My God-daughter

This week-end her mom has gone away  and Myah and I are doing our very first sleep over.  She is at my house. So far so good.  Tree House - I love you!  The channel is now keeping her well entertained, her belly is full and we have two sleeps and one day to go.  The significance of this is how far she has come since we met. 
Her birth mother left her in the hospital, where she was in foster care until my friend was sent along by God to this beautiful child.  When we met her she was not speaking, eating solids or walking properly. The speech therapists were not hopeful that she would have words and so they started to teach her sign language.  She was not mobile as every other child in that age group. She was not a fan of solids having spent all of her formative years on a bottle and nothing else.  But God....I could almost break out in shouts of praise for a God who has done so much in the life of this little girl.  The professionals are surprized at just how far she has come.  They dont undersand the power of a praying Mom to a mighty God who is able to heal, change and make whole.

Almost three years ago, I was asked to be the god-parent of this little girl.  At first I wondered what I was getting myself into...how could I relate to her?  She was different from my nieces and nephews and other god children.  I remember the first day I sat her.  Many Tuesdays ago, I remember how she screamed and rocked back and forth, back and forth. No words came from her and the idea of me touching her did not seem to bode well with her.  She cried and cried for what felt like an eternity.  Since then, we have come a long way. My god-daughter runs, and speaks and eats.  She knows my name.  The first time she said it I felt like she was my own daughter saying Mommy for the first time.  She was able to recognize me - what a treasure.  She gives hugs and kisses.  She is the youngest member of the praise team on Sundays...singing along with the best of us.  Her memory is like an elephant's and her intellect very sharp. At almost 5 years old, my Myah has taught me how to be patient. She has shown me that love is not one size fits all. Instead, it is very individualistic.  God makes no mistakes and she is just perfect - flaws and all!

Give it with love, store it above.

One plus one equals three? Little plus giving equals more?

I have come to realize that the mathematics of God does not add up.  When I say this, I do so with the greatest reverence and full acceptance of His wisdom. Indeed it is written:

Romans 11:33-36 (New King James Version)

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
       ³⁴ “ For who has known the mind of the LORD?
      Or who has become His counselor?”^{[a]
       35} “ Or who has first given to Him
      And it shall be repaid to him?”^[b]
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

I asked God to show me how to increase my wealth and he gave me a solution that left me shaking my head in wonder.  He said give more.  I said, Lord I don’t even have enough, but the answer remained unchanged: Give more. Increase my giving to the work of the Lord to gain more?  Somehow, I didn’t see how that was going to work.  But, as I know, I can only see right now, and am not the one who one who stands at the beginning and sees to the end, I trust in the one who does.  Give more.  Then I grumbled in my spirit…I confess I did.  The reminder was immediate; God delights in a cheerful giver.  Yes, that He does.

So I give myself away as one song writer wrote, so that I can be used.  I give of my finances, my time, my abilities and all that is the essence of me.  I give away me, so that in doing I gain Christ and all that He is.  Even now, I tear up because I feel so strongly impacted by this calling.  Give more says the Lord.  Give when it is a sacrifice to do it. Give when the gratitude and acknowledgement is absent. Give when you have nothing and when you have plenty. Give in and out of season – and in so doing, God who is a rewarder of them that diligently serve Him, will bless you.  

I wonder if this is just for me, or was it for me to tell you so that you could be inspired to give?  You will know within yourself what the answer to that question is…but be encouraged today and give with a willing heart!

New and Improved

The new and improved?  Only to me.

New me

New you?

New boots

New “do”?

I cut my hair.  Not clip the ends off, but take the length off.  My cousin has said in her own loving way “You’re crazy!”  My sister echoed her own loving thoughts describing my new “hair do” as perhaps being the landing place of a bird.  My mom looks at me above my eyes and I know she wrestles herself daily, and has kept her questions such as “So are you going to do something to it?” to only once a week.  God bless them all.

I smile even as I write this, feeling completely at ease with all the comments, looks, questions and others.  Now, don’t get me wrong – my hair is still pretty boring.  No added colour, no Mohawk (even though I would love to try it), no shaved parts just boring and regular.

The cause of my family’s distress is that one word that most girls of colour are afraid of – well in my family.  Natural.  I am trading in the bottles of “perm”, and other straightening agents. Instead, I have opted to see my hair…emphasis on the MY.  The hair, as God made it – without the “enhancing” products that my family thinks I need.  I cut off the processed hair, and I have not since looked back. Instead, I have fallen in love with every strand of it. 

My friend asked me why am I so happy, it is not as if I had anyone else’s hair. But to explain it goes beyond my vocabulary.  I won’t try to do that even now.  All I can say is I love my hair.  I look in the mirror and I love the thickness, the natural curl of it, the kinkiness (is that a word) that I now have.  I love the way it feels under my fingers, I love the washing process, and I love it!  I guess my hair is what the supermarkets would call organic – without any added things – au natural!  I had to laugh when my cousin suggested that I should drink some Sircee (herbal) tea to fill this need I have for natural hair.  That still makes me laugh. J

Esperanza Who?

I am sure many may have asked that question as the Biggest Award show in North America – The Grammy 2011 handed over the trophy for best new artist of the year to a young and beautiful Esperanza Spalding. The news reports call it an “upset” as many wondered how is it that she won against name brand talents such as Justin Bieber who even has a fever named in his honour.

The truth is that this is the same “upset” that will happen at the return of the Messiah.  Right now, the reigning darkness seems undaunted and totally invincible.  Deceived and blind, people are in the throes of Gaga for a Lady and having fever for a boy.  What was right is now wrong.  Being sober is an option and not a must, and celebrities are lauded as gods.

Yet, the word of God is true, for no word from God will ever fail (Luke 1:37 NIV) and Jesus the Messiah will come again.  That will be the upset of all upsets.  Jesus who?

Jesus the Christ, the Saviour, Lord, the messiah, son of God – that’s who.

Eygptian Mayhem

Feb 8, 2011

In the month of February when most people look to spread love and chocolate kisses, Egyptians are nursing wounds and mourning losses of loved ones stolen by a civil war that ravaged the streets of Cairo and anyone in the vicinity.  A change was the cry of the people as they demanded violently for the removal of President Mubarak.  He adamantly refused to step down and so we have war. 

Children born within the last sixteen years are no stranger to the word War and all its ugliness and resulting tragedy.  They are desensitized at times to the blood shed and destructive elements that stains our lives indelibly.  So much of it is surreal at times I suppose and so how we can blame them.   The truth is that there will be more wars.  Is that not what was promised to come? Jesus said, "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." (Matthew 24:6) 

Egypt is no stranger to wars.  From the Exodus of the Israelites there has been a clash of wills and war with the Egyptians.  Theirs is a nation that has seen from the days of Pharaoh the effects of war on the people. We watch with abated breaths, and some with passive interest to see the outcome of this latest unrest.

We grow weary, and the sameness of it all becomes boring to most.  But these things ought to make us more aware of the unseen clock of the end drawing near. It should motivate us into action, to do all that we can for the Kingdom of God; to be a light in this world of darkness. To be the difference in this world we call home for a season. 

War?  Yes, it will always be around I suppose. But lest we forget we have our own fight to fight.  Let us be soldiers in the army of Christ, militant and unrepentant in our stance of who Jesus, the Christ is – the son of God.

Pray for Egypt warriors of prayer…it still avails much.