A grudge

Christianity is all about forgiveness. God can only forgive us as much as we have forgiven others. If we have something against someone, we need to leave our gift at the altar and settle it with our brother. Also, don't forget the parable of the servant who did not forgive the debt of his fellow servant when the master had forgiven him all his debts.

The Bible tells us that he who does not love his brother does not know God and the Love of God is not in him. 1 John 4:7-21

Love is not a feeling. It is a choice. Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. First choose to forgive, and if necessary, speak it forth aloud to the Lord that you forgive your brother. This will help. And how you feel about it will come later .

Dressing Standards

To put it into perspective -- I wouldn't wear a tee to church. I would dress modestly, and appropriately because I want to honor God through the way I dress and wearing a tee to church just isn't my best worship when it comes to dressing.

When I dress well, I honor the person whose house I've been invited to. I honor the occasion I am attending -- whether it is a private gathering or public. I give them respect and by so doing, my family and husband whom I represent are in turn respected for respecting. 

At home, I dress up for my husband. This means I am not in my tees either. I dress to make him happy -- doesn't mean it has to be revealing as the postman might knock on the door with a parcel I have to sign for -- or the neighbour might say hi. But I dress well enough that he can see I'm putting effort in to look nice for him -- even at home.

A Higher Standard than Christians

Stick to your gut feeling -- it's more than just clothes and boys. It is about standing up for what you believe in, even when Christians -- yes, Christians -- her age are doing the same unapproved thing.

It's not judging them -- it's having a higher standard. It is about being called of God to be holy. God has a different expectation on each person based on their different calling. Not everyone is called to be a Nazarite. Samson's parents had him do lots of things normal people don't do. John the Baptist was considered weird. We don't expect them to come close to what we aim for and don't try to influence them. But this is what we expect of ourselves and this is what we strife for.

As for my believes about 15 year olds dating, it's a big NO. Dancing at a dance class or wedding, yes.

They can have a boyfriend if they have graduated and started working with a proper job or business, not a part time job or casual on the side. And if they have prayed about it and can show me evidence through verses God has given them and such, that this is the guy and verses to show God's timing for them to go ahead.

Bully-in-laws

Pray for them everyday, and if it helps, dress up when they are around - so as to get as much respect as possible. It helps damper the abuse. Dress up as a cultured, educated, intelligent and independent young woman and talk to them gently. Dressing up also creates a boundary between you and them. Also dress your kids up so they look smart, not orphaned or neglected in any way.

Our paths on earth

No we don't choose what path we are on when it comes to our family background growing up but we do choose our future. I believe God has an ultimate destiny for each person but if we choose to stray away, that's also our choice. But His plans for us are for good and not for evil, to give us a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Also, our purpose in life is all about developing our relationship with God. This is why He created us. Without our ability to hear God, we cannot develop this relationship. So talk to Him and listen to Him all the time. He will tell you what path to take when you are facing a crossroad.

Can't cope with all the kids around?

Do what you love and bring your kids along. That helps. I love painting. I also love flag dancing.

Create happy memories and don't exert too much pressure on yourself or compare yourself with anyone on insta. No expectations, no disappointments.

Take one day at a time. People are constantly telling you what to do and what you're doing wrong. Just do your best and make sure your kids know you love them and God loves them.

Don't take on more than you can handle. Plenty of activities out there -- just stay home if you have too -- there's already so much going on at home. Not every activity is meant for you. Time is of the essence. Need to make good choices, can't afford to waste your time or energy on that which is not the focus.

Get rid of electronics 100% and they will have less fights, less murmur and less grumbles, less sulking and less entitled. They will play more with each other and be better friends and more helpful around the house. For once, they will be their true selves.

What's the difference

Knowing the difference:

Generous Vs Wasteful

Generous is when someone else benefits. Wasteful is when nobody benefits.

Godly Vs Crazy

Godly meaning being a fool for Christ. You'll need to be crazy to be godly.

Persistence Vs Stubborn 

Persistence is when you insist on doing the right thing. Stubborn is when you insist on doing the wrong thing.

Thrifty Vs Stingy

Thrifty is when you save from unnecessary spending. Stingy is when you save on necessary spending.

Faithful Vs Foolish

Faithful is when you stick to your commitments. Foolish is when you stray from them.

