A Special Thanksgiving

During a conversation with some friends from our Thursday Bible study group, we caught a glimpse of how God has changed each and everyone of us significantly this year.  I then suggested that we should celebrate Thanksgiving.  It would be a great opportunity to enjoy a special meal with great friends to glorify an ever faithful and amazing God.

Food!

Turkey by Gina

Fortunately, we are blessed with our ever awesome hosts, Chip and Cat, who generously open their home as a venue for our Bible study.  Cat immediately volunteered to have Gina, her cook extraordinaire to prepare the turkey.  Everyone also willingly volunteered to contribute to celebrate the occasion.  Jen lovingly baked some artisan bread, Florence and Anthony's teamed up to prepare some wonderfully baked fish, Ava and Karen had a special cheese and cold cut platter ordered, I made tossed salad and baked sweet potato casserole to compliment the mains and Oliver, Mario and Alfie brought some yummy desserts to end the feast in a sweet note.

from Amen Designs

Cat, Ava and I thought that we had to come up with an activity for everyone to make our Thanksgiving   dinner meaningful.  Since the guys often remind us of Proverbs 27:17, we used the verse as the guiding principal of what we were to do.  Cat mentioned that we should do something to encourage each other.  So Ava and I started brainstorming on how to go about it.  Our initial plan was to give  each person a board and have everyone post some "thank you" notes on it.  As we rummaged over the bookstore for the materials needed, we found that 1/4 size illustration boards would be perfect for the activity.  We then tried to look for post-its in different colors to represent each one.  Since, we were a lot, it was quite difficult to do so.  Then a light bulb moment hit, "you know we can just write on the board and make things easier".  Which until this day remains as an inside joke for Ava and I.  We then had to figure out how to make the board more personal to each one.  We thought of making a monogram of each person's initial but since it would seem too plain we decided that we had to add a drawing that reminds us of that person.

Monogram and Messages

Ava had the letters printed in special sticker paper and pasted it on the boards.  We then met up for the personalized drawings.  At first we even considered sketching each person's face on it!  But then we thought of drawing something for each of our friends that would represent a significant meaning in their life.  We prayed that God would show us what to draw for each individual, discussed our ideas, listed it down and drew it correspondingly.  We then determined that there was to be two parts to our Thanksgiving activity.  The first is to share how the picture speaks to the person's life.  Anyone can give insights to the drawing.   The second is for everyone to pass around their boards and write a special message of thanksgiving or encouragement to each other.

Sharing Insights

Writing Words of Encouragement

We were really blessed that everyone whole heartedly took part of the activity.  It was such a nice moment and our bond among each other was strengthened.  Words really have the power to bring life.  At the end of the night there was an atmosphere of gratitude.  Gratitude first towards God because of the depth of His love for us and gratitude towards each other because we have one way or the other made an impact in each others lives.

The Guys with Their Boards

Girls Showing Off Their Boards

I hope you take the time to create meaningful moments with the people God has given to you in your life.

Weekly Roundup - November 25, 2012

The year is coming to an end and we have a lot to be grateful for. For us, a major thing we're grateful for is growing in God's love. In many ways, this year has been tougher for us, so many new undertakings, new challenges as well as the old, higher standards, and higher goals have all added up to a busy, tiring, and eventful year. Throughout this year the common reminder has been, go back to God's love. It's such a simple idea but it has been life-changing for us. It has made us more and more aware of the importance of investing in our hearts, what God looks at, more than the externals that people notice.

Of course, we have a long way to go in this area. With all the events coming up we girls do need something to wear right? Haha!

For those of you who missed our articles, here's last week's list of things to read:
1. 10 Lies Churches Tell Women
2. Michelle's Preparing My Family for Christmas
3. Roxanne's Overcoming My Fears
4. An insightful article on being "Single"
5. Something to make you smarter with wines
6. Pastor Steve Murrell's reminder to remember God on Thanksgiving

So much to read and a lot to learn! Thank you for joining us on our journeys! We have more for you this week, including what we did last Thanksgiving. Might be something you and your friends can try.

Hope you had a great week! Don't forget to be God's kind of beautiful!

- My Doolally Girls 

Overcoming My Fears

Fear often creeps in our hearts and minds and takes us off guard. One moment we feel so confident and filled with joy, the next thing you know a negative thought or uncontrollable circumstance discourages us and cripples us. We start doubting God's promises. We start doubting ourselves.

