Saturday 29 December 2012

Falling Skies in Switzerland

It's been a while since my last post. My apologies. It's not that I don't have anything that would encourage you, but I am travelling again and time to write is awfully scarce when you travel with a family of four. Today, though, I cannot help but write. I love it when God speaks through anything and everything in my day. Even through a Sci-fi TV programme!

You might have seen it. Maybe not. "Falling Skies" is an American TV Drama Series that depicts the battle between humans and their alien invadors. It opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. Some survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers, in other words normal people like you and me, work to protect the people in their care while also attempting to fight back against the occupying alien force.
At the center of the series is a father called Tom (but it could be a mother!) and his commander Captain Weaver. Tom's family has been torn apart by the invading alien force and he must put his extensive knowledge of military history to the test as one of the leaders of a resistance movement known as the 2nd Mass. He is placed as Weaver's second in command, tasked with ensuring the safety and security of the group's civilian population (see...just like a mother!). Tom will do anything for his sons, including Ben, who was recently rescued from alien control, but is still extremely vulnerable (sounds like my teenage son).
Falling Skies focuses on the resilience of the survivors and their determination to maintain their humanity when all else has been destroyed. It is a tale of endurance, commitment and courage in which everyday people are called upon to become heroes. They may be outmatched, outnumbered and outgunned, but nothing can beat their spirit. Most of all, the series is about the ties that bind people together in the most difficult of circumstances. After the aliens invaded, some of the survivors banded together. They formed a resistance movement, determined to fight back and overthrow the alien invasion. The 2nd Mass is such a resistance regiment and the people, under the command of Captain Weaver and Tom, move around the country in search for other survivors. Throughout their trials and tribulations, the 2nd mass make great advancements in the fight against the aliens. But the battle is just getting started.
In the second season of the show Charleston becomes their new hope. They get word that in Charleston they can find a large group of well organized survivors and plenty of food and water. In other words a place of abundance. But it takes time to get there. They decide to make way for it in order to meet up with them and unite their forces. On their journey there, the fractured group is still dealing with its losses in the past, occasionally lashing out at each other. Complicated relationships are put on hold, however, as the convoy reaches Charleston where they discover that the city is not at all what they had hoped for. Superficially it is a very well functioning city, but the members of the 2nd Mass soon discover that small comforts come at a hefty price. People are hiding, full of fear and even their leadership has become weak and ineffective for battle. Nothing is what it seems at first and realizing that the enemy is still out there the 2nd Mass decide to leave. None of the luxuries provided will ever give them peace unless the enemy is defeated first.

Truthfully? Tom's family sounds like mine. Torn apart by the devil and his schemes, my childhood sometimes resembles somewhat of an alien attack. I too, am dealing with the losses of my past, occasionally lashing out at my loved ones, but when we are travelling, our complicated relationships are put on hold. Just like in Fallling Skies we band together in search of other (childhood) survivors. On this healing journey of a life with God, I protect my children best I can, whilst trying to recruit my husband for the job of Captain Weaver. My teenage son, having reached puberty, certainly sometimes seems to need rescuing from alien control! We travel to places we have big hopes in and sometimes we get disappointed by what we find...small comforts come at a hefty price...

Like I said, I am currently traveling, in Europe, and sitting in a Catholic church service I cannot help but feeling that I have just arrived in Charleston. I mean no disrespect, for I am sure their intentions are good and their hearts often in the right place. But this is a place of total abundance and despite or maybe because of their comforts, they seem completely unaware of the enemy out there. Desperately wanting to feel safe, the people in the churches here are essentially just hiding. Never confronting the real issues of Christian living. Few are willing to face the enemy head on. But I am "2nd Mass" and I know I cannot stay here much longer. Upon arrival in Charleston the 2nd Mass temporarily had to lay down their weapons but they were not comfortable doing so. The bible says that word of God is our weapon. When I arrived here, I felt I was asked to lay it down too. They do not speak about God here. They might attend Sunday morning mass but they never talk about God during the week. Not with friends, not over coffee, not even in church choir practice. But they should. Rev 12:11 says "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." I am writing today to remind you that the battle is still on out there and God is with you so give Him glory! Acutely aware of the evil undercurrent in this world I choose to leave the "superficial safety" of this place and go back into battle. I am like Tom, in a battle accompanied by my children and I belong to the 2nd Mass and cannot stay in Charleston much longer. People "fall asleep" here in the abundance of little daily luxuries and they become weak and needy. In South Africa, I lead a little bible study for young children called JOT (Jesus our Teacher) and there we talk about our daily battles and how God helps us win them. This is my "local resistance movement", this is the place where I fight the enemy and try to lead young minds to victorious lives and I cannot wait to get back to my "army". My question to you - who are you? Neither is wrong, whether you choose to live in Charleston or move out with the 2nd Mass, but it is good to know where you will be fighting the battle...it is important to know where you belong.


