Am I an apple? Yes I am!

I recently had to explain to my children the difference between their age and mine. Knowing that my outer "self" is looking different from theirs, I was facing the dilemma of making it visual to them, that inside, I feel exactly the same. I may have some wrinkles and skin blemishes I never had before, but inside, I don’t feel old at all. I trust you know exactly what I am talking about!

So I enlisted the help of an apple. Because an apple is, sort of, what I am.

After I’ve been born out of my mother’s womb and having grown a little, I probably looked something like this…

But I have aged a little since. Now, I look more like this…

With time, blemishes will start to show. The years pass by and we get exposed to life’s sorrows…

Each victory we claim leaves a mark. Like scars in a battle from years gone by and we start looking a little more like this…

I suppose I could put on some more make up and then I would look something like this...

Except that just simply wouldn’t be me.

But is it really the outside that matters? The bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7 “…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (NIV)

My outward appearance is getting older, nonetheless I do not feel it in my heart. So, perhaps the secret to our true age lies inside. Now, ordinarily, people cut apples open like this…

But I believe, in order to see what God sees, you need to cut your apple horizontally. That's when you will discover this little secret...

Picture is my own

You see, the old apple might have some more bumps and bruises and brown spots on the outside, but INSIDE, well inside, if you cut the apple like this, you will see that every apple has a beautiful STAR with good seeds. Just like you have a beautiful soul, hidden by God! That Scripture above tells me that God sees me on the INSIDE and I bet He sees the girl in me, no matter what I look like on the outside. He sees the new life, my future and what I will be. He sees the eternal me that is ready to be replanted in eternity.

So mom, if you are worried today about a few wrinkles, sit down and share an apple with your child. But remember to cut it horizontally!!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

(Unless otherwise stated, all images in this post are courtesy of www.morguefile.com)

Can we re-invent the “teacher-teacher” game?

Everything is a “must” when I don’t feel loved. Everything feels like a chore when I didn’t have enough time with God and I don’t feel like His little Princess anymore. Do you have mornings where everything seems like drudgery? Do you labor and toil on your list of chores, but get very little done by the end of the day? Days like that leave me very unsatisfied and somewhat stressed out and it must have been on a day like that, that I’ve decided that adulthood seems a little overrated. Don't get me wrong, I like the liberties that come with being "grown up", but there is a price we seem to pay. So just bear with me for a moment.

A while ago, during a bible study, I discovered that Jesus loves children. It says so in the bible and from what I have read, it seemed to me that He loves them especially. Naturally, being a mom and not a child, I wondered: But does He love adults too? If you were a seasoned Christian you’d probably say - of course! But I am not a seasoned Christian quite yet, so I focused on His special heart for children and that He seems to want us to be like them.

“Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:3 (NLT)

That sounded a bit harsh and it made me think about why Jesus loves children. What do the children do that He likes so much? I decided to ask the children in my bible class and here are some of the answers we came up with during class:

"Children play, they have fun and they laugh a lot. They learn pretty much all day long. When children fight, they most often make up and the next day they don’t worry about that fight anymore. Actually, they don’t worry about many things at all. Most children also have no troubles at all to believe in and respect God, much like they respect their teacher. Children help each other when help is needed and most importantly they pray. But how do they pray? They don’t only pray on their knees, they talk to God throughout the day, in various imaginary games, such as “teacher-teacher” or when the boys wrestle their cushion at home."

I wondered. How many of these things do I still do? May I ask? How many of these things do you still do? Do you give yourself time to play and have fun? Do you still laugh? Are you still willing to learn all day long? Learn to be a better mother? Learn to be a good friend? Learn from our most incredible example, our “most bestest” teacher ever – Jesus? Do you talk to God all daylong or just when you need Him to help you out?

If the answer paints a little bit of a grim picture, please do not feel condemned or in the slightest bit accused. That is not what I want you to think or feel. What I want you to do though, is to remember. What was it like to be a child? What was your life like without all the unnecessary things? Things we should not really be worrying about. Things we cannot change anyway. Things that use up our energy and give nothing back.

This very moment I am picturing myself sitting next to you, trying to remember my carefree childhood days also, and sitting next to you I would whisper to you, “Jesus does have a special heart for children including YOU and me!” In that special moment I would love nothing more than for you and me to understand, that perhaps, in that Scripture, He was giving us permission to be a little less “adult” and a bit more “childlike” instead.