A strong sense of fear recently enveloped my heart like a dark cloud. I was so expectant, so much in faith with what God had in store for me. I really felt that I was entering the promise land He has prepared for me. That my business and personal life was experiencing breakthrough. But then, doubts invaded my thought : “ Did God really promise?” “Has something so great ever happened to someone like you? How many times have you failed?” I took these doubts to heart and questioned my life. Maybe I assumed everything and was living in vain. It really made me lose hope.

From Thoughts To Make Your Heart Sing

What I've learned in my walk with God was to always bring my emotions to Him. I always ask myself “what is God trying to highlight in my life in light of this situation?” I like what Timothy Keller said in one of his preachings “process your emotions in the presence of God” and that's what I did. I sought Him and brought my frustrations, questions, fears and doubts to Him.

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1 NIV)

As I was seeking Him, I read a passage entitled “Believing and Doubting” from “Thoughts To Make Your Heart Sing”, an amazing children's devotional book written by Sally Lloyd Jones and Jago. It said:

Our strong God is the one who rescues us- not our strong faith.
Because faith isn't just you holding on to God.  It's God holding on to you.

I felt like these words were God's command to calm the storm raging in my heart. It put things back into a perspective. I have a strong God who will never fail me. He promised to bring me into a land flowing with milk and honey. He is faithful even when I'm not. He is strong when I am weak.

So, when fear tries to get the best of us, let us run to God. Let us use our every situation to experience a deeper level of His love. Let us remember His goodness and rest in Him.

Preparing My Family for Christmas

It's the end of the year and Christmas is once again around the corner. This year I want to start a tradition for my family that is new to us but actually has been a practice of many Christian families for generations. I'm talking about preparing for Christmas by having an Advent Calendar. I want Christmas for my kids to be meaningful as much as it is fun. I hear them talking about Christmas all year long because of the gifts on their wish lists, and I hardly hear them speaking of the real reason why Christmas exists in the first place. I thought about this and I realized that I am the same way. For me, Christmas is the most hectic season of the year. I don't really look forward to it because that means that I'll be drowning with gifts to wrap, Christmas tags to order, Christmas goodies to bake and decorate, parties to attend, and of course a pile of expenses!

As I was enumerating the endless things to prepare for Christmas, it dawned on me, I was thinking of Christmas-this, Christmas-that, yet I had forgotten Christ. I had forgotten the celebrant.

None of us would be happy if people took our birthdays to celebrate themselves, but that's what we do every year. We've forgotten the reason for the season.

That's why this year, I'm going to make the changes. First on my list is to remind my children of why we celebrate Christmas, that it's not just any ordinary holiday, that it's not just another long weekend, most of all that it's really not about the gifts they get. I want them to know that Christmas is about the most important person in our lives: Jesus, the greatest gift we could ever receive.

This Christmas, I want to prepare my family by deliberately preparing our hearts and minds, as well as our home for this amazing season of Christmas.

Preparing Our Hearts and Minds
To prepare our hearts and minds, I'll be reading (actually re-reading) these books to my kids. I want them to remember that Jesus came here because He loves us so much. That's the whole point of Christmas. It's the season to celebrate Jesus' coming.

One of them is Max Lucado's Children's Treasury

There are four great stories inside and they all talk about Jesus' coming. It teaches us about how Jesus' coming made it possible for us to have a special place in heaven and a special purpose here on earth.

Another one of my favorite books is The Jesus Storybook Bible, which very simply illustrates how Jesus can be found in all the life stories of the people mentioned in the Bible. Even before His coming, He was already present in their lives.

The point of preparing our hearts and minds is to remind ourselves of "WHY" we have Christmas in the first place. I want my kids to know that we enjoy the freedom we have because of what Jesus did, because He came to Earth for us. I wish that learned about the significance of Christmas at a younger age, I would have appreciated more just how amazing God's love for us really is.


Preparing Our Home
To prepare our home, we're going to start celebrating more of the Christian traditions of Christmas. Particularly getting the kids used to having an Advent calendar on Christmas.

An Advent calendar is a special calendar which is used to count or celebrate the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Some calendars are strictly religious, whereas others are secular in content. Despite the name, most commercially available Advent calendars begin on December 1, regardless of when Advent begins, which can be as early as November 27 and as late as December 3. Many take the form of a large rectangular card with "windows" of which there are often 24: one for each day of December leading up to Christmas Day. One is opened every day during Advent. In many of these calendars, each window opens to reveal an image, a poem, or a portion of a story such as the story of the Nativity of Jesus. More elaborate Advent calendars have a small gift concealed in each window, such as a toy or a chocolate item. (read more about it here: Advent Calendar)

This is the first time we'll be doing this as a family. I remember some friends and I gathered together with other friends and our kids to celebrate one Advent. It was a one-time thing but I remember how meaningful it was. Doing this consistently with my kids will impact them for the rest of their lives. I'm excited also because it also involves making crafts with my kids. I love doing things with my kids!

