Five Minute Friday: Together

Today’s word is Together; and here’s my post.

They’ve been together for almost 5 years now, these three boys of mine. They spent the first 29 weeks and 5 days of their existence, cramped up, jostling each other and causing me quite a bit of discomfort :). And the next 50 days, they themselves experienced quite a lot of pain, being pricked and prodded all over. And yet, they remained together, in adjacent incubators.

They’ve been together, sharing a womb, a crib, a bed, a room… And the more time they spend together, their bond grows tighter. They are inseparable now, these three little brothers. A few days back, Judah woke up from his afternoon nap earlier than his brothers; and he missed them. He wanted me to wake the others up; so they could come out and play with him :).

Together they play, they sing, they laugh, they climb, they fall, they fight. They even get into mischief together! If all three are quiet and/or missing; I can be 100% certain, they are up to no good :). As I see this bond between brothers, I am so glad they have each other. No matter the trouble we have, raising triplets; it’s all worth it, when we see how much they love being together. I will forever be grateful to God, for my boys!

What comes to your mind when you think of the word “Together”?

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Counting My Blessings: 1 to 30

In January, this year, I had resolved to speak positively; and one of the things I wanted to do (to enforce that habit) was start a gratitude journal. After delaying quite a bit, I’ve finally started to count the blessings in the little things of my daily life. Ann Voskamp of A Holy Experience, author of the bestseller One Thousand Gifts, has been hosting something called a Joy Dare.

The goal is to count one thousand gifts in the year 2012. {Not sure how many I’ll be able to do, having missed three months; but better now than never, right?} So, every month, she posts a chart that can be used as a guide to find things around us that we are thankful for. You can download April’s Joy Dare here.

This is me, counting my blessings…

3 Gifts Round

1. Worship DVDs our kids are crazy about.
2. My extra-large non-stick cooking pot.
3. Idly & Vada for breakfast at our church canteen.

3 Gifts White

4. The pages of my daily planner.
5. The kids’ old school uniforms, packed up to be donated.
6. My brand-new, well-used running shoes.

3 Gifts Surprisingly Found

7. The sons giggling in their sleep.
8. A lost & found toy car tyre.
9. A Confident Heart kindle edition, available for free.

3 Gifts in His Word

10. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

11. “Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.” (Ephesians 6:18)

12. “So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him…” (Genesis 1:27)

3 Gifts @ 11AM, 2PM, 6PM

13. A second cup of coffee.
14. Husband home for lunch.
15. Sons building fire trucks with their humble legos.

3 Gifts Nailed Together

16. My sin nailed to my Jesus.
17. My Jesus nailed to a cross.
18. A cross nailed in front of our church.

3 Gifts Waited For

19. An opportunity to pray for a special person.
20. Board games for our kids.
21. A good night’s sleep.

3 Gifts Rising Up

22. Praise rising up in our church congregation.
23. Kids rising up happily from their afternoon nap.
24. Remembering that Christ rose up from the grave & conquered death and hell.

A Gift Hiding, Held, Heard

25. Treasures in His Word.
26. Holding a sleeping son close.
27. The sound of monkeys wrecking havoc outside our apartment.

3 Gifts Opened Up

28. My Bible.
29. My daily planner.
30. My mind to receive His word.

Are you in the habit of counting your blessings? I mean, literally counting them 1, 2, 3… Would you consider joining me on this journey? Would you dare to live fully, right where you are?

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Five Minute Friday: Good-Bye

Have you ever visited The Gypsy Mama? Every Friday, Lisa-Jo hosts a blog thingy there, called “Five Minute Friday“; where bloggers write for just 5 minutes on a word she picks, and then convene back at her blog to share their thoughts. I thought I’ll try it out, and it brought such sweet thoughts to my mind; that it was almost impossible not to share them with you. Here’s my first “5 Minute Friday” post.

Today’s word is Good-Bye.

“Mama, why didn’t Dada say bye when he went to office today”, asks Jason.

“Because you were sleeping, darling”, I reply. “But when Dada leaves for office after lunch, this afternoon; you can ALL tell Dada bye”.

