Palestine

Happy Mother's Day 2016

Surprising gifts from my daughters...

Clean eating

Some rules are made for our own health. But,just be flexible. Sometimes certain thing can't be done just like it should be. The important thing is that health is one of our priority and let it come naturally and gradually in our daily activities.

Improving body image

Outer beauty comes from inner beauty. Inner beauty means purity of heart. Easy to say,but worth enough to gain it.

Be happy

Being happy is the greatest desire of my life. Seeing and making my beloved ones happy is the greatest happiness ever. How about you? What makes you happy? By the way,in your own context,what is happiness?

Up and down

O Allah (SWT) hide my sins..!

It was narrated that in the days that Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) wandered with Bani Israel (Children of Israel) in the desert, an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified.
It was revealed to Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Bani Israel (Children of Israel) who had disobeyed Allah (SWT) for more than forty years of his life.
"Let him separate himself from the congregation," Allah (SWT) told Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh). "Only then shall I shower you all with rain."
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) then called out to the throngs of humanity, "There is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah (SWT) for forty years. Let him separate himself from the congregation and only then shall we be rescued from the drought."
That man waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one. The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die of thirst and that if he stepped forward he would be humiliated for all eternity.
He raised his hands with a sincerity he had never known before, with humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks he said, "O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah, forgive me!"
As Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) and the people of Bani Israel (Children of Israel) waited for the sinner to step forward, the clouds hugged the sky and the rain poured. Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) asked Allah (SWT), "O Allah, you blessed us with rain even though the sinner did not come forward."
And Allah (SWT) replied, "O Musa, it is for the repentance of that very person that I blessed all of Bani Israel (Children of Israel) with water."
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh), wanting to know who this blessed man was, asked, "Show him to me O Allah!"
Allah (SWT) replied, "O Musa, I hid his sins for forty years, do you think that after his repentance I shall expose him?"
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "My entire nation is safe, except al-Mujahirin (those who boast of their sins). Among the Mujaharah is that a man commits an (evil) act, and wakes up in the morning while Allah has kept his (sin) a secret, he says: 'O Fulan! Last night I did this and that.' He goes to sleep while Allah has kept his (sin) a secret but he wakes up in the morning and uncovers what Allah has kept a secret!" [Saheeh al-Bukhari]

Excellence of Prayer

Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) once decided to perform prayers and read Zabur (Book of Psalms) with the excellence that nobody would have done. He entered the Mehrab and prayed.
After he finished to his satisfaction he found a frog appear before him and told him, "Oh Dawood! Is it true that you feel that you have prayed too well? Every night I am habituated to pray 1,000 Tasbih (glorifications) and from every Tasbih three thousand Hamds are expressed.
Sometimes when I am at the bottom of a pond and I hear the voice of any bird above, thinking that it might be hungry, I come to the surface of the water so that the hungry bird may get its food by eating me. This is the part of the duty that I perform towards Allah (SWT)."

To bring a fool to his senses

Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) was once seen running away from a man. People were surprised to see him running away. Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) did not run away from anything or anybody. He was known for his goodness, humbleness and friendliness.
They asked him: "Isa, spirit of Allah, why are you running away from that man?"
Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) replied: "I am running away from a fool."
People were still more surprised, they knew that Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) was a prophet. He had cured the sick. He had even brought the dead to life. So they said: "But Isa, spirit of Allah, you have power to bring dead to life."
Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) smiled and said: "True, I have brought dead to life. But I find it difficult to bring a fool to his senses."

Selfish Man

Once upon a time, there was a selfish man. He liked everything to be his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his friends or the poor.
One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his friend's house and told him how he lost his gold coins. His friend was a kind man.
As his friend's daughter was coming from an errand she found thirty gold coins, when she arrived home, she told her father what she had found. The girl's father told her that the gold coins belong to his friend and he sent for him. When the selfish man arrived, he told him how his daughter had found his thirty gold coins and handed then to him. After counting the gold coins the man said that ten of them was missing and had been taken by the girl as he had forty gold coins. He further commented that he will recover the remaining amount from him (the girl's father). But the father refused.
The selfish man left the gold coins and went to the court and informed the judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl's father.
The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived asked the girl how many gold coins did she find. She replied thirty gold coins. The Judge that asked the selfish man how many gold coins did he lose and he answered forty gold coins.
The judge then told the selfish man that the gold coins did not belong to him because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to have lost and then told the girl to take the gold coins and that if anybody is looking for them he will send for the girl.
The judge told the selfish man that if anybody reports that they have found forty gold coins he will send for him. It was then that the selfish man confessed that he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins but the judge did not listen to him.

Moral: This story of honesty teaches us to be always honest as dishonest never pays.

