The only disability in life is your bad attitude. This is what Matthew Jeffers a senior acting major
at Townsend State University said in this video.

He is right. Attitude is everything.

When you have a good attitude things just seem to fall in place and you feel so good about yourself.

You can see the difference on the job. Some people complain about everything, they do not appreciate what they have and they are unwilling to change or even to look at things differently. Whereas others are very receptive to change, they are willing to try new things, see things in a different way. They are the ones who are always smiling and always grateful for what they have. They recognize that you have to put effort and passion into what you do. They go out of their way to help each other.

Even managers or bosses on the job encourage a good company culture when they have a good attitude. Staff display more team spirit and interest to see the company progress.

At home you know when the bad attitude kicks in. There are no thank you’s, you are welcome etc. There is just the me attitude – everyone must do things to please me. They do not care what you have to do to help them and they do not go out of their way to help you, and when you ask for help they may reluctantly try to help. Then they wonder why so many things go wrong for them? If they will only change their attitude and appreciate their loved ones and their friends and do unto others as they would like others do unto them.

A good attitude attracts people to you and also encourages them to want to be warm and friendly towards others.

I can go on and on, but I am sure you get the idea.

Is your bad attitude showing? I encourage you to check your attitude and take action where needed.

I want to be me. But wait who am I?

Am I the employee who is struggling to do everything right on the job and still does not meet the expectations of the job? Maybe I am the employee who does not see the job as a job but as a service that I provide and because of this I enjoy helping people and so I enjoy my job.

Am I the friend who feels left out – people do not call me, they do not like me or invite me out and I feel depressed and all alone? No I am the friend who cares about people, who do not take them for granted, who appreciates the friends I have, the people I work with and my loved ones.

Am I the business owner who is struggling to balance work and family life or am I the professional who practices good time management, is knowledgeable about my business, grateful for what I have and appreciate my workers and my family?

Am I the person who is upset with everyone because nothing is going my way – but I hide under my emotions – I just keep busy and do not pay attention to the things I do? That cannot be me – I love myself, I am at peace with myself and everyone else and I am aware of all that I do and I ensure that whatever I do is for the good of everyone.

Am I the mother who feels the pain when her children is in trouble or who prays deep in the night for them hoping that they will do the right thing, make the right decisions and get involve in the right things.

This list can go on and on because we wear so many different hats and sometimes we need to take some time and decide exactly – ‘Who am I?’

If we sit still and take time to meditate on our lives we would realize that we are a unique being with so many skills and talents at our disposal, and that we are worthy of so many good things.

If you would like to discover or re-discover ‘you’ send me an email.

Regardless of how much planning you may do unpredictable situations like Hurricane Sandy can pose serious challenges to any business and your life overall. Here are some tips you may use to help you recover:

– Come to terms with the situation – it is what it is. There is no delete button for Hurricane Sandy, so save your energy because you need it to recover and also to provide support for your loved ones, employees, clients etc.

– Focus – start making a list:

o Personal:

Deal with all your personal and loved ones needs first. As a result of Hurricane Sandy do you have access to:

• Food
• Shelter – remember if you decide to clean up, take some pictures in the event you need to seek out any type of compensation.
• Clothing
• Funding
• Communication – If you need support to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy are there family or friends you can contact for help.

o Business

After reviewing your personal life situation, let’s look at recovery of your business after Hurricane Sandy:

– If you have a business disaster and backup plan for dealing with situations such as Hurricane Sandy and you have not put it into action, now is the time to put it into action. If not here are some things to consider for your business:

– Contact your employees to enquire about their well being.

– Check out the access to the location of your business. Are the roads cleared?

– Assess the actual structure of the building – walls, stairs, roof etc.

– Assess the utilities used for your business – electrical, lighting, heating, A/C.

– Take pictures or record (use a camcorder or your phone) of everything – you will need these pictures if you are entitled to any compensation as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

– Review your business insurance – are these acts of nature situations covered?

– Ensure the building is properly secured.

– Assess the condition of your products, water logged, expiry dates etc.

– Check out your business operational tools – cash register, computers, scanners, shelves, desk tops, desks, chairs etc.

– Review your business communication network – phones, internet etc. as the communication lines maybe down as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

– What about cleaning up? Can you get help?

– Is there any way you can operate your business from another location? What would you require to operate your business from this new location?

– How are you going to contact your customers? Do you have a list?

