Where is Christ?

The tree is up. The gifts are wrapped and hidden until Christmas morning. It has been a whirlwind of year end functions, carol services and getting together with friends old and new. A time of remembering and longing for family and friends who are far away or have gone Home. Excited shrieks of "Mommy, look, there is a Christmas ( tree)''  every time we go to the shops. Endless poring over of every gift catalogue shoved into our hands as thechildren dream of all the toys they want under the tree. Adults worrying  over budgets stretched beyond breaking point and wondering what the New Year will hold.

In the midst of this, where is Christ? I have been so wrapped up in planning  for Christmas that I have lost sight of Christ. I worry over broken budgets, a mom who has lost her job, a new school in 2014 for my "baby" who has a learning disability, a move to a new house that was not wanted or planned. My heart is broken for a baby who would have celebrated her 7th birthday this December but who went home to her heavenly Father long before I was ready to let her go. My worry, business and fear have clouded my mind and I have completely lost sight of Christ this Christmas. I need to come back to the foot of the cross, kneel and worship before the baby. Lay my fears, worries, grief and business at the foot of the Baby and climb into my Heavenly Fathers arms. He who knows the depths of my heart and who has every second of my life planned.

Look past the lights and tinsel and draw close to the Christ of  Christmas because without Him there would be no hope for what lies past Christmas day.

Merry Christmas and may His love draw you close this Christmas season

December days

 

As I listen to the gentle patter of summer rain on the roof, another Christmas holiday comes to mind, one of snow, freezing temperatures and covering myself up like a Michelin man in order to stay warm. Hot chocolate, nearly getting lost in blizzard while out skiing and tobogganing down a steep hill at breakneck speed. I loved living in Europe but a warm, wet African December with wild lightning strikes and thunder showers is really what summer holidays are about for me.

Another sweltering, soggy summer day here in "sunny" South Africa. I cannot believe the amount of rain we have had over the past few days. It makes it challenging with everybody at home at the moment, as we are all under each others feet the whole time and there is not really place for anybody to do anything. I have to be really creative in keeping the children busy while my husband retires to our bedroom to read when it all gets a bit too much ( a really good idea). However, with a bit of planning and a few visits to granny and grandpa, hopefully we will all start the new year rested and refreshed.

We are moving again and although I DREAD the move itself, I am so looking forward to a larger garden, a swimming pool and a separate play room for the children. Also a much larger kitchen, which will make the cake baking a lot easier. Also more space for entertaining, which I have done nothing of in the past 3 years.

I have indulged myself a bit these holidays and bought a Yankee candle. What bliss. I love the gentle, sweet smell throughout the lower level of the house. I have also bought a few new plates, bowls, cups and cutlery from Mr Price Home. Very pretty and they did not break the bank.

So, few bits and pieces from a warm and wet South Africa

The great procraftinator

I have always had a bit of a short attention span, unless it comes to reading a really good book ( I have just finished reading Jeffrey Deaver's The Twelfth Car , sort of borderline ADD when it comes to new projects. Loving crafts and all things pretty and frivolous as well as now having a great intent connection ( thanks to hubby) I do not know where to pick up and where to leave.  Pinterest has so much wonderful inspiration and just reading Lucy at Attic24 or Stephanie at Imagine our Life makes me want to start a new project. At the moment I am busy with a lovely crochet bag, care of Lucy at Attic24. We have just had our Easter holidays and in between tending sick children and a sick self as well as throwing out bags of clothing, I started a take along play mat as well as Stephanie's absolutely gorgeous Fire engine quiet book at Imagine our life.

 Winter is coming at a dizzy pace and I have wanted to knit hats for the children for a while, so today I finally started a pink one, which I am planning to customise with a flower ( or two ). Please note the operative words in all these projects....... I started. Maybe by blogging about it, I will have a bit more motivation to finish at least one of them. But there are so many others I would love to try.. a daisy granny square blanket, a ripple quilt, a flower cushion, a playhouse, a flower garden. I also have a few ideas for a winter wreath, inspired by Lucy at Attic 24.

Just on the side line, I have also started a cake decorating business. Orders are slowly trickling in ( follow my progress at www.purpledaisycakes.blogspot.com)  and I have already completed a Barbie cake, Liverpool cake, Ben10 cake and am busy with a paintball cake

for Friday. This would also explain why my posts are not as frequent as they could be. 