Rock in the sand

An Arab while crossing a desert came across a huge rock half buried in the sand. Written on the boulder was: "TURN ME OVER AND YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM IT"
The Arab felt assuming there was a great treasure hidden underneath it worked mightily to turn it over. He succeeded after several hours. But there was no treasure there, only an inscription on the underside of the rock: "GREED IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL REMEMBER THIS AND YOU WILL BE A BETTER MAN."
Haven't you collected free pens, note books at conferences? Watch people picking up candies, freshening tissues, napkins in the flights simply to go home and throw them. People go on collecting things out of greed and fear.
"Greed is a projection of fear. It is because of fear that man becomes greedy. He is so much afraid, that he wants to accumulate for the future. He is so afraid, that he sacrifices his today for tomorrow and the tomorrow never comes. The greedy man never becomes rich.
He may have the whole world at his disposal, but he remains poor. He cannot enjoy it, his greed won't allow that. He remains miserly. He always remains in such fear of the future that he cannot part with his money. He accumulates, accumulates, wastes his whole life and one day dies.
He was a poor man his whole life - empty-handed he had come, empty-handed he has gone, and his whole life went down the drain with no significance."

Monkey and Dolphin Story

One day long ago, some sailors set out to sea in their sailing ship. One of them brought his pet monkey along for the long journey.
When they were far out at sea, a terrible storm overturned their ship. Everyone fell into the sea, and the monkey was sure that he would drown. Suddenly a dolphin appeared and picked him up.
They soon reached the island and the monkey came down from the dolphin's back. The dolphin asked the monkey, "Do you know this place?"
The monkey replied, "Yes, I do. In fact, the king of the island is my best friend. Do you know that I am actually a prince?"
Knowing that no one lived on the island, the dolphin said, "Well, well, so you are a prince! Now you can be a king!"
The monkey asked, "How can I be a king?"
As the dolphin started swimming away, he answered, "That is easy. As you are the only creature on this island, you will naturally be the king!"

Moral of the Story: Those who lie and boast may end up in trouble.

Epidendrum Orchids

Epidendrum orchids vary widely in flora and vegetation. The flowers range from a quarter of an inch to six inches in diameter. Some plants produce pseudobubls while others possess cane or reed-like stems. Short bulbs are common in many species, while other species can produce bulbs of up to five feet long. Many flowers are fragrant and several bloom continually. These plants grow from sea level to mountaintops, in warm and in cool climates.
When all is said and done Epidendrum orchids are a perfect choice. They’re easy to grow, diverse in shape and color and can handle less than perfect conditions.  

Farmer and Stork Story

Finding that cranes were destroying his newly sown corn, a farmer one evening set a net in his field to catch the destructive birds. When he went to examine the net next morning he found a number of cranes and also a stork.
"Release me, I beseech you," cried the stork, "for I have eaten none of your corn, nor have I done you any harm. I am a poor innocent stork, as you may see - a most dutiful bird, I honor my father and mother. I..."
But the farmer cut him short. "All this may be true enough, I dare say, but I have caught you with those were destroying my crops, and you must suffer with the company in which you are found."
One who enters the places of evil reputes has no right to complain against a man who talks evils of him. Imam Ali (as)

Moral of the Story: People are judged by the company (Friends) they keep. or Birds of the same Feather flock together. Also read Islam and Friends
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) was one day amongst his companions (Sahabah), when he (saw) said, "Do not be like a housefly!" Surprised, the companions asked, "And how can we be like a housefly O' Prophet of Allah (SWT)?"
"Don't you see" Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) replied, "a housefly always prefers to sit on dirt instead of a clean and pure place!"
What Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) meant to say was that one should never chose fellowship with bad people, but with those who are righteous and good as companions in life.

Brassia Orchid

The Brassia orchid is native to the wet forests of tropical Central and South America and is named for a 19th century, British botanical illustrator, William Brass. The spider-like look of Brassia orchids gives this plant a distinct propagating advantage. To certain parasitic wasps these flowers resemble spiders in a web, so the wasps lay eggs on the “spiders”, which are really the interior of the orchid’s blossoms. It’s a win-win situation. The wasps reproduce and the orchid gets pollinated.

Brassia orchids can be cultivated outside the tropics as long as specific growth requirements are met. Give your “spiders” high humidity (50 to 70%) and bright, non noon day light. Bright and diffuse light is perfect for these orchids.

Brassia orchids need a lot of water while producing flowers, but don’t like to get too wet. Good air circulation is important, too, otherwise you will see brown spots on the leaves. A small fan can be used to facilitate circulation, but never let the fan blow directly onto the plant. Daytime temperatures should remain between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Night time temperatures are only slightly cooler with a range of 55 to 65 degrees.

Creating beautiful flowers uses up a lot of energy, so, much like an athlete after a big game; Brassia orchids need to take a break after their growing period. At that point temperatures need to remain at the lower end of the 55 to 60 degree range. Less watering is required, perhaps as little as once a week, but don’t let the pseudopods or leaves dry out.

