L’Orange

What is essential is invisible to the eyes.

Of all the books I read last year, for some reason, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince left a long-lasting impression upon me, despite it not being a 5-star book for me. And that’s the beauty of books.

In Le Petit Prince, a very good piece of advice is shared with the prince by an unlikely creature: the fox.

Apparently, the fox is smarter than we think. He outfoxes the competition.
GIF via Google Search

Here’s what the story fox actually said:

Long after the book was closed, these words remained with me and the lesson: seeing is a matter of the heart. The quote can be interpreted 99 ways to Sunday, but for me, it’s a reminder that things can be seen and understood if we approach it with feeling. The flowers saw only their outward beauty, so they lost out on what could’ve been a beautiful experience for them. If we keep focusing on someone’s outward appearance, we’ll never get to fully experience what could be a lovely friendship with that person.

There is a reason why God searches our hearts (Jeremiah 12:3, 17:10; 1 Kings 8:39).

The most valuable things such as love, faith, hope, and friendship cannot be seen with the naked eye, yet, we know they exist for we can feel and value them.

On a lighter note, I won’t be doing a lot of book reviews/rants this year. I don’t have the time or energy for it. I’m currently reading 15 books… don’t ask why, but I’m enjoying reading at a leisure pace.

As you look forward to the rest of the week, reflect on the fox’s words.

 

** If not all, the majority of LPMB graphics are created using Canva; images via Pixabay. GIFs/Images that don’t belong to LPMB are via Google Search (Right-click on the image for the source of origin if not credited.)

Disclaimer

VERSE OF THE MONTH (April 2021): 

And it shall come to pass in the 
day of the Lord's sacrifice, 
that I will punish the princes, 
and the king's children, 
and all such as are 
clothed with strange apparel.

 Zephaniah 1:8 👚

Second impressions…

So, here’s the thing about first impressions: they can be tricky. People thrive on trying to please men so much that they have a checklist to make sure that their very first impression is super perfect. A few years ago, someone said to me that if she met someone for the first time and that person is “grumpy” if said grumpy person comes up to her the next day with a smile on his/her face and tries to talk to her, she is going to remember how grumpy that person was for the rest of her life, even if that certain person does not show a hint of grumpiness for the rest of their life.

Is that assumption fair? Yeah? I don’t think so.

GIF via WiffleGif

While first impressions are important because they may leave a lasting good image, it does not always reflect someone’s true personality. I can be grumpy when I meet you, but how do you know that I’m the sourest grape of the bunch? I simply did not want to have a chat with you on that day because I was rushing home to take care of a sick relative. You do not know if I was coping with the bad news of a loved o or if someone/thing put me in a bad mood. You do not know me from a first impression. That is just judgmental. Maybe I am an outgoing person, but on that specific day when we met for the first time, I was grumpy, simply because I was going through a tough time.

We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

At the beginning of this post, I said that first impressions can be tricky. How do you know that when you meet someone for the first time they aren’t faking their first impression because they live to impress? How do you know I’m not faking the smile plastered on my face as I laugh at something you say while we shake hands as we’re introduced? I leave you a good lasting first impression, but do I really want to get to know you as time goes by? I am only being nice because that’s what society demands of me. I’m usually grumpy, but you like me from THAT first impression, so you’re willing to overlook my dour mood, which is like most of the time?

GIF via Tenor

So yes, while I agree that first impressions leave a lasting effect, I have to disagree with the world in judging someone solely base on first impressions. While it’s true that first impression never dies, meeting someone that you weren’t charmed by for the first time makes you judgmental if you’re not aware of what is going on in that person’s life.

Sometimes, first impressions can be wrong. Look forward to the second impression.

And that’s my two cents.

** If not all, the majority of LPMB graphics are created using Canva; images via Pixabay. GIFs/Images that don’t belong to LPMB are via Google Search (Right-click on the image for the source of origin if not credited.)

Disclaimer

VERSE OF THE MONTH (April 2021): 

And it shall come to pass in the 
day of the Lord's sacrifice, 
that I will punish the princes, 
and the king's children, 
and all such as are 
clothed with strange apparel.