The afternoon good-bye has become our sons’ most awaited ritual. I’m blessed to have a husband who comes home for lunch everyday; and when it’s time for him to get back to office, a cacophony ensues.

“Bye Dada… Bye-Bye Dada… See you…”, says Jason.

“DADA Bye… SEE YOU…”, shouts Jon, his voice louder than Jason’s.

“DADA… DADA… DADA… BYE… See you…”, screams Judah, at the top of his voice; not to be outdone by his brothers.

Patiently, he goes around; this handsome husband of mine… Hugging, kissing and replying individually to each good-bye.

When it’s all done, and he’s ready to leave, he turns to me and whispers, “Bye”… He flashes a smile that melts my heart… “Bye, baby”, I whisper back as he steps out the door. I turn back to re-enter the monotony of my life, but with the hint of a smile still on my lips. His good-bye has made my day :).

What comes to your mind when you think of the word “Good-Bye”?

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Tremors and Trust

Photo Credit: Chad Kreutzer

It was a little past 4, last evening… The kids were lying down for their nap, and I hopped onto their bed – laptop in tow, reminding them every few minutes that they had to close their eyes in order to sleep. I logged onto Facebook and was surprised to see an inordinate number of status updates regarding the earthquake in South East Asia.

I was so engrossed, that when the bed started shaking, my immediate reaction was that one of the sons was kidding around and shaking the bed. A quick look around convinced me that the kids were all fast asleep. The bed shook again. With a start, I realized it was a tremor. My thoughts raced as I hurriedly shot my husband an email. Fear gripped my heart and I pondered what I should do if the situation got worse.

I know I probably overreacted. This was only the second time I had ever felt a tremor. The first time was 11 years ago, during my college days – my friends and I were pretty excited and we thought it was a great experience. But this time around, as a mother, surrounded by 3 little ones fast asleep, fear and dread obscured every other emotion.

I figured that if the quake got worse, I would not have enough time to hustle all the kids out of our first floor apartment. Thoughts focused on the kids’ safety crowded my mind. Should I cover them with pillows? Or gather them to a corner of the room? Will I be able to lug a mattress over us? On reflection, I realize it was almost insane to be thinking of a worst case scenario. But I’m amazed at how easily my mind raced to plan out safety measures to keep the little ones safe.

As I sat paralyzed, wondering what I should do next, I felt another round of tremors. As fear threatened to choke me again, I prayed. I prayed that God would protect us and keep us safe. That nothing would harm my babies. And then I wondered… What about all those people throughout the world who prayed and still lost their lives and their loved ones in natural calamities?

Surprisingly, that thought filled my heart with peace. I knew nothing would happen to those who trusted God, unless it was His will. I remembered this verse from the book of Job in the Bible – “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…” (Job 13:15). It made no sense for me to be afraid, because good or bad; my Father was in control… He was watching over my kids. He continues to care for my family much more than I ever could.

As the quake subsided, by husband called to check on us. He figured, since he was too far away to be of any assistance, he would simply trust God to take care of his family. The simple, unshakable faith of this man I married never ceases to amaze me. How I admire him… I certainly wish I could trust God like he does and not over-think or complicate things :).

So, that was our experience with the earthquake yesterday. I definitely learnt a valuable lesson in trusting God through the tremors. Have you ever felt an earthquake? What was your first reaction?

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A Habit A Month: April

Our kids are on their summer vacation. No school for another 2 months; no dragging the kids out of their beds at 7:30AM and no rushing out of the house in a hurry with one or more disgruntled kids in tow! Happy days are here again…. Umm… Well, not quite!

I haven’t exactly been the happiest person on earth, since the holidays started. Our schedules have changed, our routines are messed up and nothing has been going as I originally planned. With the kids at home all day, chaos and confusion reigns; not all the time, but just enough to drive me crazy. It has taken me a few days to even find my bearings, and I am constantly on the verge of insanity.

I am not very happy with my behavior and I realize that my kids deserve better. They need a mother who is fun to hang out with, kind, compassionate and gentle with them. A mother who is not constantly yelling at them – reminding them (not so gently, I must add) that it’s not nice to whine and throw tantrums. When I found myself losing my calm every half hour or so, I realized I had to do something about it.

And so, this month I am going to make it a habit to treat my kids gently. I might end up being overpowered by my 3 rambunctious boys, but I want them to like spending time with me at home. I have also been reading The 5 Love Languages of Children and I’m learning so much from this book. In April, I hope to implement some of the principles I’ve learnt; and treat my kids with the kindness and gentleness that they deserve. Hopefully, by the end of this month, I would have made it a habit; and May will go by much smoother.

I will be also be learning from the Gentleness Challenge that Courtney from Women Living Well posted on her blog in January. I have to work to keep the balance between treating the kids gently, and disciplining them with love when they disobey.

Would you believe, that twice last week God used the same portion of scripture to convict me on how I treat my children. The first time, it was during my Good Morning Girls Ephesians Bible study and the second time, it was through our pastor in church on Sunday. Don’t you just love it when God brings the same thing to your attention through various means?

“Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord… give up threatening and using violent and abusive words, knowing that He Who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no respect of persons (no partiality) with Him.” (Ephesians 6:4,9)

I am ashamed to admit, I have threatened my sons on more than on occasion. I agree however, that disobedience should have consequences. This month, I will strive to correct my children when they do wrong; but still show them that my love for them is unconditional, irrespective of their disobedience or bad conduct. It may not be easy, but I believe God will teach me how to be a better parent.

On a related note, Anna from Feminine Adventures is also working on just one habit a month. Head on over to her blog and check out what she’ll be working on this month.

If you like this idea, why don’t you take this up as a challenge? Focus on just one area in your life that needs an overhaul and make it the habit you want to develop this month. It could be as simple as waking up early or spending time with God everyday. This would be an opportunity for you to actually take a step forward and work on that one good habit you have always wanted to develop. Or kick that one bad habit that has always been nagging your conscience. Are you up for it? Who’s with me?

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Monthly Goals: April

New month… New goals… How did you all do last month? Were you able to get things done? I was happy to get so much done in March. Here’s the scoop.

My goals for the month of March were:

  1. Stay up to date with the Good Morning Girls Ephesians Bible Study. — On Track
  2. Finish reading A Reluctant Queen. — Done
  3. Join Time-Warp Wife in a Bible Study on the book of Esther. — Done
  4. Read Pursuit of Proverbs 31 and join the book study at Joyful Mothering. — On Track (We’re doing only only one chapter each week)
  5. Help the kids practice writing the alphabets (A-Z) and numbers (1-20). — Done
  6. Teach the kids to recite Psalm 23:4. — Done
  7. Organize all the videos on our laptop and take a DVD backup of the same. — Done

And my goals for the month of April are:

  1. Complete the Good Morning Girls Ephesians Bible Study.
  2. Stay up to date with the Pursuit of Proverbs 31 book study at Joyful Mothering.
  3. Complete Time-Warp Wife’s Bible Study on the book of Ruth. (It is available as a free download when you “Like” Time-Warp Wife on Facebook.)
  4. Read The 5 Love Languages of Children.
  5. Read through The Love & Respect Experience with my husband.
  6. Teach the kids to recite Psalm 23:5.
  7. Introduce the kids to cursive writing (Letters A-E).
  8. Introduce the kids to phonics (Letters A-E).
  9. Organize all the e-books I’ve downloaded onto our laptop.

With the kids on their summer vacation, I have to buckle up and get going, if I want to get all this done by the end of this month :).

Do you have the habit of setting weekly/monthly goals? If you do, how did you do last month? If you don’t, how do you keep track of things you need to get done?

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A Habit A Month: March Update

Okay people… End of the month… Accountability time! The habit I was trying to develop in March was a healthy lifestyle. I can confidently say that I’ve been partially successful in my endeavor! 😀 I suppose that sounded a bit pathetic, but it’s the truth :)! Here’s a breakdown of the changes I hoped to incorporate in my lifestyle.