In many of my posts I have tried to encourage you to spend more time with God. Having a “quiet time” is what we usually call it. I don’t mean to treat the term frivolously, but it does sound rather boring at first, especially to a new Believer who doesn’t know what to do. If you are such a new Believer, remember what I just whispered…"Jesus loves the child in you especially!" If you are not in the mood for some serious bible research today, but you would like to hear from God in some other way, perhaps it is time to re-invent that game. That “teacher-teacher” game we played so often "way back when", but on a very personal level, alone with God.

But this time you don’t need to assemble your entire household of teddy bears, like my 9 year old daughter usually does, and teach them math. What you could do, however, in the very same way, is make yourself a cup of tea, sit down and simply say, ”Lord, I am here. I am listening. You be the teacher.”

It might feel odd the first time. But I have tried. Trust me, when I say, that after a few awkward beginnings, I have had the most wonderful playtimes with God!

 “Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvellous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.” Jeremiah 33:3 (MSG)

That promise, I can testify, is so true! He is waiting for you mom. He’s ready for you to play. Are you ready? Are you willing to give Him some time today? Are you at least curious enough to try it out? When you do, I wish you a wonderful “teacher-teacher” time!

Picture courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Back on the roller coaster - just for one ride...

It's been some time since my last blog entry. I find life as a mom always somewhat hectic, but the beginning of the year can be a bit worse. Our school year starts in January, so sport is different and timetables are changed. The kids move up a Grade and everyone needs to find a new routine. Some weeks can be more trying than others and I can now see that I need to make an addition to one of my previous posts. It's the post titled "What ride are you on?". 

You can click on the above link if you want to read it first. I wrote about the daily choices we make, comparing our days to various fairground rides. Blurry days that can be like a carousel, caterpillar or even roller coaster ride and frantically busy days that are like a ride on a bumper car. The "Ferris-wheel-days" still are my favorite kind of days!

Image courtesy of www.morguefile.com

But I seem to be back on the Roller Coaster now and I have been pondering over how I got there. On a fairground we voluntarily step onto a Roller Coaster and much in the same way you might voluntarily agree to a season of extreme busyness. Perhaps you take on a big school project or you accommodate family or visitors in your home. It all seems manageable at first and you are certain you can handle it. But Roller Coasters seem, at least to me, like more fun, than they actually are. The tricky thing with a Roller Coaster is, that once you get on, you cannot seem get off! Not until the ride is over at least. No matter how sick you get from the speed or the motion, you cannot leave the coaster until it comes to a halt at the end of the ride. Some people love the action and the thrill of the constant climbs and falls, others are frightened silly by them. Whether you got on by yourself or with a friend who pushed you to get on, I am sure you agree - it's a very emotional ride until it finally stops!

And so it seems to be with us mothers. Sometimes we think we are getting onto a bumper car ride only to find that perhaps we have "broken off a little more than we can chew" and are finding ourselves on a Roller Coaster instead.

I have been having a time like that, but now my car is coming around its final bend and I can feel the wagons slowing down. Quite a relief, I must admit, since I got a little more than I bargained for on this ride. Some days it felt like I had such clarity and wisdom that I was throwing my arms up in the air in excitement, praising God. But the very next day, I found myself spiraling downwards again, into the next rapid corner and what seemed to be round and round. Life is certainly very hectic when you are on a "roller coaster ride" and as exhilarating as such a ride can be, I find them too exhausting. I confess, most of the time, I didn't enjoy it as much as I maybe could have or should have. I just held my breath and waited until it was over and I could get off, with wobbly legs and say: "Thank you Lord - that you brought the ride to a halt just in time". Like I said, we get on voluntarily, but we cannot get off until it stops. Mine has slowed down and it is coming to a halt and when it does, I will be wobbling over to my reading chair, to close my eyes for a little rest and picture myself...in the queue at the next Ferris wheel!

Mom, if you are having a rough ride too, I hope it helps if I say that I am there with you! Thinking of you, my friend. Praying that your ride will be over soon and you can join me on the next gondola on the Ferris wheel!

Image courtesy of www.morguefile.com

2013 in review...2014 a new hope

I hope 2013 was a good year for you! It certainly was a good year for me.

2013 taught me to be still. To pace myself, and to listen to God.
2013 also taught me to be in the present. Spend time with my children, enjoying them.

But 2013 was also the year I fought a lot. I fought to be a better person, to overcome my past. I practically fought my way into my “Promised Land”. 
There's a saying "Been there, done that..." - yes, I even got the t-shirt. Just to remind myself to keep fighting. For a better me.

Photo is my own

2013 is now over and 2014 has just begun!

