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!

Teacher or lion tamer? You be the judge...but I got a glimpse!

As a child I used to visit the Circus and always loved the attractions there. I adored the people on the trapeze and wished I had that kind of courage. They made flying through the air seem so easy, as if they had almost no training at all. But there was another guy that fascinated me. It was the guy with the lion show. They would pause the activities to erect the cage and then the lion tamer would come in first and one by one he would let the lions in and place them on some kind of stools. From there he would ask them to do some tricks. Now, lions are not at all common in Europe and so they seemed rather dangerous to me. It was quite clear, even to me as a child, that the lion tamer (or “Dompteur” as we called it in French) spent most of his time controlling the lions and making sure that they would stay on their assigned stools. Every so often he would ask one lion to jump through a hoop or do some other kind of trick. But his eyes were always everywhere and if another lion got out of line he would swing his whip and send him back onto his chair. This was essential, you know, if you didn’t want to get eaten up by a lion. One couldn’t help to have a little bit of morbid curiosity and wonder what would happen if they all jumped off at once. But, luckily, it never came to that and everybody, including me, was hugely impressed with the calm and fearless manner in which he handled the scary animals.

Now, what’s this got to do with teachers?? Last week, just for a day, I had the wonderful opportunity to fill in for a missing teacher at my daughter’s Primary School. My task was to supervise the class and to try and complete certain tasks with them. Their regular teacher had laid out the routine and all I had to do was follow the program. While I am proud to say that it went well and we accomplished all the given tasks, I must say, I have since gained a new understanding for teachers.

Teaching, so it seems to me, has much in common with lion taming. My daughter (or your son) might be an angel at home, but put them into a room with 24 others and you have a dangerous scenario. One by one they come in after break and just to get them onto their chairs is a challenge! When we tried to finish a math worksheet together, it seemed very much like making them jump through a hoop. Some kids just won’t keep on working without constant encouragement and coaching. Others are rather overly eager and need to be slowed down a bit. All in all, it seems to take an enormous amount of time to explain a task in a classroom full of children and get them all started at the same time.

Modern society might frown upon the use of discipline and they are beautiful children, each one of them, but they certainly act like a bunch of little lions and a young student teacher might even consider them a little dangerous. So, like the lion tamer, a teacher has to be brave and vigilant, as they tend to be unruly at a moments notice. As a matter of fact, I must have spent the majority of my time, keeping them quiet and on their stools. I know this is the nature of things; after all, I am a seasoned mom. Take one of these children and he or she might be an angel. Take a group or 25 of them in one room, well, then you better have some training in lion taming!

So moms, if you didn’t appreciate your child’s teacher so far, take my word for it – he or she is probably doing a marvelous job! Just for controlling a room full of kids in such a calm and fearless manner, you ought to be impressed with them!

(Images courtesy of: www.morguefile.com)

What ride are you on?

“Time” is such an issue in our lives that it becomes more and more apparent that our choices we make are so incredibly important. My day can be flying by somewhat in a blur, be wonderfully peaceful or anything in-between. The deciding factor for what day I have, seems to be the choices I make.

The way I see it, my day, perhaps even my life, is just like a fun fair, but the question is…what ride am I on? On a fun fair (or fairground you might call it) there are many different kind of rides. There are bumper cars where you can have quick encounters with other people who keep on bumping into you. A “bumper car day” is a day with lots of quick meetings, some fun but perhaps also some nasty encounters and the general feeling is - there is too little time.

Perhaps you would prefer to be on a carousel, going around in peaceful circles. Your view will be slightly blurred and it’s a small world, but carousel days at least seem manageable.

Other days might feel like you are going round and round at a rapid speed but getting absolutely nowhere. That would be the day that you have chosen to ride the “caterpillar” or, if it’s extremely hectic and feels out of control, you might have stepped onto a roller coaster. Such days are very chaotic with a lot of noise and many distractions and they pass at an incredible speed.

And for those of us who are slightly depressed, PMS or whatever the cause might be, it might feel like they’ve embarked on a “Ghost Train”. That would be one of those days where you feel stuck in a tunnel with old regrets and past failures and other scary thoughts and if that’s where you are today I say…DISEMBARK!

Come and join me on the Ferries wheel! That is my favorite ride of them all. I get to go on the Ferries wheel when I have my quiet time with God. It’s a time where He takes me high above and shows me a beautiful view of the scenery. There, from this eagle perspective, my day makes sense and I can figure out how to get through this fairground called life.

Image courtesy of morguefile.com

I have discovered that quiet times are now my favorite part of the day. When last have you been on the Ferries wheel? Has your day been somewhat of a roller coaster ride? Do you want to stay on there or is it time to change the ride? It’s just a thought and it is your choice. What will you ride tomorrow? You decide. You will find me, early morning, on the Ferris wheel and from up there I am wishing you a HAPPY DAY!

Any blog should have a MISSION STATEMENT...here is mine!

Oh, wow! I think I just found the most beautiful illustration for the "purpose" of my blog! Normally one creates a "mission statement" at the beginning of an undertaking, so in a way, this should have been at the beginning of my blog. But in the spirit of "better late than never", here is my mission statement now.

I am currently reading a marvelous book called "Seven Days In Utopia - Golf's sacred journey" written by David L. Cook, PhD. Allow me to quote something he wrote on page 40 and if it doesn't make much sense to you (probably because you don't play golf) just bear with me for a little while.

"There is no model swing in this business, no pat answers. Each person must develop a blueprint for his swing and style of play. He must have such a conviction for the manner in which it is done that there are no chinks in the armor when facing the toughest foe on tour. The toughest challenge you will face is not necessarily the golf course, or even your competitor's scores. Your toughest foe will be the casual comment offered up by a fellow player or teacher about how you should be doing it. When I ask you about any part of your game, I want a solid answer, and I want to hear conviction in your voice. If you don't have a solid answer, I'll send you to the oak to write about it. I deeply believe that in writing our thoughts unseen wisdom rises to the occasion. I am not here to improve your swing; my purpose is to help you find your game. That is exactly what I intend to do."

That's it! That's exactly it! To all my fellow moms out there, here is my mission statement for my blog, just in case you wondered why I write:

There is no specific model in motherhood, no pat answers either. Each mom must develop a blueprint for her own family and her own style of mothering them. She must have such a conviction for the manner in which it is done that there are no cracks in her armor when facing the toughest foe on her journey. The toughest challenge we will face is not necessarily life itself, or even the way other mother's score. Our toughest foe will be the casual comment offered up by a fellow mother or teacher about how you should be doing it. I cannot ask you about any part of your game (such is the nature of a blog), but I encourage you to find a solid stance and conviction that you ARE A GOOD MOM in your own way. If you don't have such a stance or conviction, I recommend you take more quiet time and write about it until you do. I deeply believe that in writing our thoughts, unseen wisdom rises to the occasion. I see that on a daily basis in my own life. So, mom, I am not here to try and improve your mothering skills, I wouldn't be qualified to even try. My purpose is to help you find your game, your mothering style, hoping that this will improve the way that you cope with whatever is coming your way today. That is exactly what I intend to do!

So here it is. That's my mission statement. Isn't that exactly what we need? Less "well meant comments" and more help finding our own way? This is not to say that we can't learn from each other. But your style is your style and and well meant comments only too often end up leaving you feeling guilty and drained. I am still trying to find my own game, but in the process, I would be honored to help you find yours!

HAPPY MOTHERING MOM, HANG IN THERE TODAY!

 
(Thank you to David L. Cook's work which I have used or paraphrased for this post.)

(P.s. If you want to leave a comment below, but don't have a Google account...just type it into the box below and then from the drop boxes choose "anonymous" and publish it. Easy as pie!)

Trying to be a good mom is like "trying to fall pregnant"...

For some of us it seems easy, for others almost impossible. I am currently the mom of a teenager and I often ask myself - what is a good parent? One who provides abundantly? Or one who loves abundantly? Or might it possibly be both? I do provide the best I can, I suppose my husband is doing most of the providing since he is the income earner in the family. But I provide my time and my love as best as I can. But trying to show my love to my teenager sometimes seems equally difficult as trying to fall pregnant at the wrong time of the month! Joyce Meyer, my favorite bible teacher and bestselling author, has recently preached about the "lovewalk" of Christians and I have been pondering over mine ever since. I am still pondering, so today you get the ramblings of my busy mind.

Joyce Meyer was talking about her past and much like her, in my past, every word of praise and commendation I received, has gone toward filling that empty place inside of me. I measured myself by what others thought of me and I spent far too much time in my life trying to gain approval from other people. People who themselves had more than enough problems that they were running from also. Back then, I never quite understood where true love and approval come from, I never realized that I had a heavenly Father I could take refuge in, a father who unlike mine would never reject me. I was rejected by my earthly father and then emotionally neglected by my mother. Outward behavior of a fairly obsessive nature such as my cleaning addiction and perfectionism were the result of it and have merely anesthetized the pain a bit. They have given me little comfort and no quality of life at all. As a matter of fact it steals my breath, thinking of all I have given away, all the time I have wasted and how I have devalued the people in my life by the way I treated them. But today I know that love is...forgiving your husband when you really think he is in the wrong. Love is...doing Grade 3 homework with your child when you would rather be doing something else. Love is...trying really hard to bite your tongue when your anger levels are sky high and you really want to shout at your children. Love is...to be nothing really special for years, when you know something special is hidden inside of you.

Love is...so many other things. But where do we find this kind of love when we are so frantically busy we don’t seem to ever be able to “fill up”? The same way we were trying to fall pregnant in the first place...PRAY and RELAX mom! Do not stress. Relax and make God your intimate close friend. So that out of your friendship with him you will change. Whatever you do…don’t try to change yourself. It won't work, unless He walks by your side. Keep your faith daily, that God is working on your problems and don’t let bitterness and offense lead to strife. The bottom line is, you couldn't fall pregnant without God's help and you can't be a good mom without Him either.

Practice your lovewalk is what Joyce Meyer said. But for me, I had to change that a little. You see, the word "lovewalk" almost seemed like a standard to me. And every time I shouted at my children I felt like I had failed. It became an impossible standard to live up to and almost every day I kept failing and piling up feelings of guilt. But then...in a quiet time...I felt God gently nudging me and saying it's not a "lovewalk" it's "love...and...walk"! So, you see? It's not a standard mom! Not something you have to perform! All you have to do is, you love and you walk. You love your children one moment today and one moment tomorrow and in-between you keep on walking. Get it? I did finally get it! All I have to do today to be a good mom is to keep loving them, when I can and as best as I can and keep walking with God and let Him be my friend. That is my love walk. I am going to practice mine today. Wishing you HAPPY loving and walking today mom!!!

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici 
 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Motherhood...a game of "Snakes & Ladders" ?

Mom, have you ever quarreled with your teenage son? So much that, after dropping him at school, it left you with the feeling that he might enjoy school better than his time at home? This would have, if you are anything like me, left you with feelings of guilt and shame. I have had an opportunity to ponder over this today and I have decided that these are the lies and the schemes of the evil one (the devil or whatever you want to call him). I believe that sometimes he wants to defeat us right from the start, from the early morning, so that our light won't shine that day. But the truth is...

Growth doesn’t happen automatically. Neither my son’s or mine. Relationships are and will always be hard work and growth happens when we overcome our problems, much like we would climb a pyramid. Just imagine a pyramid with a path going up at a steady angle on the outside of it and as you go around and climb higher, you keep overlooking the same sort of scenery. Many lessons we learn in life or battles we fight are kind of recurring just like that. For example, how to deal with my teenage son or how to let go of my past and forgive. Those are problems that I keep facing as I keep climbing. We steadily make our way up, going round and round throughout the years and on the way up we seem to face our problems again and again. But, you see, each time we face them, we face them from a slightly higher point of view. Until...one day...we get to the top and finally enjoy the view!

That's how I feel when I keep facing my issues. Issues of motherhood or issues of pride. Moments where I need to humble myself and don't want to. Any issue I face, I keep facing repeatedly until I conquer it from the top of the mountain. Perhaps a slightly better way to explain my feelings, would be to compare it to a game of "Snakes & Ladders". We keep moving up, but occasionally we get a setback and some days even feel like we've had to take that great big slide down and start almost at the bottom again. But would you ever give up in a game of "Snakes & Ladders"? Certainly not! You keep climbing and even if you are the last one to arrive...you will finish and so it is with us!