My biggest problem is that there just NEVER seems to be enough hours in the day to do all I need to do as well as all I want. Is this true for other working, blogging, crafting moms out there? Please let me know what you are busy with. I would love to see photo's

Jump without a visible safety net

Every Friday Lisa-Jo over at Gypsy Mama invites all to  join in on
five Minute Friday. The idea is to write non stop for five minutes on the topic given and then post what you have written.

This week's topic is Jump.

Here goes...

Jump....when the cliff feels so high and I cannot see the bottom. When so many tell me about the insanity of this jump. When I know jumping will take all my courage and that I have no guarantee of a safe landing, when I know the fall will bumpy. But how can I not jump as I read one more story of a baby left in a dustbin, a plastic bag, an open veld to die. When I hear of another baby abandoned in hospital, no loving arms to hold her, cuddle her, comfort her when her tears fall like a grief unquenchable. How can I not jump when in my heart I have heard His call to jump. So I pray and draw on His courage for this immense leap of faith. Then I take the first step to the edge of the cliff, not seeing the safety net, not knowing how or if I will land but knowing that somewhere a baby girl with big brown eyes and coffee coloured skin waits to call me mama. So I jump........

Tomorrow

As I sit writing, there are dishes piled high in the kitchen, school bags to be packed, washing on the line and a million other things calling for my attention. Tomorrow seems like a mountain ahead of me as the new school term starts. As I look ahead I am so unprepared, both physically and emotionally, for what the next few months will bring.  The challenges seems overwhelming and I feel so small. Why do I feel as if I have to do this on my own, as if God is not in control and has so many more resources to meet my needs than I could ever dream of ? I know that I need to rest in Him, trusting for peace and for Him to meet the needs that I know I cannot. Just today, as I was fretting about winter clothes for the children and how on earth was I going buy two new winter wardrobes when we barely have enough for the basics, there was a knock at the door, a generous neighbour bringing a bag load of clothes for my daughter. What a blessing. Why is it so hard to trust my Heavenly Father, when He has proved over and over again His ability to provide?

Rest

Late yesterday afternoon I sat next to a large pond at the conference centre after a very hectic day of learning about all things I needed to know if I had to report abuse of a child. This conference followed on the heels of a flooded upstairs bedroom and hallway, a week of a child having temperatures of 40 degrees due to tonsillitis and a 4 day stay in hospital, a blown engine that had to be replaced, three days of working on a cake order that was a complete disaster, a six monthly report and a monthly statistics report, two training sessions, a new dog ( see previous post) and all the usual business of being a working mom and wife.

As I sat next to that pond listening to the waterfall and hearing the geese squawking, I could feel myself relax and my shoulders unbunch. My breathing slowed down and I could feel a peacefulness steal over me. Just a quiet half  hour out of a hectic schedule but I felt so refreshed. Is that not what we need to do sometimes. Steal a few quiet moments to come to rest and renew our spirits. A time to pray or just to be quiet in order to recharge and fling ourselves into the fray. Why is it so difficult to do as women and why do we never seem to realise how much we really need it?

A new family member ...

Oscar in his favourite position

I am not someone who easily posts about our animals but I really had to do a bit of bragging.We have recently welcomed a new family member into our home. Not the two legged kind ( that is a post for another day) but the furry four legged kind. Daisy came to us after much searching and false starts. We got Oscar, our lovely boy, as a rescue last February. His family were going off to Central Africa on a four year contract and were very hesitant to take him with. We found him through a wonderful rescue organisation who rehomes Labrador's and golden retrievers. He is a lovely dog but I think has been a bit lonely.

I have been searching for months for a lady companion for him but with no luck, as each dog I saw was sort of right but not perfect.... until I saw Daisy.What got me hook,line and sinker was her big, soft brown eyes.She is a cross collie/shepherd with a gentle nature and enough extra fur to build a completely new dog.

Daisy's first night at our home

She has made herself at home here very quickly and has wriggled her way into our hearts. It was love at first sight for Oscar and he spent the first two days licking her from top to toe. They have become great friends almost instantly.Thanks to Wendy, the very kind lady who rescued her from death row and brought her to us. We plan to love her for many years to come.