2014 I hope to be the year that will redefine love. For my body, for my children, for my husband, my mother, and most importantly, my Savior.

2014 dare I say, will be a monumental year – the most important year that I have been alive. For in 2014 my goal is simply to love. Only love. I know the rest will follow.

In the next three months I am planning to study "love" with the help of Scripture and a book by Joyce Meyer titled "the Love Revolution". If you're up to it, get a copy of her book and join me. I know it will be a very worthwhile read! 

"And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law."  Mark 12:33 (NLT) [emphasis added]

Besides all the other things I am going to do, I want 2014 to be the year I learn to really love. And as for you? I want you to know that YOU are completely LOVED by our God! May He bless your 2014!

Picture courtesy of www.morguefile.com

(This post was inspired by the writings of N'tima Preusser. You can visit her blog site here we seek joy and read some of her beautiful stories.)

The Gospel as told by little blue Smurfs...

Oh, mom, or grandma, if you ever needed a good story to explain the Gospel message to your children then go see the new Smurfs 2 movie with them! It’s no secret that I love movies but this one is going to become one of my Top 10! God reveals himself in many different ways to people and when He reveals Himself to children (and those that are young at heart), I believe He can do so through a kiddie’s movie. The latest Smurfs movie is a perfect example!

 

“The Smurfs 2” is the 2013 sequel to the previous Smurf movie. In this sequel Smurfette finds out that she was created by Gargamel and only later adopted by Papa Smurf. When adopting her, Papa Smurf infused her with a magic potion, which turned her, from her previous grey appearance, into the blue Smurf she now is. Apparently Smurfette also had a choice whether or not she wanted to be a blue Smurf and remain with them in the Smurf village. Though her past is long forgotten, on her birthday, Smurfette remembers her "roots' and, feeling a little ignored and neglected, she goes for a walk in the forest. There she gets kidnapped by Vexy, another one of Gargamel's grey Smurf-like creations, and is taken to his apartment in Paris. Gargamel and his grey helpers are trying to get the recipe for the magic blue potion from Smurfette, as it is the only thing that can keep them alive. But Gargamel, his true nature being selfish and greedy, just wants to extract the Smurf essence from them so that he can get enough power to conquer and then rule the world. Smurfette soon realizes that Vexy is actually her sister and is tempted into naughty behavior by her. But before she does too much damage, she uncovers the selfishness of Gargamel. When, in a moment of repentance, she remembers the goodness of Papa Smurf, she decides to try and undo some of the harm she has done.

The overall point of the story is that although Smurfette knows that she comes from an imperfect “parent” (none of us are like Gargamel of course!), she chooses to let Papa Smurf be her father and to be a kinder Smurf herself. She also takes a good influence on her sister who gradually takes a liking to her and comes and joins Smurfette in the Smurf village. 

So, having recapped all that, let's look at the finer details of "who is who":

Papa Smurf, with red pants and a red hat, is the only red Smurf in the entire story and why do you think that would be? Well, my interpretation, if I may, would be that, he kind of represents God. He is so full of love as only God can be and hence the exclusive red clothing. You will also notice that when Smurfette returns to him and repents for her misconduct, he has nothing but “googly” eyes for her. Despite her failures, he is always full of forgiveness and love for her. What an example for us parents!

Smurfette, an “offspring” from a very materialistic human, is adopted by Papa Smurf and turns blue after having been “infused” with the magic blue potion. Well, that's the part of the story that made me think of how we try to teach our children that once God adopts us and Jesus becomes our friend, we will receive the Holy Spirit, which, by the way, much in the same way as the blue potion gives us power and everlasting life. I can certainly testify that God "adopted" me a few years ago and I have been “turning blue” ever since. But just like Smurfette I had to CHOOSE to follow Jesus and start behaving more like Him. There it is mom! Do you see my point?

Then there is Grouchy Smurf who, purely by choice, changes his attitude and turns from "Grouchy" into "Positive" during the course of the movie and he does so simply by trying and practicing to be happy…need I say more?

And yes, of course, there is a baddy and his name is Gargamel as previously mentioned. Remember, he's the one who wants to rule the world and needs Papa Smurf's secret formula. I don’t know about you, but I find it always a bit difficult to explain to little children the role the devil plays in our lives. But Gargamel definitely reminds me of the devil. He is a real selfish villain and wants to extract the blue essence from the Smurfs, just like the devil wants to rob us of our joy. The blue stuff, or in our case the Holy Spirit, is the source of our power and our joy and he wants to have it. But he cannot get it if we don’t let him and like Smurfette, we can defeat him. 