That’s the truth I want you to know Mom. That you will make it to the top. If you keep climbing. Don’t give up. Hang in there. One day at a the time. Slowly make your way up the pyramid and know that there are plenty of us climbing with you. We all get bad days and we all need encouragement and if you are one of those moms who have made it to the top...all relaxed and composed and enjoying the view...please remember those of us who are still climbing and if you get a chance, please encourage us today! Wishing you all a victorious day! ;-)

Photo is my own

EASTER...is Jesus' OPEN DAY

Last year, about this time, I had the privilege to attend the Pearson High School Open Day - a time of introduction to all new parents and students. Coming from Europe and an entirely different educational system, this was all so new to me. But even some of my South African friends said that, coming from Primary School, it seemed like a whole new world. A world we didn’t even know it existed. So much more to do; so much more to aspire to and so many new people to meet. Quite overwhelming at first, but exciting nonetheless. On that evening, the admission rules were explained to us. This new school, this new world is reserved for some. Yes, anyone can apply, but only 160 students will be admitted. That’s the reality, these are the limits set by the headmaster or the authority in charge. However, somewhere among the application forms, there was a piece of paper that stated a very important part of the admission rules - that admission is guaranteed if you live in the vicinity of the school. It said that if Pearson High is your nearest High School and if you are a rightful resident of Summerstrand, then you will not be refused entry. What a relief to know! Especially in the presence of the other 500 people who might all be applying later. Why am I telling you all this…?

Easter is coming up and I have been pondering over this thought for a while. I believe EASTER IS JESUS’ OPEN DAY! He came; He made His presentation. Heaven is His world, a world we don’t know, but it exists, far beyond any imagination. God wants all of us to be there one day. Anyone can apply. Not everyone will be granted entry. But I have some really GOOD NEWS! There is a  little detail lots of people keep overlooking and that is: if Jesus is your friend and if you “live in the vicinity” of the cross he died on, admission for you is also GUARANTEED! Yes, you may fail a grade or two, you might even mess up on your very next exam, but if you live with Jesus in your heart, your grades don’t matter. You will get in.

This vicinity thing is really important because it is easy to be worried. Many people worry about whether they will go to heaven one day or not. Just like many parents have asked me since that Open Day: “What if you don’t get in?” and “Will you apply to any other High School?” and my answer has always been NO. None. This is the only one we will apply for. No doubt it is the best one for us and the good news is we live nearby. Some parents seem to worry, even though they live near the school too. Perhaps they did not read the small print and now the devil can sneak in a thought of worry or two: “Are you sure your child will be accepted?” or “What if his grades don’t measure up?”.

I, myself, have had lots of thoughts that I am not good enough for heaven and there were many times where I have sinned and the devil tried to convince me that I would not make “the cut”. But that is when I now go and read the small print of God’s promise again, for in the bible it says, that if you are a friend of Jesus and you make him your Lord, you WILL get into heaven. Your behavior is not the deciding factor, but your closeness to Jesus is. So the only question for you, over this Easter, is this: is He your friend and do you live near the cross? If not, why not make him your friend this Easter and make sure your admission is guaranteed? Jesus was here. He had His “Open Day” when He hung on the cross and He is reminding us every Easter. He has enough space for all of us. But there is a deadline for enrolling and you need to enroll now before he comes back.

I think even the devil knows that his time is almost up. Almost every new action movie released is dealing with some kind of “impending return”. People are sensing it and the devil is trying to advertise his own team. He will do anything to keep you distracted and busy and away from Jesus. But Easter is Jesus’ Open Day! Have you applied yet? If not…why don’t you pray to Him today!

Image courtesy of www.morguefile.com

How do you go to bed mom?

I have been paging through an old diary of mine and found an entry, that is as relevant today as it was back then. But more importantly, I think it is relevant to every stressed out mom and I am hoping I can make you smile with this today. Prompted by a Joyce Meyer teaching at the time, I took note of all the things I did before going to bed. Here is my journal entry:

"Yesterday, at 20h30, I was tired, so I told my hubby 'I think I am going to bed.' After that I got up and washed the dishes and tidied the kitchen. Once done in the kitchen, I quickly tried to fill in the High School application forms for my son, which ended up taking over an hour to complete. I then moved around the house to switch off the lights in the garage and everywhere else, locked the office and popped upstairs to check on my children. They seemed alright, but the toilet roll in their bathroom was empty, so back downstairs and up again for a refill. Going back down to the kitchen, I answered various sms mostly pertaining to my kids play-dates for tomorrow. I made myself a cup of tea and finally went to lie in bed where I noticed that it was now 22h30. By now I was exhausted, but knowing that I would have to go buy my groceries tomorrow, I  wrote my shopping list while sipping on my tea in bed. Then I turned off the light and tried to go to sleep.