I researched online for cool Advent calendar ideas. Here are some:

Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart always has the coolest, most creative crafts. Her website is the first I go to when I'm feeling crafty. She has a lot of other cool crafts for Christmas. Makes me wish that I had more time to try them out .

(http://www.marthastewart.com/857740/handmade-advent-calendars/@center/307034/christmas-workshop)

Modern Parents, Messy Kids
Here's another informative website. They have all sorts of activities for parents and children.
http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2012/11/do-you-have-your-advent-calendar-yet.html#more-5434

Who can resist this Lego Advent Calendar? Maybe if we run out of time, hehe.

other links:
http://thesewingloftblog.com/2011/11/28/how-to-holiday-advent-calendar/
http://mostlovelythings.blogspot.com/2011/12/advent-calendar-decorating-with-old.html


Preparing to Give
All of these activities should lead to something practical. God loved us so He gave us Jesus. He gave us a gift. I plan to talk to my kids about generosity and how we can help people know Jesus. I remember when I was younger, on Christmas day, my family and I would go out and buy burgers, fries and drinks from Mcdonald's and give them out to the street children or the beggars we passed by. During that time, all I thought of was about how fun it was to give and that it warmed my heart to see their faces light up receiving our small gifts. I didn't know it at the time, but the reason why it felt so satisfying is because we were doing what God wants us to do which is to give love.

With everything that's happening around us, all the cares and the dreams and the challenges, many  people are too poor or too clueless to appreciate Christmas. For these people, Christmas is just another ordinary day. They don't expect gifts. They don't expect for Noche Buena. They don't attend Christmas parties. They don't buy their Christmas outfits. They don't worry about giving gifts to their loved ones. Christmas is meaningless to them. What more knowing that Jesus is the reason for the season? It's a sad reality. There are those who have all the trimmings and get to go to the best places, but because they miss Jesus, they're just as poor as those who have nothing.

I want to prepare myself and my kids to give. I want them to enjoy giving. I want to learn this myself. I want us to get our eyes off ourselves, off plastic toys, or tables of food, or red and green decoration. I want us to celebrate the blessing God gave us, by giving our blessings to others.

I'm a little overwhelmed just writing this. I've never done this and being a single mom means I juggle quite a bit. I do not look forward to the traffic, nor the crowds, nor the spending, but I do look forward to celebrating the birthday, of the One who set me free.

Weekly Roundup - November 18, 2012

Obviously, food was on our mind last week with Michelle's 3 New Ways to Use Basil and Rox's Roast Chicken. Let us know if you ever do try them. We'd like to know what you think. You may even have your own suggestions.

We also shared something for your souls from Charisma Magazine in Ms. Lucy Swindol's The Grass Isn't Always Greener. We encourage you to read this article as we hope that it will bless you and encourage you for the upcoming week. Here's an excerpt:

God has shown me that wherever I am in life can be my very best place. I had no idea all the things God had in mind for me. That list I made in September 1985 was only a drop in the bucket to all He had in mind for my journey. And I'm still movin'—enjoying every minute of the here and now! 

Hope you're enjoying your weekend! Don't forget, be God's kind of beautiful.


- My Doolally Girls

Roast Chicken

Roast chicken has to be one of the most common recipes ever.  As an avid cook, I've tried tons of chicken recipes, from baked, braised, friend to grilled chicken.  Suprisingly, I've never really tried roasting a whole chicken before.  When my friend Alfie, invited us to come over his place to cook.  I decided to give it a shot.  It was fairly simple to make.  You just need the patience to wait for it to cook in the oven.

I adapted the recipe Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme from Bon Appetit but made some tweaks which turned out to be a crowd pleaser!  Here's the recipe with some adjustments:

Ingredients:

  3 tbsp thyme (we couldn't find any fresh ones but the dried ones turned out to be good)
  2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  5 garlic cloves, chopped
  2 tsp grated lemon peel
  1 7 pound roasting chicken
  1 lemon
  1/4 cup dry white wine
  1 cup chicken broth (I used duck broth, since I made some)
  2 tsp all purpose flour
  baby onions (my addition)

  1. Preheat oven at 450 F.  Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl.  Rinse chicken; pat dry.  Place chicken in a   roasting pan.  Rub all but 1 tbsp garlic-thyme oil over.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place lemon in cavity of chicken.  Tie legs with string.