– If you have a list of customers and you can contact them, do so to enquire about their well being and the impact of Hurricane Sandy on them. This will show them that you care about them.

– What about your suppliers?

– Do you need to extend your business credit arrangements?

– How are you going to deal with your employees?

– Commodity items are easier to sell in these situations. If you have a commodity item e.g food supplies it makes sense to help by offering discounts or even some donations etc this would help increase your customer base.

– If you do not carry a commodity item, now is the time to explore ways to sell your products. Can you offer deals or partner with someone who has a commodity item? Think of valuable ways to use your product during this time.

– If you cannot do anything with your business right now consider volunteering, help people who are in need. You will be amazed at the return you will get for doing this.

– You can also pray, meditate or whatever you are comfortable with and ask for guidance and wisdom in dealing with the situation.

These are just some thoughts to keep you thinking. Whatever you do, keep the thought of disaster and problems out of your mind. Look at it as a situation or challenge and use your skills and talents to deal with it.

Yes you have the courage, skills and talents to deal with this.

Take it one day at a time. You can do it.

If this was helpful and you need to explore additional ideas let me know.

This is the final part of my article ‘Depression and Life experiences’.

Using Foods to fight depression

When people are depressed the sadness and hopelessness feelings etc that they get are sometimes caused by the reduction of mood controlling molecules (serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine). These are called neurotransmitters and they are responsible for controlling the thoughts and emotions in our brain. While therapy helps in facing the painful issues and exploring ways to overcome them thereby altering the level of neurotransmitters in the brain, the body also needs adequate supply of amino acids, vitamins and other nutrients to produce these neurotransmitters.

The following are some foods that are known for helping the body during a state of depression:

Complex carbohydrates

Increase your intake of carbs. They boost your energy and improve your serotonin level which controls the feeling good mood. Instead of sweets use whole grains, e.g brown rice, and cereal also peas, beans and vegetables. Sweets increase your blood sugar whereas carbs are digested slowly and stabilizes your energy level. Fluctuations in your blood sugar levels also cause depression.

Lean Meats

Lean meats contain the amino acid referred to as tyrosine, which increases the levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. These two brain chemicals are responsible for helping you feel more alert and focused. If you are depressed it makes sense to include more lean beef, skinless chicken, turkey etc. in your diet.

Fight depression with Omega-3

Salmon, mackerel and sardines, and other fatty fish containing omega- 3 fatty acids are known for improving mood and memory.

Dark Leafy Green Vegetables

Increase your intake of dark green vegetables such as spinach and romaine lettuce. These contain folate which is a nutrient that may help lower your risk of depression.

Dark Chocolate

If you are a chocolate lover now is the time to increase your intake of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is known to improve your mood during depression.

In addition to foods you may consider increasing your intake of sunlight. Sunlight helps fight depression – it improves your mood and energy level.
Aerobic exercise – walking, running etc also puts our body in a good mood.

If you miss the first part- Depression and Life experiences here is the link: http://joseylifeline.com/depression-and-life-experiences/

Here is the link to the second part – How to deal with depression: http://joseylifeline.com/how-to-deal-with-depression/

To ensure that you are getting the required daily vitamins without the hassle of several tablets or liquids you may want to try just one chewable with 16 powerful nutrients.
Here is the link:
title=” http://www.chews4health.com/teamtrini3″>

This is the second part of Depression and Life Experiences.

If you miss the first part here is the link: http://joseylifeline.com/depression-and-life-experiences/

How to deal with your depression?

Depression is not something that quickly goes away.

What you need to realize is that this situation that you are going through is not unique to you, and you cannot let it dictate your life.

Let’s talk about you on the job:

– There are always options: if you really do not like your job start exploring your options. Life Coaches or Mentors are always a good way to get help when exploring career options.

– Forget what people say about you. You alone know what you are capable of . If you need to broaden your knowledge or improve your skills do so, but do not let anybody pull you down.

– You have a gift or service to provide and only you can do this.

– Ask for help. If your boss or supervisor says you need to improve then find out what is required and how they can help you.

– Remember on the job you are providing a service in exchange for payment (your salary), if you really like the job then start providing a good service. It is like being in business for yourself.

– We were all given the same amount of skills and talents; the difference is how we use them, so use your skills and talents wisely.