Wishing you all a HAPPY and VICTORIOUS 2013!!!


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Monday 26 November 2012

Leaving your castle...

Have you seen any Disney movies lately? They are wonderfully encouraging and have more to do with being a mom than you would think! I, personally, always like to look for the "hidden treasure", things I have in common with the heroine or hero...and this first one has a lot to do with my recent trip to Germany.

So, mom, allow yourself some time and go to the local video store. I suggest you start with one of my favorites - "Tangled". It features a Princess by the name of Rapunzel. Rapunzel lives in a very tidy but lonely castle and often wonders about the world outside her castle. She has a sense that life is passing her by and that the lights she can see once a year in the distance have something to do with her. Her supposed mother has actually captured her at an infant age and lied to her about her identity all of her life. Yet, somehow, deep inside of her, Rapunzel knows that she belongs elsewhere and that the answers she needs to find are "somewhere out there".

When her "Prince" arrives she is rather suspicious of his motives at first. She even ties him up and inspects him from every angle. Eventually though she decides, that he is the only one who can help her break away from her castle and find the answers she is looking for. She reluctantly leaves her castle with him by her side and embarks on a journey beyond her imagination. On this journey, she finds that the world is full of beautiful things and even the evil thugs she meets cannot withstand the charm of her childlike beauty. With her refreshing attitude she wins them over and they end up helping her on her quest to find the source of those beautiful lights. Though her journey is scattered with challenges, adventures and many exciting moments and though the evil stepmother is close on her heel, she remains unharmed. In the end she discovers her true identity, reunites with her family and even the sacrifice of her golden hair seems to pale in the face of her newly found joy.

Wow! Does this sound familiar or not? Have you ever had a sense that life is passing you by? Have you been hiding in a tidy or not so tidy home and wondered about the world out there? Have you had a sense that you are more precious than your life seems to reflect? And what about those lies that we keep hearing in our heads sometimes? Lies such as "you are not a good enough mother" or "you could do better if you were more like the other supermoms". We work, we clean, we cook, we drive, we do homework, play-dates, parties and more and yet somehow, deep inside, we know something is missing. Somehow, in all the busy rush of child rearing the fun has disappeared and with it, our true self. But here's the good news...you can find it again!

I have learnt that Jesus can be your Prince. If you are anything like Rapunzel (or me) then you might struggle with him at first too. I did. Though I did not smack him with a frying pan. But eventually I realized He is the only way to find answers to my questions. That's when I decided, reluctantly, to leave my castle and follow him on an adventure beyond my imagination. You can read the story of my personal adventure with Jesus by clicking on this link:


But wait! Before you do, please let me remind you that you too can decide to follow him and when you do, you are bound to encounter more joy and love than you imagined! I wish you a wonderful week!


(If you have found any of my posts encouraging...why not follow me by email? Simply enter your email address in the box to the right and you will be notified when a new post is ready for you to read!)

Thursday 15 November 2012

GERMANY...here it is!

Just like I promised...here it is - the incredible story of my journey to Germany where I took part in a cooking competition called "Küchenschlacht" and won! To read the full story just click on this link:

My German "kitchen battle"...

Enjoy reading it and have a fabulous day!


(Please scroll down for more encouraging posts!)

Monday 15 October 2012

A crucial detail about safety all moms MUST know...

