HOW ABOUT A BONFIRE NIGHT?

I have the nicest friends ever! Really I do! And what is life without great friendships?! Picture this- to my friends (a couple) hearing I declare my longing for a local dish, and my reluctance to cook it for myself. My friend quickly offers for his wife to cook it and share with me. The offer itself was kind enough and I suitably extended my gratitude. Of course good manners wasn’t going to make me remind them to do it, if they ‘conveniently’ forgot. Imagine my surprise therefore when she calls me, saying the food was ready, and she was willing to drive out to get it to me. Disregarding the distance she’d have to drive under pouring rain, just to fulfill a ‘stomach’s’ desire?! I was beyond humbled! I carried that flask reverently filled with awe at such kindness, because honestly I dare say I couldn’t have done that myself!

I figured, if she drove out all the way to get it to me, then I might as well honor her by eating it hot and fresh! So I set the flask on the dining table, fetch a fork, say a blessing, send another heart felt message of thanks to the couple, then inviting all to join me I settle in to begin my meal.

My son over my shoulder, looks at the meal and says, ‘it looks like it’s the dogs’ meal!!’ Honestly, if he was close to me, he’d have ‘felt’ the crack of thunder on the nearest part of his body that I could reach. As he wasn’t, I had to content myself with strongly reprimanding him verbally! Imagine?! How dare you say something like that about a food I was about to eat, especially one that was such a selfless sacrifice of love?!

As quick as the words were leaving my mouth, I felt a wash of shame that lowered my voice, and stilled my appetite. I remembered saying to someone who was about to eat her meal of oats, that I didn’t like to eat oats because it reminded me of catarrh with lumps! And several other thoughtless things I’ve innocently said without thinking. What right had I to chastise my boy, when the apple obviously hadn’t fallen very far from the tree?

I thoughtfully chewed, meditating on the learning that my son had unwittingly reminded me of again  that evening. ‘Remove the log from your eye so that you can better see to remove the speck from another’ (Matthew 7:5), how often had I viewed my attitude as being okay, explaining my actions via my intentions, but judging others solely on their actions and the consequences? Perhaps I remained single because of the log in my eye that didn’t permit me see that the standard I had set for a selection, was actually a bar that I hadn’t surpassed and hence fenced me in?

Well I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for ‘em logs; and if you’re a friend and you spot them, do be a dear and point them out. Or you can come for a log chopping party and help stack up logs for a huge bonfire of hypocritical and limiting habits!

Every day, In Every Way, Be the Best of You!

Golden Lessons, via a Golden Child

D2AGE

LOVE=CHOICE

AH! Is this how I’m going to start this month?! Of all months this February?! I’ve been DUMPED! Ah my poor heart!

Unceremoniously and without preamble, my angel tells me ‘Mom, I can’t be your best friend anymore!’ the statement that brought my head up from my phone quick as a flash, and had me befuddled!

‘Why?’ I gently inquire, checking to see if I have in anyway defaulted on any promise, or not been ‘bestfriendly’ in any of my recent actions, behavior, words… what will prompt this one again bikonu?!

‘Mom, family can’t be best friends, they already share a blood bond that they can’t break. Best friends come by ‘choice’! Oh ho!! Na me send you to school, no vex Ette! But, I’ve got the upper hand, because you see, apart from the fact that I’ve had several more years of schooling, and life experiences; I’m a woman and a mom! These species know ALL things! LOL! So I have just the perfect rejoinder! Perfect because it’s TRUE!

‘But babe, I may have a blood bond, but not necessarily like you, so I’ll try to escape you or give you up, or ignore you. I love you, because yes there is the blood bond, but I really LIKE YOU, and CHOOSE YOU as MY best friend!’ That won me silence, one of his intense looks to see if I was telling the truth, then a big, tight hug! Ahhh!

