HOLDING ON….Sometimes that’s Hard to Do!

I think that once you’ve lived in God’s Kingdom for awhile you come to understand why Paul was so adamant in telling us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV When the temptation to throw my hands up comes around, some days it is harder than others to not give in. You ever feel that way? I’m sure you have at least once or twice. ~Smile~

The regional branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia in my area asked me to do a workshop on “Homeschooling”. Of course I was very excited because I have such a passion to help parents (especially single parents) find alternatives to educating and keeping their children safe. Homeschooling is a viable option to make that happen. But many parents in the city of Philadelphia do not know how to start the process or what the differences are between “private home education” versus “public (Cyber School) home education” and how to choose which is best for them. So, to have a platform of interested folks to talk to was very exciting.

There was a lot of prep work on my end, because I wanted to make sure my website was updated and more pages added. I had to get my business cards printed, help advertise the event in my neighborhood and ask other homeschool moms to speak at the workshop. Well, all the speakers showed up, I brought refreshments and handouts….we were ready! Only one person came to hear what we had to say. I can’t say I was surprised or really disappointed because I felt the person I was working with at the library had waited to late to firm up everything, which didn’t give us enough time to get the word out. Plus I later found out that the library only posted flyers (which were on the ugly side at that) around the library. The person I worked with really didn’t do much to get the word out. Well, instead of being discouraged about it I looked at all I had accomplished and how prepared I was. My website is updated and looking really good. I also had paid ads coming in from Google AdSense, which I had hoped would begin to pay my monthly website fee and generate a few dollars more for some upgrades. So, all-in-all, things were good. Well, so I thought…..

…..Google discontinued their ads with me because they said; I violated my agreement and had people just clicking the ads trying to generate income for me. I’d only had the ads for 5 days and had done no such thing. They have an appeal process that I filed and sent back, but I was very discouraged. I asked God, “Why? I try so hard, yet it seems that nothing seems to work for me?” Yeah, those are words to the beginning of a pity party for sure. But you know what sisters, sometimes it is hard not to give up. Sometimes it is hard to not become weary in trying to do good and follow what seems to be the path the Holy Spirit is taking you. Sometimes it is hard to keep hope alive about a dream when it seems that everything you do to move toward your dream seems to turn to dust. Sometimes it is really hard to keep your head up and not become disillusioned and discouraged. But you know what….in those hard times we must stand on the promises of God and not give into the temptation to “Give up!”

Truth is—I didn’t want to write a blog this morning. “For what,” I asked? “Hardly anyone reads them! Why do I keep wasting my time?” And yes, I often feel writing these blogs is an exercise in futility but I also feel that God has given me this job to do and therefore out of obedience and love for Him I will continue (even on those days I just don’t feel like it) until He says, “Ponnie, it’s a wrap!”

Sisters, we all experience times in our lives when it seems like what we are doing is a waste of effort and time, or we become discouraged because it seems that things just don’t turnout right for us. But you know what? We cannot I repeat, “Cannot!” give into our feelings of despair. We must hold on to God’s hand and His Word.

This is why it is so important to read our Bibles and meditate on God’s Word. It is in the hard times we need to remember without a doubt God’s love for us. It is in the hard times we must know what we truly believe about God. But if we don’t read His Word, then it is impossible to stand on what we don’t know.

I have convinced myself that God knows better than I do, and He was not surprised that Google Ads would do what they did to me. But more so, He is my witness that I did no wrong. Google might reinstate me and then again they may not. Am I going to give up trying to make money on my website through ads? Nope! I will just have to find another way. Google Ads are not the only game in town. And besides, my Father owns it all anyway! ~Smile~

If you have been experiencing discourging times in your life, remember the Promise Marker and His promises.

P.S. You gotta read your Bibles to know what the promises are. ~Smile~



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


Thursday: Ponnie will be back

LOOK AT ME

“Mom, look at my nose. It’s kind of wide isn’t it? I wish my nose was a little smaller than this. See! And look at my eyebrows, they are so bushy. I wish they weren’t so bushy.....blah, blah, blah”

This was the conversation my daughter was “indirectly” having with me during a recent car ride. She was on the passenger side and was looking in the mirror making these observations.

Eventually, all of her self-criticism got on my nerves and after listening for entirely too long, my response was, “Wow Mali, God must not be as perfect as I believe Him to be.” Hmmm…that got her attention! I continued, “He must not be perfect because with all of your complaints, He obviously made a lot of mistakes when He created you.”

Her response,” No, God doesn’t make mistakes.”

“Exactly my point!”