And my hubby?

He was still lying on the couch watching TV and when he decided to go to bed...he switched off the TV and did just that. He just went to bed. Why ARE we so different??"

That was back then! Today...I know that God made us different and He provides me with little moments of peace, if I need them and I ask Him to. I do not stress over this difference anymore. I hope you don't stress either, but had a good laugh...! HAVE A HAPPY DAY TODAY!

"OUT FOR THE MOMENT" - BACK SOON!

Blogging on a regular basis can be difficult, especially if you are a mom with children. According to the average blogging standard I have been quiet for too long. Have I given up blogging? No! But you see...I am busy blooming and no one can explain this better than Moriah Peters! So if you have 3 minutes to spare, listen to this beautiful song...

BLOOM (by Moriah Peters)

...and know that if you are having a tough season at the moment and feel somewhat lonely amongst those weeds and thorns...just keep believing and KNOW that you are definitely made to BLOOM too!

I will be back! I haven't stopped trying to encourage you. I am just busy re-setting my GPS. Not the one in my car, but my godly-positioning-system. We all need to do that every now and then, don't we? So for now...please have a happy week and come visit again!

Image courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Hubby playing golf ?

God is a Gentlemen. Undoubtedly.

Golf is a gentleman's game. So they say.

Today is Saturday and I think that God must love golf. Why? Because golf can teach us a number of good lessons about life. 

Here are some of my thoughts about golf...

1. Golf is a game that cannot be rushed! So is life or at least the way it is meant to be lived. We ought to be walking the fairways of life and take a deep breath before the next shot!
2. Golf is usually played with a partner, but often in a group of four and once you start a game together, you cannot bail out until the end. I bet that is what God had in mind for marriage and families, whatever their size. No matter how many times you end up in the "rough" or how many bogey's you play in the game, you stick with your team right to the end!
3. Most players, of course, play with a so-called "handicap". Kind of a numerical measure of a golfer's potential based on his past, allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on somewhat equal terms. I have often wondered, based on my past, what my handicap would have to be in order to be somewhat equal with other moms. I know we ought not to compare and we are all "equal in His eyes"! But when I have a "bad mommy day" I sure wish I could raise my handicap a little. The higher the handicap of a player, the poorer the player actually is and I must admit that at least in the early years of motherhood, I must have had some pretty high handicaps. Ain't I glad we serve a forgiving God! And it is also refreshing to know that given enough practice your handicap usually does come down.
4. A good golf player learns to interpret the "variables" such as wind, terrain and other outside influences. Anything that could bring your ball off course and into the bunker. We have moods and we have needs and somehow they often seem to collide and when they do, we seem to end up in each others "bunker". So perhaps, in order to have a less stressful life, we have to stand still every now and then and learn to interpret the many variables in our day rather than just rushing down the fairway all day? 
5. But my absolute favorite rule in golf is a thing called "mulligan" which is given to a player by the other players. A mulligan is given when a player strikes a really bad shot and he's allowed to re-play the shot from where he was before, without any penalty whatsoever. The score is taken as if the first errant shot had never been made. This practice is used to speed up the game, by reducing the time spent searching for a lost ball. This in turn reduces frustration for all of the players and increases enjoyment of the game. What a perfect way to explain forgiveness in life! We all make mistakes, yet often we refuse to forgive and end up searching the "rough" for our ball. Frustrating ourselves and those around us. How much easier would it be if we just let it go? Take a mulligan...or give one! Quick, friendly and with no penalties involved. When last have you given your husband a "mulligan" or asked him for one if you made a mistake? Need I say more?

These are just some of my thoughts about golf. I think it's a good game for anyone to play. Sadly some guys have given golf a bad name, by going on drinking sprees after the game. But mine is not like that and as far as I can see...if your hubby has gone off to play golf today then cheer up! After all he's learning the basics of life. Golf is a gentleman's game. If it's played right. Let's give each other more mulligans today!

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