Zephaniah 1:8 👚

‘One More Time’ for Daft Punk!

Daft Punk retired earlier this year on Feb 22 after 28 years in the music business. I didn’t actually grow up listening to this French-based duo, but I got my life from some of their music. Werk! Anyways, the helmet-wearing duo created some of the best electronic music I’ve ever heard, and they were fashion from helmet to boots.

via pinterest

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter defined house music worldwide. It’s a genre I came to appreciate whenever I felt like dancing. There are so many things I can say about DP, but anyone can find that on the internet. Their focus was always on the music, so it’s only fitting to talk about that.

I can’t quite remember which song made me really appreciate DP, but I remember loving “Around the World”, the second single from their debut studio album. When I was young, I wanted to be a DJ, and I’d comply a list of tunes that I thought was the top of the tops and have them burned to a CD which I’ll then blast at full volume on weekends. So, this song brought out my inner DJ despite the lyrics being nothing, but the title of the song times 144!

GIF via gfycat

“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and “Technologic” are perfect siblings, but “Human After All” was on another level. Despite the simplicity of the lyrics, I get the overall message that we are all human, and we shouldn’t discriminate against each other. We all have a lot of work to do on ourselves especially where the heart is concerned as we’re not perfect. But that’s a topic for another day.

GIF via Giphy

Then DP’s 4th and final studio album Random Access Memories came out. I recall it being the coolest album I’ve heard in years and just had to get my hands on a copy. And when I got my copy? Let’s just say that I didn’t listen to another album for a very long time. I played the album while writing, in the office, and even to bed. From the opener (“Give Life Back to Music”) to the closing (“Contact”), the album was simply a modern masterpiece. It deserves to be hung where the Mona Lisa currently hangs. It was a mind-blower that breathed life into music. If I were to comply a list of the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time, RAM will definitely be in the top 10. It is that elegant, that polished, that excitable.

Thanks for the memories Daft Punk! It was a great ride while it lasted, so let’s hear it for DP ‘One More Time’!

** If not all, the majority of LPMB graphics are created using Canva; images via Pixabay. GIFs/Images that don’t belong to LPMB are via Google Search (Right-click on the image for the source of origin if not credited.)

Disclaimer

VERSE OF THE MONTH (April 2021): 

And it shall come to pass in the 
day of the Lord's sacrifice, 
that I will punish the princes, 
and the king's children, 
and all such as are 
clothed with strange apparel.

Zephaniah 1:8 👚

France – Louvre

I’m simply in love with the words in this short masterpiece! Thank you, Prakash! Keep weaving words like its nobody’s business.

Its PH

It’s April of 2021 andDay 06of the A to Z challenge. This year, I am doing the theme -”Travel the World.” I am visiting countries from A to Z and presenting stories with 8 line poems.

Day 06 Country: France

Be it the Eiffel Tower, Cheese, Cuisines, etc. it was a tough choice to make, for France is well known for many things. Louvre Museum is the World’s largest art museum and who does not know about the painting Mona Lisa. The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537paintings and now it is said to house approximately 38000 objects from pre-history to 21st century. As per sources, the museum gets around 10 million visitors every year.

Credits: by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr) – Louvre Courtyard, Looking West, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88151512

Poem:

I am an artefact,
Passing by antiquities,
The arts of my mind,

View original post 37 more words

Scripture of the Month: clothed with strange apparel

How many ways are there to get into the Kingdom of God? Two ways? Six ways? Our way?

Regardless of what popular culture tells us, there is only ONE way to get there, and that is through Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY way, and we’re to be clothed in the robe of righteousness – that is provided by Christ – when we do come to stand before God.

So, which garment do you plan on putting on today? Righteousness or strange clothing?

For further reading, see Matthew 22:11-14.

** If not all, the majority of LPMB graphics are created using Canva; images via Pixabay. GIFs/Images that don’t belong to LPMB are via Google Search (Right-click on the image for the source of origin if not credited.)

Disclaimer