Islamic Values vs. Muslim Values

The misconceptions that surround Islam in this day and age are too great to number. A repeated scene is that of a Muslim having a discussion with a non-Muslim and trying to explain that Muslims are not terrorists, Muslims are not wife-beaters, that these actions are the deeds of a few which are then unjustly imposed o¬n the whole Muslim population. But if the whole Muslim population had presented themselves in an Islamic manner in the first place, the reputation of a Muslim would be far too virtuous to allow the misdeeds of a few to tarnish the image of the whole Muslim world. But Muslims generally do not present Islamic values, they present Muslim values; and the difference between these two can sometimes be as vivid as night and day.

What do I mean by Islamic values and Muslim values? Islamic values are those that are set out in the Quran and the practice of the noble Messenger, Muhammad (S). Muslim values are those that are created as part of the culture of the Muslim communities. These include the day-to-day interaction between the Muslims and their outlook on Islam's rules and regulations. The difference is that Islam is perfect and pure, while the values formulated by the Muslims may or may not be in accordance with Islam. The detriment that arises from this is that many times precedence is given to the Muslim values over the Islamic values.

This is not to say that Muslims do not care about Islam, they care for and love Islam deeply, and they have concern for their children's Islamic upbringing and the welfare of the Muslims all over the world. But what happens is that certain practices become common among them and their mentalities are set on justifying these practices instead of accepting the Islamic rulings on such things. They become a part of the Muslim culture and mentality, and so it becomes difficult to try to explain to them that Islam forbids such things.

Because of this transformation in mentality, the average person in such a community will be hostile to someone bringing Islamic rulings forbidding things such as music and dancing and enforcing things like hijab and modest conduct. Having gatherings and parties that centre around music and dancing, and removal of the hijab and modest conduct have become common among many Muslims, and so they constitute what we have called Muslim values, as opposed to the Islamic values.

The Muslim values are caused by a relaxation on the enforcement of Islamic laws. The Islamic values, principles, and priorities are contained within these laws. Prayer, fasting, charity, hajj, hijab, modesty, being kind to others, giving parents their due rights, emphasizing the importance of marriage, attending the Islamic centers and masjids, gaining knowledge, all of these are designed to build spiritually healthy individuals and a spiritually healthy society. When the performance of these actions is relaxed then a void is created that is receptive for outside and often unIslamic ideals.

It behoves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he surely strays off a manifest straying. (Al-Ahzab, 33:36)

When the first questions you are asked is, Are you a Christian?

When the first questions you are asked is, Are you a Christian?

Many religious believers come off as arrogant in their dealings with others. This arrogance, when not simply a basic personality defect, is often a consequence of their absolute conviction that they couldn't possibly be wrong in what they say or believe. This failure to even consider self-reflection and self-criticism is not only self-destructive, but also dangerous for all those nearby as well.

Many people, the conception they were handed of the Christian faith is that you go around making judgments: So-and-so we know for sure is burning forever in the place, "You don't know that. That's speculation."

For me, interacting with countless people over the years who literally are carrying around an image, 'God is not good, and God is not good because my grandmother dies and at the funeral the pastor wanted us all to know for sure that my grandmother was burning in torment forever,"' he said.

Many of us Christians think it right to provide evidence to nonbelievers of the existence of their god. If a person believes based on good evidence, though, is that praiseworthy? Demons have 'good evidence' of God's existence - would Christians praise them for this? Of course not: Belief based upon evidence is not valued in orthodox Christianity.

Instead, points to Scriptures where Jesus says he is restoring all things and drawing all people to himself.

"And Jesus tells stories in which the key character doesn't give up on, on whatever is lost," he said. "And I think we should take that seriously. I don't know what God has in mind, but I do know that this story that Jesus tells causes us to pause before we make any of those sorts of judgments. Be very careful because God may be up to something way, way bigger than you've ever been able to comprehend."

Heaven is not a faraway place but a renewal of the earth that begins here and now. We believe the spectrum of people who will be part of it is "wide and expansive." Hell, we say, is the consequence of choosing not to be part of God's massive embrace.

"God is throwing a party and everybody's invited, but if you don't want to come, you are given that option."

Many people hear about the judgment before the love. "But if you start with the love and the judgment flows out of that, God's love is for us to flourish in God's good world. For us to flourish in God's good world, judgments have to be made. Well, that then ... puts judgment in its proper place."

