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Being raised in a Jamaican household comes with a lot of responsibilities and rules. Jamaican parents are known to set rules, sometimes with some ridiculous ultimatums, one often has to stop and wonder what was the inspiration.

While for some, this method of parenting was viewed as harsh or what is sometimes referred to as tough love, while for others it felt like a sense of toxicity. As with every other nationality, Jamaican parents learned the art of parenting while actually parenting. There are lessons to be learnt along the way, mistakes occur, that if corrected early enough can have a lasting impact on the relationship they build with their children.

Let’s take a look at some of these “ridiculous ultimatums” Jamaican parents often give their children.

1. “Is either you wash the dishes or you come outta me house” – doing the dishes was one of those chores that had to be done but also that most children disliked. This is usually the rebuttal by a Jamaican parent after realizing that the dishes have not been done.
2. “If you get a girl pregnant Yuh betta find a house fi live” – besides being constantly reminded that having kids was reserved for adulthood, you will often hear a Jamaican parent warning their teenage son about the responsibilities of getting a girl pregnant and the changes that will come with this role. Often times when this happens though
3. “Since a you a pay the bill them in a the house, don’t wash dem” – this could be in reference to a child refusing to wash something. This ultimatum is somewhat a rhetoric as a child does not usually pay bills in a Jamaican household so will eventually have to do whatever task they were instructed to do.
4. “Ef yuh get pregnant go live with your baby father” – similarly to boys, girls are warned against getting pregnant. For some, this warning holds true depending on how strict their parents are. For others, it’s merely word of mouth as the parents usually love and care for their grandchild(ren) after they are born.
5. “Ef yuh tink a me and yuh a pay bills ya, come in ya afta midnight” – this ultimatum usually leads to being locked out or getting a whooping if broken. Jamaican parents usually have rules around the times they allow their teenage children to be home after an even such as a fete or any other social gathering.
6. “Is either unuh tidy up di house or no food naa cook in ya tonight” – cleaning the house is one of those chores dreaded by most children and so it usually takes a little nudge from the parents to get the chores completed.

What were some ultimatums given by your parents while growing up? Tell us in the comments.

Photo – Deposit Photos

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Running into God is like running into a brick wall; you are literally stopped in your tracks. I discovered this (again) firsthand when a couple of months ago, I was talking to Him about some things I was struggling with and throwing in some questions for good measure when suddenly He spoke. There were no lightning bolts, no writing on the wall, no audible voice, but in the quietness of my time with Him, the words from Psalm 127:1a came alive in my spirit: “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (KJV). In The Message version, the verse reads, “If God doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks.”

I did not have to be a rocket scientist to know what that meant. As the weeks passed and as I reflected on that moment, it became clear to me that the struggles I was experiencing were all because I had tried to resolve some things in my own strength instead of trusting Him as I knew I should. To try to build a life, a relationship, a home, a business, a marriage, a career, or anything else for that matter, is all for naught unless God Himself is the builder. That means putting Him first by building in accordance with His Word. It is no wonder Jesus reaffirms, “Thus, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). The opposite is also true: “And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined” (vv. 26-27).

Deconstructing the way I was building was not easy, as I felt out of control. It was a struggle that lasted weeks and came at a great personal cost, as everything else seemed secondary at that point. However, it was important to heed the voice I heard and ensure I was building on the right foundation. Interestingly, in the examples Jesus used, both builders managed to build the house. However, when adversity presented itself, only the one that was built on the rock was left standing.

What is the foundation on which you are building your present and future goals and dreams? If God is not at the center of it all, it is time to demolish and rebuild. Anything else will ultimately result in frustration and failure. “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”

The post WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL – “Except the LORD build the house” appeared first on Jamaicans.com.

People everywhere celebrate “Weed Day” on April 4, a date generally called “420″ (4/20).” There are many theories about why that date was chosen to extol the virtues of marijuana, but two of them are definitely NOT true. April 20 (4/20) is not the birthday of reggae legend Bob Marley.

Marley, who was well known for his love the herb, was born on February 6, 1945. Nor is April 4 the date of his death. He died of melanoma in Miami, Florida, on May 11, 1981.

Some of the other theories explaining why 4/20 has become Weed Day around the world may seem more plausible, but are still wrong. For example, it has been said that 4/20 refers to California’s 420 criminal code that at one time prohibited the sale and distribution of recreational marijuana. However, California’s actual 420 code refers to “obstructing entry on public land.”

For math fans, there is the Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35” song from his “Blonde on Blonde” album, which was released in 1966. If the numbers in the song title are multiplied – 12 times 35 – the total does equal 420. The song’s lyrics also state, “Everybody must get stoned.”

Some chemistry lovers theorized that 4/20 referred to a “fact” that marijuana contained 420 chemicals. This theory has been disproven by studies showing that many strains of marijuana actually contain over 500 compounds.

One of the most well-known and more believable theories is known as the “Waldos Legend,” which refers to a group of students at San Rafael High School in California during the 1970s who named themselves after a term created by comedian Buddy Hackett to describe “odd people.” The group developed a tradition of meeting at 4:20 pm to smoke after school. According to their website, this time was the perfect way to remember their ritual. The group came to use the term “420” to refer to any time they wanted to get high, and once they started to hang out backstage at Grateful Dead concerts, the band and crew also began to use “420” for a similar reason. During the band’s appearances in the 1980s, it is said that flyers advertising their show would use “420” as a code to members of the weed culture. There was some confusion about California’s 420 criminal code and the use of the number by the band as well, since the flyers said that 420 was the police code for smoking marijuana.

The Waldos had no idea that their private joke would become the name of an annual international weed holiday.

Photo – Official Facebook Page for Bob Marley

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