Water: Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day was first on my list. I did it – for the first time in my life! I’ll share my secret with you… I added it to my To Do list! Every morning, I add an entry in my To-Do list; something that looks like this:

1      2     3     4     5     6     7     8

Every time I drink a glass of water, I strike a number off! Is that a brilliant idea, or what?! OK, so maybe it isn’t that impressive; but it worked for me. It helped me keep track of my water intake, and within a week; I was able to make it a habit. I’ve been consistent for the past 4 weeks, I suppose it is safe to assume this habit is here to stay.

Sugar: Consume less sugary snacks and snack on fruits instead. This is the one I was only partially successful at. I did a few things right, though:

  • I stocked up on dates, pears and bananas.
  • I limited the cookies I bought, so that it would be just sufficient for the kids alone.
  • I switched over to a natural sweetener that didn’t contain aspartame.
  • I even baked a chocolate banana cake, substituting wheat for white flour and honey for sugar {It didn’t turn out as well, though :(}.

I restricted my sugar intake during weekdays, but sadly, the weekends found me munching on the Hide & Seek cookies I bought for the kids. What can I say – I love chocolate chip cookies :).

Exercise: Exercise at least 15-30 minutes every weekday was last on my list. Would you believe that I actually did it?! For the past 3 weeks, I have been walking/running – 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week. It isn’t much, but it’s a start. Here are some of my observations:

  • The first week was awful. My body was terribly sore and I ached all over.
  • Good running shoes are a necessity. I did the first week with an old pair of non-running shoes and it was pretty bad. The new shoes my husband got me soon after, definitely eased the discomfort.
  • I prefer to wake up half an hour earlier and exercise before my husband leaves for work.
  • I alternate between 2 minutes of walking and 1 minute of jogging.
  • After 3 weeks, my legs seem to be stronger and I don’t feel as exhausted as I used to.
  • I’ve never been a fan of physical workouts, but now, I don’t mind it as much.

I’ve started using LoseIt to track my food intake/exercise and I’ve joined an online accountability group to help me in this process. I have also started working through Energy Explosion – an ebook by Arabah Joy. I won the book at a giveaway by Livin’ the Good Life – and it’s chock-full of tips to increase your energy level.

The semi-healthy changes I’ve made over the past month have not affected my weight in any way. But then again, weight was not an issue – lack of stamina was. Although, I am a bit disappointed about my weakness for cookies – I’m hoping the calories I lose by exercising will make up for it.

To Do: Keep at it and don’t give up. With God’s help, it is possible.

To Read: 3 Ways to Change Bad Eating Habits

To Ponder: 

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

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A Reluctant Queen: Book Review

A Reluctant Queen – The Love Story of Esther by Joan Wolf is a fictional rendition of the book of Esther from the Bible. The book retells the age old story of a beautiful Jewish girl selected to be the Queen of Persia. With the influence that accompanies the position she holds, Esther is able to play a pivotal role in the deliverance of the Jews from their persecutors.

The author’s vivid description of the characters in the book, plunges the reader into the life and customs of the people living in that era. I loved how the book transported me from dirt road to palace in a flash with incredible verbal illustrations.

Although, the book does deviate ever so slightly from the Bible, the essential characters and events remain the same. The story line revolves around the love that Esther develops towards King Ahasuerus, and how it affects her role in the deliverance of the Jews. The author has done a splendid job of weaving Esther’s faith in God into every chapter of the book.

The book was altogether an interesting and entertaining read. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed when it ended – it left me wanting more. A Reluctant Queen is a clean love story revolving around the simple faith of a woman. Simple faith, that is sufficient for God to work wonders on behalf of His people.

Disclosure: I received a Kindle version of this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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A Week without Internet

INTERNET

We didn’t have internet at home for a week. An entire week. 7 long days! And boy, did I miss the online world! Apparently, the city maintenance guys had dug up the roads leading to our house and broadband cables were butchered in the process. My husband lodged a complaint with our broadband provider, and we were told it may take a while for it to be fixed.

This is only the second time in the past 2.5 years, that I’ve spent an extended period of time away from the internet. During the Christmas holidays last year, we spent 2 weeks offline at my in-laws’ house. But because I had loads of other things to keep me occupied, it didn’t make a difference.