If you a too critical of your own child they will rebel, not telling your children you love them always but always quick keep picking their faults and what will befall them if they trespass

People to see that Jesus' ultimate message was about love, not just avoiding hell.

"Jesus didn't come along and say, 'You don't want to be a part of that thing, do you?' No. he came along and said, 'Trust me. Something big is going down. Here is a taste.

Jealousy and Self-esteem

Just like jealousy is the surest way to get rid of the very person you are afraid of losing. When you say I love you it means “I want the very best for you whether or not am in the picture” We must acknowledge any feelings of jealousy to understand what they are, jealousy is the signpost of the longing in your subconscious mind.

You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy. Instead of thinking about what you are missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

If you are not good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, you will resent the time and energy you give another person that you are not even giving to yourself.

We have such a poor images of ourselves that we have difficulty understanding the goodness other sees in us. When someone pays us compliment, we are quick to point out what is wrong with us, when some encourage us, we remind them of our failures

Having a low opinion of yourself is not "modesty". It's self-destruction. Holding your uniqueness in high regard is not "egotism". It's a necessary precondition to happiness and success

 “ I compliment the a lady about her rather resounding figure and she quipped with about her big bottom line, AM NOT BLIND SISTA, WHO GIVE A FLYING CRAP ABOUT YOUR BEHIND” we play ourselves down to such  a degree that others begin to question our faith.

Self-confidence gives you the freedom to make mistakes and cope with failure without feeling that your world has come to an end or that you are a worthless person, once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.

We can only accept compliment others give if we give them to ourselves first. Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself.

Go out in the world and work like money doesn't matter, Sing as if no one is listening, and Love as if you have never been hurt, and Dance as if no one is watching, Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself. Be bold. When you embark for strange places, don't leave any of yourself safely on shore. Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory.

There are times when we find ourselves at odd with someone. It may seem that our only choice is to walk away but for our ego to prove we are right and walking away will make the other person a winner, your ego keep recognising there is another choice, whatever situation faces us we must recognise our choice to peace, we can let go the need to prove ourselves, a friend one said,

Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance

“Don’t argue with a stupid person for they drag you down and bit you with their vast knowledge in stupidity”

Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider! Trust me there is no rehab for stupidity

Suspicion enhance Paranoia

Suspicion is not less an enemy to virtue than to happiness; he that is already corrupt is naturally suspicious, and he that becomes suspicious will quickly be corrupt.

We let fear of the unknown or rather we often get suspicious everybody’s motive to get near us out of fear that they are going to get us, often out of stupidity we often drive off the angel and let the devil in, because angels are too good to be true, just like a lady often suspicious of a man that comes across being too good for her ideal kind of man.

Often men are too worried being nice to a lady because she will feel he`s after a gratitude Fuck! And most men reads a dead meaning to a lady being nice thinking she gaggling for it and feeling his Mr wonderful.


Not only don't I know who I am, but I'm very suspicious of people who do know who they are. I am sometimes ten or twelve people a day, and sometimes four or five people an hour. You can't be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet

I love friends, I want more friends. I love smiles. That is a fact. How to develop smiles? There are a variety of smiles. Some smiles are sarcastic. Some smiles are artificial-diplomatic smiles. These smiles do not produce satisfaction, but rather fear or suspicion. But a genuine smile gives us hope, freshness. If we want a genuine smile, then first we must produce the basis for a smile to come.

They tend to be suspicious, bristly, paranoid-type people with huge egos they push around like some elephantiasis victim with his distended testicles in a wheelbarrow terrified no doubt that some skulking ingrate of a clone student will sneak into his very brain and steal his genius work.

The more important the title, the more self-important the person, the greater the amount of time spent on the Eastern shuttle, the more suspicious the man and the less vitality in the organization

Along the way somewhere I got interested in the idea of church and culture, and why the church is so suspicious of the arts, and vice versa. I think lessons we learn as we reflect on theological framework for bioethical issues have ramifications in other spheres

Suspicion become an acute paranoia, in fact, they recapitulate the story of Christianity word for word, like the inevitable course of some unsightly disease: criminal ignorance, brutish stupidity, self-righteous bigotry, paranoid fear of outsiders. For the cultist, psychiatrists, the media, Government agencies have become Satan incarnate. Like the fundamental Christians, they have to be right.

