Becoming My Mother

My mummy & I, Christmas 2014

I looked in the mirror the other day

And I realized

That slowly I was becoming my mother.

Somehow, her face was being superimposed over mine.

I opened my mouth the other day

And I realized

That my mother's voice was coming from my mouth;

The words and tone were hers, recorded in my voice.

I woke up the other day

And I realized

That becoming my mother wasn't such a bad thing.

My mother is superwoman

She has eyes in the back of her head

And the ability to read my mind.

My mother is a woman of high standards

"If you're going to do it, do it properly" she always says.

She will put me in my place

And push me to reach for the stars.

She's the one who would ask about the other 1%

When I brought home a score of 99 on an exam.

My mother is the embodiment of unconditional love

And my biggest fan.

She is my 4:30am wake-up call so I don't miss a flight

She still buys all my favourite foods when I come home.

My mother is Excel spreadsheets and lasagna

And reading all the instructions in the box.

She is tea in the morning 

(Two cups, and one more in the afternoon, and at night).

My mother is dark skin and curly hair

And singing hymns and reading books

And smiles and laughter (and scary silence when she's mad).

My mother is "If you don't know it, look it up"

She is "Godliness with contentment is great gain."

And "Tomorrow is another day."

And "Don't be sorry, be different."

She is the voice in my head that whispers,

"Keep going"

When I don't think that I'll make it to the end.

My mother is the reason why I can embrace change

Because she always has:

"Never a bad happening" she says.

I looked in the mirror today

And I realized

That if I could be half the woman that my mother is,

I'd be a remarkable woman indeed.

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Biweekly Bits #13: Be Thankful

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

Be thankful. Even when life does its absolute worst, be thankful that you are alive. Be thankful that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Be thankful when you have a cold, because it means that your immune system is functional. Just be thankful. (See also #1)

In several of his letters to the various churches, Paul calls on us to be thankful. It may seem like an obvious response, but the truth is we often forget that every good thing is a gift from God (James 1:17). God constantly and consistently provides for us, and God is good even when we are not.

Sometimes, we take for granted that the sunset, the air we breathe, the stunning flower, the majestic tree, the beautiful smile, and anything and everything that we appreciate in life come from God, the maker of all things. That alone should have us singing praises and thanks to God all day, every day. God, our Creator, is worthy of our gratitude.

In addition to this, anyone who has walked with God for even a moment has seen the ways that God provides for us. Sometimes it is through meeting our material needs, or our emotional yearnings, or our spiritual shortfalls, but every day and in every way, God's providence blesses us. We may not even realise how God has moved in our lives, but we know that the Giver of all things is constantly doing things for our good. This is a reason to give thanks! God, our Provider, is worthy of our gratitude.

But there is more! Greater than the gift of each new day, is the Gift that makes the newness of each day significant. That gift is of God's Son, Jesus, who died for our sin, and rose for our justification. Jesus' death and resurrection enable us to draw near to God, cleanse us of our unrighteousness, and give us the promise of being united with God when our lives on earth are done. And best of all, this gift was free, through the grace of God (Romans 6:23). We don't do anything to earn it, and it has no limits. We should be constantly rejoicing, giving God thanks for sending His Son to atone for our depravity. God, our Redeemer, is worthy of our gratitude.

So today, whenever you think of it, give God thanks. Sing songs of thanksgiving to God. Even when you're having the most terrible day, give God thanks that you are alive to see it, and that his mercies are new each day. Constantly and consistently remind yourself to be thankful. God has given you much.

Be blessed and shine thankfully!

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Biweekly Bits #12: Things Taken Away

After writing 26 bits, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.

There's a blessing in things taken away too. Most of the time, when we think of God's blessings, we think of things given to us. Blessings are indeed gifts from God, but there are times when the "gift" is something being taken away, instead of being given.

I think very often, particularly in western Christian culture, we are taught to believe that God blesses us by giving us things, whether it is by providing material things or giving us less tangible spiritual blessings. And it's true, God gives us many things which add to our lives. But when God takes something away from us, we almost without exception see it as a negative thing, a burden of the human condition to be borne. Yet we forget to consider, to remember, that sometimes the blessing is in the things that God takes away from us.

Here are four points to meditate on when it comes to the things that God may take away:

Sometimes God takes something away to give us something greater.

Sometimes God takes something away to change our perspective.

Sometimes God takes something away to change our focus.

Sometimes God takes something away because its season is over.

I remember a few years ago a friend of mine lost his job, rather unexpectedly. He was pretty upset about it, and very disappointed, but I remember saying to him that losing that particular job was a good thing, because God was taking him to new places in his ministry, and the job would have been a burden. And sure enough, my friend has been richly blessed in the years that have passed since losing that job. Every step of the way God has provided.

We always think of loss as something to be sad about, and many times it is. It's a scary thing to lose a job, or for a relationship to end, or even to lose a favourite item that you own. But sometimes, even in the midst of losing a job or an opportunity, or having a friendship or relationship end, there is joy, because the Lord has still blessed us.

Be blessed and shine with joy!

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Characteristics of the Blessed (part 2)

In part 1 of this post, we talked about three characteristics of the blessed (as stated in Psalm 1), in the form of three questions: Whose advice are you following? Which path are you taking? Where are you sitting? Then we talked about what the delight of the blessed is: meditating on the Word of God.

In verse 3, the psalmist speaks of the characteristics of those who are blessed: the productivity of the blessed. The blessed one will be like a tree, planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season. The leaves do not wither and in whatever they do, they prosper. These words say a lot about the productivity of a blessed (or happy) person.

Characteristics of the Blessed (Part 1)

Psalm 1 talks about characteristics of those who are blessed (or happy, depending on the version you read). The first verse tells us who these people are: the ones who do not follow the advice of the wicked; those who do not take the path that sinners tread; the ones who do not sit in the seat of scoffers. As we all seek to be both blessed and happy, I found myself asking the following questions: