Stabbed in the heart!

A 57-year-old kindergarten teacher was murdered by a snatch thief on Wednesday this week.

She was crossing a pedestrian bridge to get to her workplace when she was stabbed in the heart!

The suspect is believed to be in his 20s, judging from CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts.

The youngest daughter spent the entire night crying while hugging her mother’s pillow. She felt angry and hatred towards the monster who did this.

The residents are horrified that a tragedy had occurred so close to home.

It’s shocking. That’s the same bridge that children use everyday to go to school; that’s the bridge that many parents would drop their children to catch buses on the other side of the road.

One resident said she would not use the pedestrian bridge anymore.

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Stabbed in the heart!

It hurts! And it hurts!

She had dedicated all her life to teaching children for many years!

And she had been a good mother!

What did she do to deserve this?!

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Stabbed in the heart!

It is fate! It is fate!

Nobody wanted this! It just happened!

Everybody was frightened and horrified when more scary truths and stories were told! And the town was in turmoil. Meetings were held. Suggestions and plans were put forward.

Everybody was busy talking and suggesting.

Then the issue slowly dies down and disappears.

And it happens again!

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Stabbed in the heart!

Who would really understand how the family feels?

Stabbed in the heart!

It hurts! And it hurts!

When The Dark Is Not Dark

It was really dark and I was feeling alone.

Everyone had gone to bed; some were snoring.

There was no noise and sound outside except for the rain and cold.

Occasionally I saw flashes of lightning and heard thunder.

It would be raining and cold throughout the night, I told myself.

Looking around at my house, sometimes I did feel it was too big.

It was a double storey terrace house for the 5 of us.

Now 2 have proceeded to further their studies, the house looks rather empty.......

Sometimes I just sit down and look around, not knowing what to do.

Some motivations and positive feelings may help, I told myself, or some walking exercises and outdoor activities to fill the time.

Oh! How I miss gardening, now that the backyard is cemented.

Yes, a family meal together somewhere will be nice; we just need to confide to one another sometimes.

But at the end of the day when the lights are off, again we can feel the loneliness.

Yes, absence does make the heart grow fonder.......

Oh! How I miss my children.

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Alone in the dark is never pleasant.

And who really like the dark of night?

And sleepless night in the dark, and that was what I was.

But there is always the Almighty God to confide, I told myself.

Dark is not dark after all; the night can be as bright as day.

******

But loneliness is dark and cold.

Sometimes people just don’t understand it.

But when the dark is gone, the day will come, I told myself and dozed to sleep.

When Emotions Come Loose

Humans are rational beings and emotional beings. We want to do things logically, strategically, and tactically. And we are filled with emotions, feelings, passion and fire in everything we do.

Emotion is something that we have to deal with every day of our lives. And emotions or feelings are especially powerful in controlling our lives if we allow them to.

But emotions or feelings are not bad in and of themselves. The problem is we ourselves, because not everything we feel is always right or proper.

We must check our emotions to ensure that we are not being led astray by our feelings. It is dangerous when emotions come loose. Young girls give up their purity because they are lost in a sea of emotions. Men abandon their families because they get caught up in emotions. Families are ripped apart because people allow emotions like anger, bitterness and resentment to control them.

Managing and controlling our emotions is very important to our daily lives.

Some of us have problems visiting new places and meeting new people. We are fearful and worried; we feel apprehended and anxious; we just don’t know what to do next and we are so scared.

Some fears come because of our guilt. Somehow we have wrong someone or do something bad to someone before. By right we should apologize and make amend, but we don’t an we wouldn't. And now our guilt is eating us up and haunting us, and we feel awkward and uncomfortable whenever we meet.

Sometimes we are overcome by our emotions and we break down and weep. Sometimes, fear, anger, joy, and all the other emotions pile up in our hearts until we can hold them no more and there must be an outlet. There are times when people just have to go to a place where they breakdown and cry.

There is no shame in being overwhelmed by our circumstances. When a loved one is taken by death, when disease rears its ugly head, when our family is ripped apart, or when our heart is broken, it is easy to be overwhelmed and overcome.

Not many people understand or acknowledge our pain; sometimes they rebuke us. Sometimes they tell us to snap out of it and get over it. Not many will stand by us and comfort us. Not many will help us get through it! Of course, I am not saying that we should condone people wallowing in self-pity. But sometimes life hurts, and when it does, it’s okay to break down and cry.

Family gatherings and reunions always bring along a sea of emotions. Here, we talk about old times and relate to one another in love and care. Here we laugh and cry and sing and dance. A merry heart does good like a medicine, brightens the countenance, cheer us up, make us chuckle, and remind us that we are never alone.

A life immersed in love, peace, joy, harmony and wisdom is what we need in the sea of emotions.

But it is never easy to deal with when emotions come loose.......

Happy Friendship Day

World Friendship Day is being celebrated every year on the first Sunday of August.

Happy Friendship Day!

Below are some of my favorite friendship quotes:

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Many people will walk in and out of your life.

But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

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To handle yourself, use your head;

To handle others, use your heart.

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Anger is only one letter short of danger.

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If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;

If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.

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Great minds discuss ideas;

Average minds discuss events;

Small minds discuss people.

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He, who loses money, loses much;

He, who loses a friend, loses much more;

He, who loses faith, loses all.

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Learn from the mistakes of others;

You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

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Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is mystery.

Today is a gift.

It's Friendship Day.

Show your friends how much you care.

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Friendship is a priceless gift that cannot be bought or sold.

But its value is far greater than a mountain made of gold.

For gold is cold and lifeless, it can neither see nor hear;

And in a time of trouble, it is powerless to cheer.

It has no ears to listen, no heart to understand;

It cannot bring you comfort, or reach out a helping hand.

So when you ask God for a gift, be thankful if He sends not diamonds, pearls or riches, but the love of real true friends.

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God determines who walks into your life.

It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go!

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When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them.

So sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

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Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the ones who don't.

Feed My Sheep

I received the following story through an email. I have decided to pass it on.

Ruth went to her mail box and there was a letter.

She picked it up and looked at the envelope.

There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.

She read the letter:

Dear Ruth:

I'm going to be in your neighborhood this evening and I'd like to stop by for a visit.

Love Always,
Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table.

"Why would the Lord want to visit me?"

"I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer."

With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.

"Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner."

She reached for her purse and counted out its contents: Five dollars and forty cents.

"Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least."

She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.

A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk, leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday.

Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, with her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us?"

Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, and she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway.

A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

"Look lady, I haven't got a job, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and now it's getting cold and we're getting hungry. If you could help us, Lady, we'd really appreciate it."

Ruth looked at them both.

They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."

"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway."

The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.

As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.

"Sir, wait!"

The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them.

"Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest."

She handed the man her grocery bag.

"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"

"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering.

"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one."

Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders.

Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street, without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.

"Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too.

The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him.

She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.

"That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day."

Dear Ruth:

It was so good to see you again.

Thank you for the lovely meal.

And thank you too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always,
Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.......

"if you love me, feed my sheep" (John 21:15).