– Whatever you think of yourself is what you will get back, so take a check of your thoughts on the job – are these preventing people from engaging in good professional relationships with you? If you think you are not smart, more intelligent than anyone else, do not need anybody’s help etc. that is what you will get back.

– Do not wait for your boss/manager/supervisor to give you feedback go to them and discuss your performance and ways to improve.

– It is always better to be honest about your dealings, if you make a mistake admit it, learn from it and move on.

– If you have targets explore creative ways to increase your client base. Customers love when Sales Reps can help them achieve their business goals, so make an action plan and start exploring ways to help your customer. This will not only maintain that account but can also generate referrals.

Your other life experiences

– Dealing with death is always very depressing. No one wants to see a loved one or pet move on. The person who died may have been ill and in pain and we have to acknowledge that the pain has ended for them. Sometimes we do not know why they died, so we have to have faith that it was their time to leave this world. After all they may not even want us to be depressed. They may want us to continue with our lives. The best thing is to remember the good times that you had with them.

– There are many things that can cause you to fail when trying to achieve your goals. Here are a couple of reasons:

o What you are trying to achieve, is this your purpose? If this is not your true purpose you may struggle to achieve it, so find your true purpose. What do you like doing that brings a smile to your face or that you think about all the time?

o Are you grateful for the opportunities you have been given or are you complaining and grumbling, because you are not satisfied with what you have. It always helps to be grateful on a daily basis for all that you have.

o Are you using you skills and talents wisely? Skills and talents are for serving others. It is in service to others that you reap the benefits. Whether we have our own business or we work for someone we all are serving somebody.

o Are you committed and focus on your goals? Behavior never lies. Whatever efforts you put into your goals, that is exactly what you will get back. It does not make sense to say ‘You want to lose weight’ and you exercise whenever you feel, or you want a better life and you do the same thing the same way every day. In addition to commitment and focus to your goals you also need discipline.

– Relocating can be a real issue if it is not planned properly. If you have relocated it makes sense to get involved with groups – community/church/professional.

Whilst this would not provide you with the same comfort level at your previous location, it is a starting point to build a circle of friends quickly. Also whatever little rituals you had at home try to maintain this in your new location as much as possible. Although these rituals may appear insignificant they help you settle in your new location (e.g if you are accustomed to having breakfast at a certain time or you like to wash on a certain day then by all means do this).

– Issues with any type of relationships have always been very depressing. If it is not depressing for you, it may be for the other party or the children if there are any.

Some thoughts on relationships from my personal experiences and those of friends and relations whom I have interacted with:

o We all have a certain type of love for each other and that will always be there.

o For the deeper relationships (man/woman looking to settle down at some point) you cannot fall in and out love. If this is so, then it means that we really did not love that person to the extent of making a commitment. As someone person puts it – ‘you cannot be half pregnant’. When you say ‘I love you’ is this how you are feeling? Ten, twenty, thirty years from now would you still feel this way?

o Do you have fun together?

o Does this person respect you?

o Can you depend on this person?

o Do you see yourself in this person?

o Does this person love you?

o Can he or she look you in the eye and say ‘I love you’ without shifting their eyes?

o Do you have common goals?

o Do you love yourself? You cannot give something that you do not have.

o If you continually blame yourself for all kinds of things – I do stupid things, I am not smart enough, I am not worthy, I am not good looking or attractive enough etc. you are just putting yourself down. You do not need to have an air about you, but you need to appreciate yourself. You are worthy. You are great. You have skills and talents. The only person who know who you are is you so stand up and feel good about yourself.

o You cannot force or coerce people to love you.

o A relationship is like a house or a car if you do not maintain it, it would fall apart so you must be prepared to maintain the relationship once you get into it.

o Relationships take a lot of compromising. If you are not willing to compromise then you may have a few challenges.

o If you truly love someone you would not hurt them, and sometimes because your love is so deep, and they do not feel the same way, it may be better to let them go free.

o Sometimes you are so depressed over a relationship and the other party is enjoying life, not in the bit concerned about you. Then what are you doing to yourself? Your best option is to snap out of it and get your life back.

– If you find yourself becoming depressed because of illness you should seek medical help. The more you worry about your sickness, the more sick you will feel. It is so difficult not to worry. It has been said that most of our sickness are brought on by us – specifically our thoughts.

* If you think you are sick you will be sick. Lots of persons have been healed by changing the way they think about themselves.

