Love in Action Journey

What interesting days we are living in! 2020 sure is absolutely nothing like anything any one of us could ever have anticipated. I have to laugh thinking back at my excitement at the beginning of the year of choosing my diary for the year ahead. My husband always laughs at how excited I get to fill out a new diary. He's all tech savvy and I'm old school when it comes to pretty stationary and books. This particular diary may just be the prettiest one I've chosen to date, but it's also become the most least used one that I've ever owned. 😂 None the less ... as I was contemplating life today on day 133 of lockdown here in South Africa, I finally found the urge to start writing again. So here goes my current ponderings about lessons I'm learning in lockdown.  I'm calling this one "The Hidden Gift in a World set on Pause" ...  Reflection is an interesting lens to look through. It often highlights moments in our life where we wish we had done certain ...

This past weekend I had a real full circle moment in my life, and it is my joy to share it with you. 2 weeks ago marked our little boys 7 year anniversaries of the day he was born, and the following day ... when he got to choose Heaven. As his mommy, I realised very early on that I get to choose how I negotiate such an immense loss. As a wife and mother to my 3 other darlings, my choice has been to be real, honest and true to myself by fully acknowledging the many layers of grief, but in so doing ... to embrace healing so that I can honour my son's legacy by choosing to live, laugh and embrace life this side of Heaven until I finally get to hold him again.  These last 7 years have continued to teach me how Jesus stands closest to the brokenhearted ... and that He is a Restorer to all who allow Him to hold them in His love through the healing process. A huge key to healing for me has been to not suppress the pain, but to work each moment of longing, sadness, anger, regret e...

A little while ago I wrote a post about  when the unthinkable happens , and all we can see or feel is the brokenness in our lives. It's in those moments that we are faced with the daily choice of whether to stay focussed on the pain ... or to recognise that we also have the choice to find beauty even in the midst of our pain. My journey these last 5 years has consistently taught me that there is One who stands closest to the brokenhearted and that He is more than willing to infuse me with strength and joy no matter how volatile the storm feels within, and that searching into His eyes calms the fiercest of storms.   At this point please allow me to give you a sneak peak into my humanity. Before you read the above and think even for a moment that I've mastered that art of choosing best all the time, let me assure you that I have by no means got it all together! Ask my family ... they will humour you with many stories of the work-in-process that I am. Take for instance...

Hello 2016 ... and hello JOY. Every year I seek a word that I can be mindful of growing and practicing in my life. This year I am being more mindful to CHOOSE JOY. I say "choose", because joy is so much more than just a feeling that randomly comes and goes. I believe it is a powerful choice that we can choose to embrace and welcome even in tough moments and situations.  Just yesterday my husband taught in church around the verse from Hebrews 12:1-2 which shares "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him , He endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat sown at the right hand of the throne of God." These 2 verses can be such an encouragement to us. Every day we are running the race of life. God in ...

There are times in our lives when it feels as if the cup falls from our hands and to our sorrow we see it crack or break. For some this could be dealing with disappointment, job loss, disability, injustice, betrayal and for others it could be loss or trauma. It was in a time like that in my own life where God taught me some really precious things that allowed me to see Jesus even more clearly than I had ever seen Him before …  as the master potter, craftsman and mender of my own heart. It was 4 years ago for me when I watched in slow motion as the beautiful cup that I treasured slowly fell and broke into what seemed to me like thousands of broken shards. My husband and I walked through what we thought was unthinkable … the loss of our precious little boy. Negotiating the pain of our own loss and the added hurt of seeing the loss and pain of our 2 little girls broke our hearts. But what I came to experience was a journey and a legacy that precious Jesus had entrusted to us … ...

I've been having one of this weeks where I'm not feeling 100% (getting over a head cold), and when I'm like this ... just one little piece of chocolate is most definitely not enough ;0) It's cold, I'm at home and all I can think of is the cookie jar and sweetie tin which is safely housed in my sweetie cupboard. Yes you heard me right ... in this house we most definitely have a sweetie cupboard. It was the first cupboard that was created and filled on my first grocery shop 18 years ago when I got married. I wish I could have captured Brett's face on camera that first shop. The man was shell shocked as he stood by and watched me put chocolate after chocolate into the cart. (I had not informed him about the sweetie cupboard quite yet). Here he was panicking that his petite little bride had big time plans on doubling in size. (hee hee) I calmly assured him that of course I planned on sharing :0) I have continued to explain to him over the years that the sweetie cup...

Oh my goodness ... why this feels like a familiar place ;)  It's been absolute ages since I have blogged and yet somehow this little corner of blog-land feels like home. I may not get here very often, but when I do, I feel my heart begin to smile as thoughts start to flow from my heart. When I started thinking of all the many explanations and excuses I could make for my lack of postings here on my blog, I finally just stopped as one word in particular stood out in my mind ... the word " Seasons ". I had the opportunity almost 2 years ago to sit in a talk by a woman of God that I greatly admire. Her name is Sally. She and her husband have lived as missionaries for over 40 years and are amongst the most humble people I have met. They have been willing to go to places that I would never have dared to go to show love and share the goodness of God to those who are searching. The little talk she shared was simply her sharing her heart with a room full of ladies some of the...