So, here you go...admittedly by my interpretation...the Gospel as told by little blue Smurfs! Most of the elements of the Gospel message are right here in this movie that your children will love! There is Papa Smurf, the loving father and Smurfette, the girl who learns to overcome. Then there’s Grouchy, the boy who learns to be positive and last, but very much not least, the Holy Spirit power, though blue, very much present all over the movie. And though there is, as always, a baddy, none of the Smurfs ever have to fight him alone.

Now, if I made you just a little bit curious, then why not pop in at your local movie theater and go see for yourself? "The Smurfs 2" movie is worth a visit with or without your children. Enjoy and let your imagination soar!

"Smurfy" blue sky courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Help! Some days are like a football game...

I am sure you agree, that for every mom some, days are better than others. We would all love to have well behaved children who help us with our chores, whenever we want them to, and husbands who, when they come home from work, take great interest in our day and our problems. Most of the time, however, the reality is a little different.

All images in this post courtesy of www.morguefile.com

There are some days where motherhood seems to have a lot in common with golf, at least on my more peaceful days. Golf seems so incredibly serene, when one is slowly walking down a sunny fairway, without a breath of wind in the air, trying to get a ball to the target. Likewise, on a peaceful day, I "push my ball" at a steady pace, while completing one chore at the time. I do what any mother needs to do with very little disturbance or interruption. Though I might hit a rough spot every now and then, like the "rough" on the side of a fairway, I usually get back on track quite swiftly. On those days I do my best to avoid "bunkers" or other kind of hazards, like strife, quarreling or taking offense. But, and I am sure you agree, these golf-kind-of-mothering days are a little scarce.

More of them seem so awfully busy and chaotic that we don't know how we are ever going to get through them. Yesterday was that sort of day for me. It was more of a "football" kind of day. 

If you’ve been following my blog, then you know I love movies. One of my favorite actresses is Sandra Bullock. In the movie "The Blind Side" (released in 2009) she plays a strong-minded interior designer-wife-mother who takes in a 17-year-old runaway by the name of Michael and helps him succeed in school and sport. It truly is an Oscar winning performance! Michael plays football and she is an avid supporter. At the beginning of the movie she speaks the following very significant words (with a beautiful Texan accent, I might add):

“There’s a moment of orderly silence before football play begins. Players are in position, linemen are frozen and anything is possible. Then, like a traffic accident, stuff begins to randomly collide. From the snap of the ball to the snap of the first bone is closer to 4 seconds than 5.” 

Later she adds: 

“Up to now, the play has been defined by what the quarterback sees, it’s about to be defined by what he doesn’t.” 

Then she goes on to explain, that this is why the second highest paid player in the team is usually the “left tackle” who’s job it is to protect the quarterback from what he can’t see coming. The left tackle is there to protect the quarterback's blind side.

Ohhh, how familiar that sounds! The moment of orderly silence in the morning before my day begins. Kids in position and ready to be dropped off at school. Anything is possible still. It could even be a nice relaxing day. Then, just a little bit later, "stuff" seems to randomly collide. The maid doesn't show up, so I have to cancel my visit to the gym in order to clean and tidy my house instead. An few minutes later, my little girl's school calls, she is sick and I need to come and pick her up. For the second time, at a moments notice, I have to re-arrange my diary. I take her to the doctor; fortunately it's just a tummy bug. Back home I now cancel all my other appointments for today. She will need to be looked after. Not that I don't enjoy nursing my child, but this was the day that I had planned to spoil myself with a massage and now I am running between Chamomile tea, Panados and a bucket!! But I know I am not the only one with a stressful day. A friend of mine's son fell off his long board and just like in football "within seconds" his arm was broken and she was off to hospital. These things happen so quickly and I bet she can relate to this kind of day!

Football days tend to "erode" me to the core, which is of course the game plan of the opposing team. At the end of such a day I feel as if I have "lost the game". Yup! Life can definitely hit you from the blind side, especially if you are a mother. Most of my days are defined by what I can see coming, but sometimes they are defined by what I can't. That is exactly why I need Jesus. I am the "quarterback" in my family. He is the "left tackle" in my life. He protects me and warns me of upcoming danger. If I listen, He is there to protect the blind side of my day. I am so grateful I have Jesus. I hope you have him protecting you.

The good thing is...football days are not an everyday occurrence. Today, I am back on the fairway and from my sunny stroll through the morning, I wish you a fabulous and happy day!

P.s. If you can identify with this post, why not leave me a comment below? A bit of "sisterly empathy" from another mom will go a long way for my readers!