* Find someone who you can trust to talk with about how you are feeling.

* Others have changed their diet and yet others have sourced alternative health care.

* Think of this – it is said we were made in the likeness of our creator. If this is so then we were not born to be sick.

* Start seeing your body being filled with love, light and life, and be thankful on a daily basis that you have a healthy body.

* Finally explore taking up a hobby . Find things that make you laugh and have fun.

Remember you alone know you, so trust yourself to snap out of being depressed, knowing that all things will work out for the best.

The above are my personal suggestions; they are in no way replacements for your medication. If you are on medication always check with your Doctor .

In the final article we will talk about some foods that may help with your depression.

Feeling depressed lately?

At any one time or other we all have had some feeling of depression.

This feeling that things are not going the way we want it to be and there is nothing we can do about it. We feel boxed in, as if there is no desire to do anything.

The question really is: Do our life experiences depress us or do we allow our life experiences to depress us?

When we are depressed we allow the issue/s to take control of our thoughts and desires. This is all we think about.

This is the why me phase, I should have known better, I cannot get out of this, I do not deserve this, I am not good enough. All the negativity that we can call up about ourselves now surface. We fail to recognize that we have the power within to turn this around.

Think about this for a minute: while you are beating up yourself and filling your mind with all kinds of negativity, the person or persons who may be involved with the issue that is affecting you is/are quite happy, having a good time, enjoying life.

So why are you beating up yourself?

There have been much research into what causes people to get depressed but scientists have not been able to pin point exactly what happens to the brain.

One thing for sure is that we are affected by life experiences and this can make a huge impact on our lives.

In this three part article I will look at the impact of life experiences and depression. I will deal specifically with experiences on the job and other life experiences that make up our personal lives. I will talk about some symptoms, provide some suggestions on what you can do and also some foods that may help with your depression.

On the job life experiences

Let’s look at some life experiences on the job that can cause us to be depressed:

– We are depressed because the boss/manager/supervisor tells us our performance is not where it should be. They may have to re-assign us, downgrade the position or even server the relationship.

– We have been overlooked for a promotion and the feedback is – you do not have the chutzpah for the position. Or as someone puts it ‘ that fire in the belly to do the job is just not there’.

– You do not like your job and you crawl out of bed every day to go there and you can’t wait to get back home, although you do not even have anything else to do at home.

– You cannot stand your boss. It is as if he is always breathing down your neck and the more this happens the more mistakes you make.

– You have not been achieving your targets and this has reduced your commissions drastically. As a result the bills are piling up.

– You made a huge mistake and do not know how to tell the boss.

– The people you work with do not like you.

Other life experiences

There are other life experiences that can also cause us to be depressed:

– The death of a very close friend or family member or even a pet.

– Failure when attempting to achieve certain life goals.

– Relocation.

– Divorce.

– Relationship break ups.

– Sickness.

Some symptoms of depression.

Sometimes we do not even realize we are depressed from these life experiences until the symptoms of depression start to reveal themselves:

– At home you are now more difficult to be with.

– You complain about everything.

– You do not communicate – you have a lot of – ‘I need to be by myself or leave me alone’.

– You tend to overeat often – normally not healthy foods .

– You party hard, drink more, sometimes to the point of getting intoxicated.

– You exercise more – you take long runs or walks until it hurts.

– You take long drives, going nowhere in particular.

– You no longer take care of yourself – hair, face and nails etc. are unkempt.

– You sit and stare for hours.

– You are very restless – you cannot sleep.

– You over sleep often.

– You take on more work or task to keep busy.

– You blame yourself and cannot forgive yourself.

We all do these but if you realize that your actions are outside of what you would normally do, then it is time to stop and reflect on what is happening. If you believe you need professional help, then do that now.

In my next blog I will talk about some ways to deal with your depression.

We all have problems some more than others. How do we deal with our problems?
Some people internalize their problems and these manifest into various illnesses – headaches, digestive problems, cancer and arthritis to name a few.

Others take their problems out on whoever they can – at home they quarrel, fight, at work they find fault in everything, they are very bitter and complain about everything and everybody.

On the job it affects your performance – you make mistakes, you miss deadlines and if you are a supervisor or manager you jeopardize your relationship with your team.

