O.

Of what use is it when you put others first?


Hello to you,

I hope the month of May is turning out as you expected or even pleasantly more than you expected.

Let me share this with you.

As a child I learnt this song.

Jesus First

Others Next

Yourself Last.

Do you agree?

What is the point of putting the interests of others before yours?

Does it make any difference?

About a week ago, I finished reading a book that really got me thinking. In the book, the writer talked about how you gain more influence by putting the interests of others first as part of the five laws of stratospheric success. Read more “Of what use is it when you put others first?”

C.

Can you dream?

Attention!  This is not a dress rehearsal.

2019 is one month and two days old. Welcome to February. If you thought January went by really quickly raise your hands. 

What does this mean for you and me? It could mean one of many things:

You started with your eye on the ball. You were determined to achieve all your goals but you feel like you are beginning to fall off the wagon. Do not beat yourself up. Find out what is getting in the way, be truthful about it, move it out of the way and reset your focus, get accountability if necessary.

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W.

What Programme Is Running In Your Home? (2)

WORK ETHIC

Dictionary.com defines work ethic as: “A belief in the moral benefit and importance of work and its inherent ability to strengthen character.”

Often, we judge an adult’s behaviour or attitude towards something by what they have done within a short period or in one isolated situation.

For instance, James, a young graduate always complains about the work his supervisor gives him. But we only know James at work!

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W.

What Programme is Running in Your Home? (1)

LISTENING

I’ve been thinking about listening as part of effective communication. As parents we expect our children to listen to us. It’s so cast in stone and generally expected of children.

However, there are two sides to every coin. Regardless of the child’s age, they should be listened to. When babies cry we listen and try to tell what they need since that’s the only language they can communicate in at the stage. The same should go for older children.

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T.

Trial, process, gratitude, memorial.

“We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

‭‭Joshua ‭4:6-7 NLT

‬‬Before I became pregnant with my son, my daughters had been asking for a baby brother. In fact my younger daughter asked Jesus everyday for over a year. It was her main prayer point. My husband and I laughed about it but she held on to her request. Then, I got pregnant.

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H.

How can I help my child deal with rejection?

Rejection is part of this world system and almost inevitable. 

Everyone experiences it but learning to deal with it and work through it early might be helpful. 

As a young girl, I grew up feeling a little bit rejected because I was perceived as weird. I was a completely left handed girl, wearing braces on my teeth with gums that are beautifully dark and I wore glasses. ( proper geek mode eh?)

Sharing my experiences wasn’t  always easy and possible because I went to boarding school.

I learnt to come to grips with the fact that not every person is your person. You were not created to be in every circle. As a result of my fair share of childhood rejection, I learnt quickly that one shouldn’t linger in places where one is tolerated. People who genuinely love you will not do that. 

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P.

Parenting a strong-willed child

Battle of wills. Strong opinions, not afraid to voice them, sometimes argumentative, wants to have his or her every time?

This is your typical strong-willed child. Full of life never backs down. 

It can sometimes seem quite challenging navigating your parenting journey around this type of child. 

I have included a link to a document and specific prayers to pray over your strong-willed child. I’m on this journey myself and this helps me. 

Click here to find the steps on parenting a strong-willed child 

Click here for prayers and confessions over your child.  Read more “Parenting a strong-willed child”

S.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Personality or Attitude      

I think there’s a fine line between these two. However,  it is not an illegible line to those who chose to look for it. Temperament, make-up, nature are a few synonyms of the the word personality; The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character as defined by oxforddictionaries.com.  

While Attitude ( Manner,frame of mind,)  is defined as a settled way of thinking or feeling about something.  

How can we tell the difference between these two as we support our children’s development into well-rounded, positive, successful, world-changing adults?   

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