  2. Roast chicken 20 mins.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 F.  Add in the baby onions.  Roast chicken about 1 hr and 15 mins.  Lift chicken and transfer to a serving platter.

  3.  (I tweaked this part of the original recipe) Pour pan juices into a pan.  Add broth.  Add wine.  Cook in high heat until the sauce reduces.  Add flour and whisk into mixture until thick.  Serve in as sauce.

The chicken in itself is really tasty and juicy enough.  The sauce is awesome to match with whatever side dish you prepare.

3 New Ways To Use Basil

Basil is one of my favorite herbs. I like adding basil to my food or drink. During my recent trip to the grocery, I found myself buying more than expected. (Side note: I dislike doing the grocery that's why I tend to overstock. Note to self: Work on your meal plans!!!) When I realized this, I went online, read through some of my books and found new ways to use basil. Let me share with you what I found:

1. Basil Simple Syrup

Adding basil into your own recipe of simple syrup goes a long way. You can add this to your bowl of fresh fruit, on your freshly brewed iced tea, lemonade, or favorite fresh fruit smoothie, or even to homemade popsicles for your kiddos.

I tried substituting basil simple syrup to one of my favorite smoothies, and it came out yummy!

Mango Basil Smoothie (serves 2)

1 mango, peeled, pit removed, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 T. chia seeds in 1/2 cup water
2 T. basil simple syrup
1 cup ice

Soak the chia seeds in the water for about 30 mins to an hour. Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth.

You can get the recipe for Basil Simple Syrup here: How to make basil simple syrup.

2. Basil Flatbread Crackers

I have yet to try this!. Just by looking at it, I think that this will be a good addition to a cheese platter or it can be a snack itself. This is my recipe to try for the week.

I got it from the ever-reliable Martha Stewart.

Basil Flatbread Crackers (serves 4)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, plus 40 whole basil leaves
Coarse salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg white, lightly beaten for egg wash

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse flour, chopped basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, add cream; pulse until dough forms.
2. Briefly knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; shape into rectangles, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Roll out 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a very thin rectangle (about 12 by 16 inches). 3. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with salt. Press 10 whole basil leaves into top.
4. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Repeat 3 times with remaining dough, egg wash, salt, and whole basil leaves. Break into individual crackers using your hands.

3. Basil Insect Repellent

As I was researching on food recipes for basil, I saw an article that caught my eye. I found out that basil keeps flies and mosquitoes away. Basil Insect Repellent is another easy thing to make when you have extra basil. 

Ingredients:
4 6 ounces of fresh basil leaves
4 ounces boiling water
4 ounces vodka
Spray bottle

1. Take your fresh basil and make sure it is thoroughly clean. You will be steeping it in hot water, so there should be no dirt or debris in it. The stems can stay attached and be steeped along with the leaves.

2. When the water has boiled, pour it over the basil in a container, cover it and leave it to sit for several hours. Be sure to only use the amount of water the recipe calls for. Too much water and the basil infusion will be weaker than you want it for maximum effectiveness.

3. After the basil has steeped in the water for several hours, sift out the leaves and pour the basil-infused water into a spray bottle. Squeeze every last drop of liquid out of the saturated leaves into the bottle as well. The infused water should smell heavily of basil at this point.

4. The vodka is used as a carrier and diluter. In the spray bottle, pour in the four ounces of vodka and mix it with the basil water by shaking the bottle gently.

5. Now that the basil water is mixed with the alcohol, attach the spray bottle nozzle to the container. It can be sprayed onto your skin or clothes to repel stinging insects. Do not get it in your eyes, nasal cavity or mouth, and make sure that it stays out of reach of young children.

Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/making-insect-repellent-with-basil#b#ixzz2C4SOqCFR


*Bonus Tip:
Make basil into pesto, and package it in small portions -- around a quarter of a cup -- before freezing. Frozen pesto doesn't go brown, which tends to happen when it is stored in the fridge.

If you don't have a basil pesto recipe, check out Martha Stewart's delicious basic pesto recipe here.

So the next time you find yourself with lots of basil, instead of letting them wilt inside the refrigerator, try out these different but easy-to-make recipes.

Weekly Roundup - November 11, 2012

We don't mean to but sometimes our weekly posts seem to form a theme. The theme for the week that just passed? Growing Up. We're on a journey, and we're all in different part of our own journeys. Three things we need to remember are:

1. God is always with us. No matter where we are, what we're facing, who we're with (even if we're with no one), how we're feeling, and despite our limitations and weaknesses, God is always with us. Let us remember to turn to Him first before anything.