I thought that I would share the following excerpt taken from the Bible in One Year by Nickel Gumbel:

When all else fails – Keep praising God in spite of every difficulty

2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Are you experiencing trouble in your life? Have you been hurt, disappointed or mistreated in some way? Have you suffered loss or bereavement? Are you under great pressure? Are you facing great temptations or difficult personal relationships?

Paul was the founding pastor of the Corinthian church. In this, his most personal letter, he reveals the heart of a leader. He reveals his feelings as a man of flesh and blood who knows what it is to go through trouble (v.4), sufferings (vv.5–8), distress (v.6), hardship (v.8), pressure (v.8) – the word Paul used means to be pushed down under great weight.

He had been in despair (v.8), he had felt like he had ‘been sent to death row’ (v.9, MSG), he had faced ‘deadly peril’ (v.10). As well as physical persecution, he had faced criticism, ridicule, sickness, depression, bereavement, injustice, disappointments, temptations and difficult personal relationships.

Sir Winston Churchill said, ‘The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.’ By this definition Paul was definitely an optimist!

He starts the letter with praise – not for the problems but for the positive benefits that have come through them. What are these benefits? How can you and I see the benefits in every difficulty?

You will be comforted
‘The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles’ (vv.3–4). The word for comfort means to encourage, cheer, come alongside. He is the ‘Father of compassion’ (v.3). He is not aloof from suffering. He comes alongside us and suffers with us.

You will be a help to others
If you are in a time of suffering right now it may not seem much comfort – but one day you will bring great comfort to other people. ‘He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us’ (v.4, MSG). Those who have faced difficulty in life make the most effective ministers.

You will be changed
Hardship ‘produces in you patient endurance’ (v.6). Like gold refined by fire or a vine pruned to produce more fruit, difficulties lead to patience, endurance, steadfastness and perseverance. They lead to character transformation.

You will not be alone
Paul writes ‘Just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort’ (v.7). The word he uses for ‘share’ comes from the Greek word koinonia which is the word used to describe the closest possible relationship. As we are going through difficulties together we should experience an extraordinary closeness of relationship as we comfort and encourage one another, ‘Your hard times are also our hard times’ (v.7, MSG).

You will learn to trust God
When things go well it is easy to become self-reliant. But when everything goes wrong and we reach the end of our tether, we are forced to trust God. As Paul puts it, ‘Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally’ (v.9, MSG).

As Oswald Chambers wrote, ‘God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the ones who are reliable.’

You will be rescued
Paul writes, ‘He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us’ (v.10). As we look back and see that God has delivered us in the past, we can be confident he will deliver us in the future.

Your prayers will help others
Prayer is powerful. God really does answer prayer. One of the best ways we can help other people is by praying for them ‘As you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many’ (v.11). When your prayers are answered God will be glorified.

Lord, thank you that there is a reason that you allow us to go through trials and troubles. Help us to see the benefits in every difficulty. May we experience your comfort and learn to rely not on ourselves but on you. Lord, as I look to the months ahead, I cry out to you for help …

As a supervisor or manager I urge you to email me for a free Life Coach session.

Most successful people have coaches why shouldn’t you?

I find the following excerpt taken from the Bible in One Year with Nicky Gumbel quite interesting and practical. Hope you think so also.

 Intercession for deliverance (from your problems)

2 Kings 19:14-20:21

Sometimes in our own lives we are faced with seemingly insurmountable problems.  This is a great model of how to deal with them.  Hezekiah did not despair.  He did not panic.  He did not give up.  He turned to God in prayer.

This account of Hezekiah’s prayer and God’s deliverance is recorded three times in the Old Testament – see also Isaiah 36–39 and 2 Chronicles 32.  The events of this period are corroborated by Babylonian sources.

When Hezekiah received the threatening letter and was faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem, ‘He went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord’ (19:14).  He prayed to the Lord, ‘O Lord … you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.  You have made heaven and earth.  Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see … Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God’ (vv.15–19).

Hezekiah’s intercession begins by consciously recognising who God is.  As Andrew Murray says, ‘The power of prayer depends almost entirely upon our apprehension of who it is with whom we speak.’  When we intercede we are speaking to the one who alone is, ‘God over all the kingdoms of the earth’ (v.15).  He has the power to resolve these seemingly insurmountable problems.

Hezekiah’s prayer was for God’s honour and glory, ‘so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God’ (v.19).  Jesus taught us to start our prayers, ‘Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come’ (Matthew 6:9–10)

I love the expression, ‘He … spread it out before the Lord’ (2 Kings 19:14).  He spoke to God about the problem.  The apostle Paul writes, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:6–7).

