1. She eats last at the dinner table, just in case there isn’t enough for you
2. She thinks your unattractive but highly ‘original’ card is the best things she’s ever seen.
3. She doesn’t ask for much, just a ‘thank you’ or a note of love or a hug makes her feel loved (more is BONUS! ;))
4. She doesn’t care who you say you are or what kind of position you hold, if you mess with her kids…you might as well consider your days numbered.
5. She’s seemingly immune to lack of sleep and sickness…but she needs rest as much as you- make sure you take care of her!
6. She’d rather you give her a thoughtful gift than an expensive gift (well…unless they’re one and the same haha! ;))
7. She has the knack of making things homely even if it’s the crummiest house on the planet. thank God for that.
8. She doesn’t just listen to what you say…she also has the gift to read what you don’t.
9. You’ll always be her baby…even if you’re 30….married…have kids…have grandkids…have white hair…
10. She’s the greatest playback recorder of your childhood days who’ll gladly re-animate your days for good measure.

Thanks mum. as always, you’re loved and appreciated.

You’ve wanted your own way – now, how do you like it?

Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?

Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.

FIRST pay attention to me, and THEN relax!

Now you can take it easy – you’re in good hands.

~ Proverbs 1:31 The Message

and there lies true wisdom in its realest form.

i think, however, it’s all too often we water down the truth of wisdom. It is not easy when you find yourself face to face with the reality of ‘going your own way’ and how much God’s way intended to steer us away from the pain that it bears.

But, His word says it best – pay attention to Him first and THEN relax…His intent was always that you might remain in the kind of rest that comes with securely trusting in Him, and in so doing find the freedom, joy & fulfilment you left Him to search for in the first place.

Im nowhere close to being consistent in this regard, but i can say that i have once again tasted and seen that God is good. He is righteous and governs us righteously whilst lavishing us with His grace & mercy- all this to bring about His goodness in and through our lives.

And to this end, we fix our eyes on Jesus;author & finisher ~ to such persons loyally in love God, the reward is life & more life.

You and you alone are great, dearest friend & Father. i rejoice in You.

So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.

Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help.

You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.

People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate.

For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way.

The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course.

Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle.

He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us….And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~ Marianne Williamson

i came across the above quote again as a glanced back on my posts from last year. it always intrigued me, but i could never quite understand it. not ‘understand’ as the mind does, but understand as you do when you see the glorious sunrise and tremble in awe of the knowledge of your Creator.

and now in this place, every word jumps out like a flip-book cartoon animating before my eyes

it is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us i was comfortable staying in the darkness rather than risk facing the exposure of the light. who wouldn’t? i thought that i had something. i thought it was all i’d have. but i was wrong. so very very wrong.

at the core of every mistrust is the fear that something is a lie; that somehow you’re being held out on. i thought that God was deeply mistaken- there was no more than what i am now and i’m hanging on to it, i’m HAPPY with this dammit, leave me alone!

but i wasn’t happy. i was nowhere close to being happy. i wanted to get out of the cage i had put myself in, but it was like i had put the key in a padlocked bag, hid it in a secret vault with a 10-combination lock and spent the rest of the time asking around if anyone had seen it.

ahh the irony of it all :)

only a God of patience could slowly but surely chip away the wall of deceit, find me, hold me, and open my eyes to see that the freedom to be me, mine for the ‘becoming’.

ok, so i might’ve written it more dramatically than a more straightforward person would’ve…but i think it’s only in inspecting the very depths of our frail humanity, that we can begin to comprehend the extent of His love. so this is my take on it – selah. :

…and when you’re done?…dance!! dance, dance, daaaaaance. :)

i celebrate You Jesus; the power of your truth and the untamed measure of your goodness.

i am ever grateful…no…humbled, by His kind of love. Perfect love casts out all fear. Perfect love.
thank you. Jesus. thank you for you. thank you for a pages of new beginnings…i’ve lost count

im mortified at my humanity. but you arent. you’re not surprised. you’re not unprepared for it.

who can compare?