Discover BOOK III Lovers Players Seducer The Betrayal of Nicholas La Cou...

Books by J. A. Jackson - July 2020

The Children Know What Love is...

Have you ever watched little children at play? 

Have you ever seen a friend bring over their new baby and watch as a toddle vie to hold the baby? Asking repeatedly, “I want to hold the baby? I want to hold the baby!”

I have, and they are all beautiful sights to see. Watch the little children for they will show you what love is.

What is love? The dictionary say it is an intense feeling of deep affection and it can encompass a range from a strong and positive emotion to a deep powerful affection that defies all reason.

What is racism? Racism is defined as prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.

Nelson Mandela said…

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Nelson Mandela — 1994, from his autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom”

And Maya Angelou said…

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.” Maya Angelou

And the bible says Love is…

Paul’s great hymn to love: “Love — agape — is patient and kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. … Love never ends” (1 Cor. 13:4–8a).

Why do I say all of this? Because love to me seems to be there from birth, yet racism is something that seems to me, to be taught by those who’s plane of existence rides on the wave of fear, of others.

Little children know what love is.

If young children are born with so much love, why are the observations, associations and education of our children ingrained with so much racism?

For if you want to really know what love is, watch a young child ask to hold a baby and watch while that child holds that baby and stares at that baby with love and ask yourself, why in the world would we want to change that?

Learning New Things Is Crucial for Happiness!

Every day at my job, I learn how to write better, edit better and publish better.

To me, I believe learning new things is crucial for happiness and it wards off memory loss.

That being said my job or position is that I am a writer. Yes, I get to totally stay home and write each day.

The total number of books I have written and published are eleven (11).

Yes, I have a couple of book series. And how these books series and stand-alone books came to be, is because I learned something new each day.

I believe that learning can give us a range of perspectives and I love to apply this to my writing.

For example, I get inspirations for my books and for living this life, through “what-if” moments throughout the day. Each new situation I encounter, read, or watch on TV can inspire my “what if moments” for characters, plots, etc., in my writing.

Visiting new places can be a learning moment for me also, that inspires ideas for my books, new cooking recipes, ideas to spice up my bedroom exercise (code word for sex) or even redecorating my home.

Learning something new each day can gives us all a range of perspectives to call on, it helps us to better adapt to new situations, or emergencies in our life. Learning new things can also help you socially.

Another big example on the benefits of learning new things, is the new learning we all have had to do, daily, with the COVID-19 Pandemic we all have been subjected too.

We each have learned about the importance of washing our hands, wearing masks and social distancing, to name a few.

All of this, to me, show how beneficial learning new things can be.

And if you don’t believe me. Think of it this way. If you and I had not taken the time to learn about what we could do to protect ourselves from COVID-19, you wouldn’t be here to read my article, and I wouldn’t be here to write it. Ponder that one…

Happy 4th of July! O, let America be America again— from Let America Be America Again (1938)

O, let America be America again—

The land that never has been yet—

And yet must be—the land where every man is free.

The land that’s mine—the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME—

Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,

Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,

Must bring back our mighty dream again.

— from Let America Be America Again (1938)

Feeling Stressed? Pandemics can be stressful…What You Can Do!

We are living in a frightening time. The coronavirus is holding everyone hostage. One day cities and states are saying they are reopening and the next day, all chaos breaks loose, and they are closing down again.

If you turn on the television news, their numbers scare the living daylights out of you as you watch the number of deaths from the coronavirus go up. (It is now over 125,000 deaths in the United States.)

With doom and gloom on the television every day, no wonder we are stressed. Not to mention this virus impacts each of us differently.  Some of us are worried about our own health, or the health of a loved one. Some of us are worried about our financial situation. Some of us are worried about a job or the support system or services that we may rely on.

Whatever form your stress or anxiety takes there are things you can do to take control over your stress and anxiety.

First up. Set limits on how much television you watch and place special emphasis to the news. Watching too much news can be a bad thing. Take a break from watching the news. It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly. If nightmares are stalking, you. Some health official suggests turning off the television or not watching the news at least one hour before you go to bed. Relax and or meditate if possible, to ensure a good night sleep before going to bed. Try to do enjoyable activities and return to normal life as much as possible.

Take care of your body. Exercise regularly. Watch what you eat. Drink plenty of water.

Take care of your mental health.  Connect with others like minded souls such as yourself. Remember that “emotions are contagious,” so be wise about who you turn to for support.  Remember Mother’s wise words. “Everybody ain’t your friend.”

Be kind to yourself.

Maintain a routine. Get regular nightly sleep, whenever possible. If you are in school or have online classes, maintain those routines. The same with your meals, keep your mealtime a regular routine also. By doing these things it can help you maintain a sense of normalcy.

Maintain healthy relationships and build a strong support system.

Take a break. Take time to yourself throughout the day.  Meditation and deep breathing exercises can help renew your sense of self.  

Take time out for activities you enjoy. Read a good book, watch a comedy, play a fun board or video game, make something—try a new recipe, a craft, or a piece of art. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it takes you out of your worries.

Get out in nature, if possible. Sunshine and fresh air will do you good. Even a walk around your neighborhood can make you feel better. Just be sure to avoid crowds, keep your distance from people you encounter, and wear a mask, if you have one. Better to be safe, than sorry.

Avoid self-medicating. Be careful that you’re not using alcohol or other substances to deal with anxiety or depression.

Are you in crisis?  Here are some audio meditations that can help you relieve stress. 

For audio meditations that can help you relieve anxiety and regain inner calm, click here.

Cajun Spaghetti Supreme!

Got to cook for the family for the 4th of July? Need a crowd pleaser? Try Cajun Spaghetti Supreme. This scrumptious delicious recipe is an old-time favorite with a touch of Cajun spice. You can make it mild or extra spicy. Just add or decrease your cayenne pepper. Always add you spices “little by little” and taste. By starting little, by little, you control the spice. You can always add more spice if you need it. But you can’t take away spice once you add it. So always think, add spice. “Little, by little,” and you can’t go wrong. Enjoy! 

 

Cajun Spaghetti Supreme!

Ingredients:

·1 package (1 pound) spaghetti, broken into 4-inch pieces

·1 bottle (16 ounces) zesty Italian salad dressing

·1 large cucumber, diced

·1 large tomato, seeded and diced (or 20 small cherry tomatoes cut in half)

·1/2 cup diced black olives

·2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

·1 teaspoon Salad Supreme Seasoning

·½ teaspoon Slap Ya Momma Cajun Seasoning Salt (season to taste)

·Pinch of cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:

·Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Place spaghetti in a large serving bowl. Add the remaining Ingredients, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.