The prophet Isaiah sent a message to Hezekiah saying that God had heard his prayer.  He delivered the people from the threat of the Assyrians in answer to Hezekiah’s intercession.

Hezekiah also prayed for his healing.  He was ill, at the point of death (2 Kings 20:1), and he interceded on his own behalf:  ‘Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord’ (v.2).  Again, God answered his intercession: ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you … I will add fifteen years to your life’ (vv.5–6).

Hezekiah experienced God’s amazing blessings in answer to his intercession.  However, the passage ends with a note of warning.  When envoys came from Babylon, Hezekiah showed off all his treasures (vv.12–15).  He appeared to be taking the glory for all that the Lord had given him.  Isaiah told him that as a result, ‘nothing will be left’ (v.17).  If we take the glory for what the Lord does for us, it is at our own peril.

One Saturday night after attending a Christmas Party, we came home to the sound of water flowing in the drain at the side of our house. It appeared that a pipe had burst and since this was a regular event, and it was very late we retired.

Unknowingly to us, one of the Water and Sewerage Authority main water lines that pass through the empty lot overlooking our house had burst.

The next morning the water was still flowing, but while I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, I was startled by a sudden loud noise and heard water gushing down our driveway.

I quickly peeped through the kitchen window to see what had happened.  To my astonishment there was a huge landslide at the top of the driveway and it was still coming down. I immediately called out to my husband and my son.

We quickly drove the cars from the garage and headed to the road outside of our house.  From the road we could see that a huge part of the empty lot that overlooks our house  had slipped and was now in our backyard and some of  it was also in one of our next door neighbour’s backyard.

There were also huge rocks still making their way to the back of our house.

The water which was shooting up in the air and down into the empty lot was eventually re-routed by a gentleman who lives on the other side of the neighbourhood.

We live in a valley. Our house is on one side of the hill and this gentleman’s house is on the other side.  Below is a view of his house from our porch. Look closely and you will see a pink and white house with a roof that looks like part of a triangle.

He must have looked out from his porch and seeing  the water shooting up with such force and recognizing  what was happening ran to his car and drove up to the empty property and placed the burst pipe in the road, so that the water could flow in the road instead of in the property.

We had never met this person before.  This was around seven thirty on Sunday morning. We know that the damage could have been worse if he did not turn re-route the water.

That morning, sitting outside on the steps in front of our house all I can say is : Why Me? Why us? Why did this have to happen to us?

The landslide dumped tons and tons of soil, debris and rocks at the back of our house and stopped a couple of inches away from the house.  Water tanks, fruit, vegetable trees and some flowering plants in addition to fences and railings  were all destroyed.

That day I was very concerned about going inside and even sleeping in our house since it was also raining heavily and this was causing more sludge and rocks to slide down.

I cannot remember ever praying so much. I kept telling myself this house is ours, it was through God we got it and we are not leaving. I know God was watching over us. Why would this guy who we do not know leave his house, early Sunday morning and drive to the other side of the hill to re-route the water from our house? Also he never came to our house. He did what he had to do and returned to his house. Amazing isn’t it? How many people do you know would do this?

Investigations revealed that the pipe had been leaking for a while, so when it burst, the soil was already saturated, leaving nowhere for it to go but down.

Thank God the Water and Sewerage Authority handled all the clean-up. It took a long time because of the volume of soil and rocks.

My husband and I did not take time off from work as our sons were home for the Christmas Holidays, but every day I would go home for lunch to see the progress. It was difficult to concentrate at work.

Just imagine an excavator at the back of this house and the only way to get there is up a steep driveway and up some steps, and there is another house at the side of the driveway.

The clean-up exercise was eventually completed on Christmas Eve just in time for Christmas celebrations.

This was the most  traumatizing event that has ever occurred to me and my family  and when I look back I realize that as a result of this event  I now have a  closer Relationship  with  God. I also got to meet the owner of the empty lot, and we got the opportunity to re-design our back yard.  We are also more aware of what is happening around us and around our home.

We all have troubles in some way or another.  I could have chosen to say where is God in all this, but I know deep down, that some way, somehow he is close by because of the things that happen that cannot be explained.

I would love to hear your ‘Why Me’ stories and what you learnt from it.