But this time, I struggled to accept the reality that I was disconnected from the rest of the world. Wondering what the big deal is? Well, after the birth of our triplets, I don’t get to step out into the real world all that often. During the week (Monday mornings to Friday evenings), the only adult I speak to directly is my husband. And then, I discovered a whole lot of blogs and I started feeling connected. I loved following blogs that I found to be encouraging, refreshing or inspiring. So, when we lost our internet connection, I felt a bit lost.

I suppose there was a positive side to it – I was able to spend most of my time reading. I primarily read e-books I had been accumulating over the past few months. But eventually, my eyes were getting tired reading only black and white print on screen. In the afternoons, when the kids napped and I took a break – I was at a loss on how to keep myself occupied. I hadn’t realized until then, how much I relied on the internet.

The one thing I did NOT miss, was Facebook. My husband on the other hand, missed Danny Gokey‘s status updates on Facebook. Believe it or not, that was the ONLY thing he missed about the internet!

Here are some of the things I missed during our week without internet:

  1. A week’s worth of the Esther Bible Study by Time Warp Wife.
  2. The discussion of Pursuit of Proverbs 31 on Joyful Mothering.
  3. Blogging & connecting with other bloggers.
  4. Email for communication & transfer of files.
  5. Google.

Oh yes, I missed Google! Last Friday, I was preparing to share something from the Bible in our weekly prayer group and I wanted to include a verse from the Bible. Minor problem: I knew the verse but couldn’t remember the reference! Normally, I would just Google the verse and find the reference. This time however, I had to do it the old-fashioned way – search the actual Bible! Between my husband and I, we managed to find the verse – after leafing through our Bibles for about 15-20 minutes!

That got me thinking – how did our parents find a verse in the Bible? My husband promptly replied, that they probably knew the verses by heart – with reference… Point taken!

I wonder how Ann from Delight Thyself did it. You should read how her family unplugged for an entire week.

Now it’s time for you to share your thoughts with us in the comments. How has the presence/absence of the internet affected your life?

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Blogging with Purpose

It’s been approximately 4 months since I started blogging. What started as a hobby – a hint of how God was working in our family has exploded in to something bigger. But I’ve had quite a few road blocks along the way. Some days, I have so many ideas to share; but hardly any time left in my day. Other days, I find my mind completely blank – with absolutely nothing to write about. On some frustrating days, I have the post all ready in my head, but it doesn’t reach cyberspace; either because of a power cut, or a faulty internet connection.

A combination of these days over the past few weeks got me thinking. I wanted this blog to have a definite purpose – a mission, so to speak. I wanted it to be simple. And easy to remember, so I could remind myself; if ever I get side-tracked in my writing. I checked in with God, and together we’ve come up with something. The purpose of my blog would be to:

  1. Glorify God
  2. Encourage Readers
  3. Motivate Myself

I even got a acronym out of it – GEM; simple and easy to remember :)!

I want my blog to glorify God, because without Him and His inspiration, there will be no blog. Or there will be a blog, with no one to read it or be inspired by it. I want my words to reflect His goodness, His grace and His mercy. And through it, I hope you will find inspiration to push you onward and upward in your daily walk with God.

I want my blog to encourage you, the reader. Let me be honest, I never ever thought so many of you would stop by to read it. I am floored that you would take the time to do so. Whether it is planning, parenting or homemaking; I hope this blog helps you overcome the everyday struggles of your life.

I least expected this blog to motivate me – after all, that wasn’t my intention when I started it. However, blogging has helped me come out of my shell and connect with other like minded people. Sharing the habit I’m working on each month with you, has kept me on my toes. And I have to work every single day towards achieving my monthly goals. Blogging pushes me forward and keeps me accountable.

So, that’s it. The purpose of this blog is to G – Glorify God, E – Encourage Readers and M – Motivate Myself. Better late than never… And it’s never too late to figure out your purpose, right 😉 ?

If you are a blogger, do you have a purpose or mission statement for your blog? Leave me a comment, and I’ll be sure to stop by your blog. For all the non-bloggers out there, have you ever thought of starting a blog? Why or why not?

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