2. Find people who understand that this walk is a journey. As one of our favorite authors, Timothy Keller, said, "Find somebody you want to take the journey with, someone who actually knows there's a journey." A journey means there's still so much to see and discover, to face and overcome, so many achievements waiting for those who don't give up. Find people who won't give up on you.

If you missed last week's articles here they are:

1. Ava's scary statement in A Different Kind of Halloween
2. Roxanne's realizations about leaving one's comfort zone, paying the price, and planting the seeds for a better future.
3. Michelle reminding herself and us that kids will do as we do, not as we say.

Enjoy the articles and have a restful Sunday! Don't forget, be God's kind of beautiful.

- My Doolally Girls


Other blogs you may enjoy:
1. Marry A Man by Lynette Lewis
2. Artisan Cellar's How to Choose Wine
3. Pastor Joey Bonifacio on The Slippery Slope of Me

A Different Halloween

Our dear friend, Ava Samson, chose to make Halloween meaningful by making a statement.  We really admire her compassion towards the brokenness women go through.  We hope this inspires you, in your own little way, to address the brokenness around you.

For as long as I can remember, my sisters and I have always dressed up for Halloween. It is one of the fun things we all do together. Our motto is “dress all out or don’t go out!” Needless to say we always went all out. From prima ballerina to Tinkerbell, to witch, to pirate, to soldier, to a Parisian woman, etc. We’ve done a great variety!

Yet surprisingly, Halloween was different for me this year. Come to think of it, many things in my life are very different. It’s not that I didn’t dress-up. I actually had a costume, which I’ll explain later. While I can’t say a lot has changed for me externally, the changes I’m talking about have happened deep inside me, in my mind and in my heart.

This year, I wanted my costume to be a statement, a statement of my new realization: the deep brokenness of women in society. So I went as a battered and bruised, pregnant trophy wife. Before you misunderstand me or misinterpret my costume  (as many others did when I went out that night), let me explain why.

Of the many realizations I’ve had this year, one of the most meaningful is this: God has blessed us women with beauty and love. Yet society has exploited these gifts, and we find ourselves trading away our God-given beauty and love for cheap imitations. We open our hearts to the wrong people. We love the wrong things. We allow our beauty to be used for the wrong purposes. The end result is a woman, meant to be a beautiful bride, meant to give birth to so much life, but battered, bruised, and broken instead. Sometimes this brokenness is physical, sometimes it’s emotional, and sometimes it’s both. It’s hard to find a woman who hasn’t been damaged by the darker elements of society.

As I went out, I got a lot of mixed reactions (partly because some people actually thought I was really pregnant). Some people were wondering why I chose this costume, and some thought I was making a mockery of women. But I wanted, at least in my tiny way,  to get the chance to talk about the brokenness of women, that we can no longer ignore or deny that materialism and the objectification of women is good, or cool, or sexy. No busy-ness, or accumulation of money or things, or success can ever fill the emptiness in us. We can distract ourselves but we know deep inside that there’s something broken.

I knew I felt it, the brokenness, even if I didn’t know what it was or how it got there.

Until I learned about how much Jesus loves me, and how He sacrificially died for me and faithfully waits for me to turn to Him. I realized that I didn’t have to fight this battle alone. I was broken because I was giving myself to the wrong things but now I had the perfect person to fill me. Yes, we are battered and bruised, but the love of Jesus keeps showing us that if we choose and accept Him, He will heal our hearts of the wounds and brokenness. He shows us what’s true and what are lies. He guides us to live lives that help heal others and break their chains. We become women who free other women, instead of women who lead others to more brokenness.

This realization has brought a new fulfillment to my heart, but it has also brought the difficult responsibility of choosing what’s good and right over things I used to accept as “valid” or “ok” or “not wrong”.  But I draw strength from two verses I’ve only learned about recently. His word is a lamp to my feet, a light on my path (Psalm 119:105) and that He is the way, the truth, and the life that leads us to God (John 14:6). With Him guiding me, I have nothing to fear, even in a broken world, and even on a scary night such as Halloween. 

The Cost

I've always wanted to do many things in my life.  There are so many things I want to learn and be better at.  Growing up, I've always been blessed with opportunities to develop my skills.  I would start out excited, envisioning myself to be the next greatest tennis player, or have an artwork that would sell for millions, or owning my own multi-national company.  But as I start training, practicing, studying I get bored, I get impatient and those wonderful pictures my mind conjured becomes a blur.  Somewhat like an unattainable fantasy.  So I go back just living within my comforts.

