Children Learn What They Live

I've made it a tradition to pray with Israel (our little boy) before I lay him down to sleep. Yesterday, after singing a few nursery rhymes I noticed he was starting to dose off, so I decided to pray. When I was just about to finish, Israel said Amen... I looked at him in shock and realised that even his hands were clasped together. My shock turned to joy as I started saying Amen aloud and he kept on repeating and clapping... It suddenly hit me that our little boy has been watching his parents.

One thing I was thankful for though was that he has been watching the right things. When you put rice in your microwave what you get is rice not beans. It's the same with our little ones, if you want a disciplined child, discipline with love. If you want your child to know God, talk about God...

As a first time mum, I'm still learning but one thing is for sure... I want to see Israel grow up to be hard working, godly and loving man. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Just Like Daddy Told Me

When I was a child I thought like a child now I'm all grown up... 

Memories of my dad coming from a 'Safari' with some 'Delamere' yoghurt, chips and chicken still linger in my mind. I remember how we would help him unpack as we looked forward to enjoy our rewards and gifts. I remember how we would be so excited when he came back home with a new television screen or a new music player...

More than all the other memories, I remember his favourite quote that, all the things he was doing were not for him to enjoy, but for us. He used to say all his efforts at work, the reason he would wake up very early to go to work was for his children. 

Back then, it didn't make sense to me; now it does. Ever since God blessed us with our son Israel I got re-energized, got a new zeal for life; my father's words finally made sense to me... At times I get worked up, worn out, ready to give up but then I see my son and somehow all my worries fade away. Like my father I say, 'I'm doing my best now so he can have a better tomorrow'. 

One day my son will be all grown up... May God help me instil in him values that will guide him for the rest of his life. That even when we're long gone, he will not depart from them!

Spilt Milk

They say you can't scoop back spilt milk; the past remains the past. My opinion? Our past actions determine our tomorrow. What do you do when you're remorseful about the past but the consequences cling on to you like a book and its cover. What happens to a woman who can't get a child because of an abortion done ignorantly. What happens to a recovering alcoholic whose found his way but lost his family. Its hard to tell someone whose house has been demolished that everything's gonna be fine. Telling someone that God's in control sounds cliche but it's an old remedy that still works. You can be the Jesus to someone who has never experienced unconditional love. Love that doesn't look at the past but erases it...

Sleeping In The Midst of the Storm

Ever wondered how when all of Jesus' disciples were busy taking care of the storm He was sleeping,
I've witnessed a storm before; its violent,100 year old trees are uprooted,
Its muddy, floody; I've seen a storm before.

So why would someone who can move mountains and change the world sleep in the middle of a storm?
Simple... If you knew that you had wings you would certainly fly, right?
So maybe just maybe Jesus knew who He was; the son of God...

Life can be violent and hostile; flooding its way through what we own or treasure,
But maybe just maybe, if we learnt to sleep in the midst of our storms,
And let the peace of God wash over our souls, we would be able to speak to our circumstances and tell them to be still,
We are the sons of God; speak those things and watch Him do the rest:)

The Hollow Tree

This afternoon my husband and I decided to take a walk and absorb some vitamin D. We came across a hollow tree. The hollow part was burnt up and seemed to be someone's rubbish bin. As we looked at the upper part of the tree, we noticed that it had spread out its branches and the leaves were all so green. I thought about this irony and had a light bulb moment, or rather a conviction. It doesn't matter what life throws at you. Just like the hollow tree as long as your roots are founded on fertile ground, you'll always bloom, bear fruit, reach out for the skies. I may be a hollow tree; but I'm going places, cause God ain't done with me yet.

As Simple As...

The first people we call or run to are our friends and family... Maybe if we ran to God first things would be different... This morning when I woke up, in my mind was this project coming up. I believed that things would work out somehow; just didn't know how... So I texted my friends certain that a breakthrough would come through. I looked jumpy as I kept checking if anyone had responded to my text... After realizing that this wasn't working, I called out to my 'Papa'; my heavenly daddy. I told him how stranded I was and how much I needed his help. He first embraced me then whispered words of comfort to me. He didn't give me an instant answer but assured me that He's got my back. Things may not work out, friends and family may let you down; God is never-changing. His arms always wide open, his love constant, we can always run to his arms cause He's just a prayer away.

Vanity

My mum opened the briefcase and with it came memories forever buried in my heart. Thick, laminated, covered and even embossed papers. Papers that showed that my dad was an educated man; each certificate representing different levels of literacy... Suddenly tears filled my eyes, the certificates lay in that briefcase representing his sweat, his toil. Vanity; while he's 3 years gone, his papers can't do much... Today I don't remember him as an educated, eloquent, lecturer... I remember him as a loving father and friend... His papers can't embrace me, they can't encourage me, they can't love me... Maybe if we loved more than hate, then we'd leave eternal marks behind... My father left his papers behind but he also left eternal marks; not in a briefcase where ants and termites can damage them, but in my heart... And when I want to remember I go back to my untouchable briefcase...