Jabez

Special

 Lessons

Lesson 1 LIZARD STORY

WHEN LIZARD CAN, WHY CANN'T WE?

This is a true story that happened in Japan.

In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan Breaks open the wall.

Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls.
When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there
because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. He sees
this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the
nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built.

What happened?

The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years! In a dark wall
partition for 10 years without moving, it is impossible and mind boggling.
Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 10 years! without moving a
single step--since its foot was nailed!

So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it has been doing,
and what and how it has been eating. Later, not knowing from where it
came, appears another lizard, with food in its mouth.

Ahh! He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stuck by
nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years...

Such help! such a beautiful love! Such happened even with this tiny
creature ... What can help do? It can do wonders!

Help can do miracles!

Imagine? it has been doing that untiringly for 10 long years, without
giving up hope on its partner.

Think, will u do that to your partner ?

Think that will you do it to your Mom,

Who brought you after a big struggle of TEN long months ?

Or at least to your Dad, Friends , Coworkers, Brothers & and Sisters ?

Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a
brilliant mind can't.

I was touched when I heard this story and started wondering about
relationships between family members, friends, coworkers, brothers,
sisters.

As information and communication technology advances, our access to
information becomes faster and faster. But the distance between human
beings . . . is it getting closer as well?

I ask you...please never abandon your loved ones.

HELP is an act, do it, let it go. LOVE is a gift, take it, let it grow.
PATIENCE is a sign, we should wear, let it show.

Lesson 2 red marbles

Papa was at the corner grocery store buying some food in Sinagpore and noticed a small sized boy named Barry, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily looking at the basket of freshly picked strawberries. Papa heard the conversation between the store owner Mr Miller and the small boy standing nearby to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'Hello, Mr. Miller.  Fine, thanks.   Just  admiring the strawberries.  They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry.   How's your Mother?'

'Fine. Getting stronger all the time.'

'Good.   Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Just admiring the strawberries.'

'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. I do not have money to pay for them.'

'Well, what have you to trade and exchange with me for some of the strawberries?'

'All I have got is my special colourful marble here.'

'Is that right?   Let me see it' said Miller.

'Here  it is.  Its pretty and shiny.'

'I can see that.   Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red.  Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'No . Not exactly but almost.'

'Tell you what. Take this box of strawberries home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble' .   Mr. Miller told the boy.

'Sure will..   Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help papa.   With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances.   Jim Miller just loves to bargain with them for strawberries, peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.  

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like the red one  after all. He will send them home with a bag of goodies for a marble of different colour – e.g green marble or an orange marble,  on their next trip to the store.'

Papa left the store smiling and impressed with this man.  

A short time later papa went back to Jakarta, but he never forget the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering and exchanging food for marbles .

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one.  Just recently  Papa came back to Singapore to visit some old friends and while here, he learnt that Mr. Miller had died.  

They were having his visitation- or the wake ( for dead people)  that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.   Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men.   One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts....all very professional looking.  They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.  Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket.  Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller.  Papa told her who he was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told him about her husband's bartering/ exchanging  for marbles.  With her eyes glistening, she took papa’s hand and led him to the casket.

Those three young men who just left were the boys she told me about.  They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them.   Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size...they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,'  she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Singapore .'

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband   Resting underneath were three exquisitely shiny and sparkling  red marbles.

The Moral of the story :  

We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.  Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~  
A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself
An unexpected phone call from an old friend.  
Green stoplights on your way to work.
The fastest line at the grocery store.
A good sing-along song on the radio.
Your keys found right where you left them.

Send this to the people you'll never forget. I just Did...

If you don't send it to anyone, it means you are in way too much of a hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when they occur.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED!

Lesson 4    TBA

Lesson 5 TBA

Lesson 6    TBA   

Lesson 8    TBA

Lesson 10   TBA

This week's theme: Cooking like a gourmet!

braise

(transitive verb)
[brayz]

1. to cook (meat or vegetables) by browning briefly in hot fat, adding a small amount of liquid, and cooking at a low temperature in a covered pot: "I am devoting the better part of this rainy afternoon to reading and braising beef."

Origin

Approximately 1797; from French, 'braise': live coals; from Old French, 'brese': embers; of Germanic origin.

parboil

(transitive verb)
[PAWR-boil']

1. to cook partially by boiling briefly, usually before frying or roasting: "The trick to my amazing home fries is to parboil the potatoes, then fry them with garlic and finish them with teriyaki sauce."