I learn wherever I go. I have to. There is so much I still need to learn. Especially as a mother. Some of the most valuable lessons I have learnt though, I learnt on airplanes as you can see from my last post. But here’s another one and perhaps this one is even more important.

Right in the beginning of your journey, even before takeoff, the flight attendant takes you through the safety procedure. I am sure you have all seen and heard it before. As a matter of fact we have heard it so often, we don’t even really listen anymore. But we should! Especially as mothers. Because right in the beginning they tell you a crucial little detail that all moms MUST know…

Saturday 6 October 2012

Attitude is EVERYTHING

This blog post is dedicated to all the moms who have toddlers sleeping with them and, exhausted from a rather sleepless night, need some encouragement and a way that might help them to keep a good attitude...

Last night my 8-year-old daughter slept comfortably between my hubby and me while I was trying to get some sleep on a tiny ledge of mattress space next to her. Needless to say neither me, nor my hubby got a lot of sleep. But it did remind me of a diary entry I made many years ago. My daughter had just been born then and my son was still regularly sleeping in our bed. Here is what it said:

“Tonight I am flying FIRST CLASS! You are almost 6 years old; that’s almost 2190 sleeps of which you spent at least 2170 in our bed. Many times I felt cramped and thought that our bed is just not big enough for the three of us, especially when I was pregnant. But then I always remember the privilege of having you near and I try and put things into perspective like this…I close my eyes and imagine myself in the Economy class seat of a Boeing 747, cramped yet excited about the journey. You must know that I traveled a lot in my early twenties. Every time I ended up tossing and turning the whole night through, trying to do the impossible - finding a comfortable position while only slightly reclined, legs pressed against the seat in front of me or if I was lucky enough to get a window seat, rested against the fuselage of the plane. The result was always the same - a stiff neck and an aching body the next morning. But once, I was lucky enough to fly First Class on the upper deck of a Boeing 747 and I remember what that felt like too. It was a feeling of utter luxury to be able to stretch out almost flat and rest in a horizontal position on this particular journey. Narrow, yes, but horizontal nonetheless and stretched out in full length. The result was marvelous of course, despite the limitations of the seat, the journey was so much more restful and all the more exciting. And so you see…when I feel cramped by all of us sharing this space, somewhat like sardines in a tin…I close my eyes and rest my body and my mind, knowing that tonight I AM flying FIRST CLASS again.”

So my encouragement for anyone this week will have to be - let’s keep a good attitude! We are on a journey and it’s not always a comfortable one, but just try to put things into perspective and you might find that you are actually flying "First Class" too. Happy flying this week mom! :)

(Photos are my own)

Monday 17 September 2012

Mountain tops and Hula Hoops...


(Photo is my own)
When last have you been on a mountain top like this one? 

And I don't even mean a physical one. More like a spiritual one. A moment of peace. A moment of rest. A moment of true closeness to God. Oh, how wonderful clear the view is up there! Mountain tops are something special, especially for stressed out moms! On a mountain top your worries are far below. You can hear every sound and God’s voice is so much easier to hear. Not like in the valley where all the hustling and bustling of our daily chores tends to drown out what we so dearly need - REST. I have just been on such a mountain top during a short trip to Germany and back and in my next few posts I will share with you the incredible sights and wonders I have seen. But I also learnt that as beautiful as they are, we do not get to live on mountain tops. Eventually we have to make our way down to the valley and go and take care of our loved ones again. 

Then, on the way down from the mountain top we pick up our “hula hoops”, one by one. There are many hoops in the life of a mother…the wife hoop, the mother hoop, friend hoop and writer hoop, peacemaker and soccer coach hoop, cooking and cleaning hoop and sometimes many others. We usually cannot keep them all going at once, unless of course you are the leader of the local cheer leading squad, which I am NOT. So when I try, out of my own strength, they end up colliding and smash to the ground. Often, there is just not enough of me to go around. Our busy lives are filled with hula hoops, responsibilities, important things that need our attention and often we are frantically trying to keep them in motion. The New Testament story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10 so beautifully shows the difference between a woman who is trying to keep the hoops going and one who dropped them in order to enjoy…