Natural Remedies for Small Animals

I am utterly dumbfounded by how little knowledge is available on the Internet when it comes to saving my pet rabbit, guinea pigs or even chickens when they have health issues. With all the craze on organics and alternative medication there is today, why are we still feeding them processed food and why is the only solution always to bring them to the vet? Isn't there a natural pathway for animals as well? Why are we still prescribing antibiotics when we know that it can cause just as much harm to them especially without probiotics?

My guinea pig has Upper Respiratory Infection (URI). I know that because he is wheezing, not squeaking as he usually does. Cookie was born in our home, so I am not about to let this one go. He is only about 3 months old. 

I came across this weed in our garden: Ribwort Plantain and Googled it. It is known for healing upper respiratory symptoms in small animals and humans. It turns out Google can only work backwards. That means if you search for an answer, you will not find a solution but if you search for a solution and look for it's benefit, you will find what it cures. Possibly because the search engine has been messed with to only produce answers they want you to receive -- i.e. to go to the vet, and to use antibiotics. But if you play the guessing game, and search for it's benefits, you just might find it.

So here's what to do with URI in your guinea pig:

1. Vitamin C -- Kale (93mg/100g) and other dark leafy greens. Google says turnips are one of the highest (21mg/100g), so search for Vitamin C per 100g for each vegetable to find which has the highest. Orange peels have 136mg/100g, 7mg more than lemon peels. What else can you think of?

2. Hydration - tons of water for the poor fella

3. Weeds like Ribwort Plantain (for respiratory issues) and Dandelions (Vitamin C - 35mg/100g).

Let me know how it goes with your little guy.

Here's a link I found if you need to know more about or intend to plant the Ribwort Plantain:

https://youtu.be/Vo9XANt_iqs?si=UDzmJDLAeZb_FdOh

Home Church

Yes, we home church. Because this is the church God has called us into, no matter what shape it comes in. We are a family and this is our ministry. We weren't always like this but this is where we are now. Even the church goes through different phases and this is where we are at. I hope we don't always have to be in this situation and that this is just a season, but it's been quite a few years now and I'm getting used to it. 

Every now and then I still dream that we can rent a hall somewhere and do church like everyone else but that's just me. And when I think of it, it does seem just a bit religious and traditional and 'trying to fit the mold' because it doesn't mean that God will move any more powerfully in a hall than in my living room, if that makes sense. So I let it slide.

Miserable people

Those who achieve nothing in life complain the most about those who do. So if people are complaining about you, know that their names would be forgotten, but yours will be remembered.

The most miserable people are those that make the only people who make them happy, miserable. Treat your family right.

2 year old sit through the sermon

The snacks and toys are tricky. I try to give snacks and toys and make them take forever to eat and play with. 

For example, corn flakes or some other form of cereal. I won't give the whole thing. I will give one. Then when she is done, then another one. Sometimes I hide the next one in one of my hands and she has to guess which hand. I do this to prevent spilling and to keep her occupied.

As for toys, same thing. Never all out at once. Always one character and when she is bored, then the next character comes out some 10 minutes later.. and only when she is done playing does the next one come up, so not every 10 mins. It depends on her ability to entertain herself. And I have like 10 characters or objects waiting. And that's after 20 mins of eating cereals so I rarely finish them.

Overstepping MIL?

 It's the fight-for-your-rights vs the fight-for-your-marriage issue again. Some things are not worth fighting for. She's going to be around here longer than you would like. And she is part of the family. If it is affecting your marriage, and you have clearly spoken to her about this, it is time you let it go.

Nobody can affect you without you allowing them to. The issue here is not her -- it's you. No, not judging. What I mean to say is, difficult as it may seem, just close a blind eye to it. That's the best you can do for now. Just let it go. Don't take it to heart. Like I used to say about nagging spouses, it's the same with nagging in-laws.. in one ear, out the other ear, and out the window. Don't take anything personally and don't let it affect you. Let it go. Don't hold any resentment or allow the issue to boil in your heart. It's not worth meditating on. Meditate on what is good, true and lovely. Release her to the Lord to deal with. Imagine if she was your mom. Have some respect and honor for bringing your husband into this world -- it's what we hope our future daughters-in-law would appreciate us for at least. And just push it aside.

Don't make a big issue out of it. Or it will be a seriously big issue. Let it go, even if it happens a million times, let it go a million times. Patience, patience, patience. Chill.

Don't mention it. Don't say a word. It never happened. 

You can choose to fight back or let it go. If you fight back, you will cause more damage in your relationship with your husband. Is that a sacrifice you are willing to make? Fight for your marriage. This is nothing. Let it go.