Fox who got caught in the Tree Trunk Story

Once upon a time, there was a hungry fox that was looking for something to ear. He was very hungry. No matter how hard he tried, the fox could not find food. Finally he went to the edge of the forest and searched there for food. Suddenly he caught sight of a big tree with a hole in it.
Inside the hole was a package. The hungry fox immediately thought that there might be food in it, and he became very happy. He jumped into the hole and when he opened the package, he saw there were a lot of food, bread, meat and fruit in it!
An old woodcutter had placed the food in the tree trunk while he cut down trees in the forest. He was going to eat it for his lunch.
The fox happily began to eat. After the fox had finished eating, he felt thirsty and decided to leave the trunk and drink some water from a nearby spring. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not get out of the hole. Do you know why? Yes, the fox had eaten so much food that he became too big to fit through the hole.
The fox was very sad and upset. He told himself, "I wish that I had thought a little before jumping into the hole."

Moral of the Story: Yes children, this is the result of doing something without thinking about it first.

Cattleya Orchid

The Cattleya orchid is also called the “corsage orchid” because in the old days fashionable ladies used to sport an oversized Cattleya corsage to special events. Even though it is not so common to wear corsages anymore, the Cattleya orchid is still extremely popular among amateur and professional growers. They are perfect as cut flowers because they are long-lasting and come in an array of colors. The blooms are usually quite big.

The discovery of Cattleya was an accident. In the nineteenth century, a moss and lichen collector just grabbed some random sturdy leaves in the forest as packing material to protect his collections en route from Brazil to England. A horticulturist, William Cattley, saw the strange packing material and decided to grow it. Few years later, the strange plant produced some stunning blooms that rocked the world. The genus was therefore named Cattleya as a tribute to William Cattley, and the plant was then named Cattleya labiata. From then on, people started the crazy hunt for wild orchids in South America. To this day, Cattleya orchids still define orchids; they are the benchmark of orchids. You may hear growers say “grow this orchid like Cattleya except a bit less light” or “this orchids need the Cattleya temperature.” Because Cattleya species are founded throughout tropical Central and South America, these orchids like intermediate to warm temperatures (55 to 65°F/13 to 18°C in winter nights and 15°F/10°C or so warmer during the day) and medium bright light. At home, it’s best to grow your Cattleya orchid by the southern, eastern or western windowsills. Provide as much light as it can take without burning the leaves; touch them to make sure they are not hot. When the plant receives its upper limit of light, it will show you a reddish tinge.

When a loved one has a drug problem

If you suspect that a friend or family member has a drug problem, here are a few things you can do:

• Speak up. Talk to the person about your concerns, and offer your help and support, without being judgmental. The earlier addiction is treated, the better. Don’t wait for your loved one to hit bottom! Be prepared for excuses and denial by listing specific examples of your loved one’s behavior that has you worried.
• Take care of yourself. Don’t get so caught up in someone else’s drug problem that you neglect your own needs. Make sure you have people you can talk to and lean on for support. And stay safe. Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations.
• Avoid self-blame. You can support a person with a substance abuse problem and encourage treatment, but you can’t force an addict to change. You can’t control your loved one’s decisions. Let the person accept responsibility for his or her actions, an essential step along the way to recovery for drug addiction. 

Discovering your child uses drugs can generate fear, confusion, and anger in parents.
Five steps parents can take:

• Lay down rules and consequences. Your teen should understand that using drugs comes with specific consequences. But don’t make hollow threats or set rules that you cannot enforce. Make sure your spouse agrees with the rules and is prepared to enforce them.
• Monitor your teen’s activity. Know where your teen goes and who he or she hangs out with. It’s also important to routinely check potential hiding places for drugs—in backpacks, between books on a shelf, in DVD cases or make-up cases, for example. Explain to your teen that this lack of privacy is a consequence of him or her having been caught using drugs.
• Encourage other interests and social activities. Expose your teen to healthy hobbies and activities, such as team sports and afterschool clubs.
• Talk to your child about underlying issues. Drug use can be the result of other problems. Is your child having trouble fitting in? Has there been a recent major change, like a move or divorce, which is causing stress?
• Get help. Teenagers often rebel against their parents but if they hear the same information from a different authority figure, they may be more inclined to listen. Try a sports coach, family doctor, therapist, or drug counselor.

Scorpion and Turtle Story

A Scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, asked a Turtle to carry Him on his back across a river.
"Are you crazy?" exclaimed the Turtle.
"You'll sting me while I'm swimming and I'll drown."
"My dear Turtle," laughed the Scorpion, "if I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you. Now where is the logic in that?"
"You're right!" cried the Turtle. "Hop on!"
The Scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the Turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the Turtle resignedly said:
"Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there'd be no logic in your stinging me. Then why did you do it?"
"It has nothing to do with logic," the drowning Scorpion sadly replied. "It's just my character."

Moral of the Story: Children, be careful of whom you associate with.

Boat Orchids

Here in Southern California, one orchid that grows extremely well is the boat orchid, Cymbidium. These types of orchids have been grown and depicted in drawings and poetry for more than two thousand years since the time of Confucius. They are still popular plants today because of the big, showy and long-lasting flowers. The pink, yellow, green, red, brown, peach or combination colored flowers also last superbly as cut flowers—if you change water daily and cut back the bottom of the spike, they can look pristine for a month or two in the vase.