We get paranoid about people staring at us. Even now we don't deal with people looking at us. I can't do it sometimes. I can't go out. I don't know how to react when people stare.

As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness, however pure love and suspicion cannot dwell together: at the door where the latter enters, the former makes its exit.

Tragedies

There are only two tragedies in life: not getting what one wants and the other is getting it. Just like a woman wants sex in the back of the car while you are driving it. Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion, and he whose real wants are supplied must admit those of fancy. Reality means you live until you die. The real truth is nobody wants reality

It is not good to be too free. It is not good to have everything one wants. If I were reincarnated, I'd want to come back a buzzard. Nothing hates him or envies him or wants him or needs him. He is never bothered or in danger, and he can eat anything.

Long hair minimizes the need for barbers; socks can be done without; one leather jacket solves the coat problem for many years; suspenders are superfluous.

When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical.

I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better, they suck up to your every trash, made you feel the best thing since sliced bread just for a slice of the cake in the palm of your hand.

There are three types of friends: those like food, without which you can't live; those like medicine, which you need occasionally; and those like an illness, which you never want.

But no man is an island. We are not put on earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you. I have heard too many nonsense about not needing anybody in their life, what a load of baloney, you need a cab driver to drive u around, you need builders or you end up on a tree, you need farmers or you will end up in a box even at that you need carpenters or you will become nourishment to animals.

We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about, like we need stars in the night sky, sun on day break, we love water but hate rainfall

I heard some women say I don't need a man. But I'm happier with one. I like to have someone I can touch and squeeze and kiss. But I don't fold up and die if I don't have a man around. Experience is what you got by not having it when you need it.

I've learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

Tell it to your heart

When was the last time you sat down and have a heart to heart with yourself? Have you really examined your heart lately? Are you harbouring childhood wounds?

Even though we know there is always room for improvement, we tend to shy away from criticism. Our ego tells us we are being attacked and quite naturally we want to strike back. In order to be whole, healthy being, we need to know all there is to know about ourselves.

There comes a time when we have to pause to listen to what we are telling ourselves- “I’m so stupid” “I’m broke” “I don’t know how” “I can’t take it anymore..” yet in the midst of our dishonest chatter we are making great strides, accomplishing many tasks, overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. We keep lying to ourselves; we lied because we have been lied to- “you’re no good” “you can’t do it” “you`ll never make it” we can’t think because we have too many lies gyrating in our minds.

You may not know how to raise your self-esteem, but you definitely know how to stop lowering it.

When we think our enemy is gaining on us, we want to run and run. When we believe someone wants what we have, we squeeze the life right out of it. When we believe “they” are out to get us, we find “their traps” at every turn. Yet if we would just stop running, squeezing and suspecting, we would understand who “they” really are.

If you attack a problem you are going to get your butts whipped. Anything you attack will fight back. Chances are if you have a problem it’s bigger than you: It crept on you or you didn’t know what you are doing in the first place. DON’T ATTACK YOUR PROBLEM, FACE THEM. Understand what they are – that is the process. The solution is not always the answer, but the process is.

Having a Bad day

If you are having a bad day, get another one and get it quick, it is a personal problem the world does not have to deal with. If you get up on the wrong side of the bed, it is no one’s fault but your own.

If it is that time of the week, month or year for you, what would the world do? It is never an excuse for being rude, cruel or abusive to anyone, to simply say “I am having a bad day” It is not appropriate to scream, swear, lash out or do things that have no place among civilized people because “you have some shitty thing on your mind”

We cannot abuse or traumatised others because we are facing a challenge. LIFE IS A CHALLENGE! African tradition tells us that it does not matter what difficulties we face. Our worth is measured by how we face those difficulties. If we are to grow and reach our fullest potential, we have no time or give flying monkeys about bad days

If you have an argument at home, chances are you will have one at work, if you feel unsupportive at home, your friend are likely to abandon you, if you are uncooperative, unreliable and disrespectful at home, you carry that same energy everywhere you go so it’s advisable to

“LEAVE YOUR SHIT UNDER YOUR FOOTMAT ON YOUR WAY OUT AND PICK IT UP ON ARRIVAL, AT LEAST WE DON’T HAVE TO BE SPECTATORS TO YOUR SHITTY WAYS.”

colour, culture mandates that one make home the primary concern of the heart. The heart creates love, support, cooperation, nurturing, and peace. Let us put our hearts, minds, bodies and souls back into the homes as the first step toward eliminating the violence in the street

Bad Medicine

Most of us regard good luck as our right, and bad luck as a betrayal of that right.