Do you take time to drop your hoops? Do you get up an hour early, before your husband and kids need your attention and spend some time tending to your inner self? I never used to either. Mornings are not my best time. But I have learnt that all the good things in my day flow out of that little moment alone with God. So now, I crawl out of bed if I have to and go and make myself a cup of coffee and then I sit and wait to hear from God. In the past I so often was busy being busy and forgot to tend to my inner self, bouncing off one duty and onto another, always wondering why I was so irritable and miserable. But here’s the thing…unless we find our inner strength, the center of our balance…unless we find God in the midst of it all, we will not be able to keep our hoops going. We make excuses about not having time to spend with God, but the truth is the more hoops we have to handle, the more we need God to help us keep our center. And when He does and we find that much needed balance, all we need to do is keep our bodies still and let the hoops just circle around in a beautiful rhythm of synchronized chaos. But quiet times are crucial! Oh, how I loved those quiet times on the mountain top, but we can have them in the valley too. Little moments with little prayers…while hanging the washing or fetching the kids…”Teach me, Lord. Show me the rhythm of life and be my center today.”

Image courtesy of Akarakingdoms / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why did I write this blog today? I wanted to remind you and myself, that every now and then, we need to completely drop our hoops and spend a tiny mountain top moment with God. I hope you have such a moment now! 


Sunday 2 September 2012

Confessions from a mom who sometimes (still) lacks self-control

I don’t mean to sound like a horrible mom but I do regret the many times I lost my temper with my children…the frights I gave them when, in a brief moment of total lack of self-control, the anger spewed out of me like the eruption of a volcano. I always wished I could have remained calm and yet in the heat of the “stressful parenting moment” I never really managed to. The problem was I did not have enough peace inside of me and with a storm raging in my heart, I had no authority over the storm that was taking place outside of me, the one involving my kids.

Jesus spoke to the storm on the sea with great authority and calmed it in an instant, but Jesus had a supernatural kind of peace that he drew from his relationship with the Father. That’s why he is offering us in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” He knows that our peace is in jeopardy every day. Especially as moms. He wants us to keep whatever peace we have but he wants us to have more, his kind of peace, the kind of peace that will enable us to speak to any storm with great authority, but with the kind of authority that does not leave us with a troubled heart full of regrets. I could do with that kind of supernatural peace right now. Could you?

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Some things motherhood has in common with surfing...

Image courtesy of www.morguefile.com
There’s a movie out in the video shops called “Soul Surfer”. If you haven’t watched it yet, do yourself a favor and watch it! It is the inspiring true story of a teen girl who got her left arm bitten off by a shark, but then, after a period of struggling, bounced back into life and carried on doing what she loved to do, surfing. Like many of us she had to hit rock bottom first, but her faith eventually gave her strength to fight through the difficulties of her recovery. Most importantly it gave her a new perspective. I am all for new perspectives. And I love a good story where God uses our suffering and turns it into something good…it gives me hope that my suffering, my hardships are not in vain either. So, watching this movie, I got a new perspective on motherhood and maybe life in general too.

Wednesday 15 August 2012

How not to lose sight of your importance in God's kingdom if you are a stay-at-home mom!

After a few years of being a stay-at-home-mom I hit an all time low. You see, what I did not realize is that joblessness (or in my case motherhood) attacks our confidence and self-esteem, it isolates us and presents a temptation to isolate ourselves even more and worse…it can trigger our worst behaviors, causing us to lash out at those around us. Sound familiar? It can also cause us to doubt God’s involvement and interest in our daily lives and at worst, even make us to doubt His very existence. It did all that to me and I have a hunch that I am not the only mom that walked this destructive path. 

So what are we to do in a moment of utter isolation and unimportance? What if we feel so insignificant that we don’t know our place in God’s kingdom anymore?

Monday 6 August 2012

How to get your inner "Rubik's Cube" solved...

Do you remember the Rubik’s Cube? That colorful cube that gets all muddled up and then it takes a while to get it straightened out? For some people it can take a very long time, for others it’s done in a few minutes flat. I am glad to declare that I am a Rubik’s Cube in God’s hands and if you choose to follow Him…so are you!