For many years, I've lived in such a way where I'll do what's needed to get by the level (so to speak) where I'm at.  Stepping out of my comfortable bubble isn't for me.  Imagine all the movies, travels, dinners, fun activities I'd miss just to hit some yellow ball over and over again, or get my hands all messy with paint, or read some boring book teaching me how to count.  

But there came a point in my life when I realized that getting the gratification I wanted in an instant isn't  making me live a purposeful life.  Yes, I've had fun experiences but it didn't bring a lasting value in my life.  It reached a point where I was just too tired from being comfortable.

I'm so thankful that God didn't give up on me and in His sovereignty He not only worked on my mind and heart but also gave me new opportunities to enable me to start living for the purposes He set for me.  I recall a friend praying that God was giving me new soil for old seeds.  It was about having a new perspective in living.  When you think about it, we often go through similar things in life, it's really about how we view it and act upon it.  What helped me see things differently is determining the things I valued.  I remember Michelle and I, together with some other friends sat down to list and share the things we valued.  This really transformed our outlook and since then served as a guide to the decisions we make.  

Now, God has really entrusted so many things to me.  I have responsibilities at home, I help manage two businesses, I'm the co-blogger of My Doolally, I'm part of Bible studies, I've been working on my painting, I take care of my pugs and I've been training in tennis.  It's really exciting and I'm really expectant!  However, there are days when I have to make a conscious decision to commit to my purposes.  There is a cost to my comfort.  I have to step up even if I feel timid or shy, I have to start my day early even if it feels so good to stay in bed, I have to increase my knowledge by reading instead of catching the latest movie, I have to attend meetings instead of meeting up with friends.  A lot of days, I would whine, I would complain, I would want to escape.  Maybe because these aren't decisions that the old me would have made and delaying gratification is something new to me.  Yet, I wouldn't trade where I am now for anything because I feel God's approval and pleasure like I've never before.  It is such a privilege and a joy to be living out what God has planned for my life.

Doing As I Do

As my kids get older, the more I realise a powerful yet equally challenging truth: my kids do as I do, not so much as I say. If I tell my kids to be kind but respond to them unkindly, they will most likely learn to be unkind. If I tell my kids to be patient, but act impatiently towards them, guess what they will pickup? Impatience. In the same way, if I show them a good example, they'll most likely follow that lead.

This is why it's so important to me to teach and show them what's right and what's wrong.

The world can be a confusing place for a kid with all the mixed messages he or she gets. Most of the world makes money, cars, things, fame, and human recognition the most important things, but we know from the Bible that these things are not only fleeting but harmful when turned into obsessions. I don't want my kids to care more about cars than they do about the drivers. I don't want them so impressed with the size of a house that they forget the household help. And I realised that left to normal influences they'll think that things are more important than people, and when they don't get their way, they won't treat others properly. I have to show them that people are way more valuable than any material thing - and this I can only teach through lessening my own materialism, showing them kindness, treating people who serve us generously, and displaying the attitudes I teach. There's no other way. Kids are too smart to fall for cheap words. They'll pick-up what they see.

If I want to teach my kids the value of money and hard work, they need to see me working hard, persevering, saving, not taking short-cuts, or using others. I want to show them that hard work isn't bad, and that working on something is a rewarding thing. I'm grateful Coco Cakes allows me to do that and is business we're all proud of.

This is also why the influences on my kids, their friends and who I call my friends, are important. I want to be able to tell my kids to follow this man's example, or this is how a lady should behave, or this is the kind of humility that we should pray for. It's so easy for them to get blinded by status and what's cool for now.

As many of you know, I'm a single mom. Many people ask me, "How are you able to balance everything?" I tell them that I can't, that I'm thankful to God for His help and for really surrounding me with people who have helped me in the areas I lack. I'm so grateful for the wiser people who have advised me. I'm so grateful for those who help me with Coco Cakes, and for those who have helped me in the past. A lot of what I'm doing is new, and it's such a great feeling to feel real support, and to see people acting out their love. It's really taught me so much on how I should treat others too.

I really want to teach them, to show them, that people, even those others treat lowly, should be treated with dignity.

Among the different things I want to teach my kids, teaching them to put others first is one of the top. I know this isn't always easy to train in a materialistic and "me-first" world, but I know I have a chance if I do it myself and show them how.