Some people are so fond of bad luck they run half way to meet it.
The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck.

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.

Most people who mourn the passing of the nation's leaders wouldn't know a leader if they saw one. If they had the bad luck to come across a leader, they would find out that he might demand something from them, and this impertinence would put an abrupt and indignant end to their wish for his return.”

The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you're in control of your life. If you don't, life controls you

We all are afraid of ourselves, of our own reality; our feelings most of all. We talk about how great love is.

“Bull”. Love hurts.

Feelings are disturbing. We are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can we deal with love if we are afraid to feel it?

Pain is meant to wake us up.

We all try to hide our pain. But wrong we are. Pain is something to carry, like a handbag. We feel our strength in the experience of pain. It's all in how we carry it. That's what matters. Pain is a feeling. Our feelings are a part of us.

“Our own reality” If we feel ashamed of them, and hide them, we are letting society destroy our reality. We should stand up for our right to feel our pain.”

If my world were to cave in tomorrow, I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements and happiness I have been lucky enough to have had. Not the sadness, not my miscarriages or becoming an orphan at early age, but the joy of everything else. That will be enough for me

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.

I don't understand people who hide from their past. I've never tried to block out the memories my past, even though some are painful. Everything you live through helps to make you the person you are now.

People fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

Sermon Of Doom

Sermons remain one of the last forms of public discourse where it is culturally forbidden to talk back. If the truth were known, many sermons are prepared and preached with more regard for the sermon than the souls of the hearers, few sinners are saved after the first twenty minutes of a sermon.

The object of preaching is to constantly remind mankind of what they keep forgetting; not to supply the intellect, but to fortify the feebleness of human resolutions. The good rain, like a bad preacher, does not know when to leave off.

It is hardly to be believed how spiritual reflections when mixed with a little physics can hold people's attention and give them a livelier idea of God than do the often ill-applied examples of his wrath.

That we should practice what we preach is generally admitted; but anyone who preaches what he and his hearers practice must incur the gravest moral disapprobation.
I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way: The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear, fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear. In the Old Testament all we get is DON'T

And God spoke all these words, saying: 'I am the LORD your God…
1: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'
2: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'
3: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'
4: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'
5: 'Honour your father and your mother.'
6: 'You shall not murder.'
7: 'You shall not commit adultery.'

8: 'You shall not steal.'
9: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.'
10: 'You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s

The New Testament gave us the Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Go into the street, and give one man a lecture on morality, and another a Pound coin, and see which will respect you most.

This type of Doomsday preaching does not bring people closer to God, maybe we should let people know the consequences of doing wrong and same breath what they can gain doing right. More so letting people remember that God is a God of love and loves all creation.

Even with your children constant treat does not help! The day your child tells retribution for going your do`s and don’ts, is the day your treat becomes an embarrassment to you!!, The child is saying all you are good at doing is inflicting punishment when you can’t get your way, instead of sitting the child down and explain why this thing is not good for wellbeing, the advantage and disadvantage of the action

In the old covenants the people were sprinkled with blood of calves without, in their bodies, to bind them to keep the law; else we were bound to just damnation, for the breaking of it. But these days that alone will be perceived as an ungodly act!

God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation

we can let people or advice people to live a Godly way even the present day churches realise the new generation like parties, music, disco etc. as such they have integrate this flavour of this type of music and lot of Spiritual music that has the flavour of what the new generation likes and can dance to!! And it’s working like a magic. Its norm to be seen playing gospel music and most of this music are in hip-hop, Rap more-so RNB an d they are so Godly and beautiful to the ears.

Since the day i was born, i am yet to meet one EVIL human being because God does not create evil for he created us all. But all i have seen are Good people with bad tendencies. Gun does not kill us human that kill with a Gun.

Even the bible said it’s not for a man soul to perish but to repent!!!

We should pray more for people to change and stop this constant damnation by judges of doom

To my wife

Sitting by the Lagoon front watching calmness of the tides, with a sweet sound of wind pipe

Shinning sparkle of the ocean water and simmering tranquillity of the Ijede beach front!

I remembered.

Fishes, Crabs, snappers, oysters

Oyster, oh! The fisherman arrived with daily spoil, happy faces!