Tuesday 31 July 2012

What you can learn from a gastro flu...

 
Image courtesy of www.morguefile.com
Recently I had an “involuntary time of fasting”…in other words I had a nasty bout of gastro flu. I ate almost nothing for 4 days and depleted of strength and lacking any motivation to cook, I opened the fridge...and for a while I just stared at the lavish display of foods. My husband must have felt sorry for me for there was an array of ready-made soups and lovely desserts. But I just stood there, looking at all the delicatessen available and I knew that I couldn’t take any of it in yet. My tummy was still too raw, yet my body so very weak. In that very brief moment I suddenly asked myself: “Is this what God is offering to me?” I stood there and pondered if this was the kind of lavish life that the bible promises to all that follow Jesus, available, satisfying and nourishing – a generous buffet of spiritual joys. Why haven’t I been feasting on it? Have I been suffering from a serious bout of spiritual flu? And where did I get infected? When I asked God these questions in my quiet time, the answers started coming…He spoke to me about moments of irritability and anger that I should and could have controlled, TV shows I should not have watched, gossiping sessions I should not have partaken in and many thoughts and opinions that needed to be renewed. Like a virus, rebellion, self-pity and fear had crept in through a weakened immune system (devoid of enough quiet time with the Lord) and it caused havoc in my soul. I almost noticed too late, I was too busy taking care of too many other things and now depression had crept in and I found myself murmuring and complaining about so many things. Know the feeling? I think us moms are prone to catch a virus now and then. We tend to take care of everybody else and deplete ourselves in the process. Fortunately with the spiritual flu, the recipe for recovery is in the bible. It says that in order to be cleansed from our unrighteousness, we only have to confess our sins. So if you ask God to forgive you, for all the known and unknown sins in your life, it’s kind of like getting a mega dose of spiritual Vitamin C, it’s bound to beat the bug inside of you and any symptoms like guilt and shame will be driven away! Spend a couple of minutes today, confessing whatever sins you can think of and let God’s grace and forgiveness work like a probiotic in your mind! I will certainly do so myself, knowing that God is getting me ready to feast on ALL that He has to offer! 

I wish you a happy and healthy day!

Saturday 28 July 2012

But if you are limping...know that fruit HAPPENS!

I don’t know about you, but I struggle big time. As a mother. My mother struggled big time and I definitely suffer from the “puppy syndrome” (read my blog entry below from 10July). She made so many mistakes and I have been copying them all. But no more. They are not my weaknesses, they are hers. And if I don’t have to copy them, then you don’t have to either. As moms we are always trying to produce, produce a clean home, produce a happy home, produce a child with adequate manners, produce a social circle everyone else will envy us for and most of the time we feel like we failed. But why do we fail? Because we try to produce the fruit of motherhood. But fruit happens. A tree doesn’t strain to produce fruit on its branches. Fruit happens to grow when the branch is connected to the stem and getting enough nourishment and sunlight. And so it is with us. We cannot produce the fruits of motherhood, no matter how much we try. It just happens if you stay connected to the Vine. The bible says that Jesus is the Vine, so all you have to do is stay connected…have your quiet time today…and pretty soon you will have fruit in abundance to share with all those around you. It’s simple, but it is so true! Give it a try. I am wishing you a very fruitful day!!! 


Tuesday 10 July 2012

Do not limp just because your mother does!

I recently read a story about a dog that was pregnant and due to have her puppies in about a week. She was out in the yard one afternoon and got in the way of the lawn mower and sadly her two hind legs got cut off. She was rushed to the vet who offered to either sew her up or put her to sleep because of the severity of the injury. Apparently the puppies were fine and could be delivered if she was given a chance to do so. Her owner decided to keep her alive. So the vet sewed her up and over the next week the dog learned to walk. She didn’t seem to worry about he missing hind legs, she just walked by taking two steps in the front and then flipping up her backside, taking two steps again and flipping her backside up again. A week later she gave birth to 6 little puppies who were all in perfect health. She nursed them…then weaned them…and when they learned to walk, they all walked just like her.