Lately I have loved seeing on Facebook how many people are practicing the gift of thankfulness with their commitment to "100 days of giving thanks". When we really take a moment to look at our lives, so many of the relationships, memories or things that can so easily skip our notice in the busy-ness of life all of a sudden shine out as precious gifts. Things that we take for granted are finally seen as precious treasures. Thanksgiving is such a powerful principle to release joy in our lives. I can't help but smile or giggle when I read many of the comments. It has the incredible ability to encourage, uplift and release honour to those around us. No wonder there are so many incredible passages in the bible encouraging us to give thanks. It lifts our eyes off the heaviness that can so easily weigh us down and re-focuses us on just how kind and good God truly is in our lives by surrounding us with people who love and "get us".  Something that I am truly thankf...

Oy!!! I don't know when last I had one of these whoppers of a day like I've been having today! You know those ones where half way through you are wondering why in the blue blazers you decided to get up?! Yip. It's been one of those for me. Just to give you a taste ... 1) I went out to breakfast with a friend. Each breakfast choice I picked, apparently they weren't able to make for me. So when I finally found something they could make for me, imagine my shock-horror when my plate of scrambled eggs arrived with a pile of lettuce on it to "replace" the other foods that they had unfortunately just realised they had run out of! LETTUCE!!! With eggs?! I kid you not!!! Mwah ha ha. Funny now, but I cannot say that I was giggling at the time! I promptly removed those crazy greens off my breakfast plate :0) 2) As I got home (in the rain) I realise that I was parked outside of my own gate! My darling hubby had arranged for the fumigators to come today and they parke...

I want to start this post by sharing that the things that I write around are not written from my "point of strength", but more as part of the learning journey that I am on with Jesus. I am forever grateful for His never-ending levels of patience with me! (Im sure He has to practice a little extra dose with me in my many trying-to-change-stubborn-ways ;0) hee hee). Even after walking with my hand in His for these last 37 years, He continues to show me grace in my learning how to live a life that honours, brings Him joy and that can reflect Him as the lavish good God that He is in so many ways. Gosh ... I have so much to still learn and change, but I can truly say that I love the process of transformation with such a loving God Almighty.  Ok ... that out of the way, let me start blogging what I am hearing and learning today ... I woke up this morning to another busy start. I had to say an early goodbye at the airport to my precious Mommy Darling who just spent a month with...

3 more sleeps!!! To say that I feel blessed , giddy with joy and so love d would be putting it too lightly. I honestly feel SATURATED and cocooned in God's amazing love! He is spoiling me from every angle through so many precious people. I feel so loved. Messages keep pouring in with wonderful words of encouragement, prayers and such genuine joy as we all expectantly await Gabriel's birth. Just today a very precious heart-mommy friend dropped off this sweet pressie for our little boy. Isn't it too darling! The blessings just keep rolling in. Over the weekend a very faithful friend of mine gave my hair a wonderful cut, colour and blow dry to ensure that I feel pretty for the big day. Then this morning I was blessed with the yummiest gourmet breakie at the new Boardwalk Hotel.  The 3 of us giggled and laughed like school girls in such a plush, elegant setting. Our laughter seemed to be on the contagious level as another guest dining alone behind us couldn't he...

Today I'm ... Proud of myself for stretching my brain as I've spent hours working out how to accommodate this new blog design! Giggling to myself that it's only 9 more sleeps till sweet boy arrives in my arms (and I don't have to pay for any more heart burn medication! hee hee) Enjoying the sound of my little girls laughter with their best friends as they soak up their last day of holidays before school (and homework!) starts tomorrow! Taking joy in picking my favourite roses from Zac's garden to enjoy inside the house. These orange ones are my favourites! They are called King David roses. David is Zac's middle name :0) They smell beautiful.  Doing a dance of joy for my friend Adeye who after months of waiting, finally has her precious Hasya in her arms and out of the orphanage and is getting her ready to take her home to her amazing forever family! (If you want to see what "love in action" really looks like, you need to spen...

Pre-warning: I'm a little emotional today, so no pressure to read through all my ramblings. It's just my way of processing and working through my heart.  Lately my emotions are raw. The tears seem to be willing to brim at the smallest of moments. The flash backs are vivid and keep catching me off guard. My mind wants to go back and take stock. I want to remember the details. I realise that my heart is preparing me for his 1 year anniversary. I see it in my girls too. They want to talk about Cape Town. They want to remember him and talk about him. We are missing him.We can feel the hole in our family. Amazing how such a little guy has left such a big impact in our lives. He always will.  As I plan my Leelee's party for this weekend, I can't help but imagine what kind of 1st birthday party I would have been planning for our sweet boy. He would be turning 1 this weekend. I keep seeing myself back in Cape Town in the days before his birth. So much hope and anticipati...

Where to begin after the most glorious romantic week away with my handsome husband in a place that is sure to be the closest thing to the "promised land". Sigh!!! Beautiful Mauritius captured our hearts completely. Here is the mother-load of pictures from our little get away ;0)  Excited smiles at the airport as we got ready for our 4 hour flight to paradise :0) We arrived at the hotel quite late, but were still greeted to an amazing buffet supper.  Our first morning was totally overcast, but gloriously warm. Such a welcome relief from the freezing cold and rain of our Winter Port Elizabeth. I wish our winter's were the same sunny warmth of Mauritius winter. Pure bliss!!! The above pic is our first snap of the day from our balcony. Too stunning to open the curtains to palm trees and beach.  With the weather a little drizzly we set off to a local market to find our little girls some island sarongs. That market was a serious lesson in crowds, interesting s...