This thing called love is in the air, its February afterall. Everyone is on the band wagon of St. Valentine. It’s so noisy on this wagon, that you barely find the peace to settle your heart and rediscover what the essence of true love is; understand what the authenticity of what it really feels and looks like. Too many times we chase the vapors, sacrifice our values, on a type a shadow, at best a certified photocopy.

Love must first start from you, for how can you ‘choose’ genuine love, if we cannot recognize it? How can we recognize it, if we don’t first recognize the originator? And it’s not St. Valentine! The refrain of a song plays in my ears as I type this ‘…thank you for loving me, too much o! excess love o! It took me a while, but I finally recognized You, and Accepted that You CHOSE TO LOVE ME, not because, but although, warts and all, ‘cos that’s just who YOU are. We share a bond I can’t escape from, only be liberated by.

What manner of Golden Love?

D2AGE

ORIGINAL IS GOOD

It’s really a blessing to be part of the growing up years of a child. Watching a human take shape in their opinions, and convictions. I am constantly in awe of it, and humbled, that I have the opportunity and great responsibility to be part of that.

As with most of my posts, this one is inspired by a conversation with my Prince. His holiday project was one that he put much attention to do, and was quite proud of the finished work, which he eagerly took to school to submit. There was however the slight confusion of if we were to draw or use a real flower. First day of school and the usual conversation of how school was ensued.

 ‘

How about your project? Did you submit it?’

‘No, the teacher didn’t come to our class’ was the response.

‘Okay, so did you see others from your class mates? Did they draw or did they use a real flower.’ ‘Everybody drew’.

‘hmm…, well do you want us to quickly draw one?’ I asked,

‘No its okay, mine is original, original is good’

Wow! That pleased me. You’ve got to understand that even as adults very few people are courageous enough to stand for what they believe even if they are the only one. To be true to themselves, and hence the world. To live in liberation of who they truly are before the world wittingly and unwittingly conditioned them, forming a caricature of who they truly are.

My son is a generous person. That’s his true nature, this last Sunday, he didn’t have the opportunity to put his offering in. A teenager observed him with the money, and asked that he give it to him to use for transport. My son gave. When I heard the story, my reaction was that he had just been conned! But who is to say that he was? You see my conditioning had led me to reveal myself as a suspicious, afraid being, ever watchful for the manipulative antics of other humans. My son, still fresh in his honesty, walked in love to give freely, obtaining the joy that comes from living free, genuinely seeing the good in people.

As with most folks, the beginning of the year is usually reflective. I’ve been thinking and examining. I’ll confess that it hasn’t been a very easy process. Who am I really? Before the conditioning of experience, exposure, education, socio-economic and political culture? Before the hurts, disappointments, rejections and other hard knocks of life? Am I living my authentic self? Does my voice ring true for the convictions and values I hold dear, or is it a hollow echo of someone else’s truth? I don’t know. I do know that I am courageous enough to dig deep, and willing to unveil the queen behind the veil. Won’t you do the same for you?

Be Original, Original Rocks

Living the Golden Life

D2AGE

"IT’S A DOG, NOT A CAT, A DOG CANNOT BE A CAT!"

Hi people, it’s the holidays! Hopefully it will not be spent gallivanting and stuffing my cheeks, but for more serious introspection on how I’d like to shape 2018. LOL!!! Who am I kidding?!

Anyways, let me gist you guys. Walahi these children are inspired by the Holy Spirit, either that or He just has a wacky sense of humor using our kids who should be learning from us to teach us! I vote the latter! What do YOU think?

So I was having a conversation with my precocious 8 year old over dinner, and he was (yet again, doesn’t he ever give up?!) campaigning for a dog. “Mom just a little one, a Chihuahua, that’s a house dog, and it won’t create a big mess because it’s little!”  I think to myself, you don’t know it’s the little creatures that create the most mess! Instead I respond, “Who is going to train it to know exactly where it’s going to poo and all that? I don’t want my house all stinky!”. “Okay Mom, I will train it, will you provide its own toilet?” “Well not like a real toilet, more like a box with some sand in it, that you can take out and clean out” I respond. Bobo doesn’t even let me finish … “Mom, it’s a Dog not a Cat, You’re describing a litter box, that’s what that is, a dog doesn’t use litter boxes, a dog cannot be a Cat!” My usual fluent self is silent, with no comeback, save to think O K A Y! That’s certainly telling me!

Immediately, my own classroom begins, and good friend that I am, I’m willing to share (Big Grin).

So many times we forget who we are and try to become cats. Maybe because of the economy, we try to bend and adapt our way through to become something we are not. Perhaps it’s our friends, and family, who pressure us with expectations, trying to make us cattish, not so much the dog’s that we truly are. Defining what should or shouldn’t be. Is it society, that relationship, our own insecurities? Whatever the factor, we’ve been made to conform, silence our true identities and blend into the expectations, faithfully ignoring the back pain that has arisen from carrying all that baggage of pressure, expectations, conformities, etc!

Don’t get me wrong, cats are beautiful creatures, with very defining qualities. So what’s wrong you ask? IT’S NOT WHO YOU ARE! Who are you? Yes, YOU?! There’s a place in this world for each and every one of us, with all our quirks and imperfections! You are not defined by your job, position in society, bank account, acts of heroism, family, or status. YOU ARE WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE! Bask in the certainty that You Are! Are Created, Known and Loved by the Almighty GOD! “…and if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart!” (1^st John 3:20)

I return back from my very liberating reprieve, and listen avidly to his chatter! Smiling so beatifically that he stops to compliment, ask, and without waiting for my answer continues on with his chatter.

Discover, Revel, Remain True to the Golden You…

D2AGE

Sango or Yahweh. Part Two - The Realisation

As parents, you pass on tradition, pass on your beliefs, and form cultures. You were brought up going to church, so you take your child to church. You believe in an altruistic creator. So you tell and convince your child(ren) to believe as you do. You think it would be great to inculcate certain habits in them, so you embark on repetitive behaviors that form cultures, which would mold this individual into the ideal society participant. In the whole interplay of your molding and forming, you forget the one crucial thing that can undo or cement all you’re forming. The experiences the children go through. Their understanding, and reaction to these experiences. Why else would you have PK’s becoming nude pop singers? Going so far left from the apparent cultures and beliefs that they were brought up with?

This realization plagued me. Even as I awaited God’s defense of Himself, curious about how it will come, wondering if perhaps He meant for me to help Him. I sought out answers from family and friends, but none had an answer that satisfied me, that I felt confident will answer my inquisitive 7 going on 70-year-old angel.

Several days go by and am watching and wondering. Then it happened. It was Little Man’s turn to lead evening devotion. We finished reading and explaining the totally unrelated passage, and it’s time for him to pray. He says the usual gratitude and requests and then with a heavy pause that makes me peep at him, he goes - “Am sorry God for being angry with you, I won’t be angry anymore, and I still Love you”.

God doesn’t need our help, doesn’t need to defend Himself, because He just IS. Confronted by the awesomeness of His Love and Grace, you can’t help but fall in Love. He showed me, that you don’t need the theological exposure, education or experience. He can still be EXPERIENCED by even a baby who can’t speak or explain. HE IS.

The parenting thing is a bit harder for the single parent. Wondering if we are doing the right thing or if our words are resonating and forming ethical characters. Sometimes the self-doubt just seeks to bury you. You don’t always get an answer to your questions and prayers, or at least not in the way you want; but for me, this reminder was all I needed. HE IS, and HE CARES. My trust therefore, is not in the arm of flesh, not even my own, strong and hardworking as I may be. My only boast is in the sufficiency of HIM WHO MAKES ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME!

Hence for me and my house hold, IT’S YAHWEH ALL THE WAY!

Golden Child of a Golden GOD.

D2AGE