A few days later I received an email with some very cute pictures of a chimpanzee who was orphaned and adopted by the Zookeeper’s dog. The dog happened to have puppies at the same time as the chimpanzee joined the family home. What a beautiful sight of the puppies and the chimpanzee cuddling together when sleeping, but a somewhat sad sight to see the chimpanzee on the next picture on all fours, eating from a dog bowl…completely oblivious to the fact that he had hands to eat with!

I cringed, because I knew right away that I was looking at a picture of myself. Lying in bed next to my 7-year-old daughter and glancing at her innocent and beautiful little face, I realize, that for the past 40 years I have been limping…left foot, right foot…completely oblivious to the fact that my “handicaps” were not mine to bear but my mother’s and it is only now and with the help of Jesus and my heavenly Father’s love that I am beginning to understand that I have two healthy hind legs to walk or stand on and arms and hands to put around my children in a loving embrace!

What about you? Have you discovered your hind legs yet? Why don’t you share with me by leaving a comment?

May God give you a week full of little miracles! :)                                        


Image courtesy of www.morguefile.com

A mother's fresh start...

Burnout. Motherhood burnout. Have you ever experienced it? I sure did. Not even three years ago the warning signs came loud and clear. Anger, excessive anger and bitterness. And because of it I behaved quite badly. Not that I would have ever wanted to admit to it. Have you ever blamed your father or your mother for your miserable past or made your husband and your kids responsible for the problems in your stressful everyday life? I did all of that too. Burdened by guilt and shame, I felt like a worm most of my life, unwanted, insignificant and unappreciated. The pain of it all could at times be overwhelming so I tried to prove my worth in order to find favour and feel better about myself. As long as I stayed busy working and achieving many things, I felt good. But when motherhood came my way, boy was I forced into far too many quiet times for my liking! The first couple of years went by and I didn’t mind slowing down the pace a little bit, but as the years have gone by I figured that being at home with little children is kind of like driving a Ferrari...at walking speed for a thousand miles! Now always at home and attempting to be a good wife and mother, feelings of shame and worthlessness, all somehow linked to my childhood, returned in full force. Being a mother reminded me of what I tried to forget, that I was rejected by my father and neglected by my mother and still am. Then, at the height of my frustration, I walked through the dark valley of breast cancer and with the help of doctors and through many quiet times God gently healed me, completely. He is currently restoring my mind, piece by piece...making whole what was shattered in the past and restoring everything that is still broken inside. Having received and believed God’s promises I now slowly understand, that I am no longer a worm, unaware of the beauty inside of me, but about to be transformed into a BUTTERFLY! Throughout this process Jesus was and is my only hope, my example and my strength and on the pages of this blog I would like to make my little contribution, to share with you the incredible pictures God lays on my heart. Pictures that help me understand the difficult moments in life. Perhaps you need some comfort too or just some company for today? Perhaps in this somewhat unconventional way of me sharing some thoughts with you, we could meet Jesus together? Because one thing I know for sure…once you meet Him, everything changes. He gives us comfort and He keeps us company when everyone else fails to show up. So, keep on checking in with me and I will try my best to make you understand, that you are loved and in the Father’s kingdom ALL worms turn into butterflies!

This Scripture was written by David, a man and a warrior, and at the lowest point of my early years of motherhood, it became so very real to me: 

6 A hostile world! I call to God,
      I cry to God to help me.
   From his palace he hears my call;
      my cry brings me right into his presence—
      a private audience!

 16-19 But me he caught—reached all the way
      from sky to sea; he pulled me out
   of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
      the void in which I was drowning.
   They hit me when I was down,
      but God stuck by me.
   He stood me up on a wide-open field;
      I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!
 20-24 God made my life complete
      when I placed all the pieces before him.
   When I got my act together,
      he gave me a fresh start.
   Now I'm alert to God's ways;
      I don't take God for granted.
   Every day I review the ways he works;
      I try not to miss a trick.
   I feel put back together,
      and I'm watching my step.
   God rewrote the text of my life
      when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.


(Psalm 18:6,16-24 MSG)

And if he put me back together...then He will do the same for you
I wish you a week full of little miracles!