Kidpreneurs?

 Check out Kickstarter. Some kids sell all sorts there 

Also what's very important to note is demand and supply. If you go to one of those pop up market events, you'd realize that people love making crafts nobody wants to buy. It's a huge waste of effort and a great disappointment to the kids who did it.

I am about to start teaching business to kids in the library. The first thing they need to know is what God wants them to do. How can the business they come up with make this world a better place? Don't come up with another McDonalds or Coke that destroys our health. But the marketplace is a ministry. And how is that going to be beneficial to society? We do need to make profit like how Isaac makes a hundredfold and like how the stewards made five talents and ten talents. But our intention is not a money making scheme as such but more of a role of fulfilling our calling and ministering to the lost, even feeding the hungry, eradicating poverty, drawing people to God in introducing them to God like how Narnia was written, or just improving the health of the people and standards of living.

Not enough homeschool work getting done?

 As long as they can read, there is a ton they can do without you. Your job then is mostly to supervise. Anyone can supervise -- even your husband or an older sibling.

Try rewards or a point system to get them to monitor themselves. What's great is a checklist my sister uses: so there is a list of work to get done and they can choose which to do first.

Another thing to do is to ask them to come up with their own timetable or even their own checklist

I have a new book for each workbook they finish. I do this with my bookworm who loves reading. The gifts are Usborne lift the flap or Usborne educational books of a similar type 

There are also past year papers that I have my eldest daughter do just at the end of the year to ensure that she is on track and realized she is a few grades up. I work with her on certain topics until she can score it. But only spend a month at the end of the year for that. The rest of the year is pretty relaxed and she gets to focus on what she really is passionate about like coding or chemistry.

Anoint the house or the kids?

Cleansing the house is just a one time thing for us when we dedicate the house, we either pray and sprinkle the blood of Jesus using communion but as a prophetic thing and not as a ritual if that makes sense. Only do it if you feel led, not as a religious thing. Some people use olive oil and do it regularly with prayer. Worth considering.

But as far as anointing goes, I think it's mainly anointing the kids especially while praying for them. Sometimes in church, during altar call, we anoint people who come up for prayer, or like the Bible says, anoint the sick (James 5:14-15). We do this with a touch of olive oil that we have prayed over. But anointing can also be used for commissioning like before your kids leave the house for good as a graduation thing and prayer over them, and commissioning them to go into the world, like how David was anointed as king at a young age way before he really did become king.

Some people anoint their fences and property lines with olive oil and forces of evil just couldn't enter it -- some people just dislike their 'vibes' and for good reason. I love this. It is really a spiritual thing. The devil doesn't like it when we do that. I believe what they say is true. There are things in the spiritual realm that we can't see. 

During Passover, God told Moses to mark the doorposts with the blood of the Lamb. So God is really the one that came up with symbolic representations. And He uses that in many areas in the Bible. Just because something is new doesn't mean it is New Age. God is as alive today as He was in Moses time and can speak to us to do anything He wants, even if it is New.

Last minute homemade celebrations

Get the kids to rehearse for a song plus dance. Add in one or two solo items on the piano or some other instrument, or just a solo song or duet here and there or maybe just play some music and perform the dance.

1 hour before, get everyone dressed in either real fancy outfits or costumes for a family photo and do up a really good backdrop for that amazing photoshoot. Worse come to worse, make it a green screen and good lighting

About the cake, I advise buying 8 good chocolate mudcakes and spending 2 hours to decorate them. Because it will take about 4 hours for the icing to firm up on the cake before you place fondant on it or buttercream icing. Or any other icing. So no time to bake because it will be hot and you need to wait an hour for it to cool down before you can place the base layer of icing.

Here is a home-bake hack: use a small cake mold or circular tool to cut out a small cake in the middle of the large cake so you get two cakes, if that makes sense. Put something inside the cavity of the cake like M&M's or his favourite snack like three Forero Rochers or a small present like a ring or a $100 note or giftcard or something. 

Another bake hack: when you buy cakes to stack up, if you want a tall looking cake like you see on Instagram, one of those will be a combination of 2 normal cakes to get the height of one tier in a tiered combination of 3 cakes if it's a tower cake like you see on Insta.

And the last bake at home hack: if you're baking at home, always add a teaspoon of gelatin so it comes out moist and not dry. If you're choosing to do a chocolate cake mix, add in a packet of chocolate chips.