Un-LEash

Prodigal - noun - someone who spends recklessly and wastefully. The Prodigal Son...the parable told by Jesus  "back in the day". The story on the surface seems simple. A man has 2 sons. One son (let's call him PG) decided that he wanted to live it up and away from Papa, so asked for "his" money and went and squandered it. Meanwhile, the other bro (let's call him P.See) was at home, supposedly doing everything as expected. PG ended up living with the pigs (literally), and then came to his senses. He said, "I can eat with the servants of my father and still eat better than this". So he went home. Now Papa saw PG a way off and hoisted his garment and ran to meet him. Papa didn't care that he had squandered his money...he was now home. So what better way to say "welcome back" than to celebrate! The fattened piggy and choicest moo-er didn't stand a chance! But it seems not everyone wanted to celebrate. Big bro said the ungrateful wr...

Dreams...desires...we all have them. As much as we may dream while sleeping, that's not the type I'm referring to. I'm talking about the ones we spend hours day-dreaming about and put a lot of energy into, or the ones we've had since we were years younger. They sometimes change overtime when a new dream takes over, or life just makes us realise that it wasn't really worth the time or energy. Sometimes, we have them for life. We may live to see them realised, or we live continually hoping... In a sense, dreams are a part of who we are, an extension of ourselves. It could be our good side or the naughty one. The dreams could be God-breathed or the result of our selfish desires. What becomes important are two things: 1) from whence do the dream emerge, and 2) which do we keep alive. As a Christian, I strive to keep alive those which I believe are of the Spirit or simply those which facilitate my growth and development. What I've learnt about these dreams is tha...

We all go through phases in life. The character of each varies, but it's oft true that the passing from one to another is by peaks and valleys. In recent times, I've been going through a phase...or phases. One the one hand, I'm happy and fulfilled with aspects of my life, particularly those parts that require giving of myself in one way or another. On the other hand, I am struggling. It's as though I feel stuck and the way out is evading me. The latter is not with me daily, but it feels constant...regularly paced...at intervals. Here's my theory - the heat that we've been experiencing has sapped much energy from my body. But the lack of mental kinetic energy to push through and make certain things happen is just not there as I'd like it to be. It's though I'm watching myself, having gauged where I need to be, yet trying to get there or reaching my hand toward the goal, but not even getting close, or being close enough, yet far away. I was lamenti...

Confession: I don't see myself as skinny or slim...and yet sometimes I do. Let me explain. Everyday I see people. For the women around me, they seem, on average, the same size. The variations are there, where some are bigger and some smaller. The weird thing for me is that I see myself as one of the averaged sized people...I say weird because it seems most people would class me as smaller than average. Yes, people comment on my size often enough, but in my mind, that's just their opinion. I am just like they are. But here's the crazy part. When I go shopping for clothes, or hear talk about weight, or end up in a discussion with someone about clothes sizes, it hits home that my mind is playing tricks on me. It seems I am not the average size that I think I am. I also have moments when I look in a full-length mirror and say, "I AM skinny!" (to myself of course). Based on the brand, I can wear a size zero or size 00 (or size Ooo...as a friend joked) or even a size ...

A few weeks ago, I met someone who asked me a question I've heard many times before - why are you single? I gave a somewhat standard answer - I have not met the right person or something along that line. When I considered the question, I recognised that it was coming from a good place. It seems people generally have a concept that once you are of a certain "quality" - character, look, education level, intelligence, etc - then it's unusual to be single. The truth is that the "Single" box has been checked for some time now. There was a time a few years ago that I struggled with this, thinking something was wrong with me. Thank God I was transformed...so much so that I enjoy my single life. I see it as a blessing and not a curse as society suggests. It's an opportunity to learn about myself, to be free to do things that may be more restricted otherwise, and so much more. Lest one thinks otherwise, let me set the record straight. I do want to get married...

I'm seeking wealth, aka, health! A few years ago, I used to get sick a few times each year. It was almost guaranteed that I would have the flu or a cold a few times, and end up missing work and other events. Slowly it dawned on me - change must come! Though I wasn't in a hospital (and have never been admitted), I wasn't as healthy as I ought to be. And so a change began. One of the first things I did was to limit my soda intake. Mind you, it wasn't a frequent occurrence, but often enough to notice. Following closely was fast food...the ones I'm referring to shall remain nameless, but suffice it to say they are the ones with the fried, oily foods and little to no good nutritional content. This wasn't enough, so I bought a smoothie blender and started making fruit smoothies for breakfast...seems that the only way I would eat fruit regularly. Something was wrong in my psyche that made it so difficult to consume fruits normally. Then I added vitamins to the mix ...

In the midst of life, there is death. Many people transitioned from this life today, and one such was known to me. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends closest to her... She lived a life that impacted many. Ms Audrey...may your soul rest in peace. As I reflect on the fragility of life, I can't help but think about my own mortality. I am under no illusion that I am immuned to death because of my youth. I've been on this earth over 30 years, and hope to enjoy 30 more, but it's the Father who chooses when and how. He's not always in the habit of revealing His plans either. In this reflection, I wondered: how did I spend my dash? The first time the concept of the dash came to my mind-space was at a funeral. The Pastor, in his reflection, was speaking about the time between the birth of a person and their passing, often represented by a dash. The end of my dash is a date unknown to me. But how did I or am I spending it? Could I be considered worthy of ...