I hope everyone is doing well! I still find it hard to believe we're in 2021 now. Corliss and I were remarking that it's practically been a year since we went to Chicago, but it really doesn't feel like it. I hope 2021 is going smoothly for everyone (recent developments in the world have been a bit shaky, huh). It's been pretty cold here, and fluffy cat and I have enjoyed keeping warm inside (she's cuddled in bed with me for hours). She especially enjoyed snuggling by the fire and on her new chair.
Here are the most recent Perler bead creations. I was inspired by life this week; I made a series of planets because one of the crystal spheres I have in my collection resembles a blue-green Jupiter, and I figured why not make the planets? I also got inspired from recently hanging out with Iris. She started to play pretend, like many 3 year-olds do, and decided that she would be creating honey in this big plastic jar. She started adding all sorts of things to make her honey, such as socks to make it "so comfortable," a variety of toys and drawing utensils, as well as pretend "sauce" from a squirt bottle because it needed to be spicy honey. She then proceeded to squirt the "sauce" all over herself before rolling around on the floor and clutching her stomach, exclaiming, "It's too much sauce! It's too much sauce!!! It hurts!" She's such a character; she kept up this play for HOURS. She always keeps things interesting.
Here Iris is making her "spicy honey." I also included a picture of her blue, "sauce bottle." She had fun working on puzzles with me. She also enjoyed "buckling us up" with the vacuum cord so we'd be safe. She also peeled off a sticker so she could put it on my hand. She wanted us to make ladders for her hippos across the cat food bowl(she got Hungry, Hungry Hippos for Christmas). She really is an interesting kid. I'm pretty sure she decided that my favorite color is yellow (she likes picking out favorite colors for people; she decided her grandma's favorite color is green and that April's favorite color is either pink, blue, or purple). She instructed me to select ONLY ONE pastel before deciding for herself that I would get the yellow one (LOL). She's such a character. Every time I check in on them, she'll run over to me, exclaiming, "Jessha!!" Iris, you're too sweet and adorable~
I spent a lot of the week reading the Snow White with the Red Hair manga; I haven't finished it yet. It's getting rather interesting (I've gotten past the content that was featured in the anime--I adore the anime and was curious to see how the story progressed). I'm over 100 chapters into the manga; I wonder how many chapters there are total. Checking out the manga for Shonen Maid and Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku are also on my to-do list. Reading the manga paid off for Maid-Sama and Kiss Him, Not Me was so worthwhile, so I suspect the others will be similarly rewarding. Since I spent more time reading manga this week, less was spent with fan fic, but I still read some. This week there was Prisoner, My Prisoner and An Unhappy House. If anyone has recommendations for future reads, I'd love to hear your suggestions. The most recent episode for YashaHime was rather interesting, too; it provided further insight to what happened to characters (and the preview might be a bit of a tease--I really want to know what happened, so much suspense). I also came across Ultramarine Magmell this week. It was pretty interesting. A massive continent appears suddenly with all these new species of plants and animals. One might insist that such a thing is improbable, but perhaps it could happen due to the increase in energy levels/frequencies. Maybe it was there all along, but it was "invisible" to the eye (and people were unable to interact with it) previously because it was vibrating at a higher level. Sort of like how in those multi-layered density experiments with different liquids; all the liquids are in the same container but the different density prevent the liquids from interacting and mixing. Maybe I'm putting too much thought into it, but I thought it was an interesting line of thought. Ultramarine Magmell provides interesting food for thought with its dialogue, too. Inyo has a flashback about his mentor; Shuin remarks, "Good or evil--that's not for me to decide. I simply saved someone who asked for help. There's nothing else to it." Later Zero comments, "It's hard to say what's good and what's evil." Inyo replies, "Honestly, it's a concept ultimately created by humans, any way." Zero remarks, "People cling to it. They get manipulated by something that's not even real. I just don't get it." Life tends to be messy, but the mind/ego likes to put everything in nice, little boxes. Life doesn't fit into such confinements, though. It's not black or white. Life is full of variety; it exists in a range--not just black, white, and grays but full of a wide range of colors. It's not either/or. Dividing things into categories, such as "good" or "evil," makes things "easier" on us, but that doesn't mean that it is ultimately true. People most likely wouldn't be able to come to a consensus on what fits into such categories. Stealing, most people would likely agree, is wrong (or evil), but what if someone steals because they merely want to feed their children? What if they had tried everything they could think of to earn an "honest living," but nothing would work out? That they have to pay high taxes where they live, that they have no home to go to, that no one has lent them a helping hand? Is it truly evil? Could those in charge of the tax rates be labeled as "evil" instead? Life is full of gray areas, yet people can vigorously cling to labels, like "good" and "evil," partaking in acts that could be accused of being evil in the name of "the greater good." Who gets to decide what is ultimately good or evil? These labels divide us. They can ignite wars, pain, and hatred. Considering Shuin's philosophy of helping those that ask for help holds merit. Everyone on the planet is our brothers and sisters. We need to take care of ourselves and maintain healthy boundaries, but that doesn't mean we should deny help to others. Unity consciousness, love, and light would do the world wonders.
Things might look shaky, but that doesn't mean there's no hope. The universe has our back. Your emotions are valid, but your perspective might not be accurate (to paraphrase my aunt). As humans, we incarnated to experience a wide variety of emotions (how would we truly know when we are happy if we didn't experience otherwise?). There will be highs and lows, ebbs and flows. Just because you feel a certain way at the moment, that doesn't mean it should prevail over your life forever. It's your choice, and no one else's. You get to decide. What kind of life do you wish to live? I strive to live a life where I have no regrets, a life following what feels right to my heart. I've lived a life before where others have called the shots, dictating what I "have" to do, and it holds no appeal. That life is over. I'm going to call the shots. It might not be easy, but are all the worthwhile things always easy? If we choose to live life with an open heart and mind, I'm sure we'll do just fine. We've got this. Everything happens for our benefit (even if it doesn't seem like it or make sense at the time). Looking back, I can see how past events have helped prepare me for the road ahead. The journey before us might be a bit bumpy, but that doesn't mean we should get discouraged. It might be long. It might be cold at times. We might even consider stopping along the way. We may stumble and fall. There will be things to keep us warm and support us. If it were truly impossible, we wouldn't have the passion and will to try in the first place. Moreover, impossible literally says "I'm possible." Don't lose heart. Even the darkest night gives way to the warm light of dawn. If it feels like too much at any point, take a break. Find something you enjoy. Breathe. Reach out to loved ones. There are always people that care (even if it might not seem like it at the moment). It's okay to hit pause and try again later. Life is an adventure. It's just as much about the process and journey as it is the destination. Each "mistake" or "failure" is an opportunity for growth and learning, so nothing is pointless. If no one else has told you, know that I believe in you. You are capable of incredible things if you give yourself the chance. You never know how high you can soar if you're always selling yourself short and letting others cut you down. Fly high. Reach for the sky. Even if you can't make it to the moon, you'll always be amongst the stars. Stay well. Stay blessed. Take care of yourself. Love and light~
Food for thought from Spirit Science:
Here's some more food for thought from Ralph Smart:
Food for thought for this week: