-
*Kids say the darndest things!!
I remember very clearly (in fact, I will not forget), the year face-cleansing sponges came to the U.A.E. Though I do not remember the brand that brought it in, I recollect the big ad campaigns that took over all the supermarkets. Of course I was curious about it, but didn’t think it was something I particularly needed – and so ignored all the hype. We lived in Sharjah at the time and one Friday morning (our weekend), I found, along with our newspaper, a bag that had a small pack of complimentary face sponges. “Oh that’s fantastic! I’ll check it out right away,” I thought. Now our oldest daughter Becca…
-
Holding Loosely
I have learned to hold all things loosely, so God will not have to pry them out of my hands. ~ Corrie Ten Boom As a family, it’s been tradition to make a celebration out of the evening set aside for Christmas decorating – and it’s usually around mid-November. Carols blare loudly, hot chocolate flows, and there’s happy talk, laughter, and friendly arguments as to who gets to put up the angel tree topper. However, over the past 17 years, there have been so many changes happening in quick succession, with moving to a new country, losing a parent each, our older girls getting married, leaving home and having babies,…
-
The “Mum Code”
It might have been a year ago, or maybe two (?), that a friend of mine posted about a missing girl on Facebook. She was in a bright yellow Volkswagen, a little VW beetle, and should have been on her way home from somewhere in Northern BC. I don’t remember the details, but I remember that my friend had posted a picture of the car and asked for prayer. And I had been praying fervently that she be found quickly and safely. The next day I decided to take the scenic route to work and as I drove past an old, abandoned farmhouse, there parked out on the road, near…
-
Out of the mouth of babes…
I used to journal a lot, and the joy I find in journaling is being able to go back in time… before the Instagram and Facebook era. This happened about 31 years ago… when our oldest daughter Becca was about 4 years old, and we had moved to Sharjah, an emirate of the UAE. We lived in a small apartment building next to the souq (a market place lined with beautiful small shops and restaurants), in a town called Rolla, and Becca was ecstatic to find that the apartment next to us had twins her age – twin girls named Ammu & Binu. The three of them soon became inseparable…
-
“Our” Father’s Heart
So, we as a family, have just been through a difficult time… when clinging to the Lord in tears, was all I was able to do. For someone who always likes to be in control, calling these past few weeks ‘hard’ is an understatement! Two weeks ago, I was sitting with my Bible, early one morning, but my mind was not on the text. It was with my child who had been admitted to the hospital the previous evening – after months of being unwell and in pain. It was hard not being there with her. And harder still that I could do nothing. My mind wandered to the time…
-
…he’s my brother! (part 2)
So, of all the roles in life that I’ve either gained by default, or taken on voluntarily, the one that tops them all and gives me the greatest joy is the title of “grandmother” (or ‘Gaga’ to my grandkids). And when we had 4 grandsons, almost one after the other, I was over the moon! Hence, it cannot be any surprise to anyone, that this post is solely to introduce you to grandsons #2 and #4. Though they are just 5 and 2, I’ve learned everything there is to know about dinosaurs and superheroes in these past 5 years. And having raised three very girlie girls, I truly did not…
-
…he’s my brother! (part 1)
They don’t sit still for a minute. Grandsons #1 and #3 are 7 and 5. From the minute I see them, all I hear is, “I’m taller than you. No. I’m taller than you.” Or “I can run faster than you. No. I can run faster than you.” And this goes on and on. Until of course the claim that cannot be disputed comes up…”I’m older than you”. However, competition is at its peak when they’re at a bike park. Everything #1 does, has to be challenged and tried by #3. And so up and down hills and valleys and bumps they go until their little legs are finally tired…
-
Fruit
Amongst all the trees in our backyard garden, we have three fruit trees. Maybe because of all the books I read in my childhood, I love busy gardens, and I’ve always felt that no garden is complete without at least one fruit tree. Now, I’m a hopeless gardener and have been known to kill plants by just touching them, but I’m very grateful to have a husband who loves gardening and doesn’t mind the hard work! 🙂 So to get to the story of our fruit trees… Firstly, we have a crab apple tree. During the first few years, though it received a lot of love and care, it was…