Beautiful fishes and all oceanic mammals but,

OOH! The Golden fish the best of them all is missing, somebody murmured Atlantis i panicked!!

But the thought of her somewhere, a shout away fill me with excitement.

If only the Golden fish can jump out of the river and brighten the muddy water full of cat fish, I will be at peace,

Oluchukwu (aka Erika Wuraola) the Golden fish, the Uhuru queen of Atlantis waters!

The mammals miss her presence with a dense Fog over the waters,

Her bright shining white smile,

The brash talking but often gentle smile that made simple things feel so loving.

Wants

Liberated Man

The difference between Men and Boys...

A boy looks good with his shirt off .
A man looks good because of the way he looks at you.

A boy will smile during the good times .
A man will laugh during the bad.

A boy goes to work because he has to.
A man works because he can.

A boy buys a plasma screen television
A man accumulates a library

A boy will hug you in the kitchen
A man will hold your hand anywhere you're together

A boy knows how to load the washing machine
A man knows what doesn't go in the dryer

A boy can read the grocery list you have written
A man will shop it with you, put it away, and cook anything on it.

A boy will talk to you about lousy day
A man will ask you about yours, and listen.

A boy will read a to do list
A man knows what has to be done.

A boy will buy you flowers
A man will plant them with you.

A boy will tell you what you want to hear
A man will tell you what he has to say.

A boy will share a thought
A man will share his dreams.

A boy will tell you he feels good when he is with you
A man will tell you how he feels when he can't be at your side.

A boy will share intimate moments with you
A man....will share his life.

Forgiveness

For my part I believe in the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of ignorance.

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.
It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
When we forgive evil we do not excuse it, we do not tolerate it, and we do not smother it. We look the evil full in the face, call it what it is, let its horror shock and stun and enrage us, and only then do we forgive it.
Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another

Some will say I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note - torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one.
Some will say, I do not bring forgiveness with me, nor forgetfulness. The only ones who can forgive are dead; the living has no right to forget

Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.

Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.

Murder is a unique in that it abolishes the party it injures, so that society has to take the place of the victim and on his behalf demand atonement or grant forgiveness; it is the one crime in which society has a direct interest.

I have to ask Allah's forgiveness and not get angry, because they come to me out of love, and it's not fitting that I should turn to them in hatred.

If Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, and He did die on a cross at a point of time in history, then, for all history past and all history future it is relevant because that is the very focal point for forgiveness and redemption

Well, I've never left my faith - but have I made a lot of mistakes? But was I fortunate that I was brought up in that Catholic Church, where I heard about God's love and God's forgiveness.

In the evening of life we shall be judged on love, and not one of us is going to come off very well, and were it not for my absolute faith in the loving forgiveness of my Lord I could not call on him to come

Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.
When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future.

You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.

He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven. Only then that Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen

This Thing Called LOVE

Love... What is love? Love is to love someone
for who they are, who they were, and who they will be.

It doesn't take a reason to love someone,
but it does to like someone. You don't love
someone because you want to; you love someone
because you are destined too. It's because you
fall in Love with them, that you then try to
find a reason, but you always come up with
the answer, No reason!
Say I love you and mean it; don’t just say it because you can.

It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship
and persevering courtship. Love is the offspring of spiritual
affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment, it
will not be created for years or even generations.

When we're incomplete, we're always searching for somebody to complete us.
When, after a few years or a few months of a relationship, we find that we're still unfulfilled,
we blame our partners and take up with somebody more promising.

This can go on and on--series polygamy--until we admit that while a partner can add sweet dimensions to our lives, we, each of us, are responsible for our own fulfilment.

Nobody else can provide it for us, and to believe otherwise is to delude ourselves
dangerously and to program for eventual failure every relationship we enter.”

Just because you know someone doesn't mean you love them,
and just because you don't know people doesn't mean you can't
love them. You can fall in love with a complete stranger in a
heartbeat, if God planned that route for you. So open your heart
to strangers more often. You never know when God will throw
that pass at you.

Many of our young ladies do not realize just how strong
her love for a young man is until he fails to pass
the approval test with her parents.

"Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the
real with the ideal never goes unpunished

Never say goodbye when you still want to try.
Never give up when you still feel you can take it.
Never say you don't love a person when you can’t let go.
It takes a minute to have a crush on someone,
an hour to like someone, and an day to love someone...
but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.
Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go