2. to make uncomfortably hot

Origin

Approximately 1381; from Medieval Latin, 'perbullire': to boil thoroughly; from Latin, 'per': through, thoroughly + 'bullire': to boil. Main modern meaning 'boil partially' is by mistaken association of the prefix with 'part.'

fricassee

(noun, transitive verb)
[frik'-ah-SEE, FRIK-ah-see']

noun

1. pieces of chicken or other meat stewed in gravy, often with carrots and onions and served with noodles or dumplings: "Zoe subsists on salads while her skinnier sister eats substantial meals like fricassee or lasagna every night!"

transitive verb

2. to prepare (chicken or other meat) by cutting into pieces and stewing in gravy; fricassee meats

Origin

Approximately 1568; from French, 'fricassee,' feminine past participle of 'fricasser': to mince and cook in sauce; of uncertain origin, perhaps Medieval French 'frire': to fry, from Latin, 'frigere': to fry or roast + 'casser,' 'quasser': to break, to cut up, from Latin, 'quassare': to shake.

decoct

(transitive verb)
[di-KOKT]

1. to extract the essence of something by boiling it: "To produce the ginger flavor, restaurant staff will decoct the root for hours."

2. to cook until very little liquid is left; 'boil down'

noun form: decoction

Origin

Approximately 1450; from Latin, 'decoct-,' past participle of 'decoquere': to boil down, from 'coquere': to boil, to cook.

julienne

(noun, adjective)
[joo'-lee-EN, zhu-LYEN']

noun

1. a clear soup with vegetables cut into thin strips

adjective

2. (also: julienned) cut into long thin strips: "Where did my daughter learn how to make julienne vegetables without cutting any fingers?"

Origin

Approximately 1841; from French, literally, (soup made) in the manner of Julien, the proper name, from an otherwise unknown cook

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This week's theme: Going and going and going.

interminable

(adjective) [in-TUR-mah-nah-bahl]

1. seemingly without end: "The interminable delays at the airport were cutting into our vacation time."

2. tiresomely long; 'an interminable sermon'

noun form: interminability
adverb form: interminably

Origin

Approximately 1374; from Late Latin, 'interminabilis': unending ('in-': not + 'terminabilis,' from 'terminare,' from 'terminus': end, boundary).

relentless

(adjective) [ri-LENT-lis]

1. unrelenting or unyielding in severity; 'relentless persecution'

2. unremitting, steady and persistent; never-ceasing; "The relentless beat of the drums drew me in from across the park."

adverb form: relentlessly
noun form: relentlessness

Origin

Approximately 1592; from English, 'relent,' from Latin, 'lentus': slow, viscous, supple + '-less': without.

immutable

(adjective) [i-MYOO-tah-bahl]

1. not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form, quality, or nature; unable to be changed; "The view of that time was that all species were immutable, created by God."

noun forms: immutability, immutableness
adverb form: immutably

Origin

Approximately 1412; from Latin, 'immutabilis': unchangeable ('in-': not + 'mutabilis': changeable, from 'mutare': to change).

 unabated

(adjective) [un'-ah-BAY-tid]

1. continuing at full strength or intensity; 'the winds are unabated'; 'unabated violence'; "The popularity of his books among young people continued unabated."

adverb form: unabatedly

Origin

Approximately 1611; from 'un-': not + 'abate,' from Latin 'ad': to + 'battuere': to beat.

indefatigable

(adjective) [in'-di-FAT-i-gah-bahl]

1. extremely persistent and untiring; "She was an indefatigable advocate of equal rights."

noun forms: indefatigability, indefatigableness
adverb form: indefatigably

Origin

Approximately 1586; from Latin, 'indefatigabilis': that cannot be wearied ('in-': not + 'defatigare': to tire out, from 'de-': utterly, away + 'fatigare': to weary)

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This week's theme: Making me uncomfortable.

beset

(transitive verb)
[bi-SET]

1. to assail or attack from all sides: "The zebra was beset by leopards."

2. to annoy continually or chronically

3. to surround or hem in; 'the mountains which beset it round' (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

4. to decorate something with jewels or other ornaments

noun form: besetment

Origin

from Old English, 'besettan': to surround; of Germanic origin.

privation

(noun) [prie-VAY-shahn]

1. lack of the basic necessities of life: "Jeff has chosen a life of privation over steady employment."

2. the act of depriving someone of something

Origin

Approximately 1340; from Latin, 'privationem': a taking away, from 'privatus,' past participle of 'privare': to deprive.

discomfiture

(noun) [dis-KUM-fi-choor', dis-KUM-fi-chahr]

1. anxious embarrassment: "Everyone shifted in their seats as the discomfiture in the dining room grew."

Origin

Approximately 1325; from Middle English, 'desconfiture' ('discomfit,' from Old French 'desconfire': to defeat, to destroy, from 'des-': not + 'confire': to make, to accomplish + '-ure.')

vexation

(noun) [vek-SAY-shahn]

1. the act of troubling or annoying someone: "The tight living arrangement was a great source of vexation for the whole family."

2. the psychological state of being irritated or annoyed

3. something or someone that causes anxiety

Origin

Approximately 1375; from Latin, 'vexation-,' from 'vexare': to shake, to harass + '-ion.'

gadfly

(noun) [GAD-flie']

1. a persistently annoying person: "I think I have finally figured out how to shake this gadfly off, once and for all."

2. any of various large flies that annoy livestock

Origin

Approximately 1626; from English, 'gad': goad, metal rod; from Old Norse, 'gaddr': spike, nail; of Germanic origin.