking a bus home, I called a cab. Immediately I entered, the cab driver gave me a wide grin. I’ve had a rough day at work, and barely held it together until I got home, I was bone wearied, the epitome of exhaustion, so I wasn’t in a mood for a chat. But my cab driver looked relaxed and was beaming.

‘My name is Shan, Miss, what is yours?’ He asked throwing me a wide grin, and as his eyes darted to the car mirror, our eyes locked briefly. I gave a tired grunt.

I told him my name, and he kept on talking about how he loved London, going to the park with his family and relatives and how he loved his job.

Out of curiosity, I asked,

‘What’s your purpose in life?’

Without hesitation, he answered,

‘To make people happy, to make people glad they entered my cab.’

That caught me off-guard. I thought Shan would tell me about making money and being rich. That cab guy has found his purpose in life.

Have you?

 

Today’s Ours…

 

Life’s full of uncertainties, and honestly, we just have to live on regardless of what the day may bring.

How do we really deal with stuff we aren’t expecting? Do we curl up in a ball and bawl our eyes out, or do we just ride the storm? Do we fight with clenched teeth ready to conquer? I say we live each day believing that we have the strength to overcome whatever comes our way.

Ruby Dee was an American actress and writer’s whose words positively impacted my life:

Today is ours, let’s live it.
And love is strong, let’s give it.
A song can help, let’s sing it.
And peace is dear, let’s bring it.
The past is gone, don’t rue it.
Our work is here, let’s do it.
The world is wrong, let’s right it.
The battle is hard, let’s fight it.
The road is rough, let’s clear it.
The future’s vast, don’t fear it.
Is faith asleep? Let’s wake it.
Because today is ours, let’s take it.

 

 

I hope you’ll all enjoy the rest of your wonderful weekend.

Let’s live each day to the full!

Much love, always.

Let Go?

”Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

Leo Buscaglia.

I would be a year older tomorrow. I came home from work today and found myself trawling through some motivational articles to make sense of the impending days ahead, and then I stumbled on the short article below. I believe I should share it and I am keen to find out your thoughts on this though. Do you agree with the author’s point of view? Or maybe you don’t, why?

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‘They say that, at some point, you learn to let go. I must disagree. If it just takes one moment to let go, then you never really held on tightly enough. To a dream. To a goal. To a place. To a person. To anything. I believe that you let go little by little. You let go a little, then hold back on, but with a little less force until you fully release yourself. And the tighter you old on, the more force you let go with. The deeper you dive, the higher you’ll fly. The closer you get, the further you’ll pull away. The weaker you feel, the stronger you’ll become. So do not be ashamed of your weaknesses. We all have them. You must learn to be kind to yourself. You must learn to understand yourself. You must believe in yourself. Never think that you are a bad person. Differentiate between your self-worth and your actions. To say that you are bad is different from saying that you made a mistake. You can’t fix yourself, but you can fix a mistake. And remember, not one person on this earth is perfect. We all make mistakes. We all fall. We all have flaws. We just need to look within ourselves and treat ourselves as humans who are worthy of respect and hope. Do not give up on yourself. Get back up. Be brave. Be happy.”

Najwa Zebain

Najwa is a Lebanese Canadian author who self published her book, ‘Mind Platter’ in January, 2016 by Createspace. She is a deep thinker and writes from a wealth of experience. I don’t know her personally but I sincerely believe in her story.

I hope you’ll all have a fantastic weekend!

Much love, always! 🙂

The Ruins Can Come To Life!

 

‘In life, you can’t walk in a straight line, events have a habit of derailing your plans, so be prepared”.

Peter Nelson.

Well, Peter Nelson was my late dad, and he said these words to me and my husband on our wedding day. Things happen that you may not have control over, so get on with your life.

However, it is easier said than done.

I have experienced loss in a deep and personal way, and in my moment of anguish and pain, I actually believed I wouldn’t be able to go on but I did. Time heals, the pain remains in a way but the miracle of time is that it lessens and you would be able to move on.

This past year has seen huge changes on the global stage, and things would always be changing. My dad’s words always echoed in my mind, ‘be prepared.’ I should be prepared for changes, hopefully, positive changes. Which brings to mind other questions.

How do we truly enjoy life when we’re faced with debilitating circumstances?

Imagine a wife abandoned by her husband, ran off with a younger version of his wife. How would she begin the arduous task of rebuilding her life? Or a woman who fell out of love with her husband and left the family home. How would the man rebuild his life?

What about a young life blighted by drugs? How could such a life be transformed?

The scenarios above may well change. I’ve seen couples on the verge of divorce getting together again, and drug addicts living sane, fruitful lives. Miracles do happen. But often times, we have to create it.

I believe the ruins can come to life.

What miracles are in the offing around you?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend friends!

Much love, always. 🙂

 

A Changed Life

I saw this on my way home from work today and knew I had to share it. My dad used to tell me that every day is the same but what we put in a day is what makes it different. The political landscape of our country has changed today and this is as a result of decisions we all made.

What have you invested in today?

Only you can create your future.

Happy Weekend everyone!

Much love, always!!