It really bothered me that at 12 years old my daughter could find so much about herself that she didn’t like. However, I can understand because even at 40 years old, I have self-image issues and have had them for years. I felt bad because I have always encouraged her to love and embrace everything about herself. However, I am concerned that she has learned the art of finding fault with herself from me.

We, women, can always find something wrong with us. Too fat, too skinny, skin to light or skin to dark. Thin hair, curly hair, big nose, little nose, the list goes on and on.

However, God doesn’t make mistakes. He made us to be exactly as He intended us to be! In our eyes, we may not be perfect but in God’s eyes, we are. Why is it so hard for us to accept this?

“Mali, did you know that in the bible it says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made?” It even says that all of His works are marvelous. Do you know what that means?” I asked my daughter.

Her response was, “No.”

I further explained that nothing about her could be a mistake because SHE was one of God’s marvelous creations. If she didn’t believe that, then she must believe that God wasn’t perfect and that everything that she believes about Him must be a lie.

The light bulb must have gone on because a smile came across her face.

Her response again (with the biggest smile) was, “You are right, God doesn’t make mistakes.”

I think she got the message....and I hope that you do too.

Dove is doing a wonderful job to raise the self-esteem in our young girls and it is called, “Campaign for Real Beauty”. Please take a moment to check it out. http://www.dove.us/#/cfrb/


Until next time.....Be blessed Sisters!
Sasha


Tuesday, Ponnie will be back!

It’s A Small World After All

Remembering back to when I took my now 36 year old daughter to Disney World in Florida, when she was 9 brings back a very fond memory. We were in a pavilion where we rode a boat from the beginning to the end. There were all types of dolls and displays representing people from all over the world and the entire time they played the song, “It’s a Small World After All!”
With today’s technology I think we understand much more then we did back in the 80’s, how being connected makes the world seem much smaller.

I have met and made a lot of friends on Facebook from all around the world and it has broadened my horizons to say the least. I feel very blessed that God has taken me out of my little world and I didn’t even have to leave the comfort of my home. Though, I really wouldn’t mind traveling to meet some of my new found friends on their turf. ~Smile~

Yesterday, a friend in the UK (United Kingdom, England) was posting about the heavy rains and wild winds she was experiencing. She was afraid she was going to lose her garden—that’s how bad it was. My heart went out to her because I know how hard she works on her garden and I have been blessed to see pictures of how lovely it is in the spring and summer from pictures she posted last year on Facebook. I felt very connected to her as we wrote back and forth about her dilemma.

The United States has been hard hit the past couple of months with devastating floods and tornadoes and it is one thing to turn on the news and see houses leveled and towns completely wiped out or under water but it’s something else to see pictures posted by my Facebook friends to show what happened to them or in their hometowns. It becomes more than mere news, it becomes real because I feel connected to them.

One day as I was watching a newscaster talk to a farmer in Texas about the drought and how it affected the corn crop (there was none) I felt connected because a Facebook friend in Texas had been requesting prayer for weeks about the drought. And I also realized how the lack of corn was going to eventually affect me on the east coast. This farmer also had cattle to feed—corn is used in their grain. Corn is in so many of the foods we buy. Not only does this translate into higher food prices, but also a possible shortage of certain foods. It is a small world after all.

Just as we can look at things happening across the ocean or across our own country and feel disconnected because it’s not happening to us, is the same way we as Believers can be in our church or communities.

Many churches here in the city of Philadelphia are no longer churches of the community—because, the congregation mostly lives somewhere else. They drive in for services and drive out to go home. They are not connected to the people in the community very much. We also like to have church with each other and not those around us. Our women’s groups have retreats; go to shows, luncheons and so on, for each other, but you might be hard pressed to see this same group of women having something for the women in the shelters or low income housing that is in the same neighborhood as their church. Why? Because we as human beings have a tendency to live in our own little worlds if we are not challenged to reach out and expand our horizons.

Maybe it’s time to become more connected to people around us. The song “It’s A Small World After All” is trying to show us that though physically our world is large, when we are connected it becomes much smaller. But when we live in our own little world, we are just occupying a little space in a large world. Does that make any sense? I sure hope so.

I guess the question of the week is…”How Big/Small is your world when it comes to being connected to others through the love of our Messiah?”



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


Thursday: Sasha Brown

Our Response to His Ability

Hi ladies!

It’s been so long since I’ve written to all of you, so here’s a short update of everything that’s been going on lately in my life.

18
For starters, I turned 18 last month so that was a pretty exciting transition. It still hasn’t fully hit me that I am now legally an “adult.” When this day rolled around I originally thought that I was going to be super excited and that my whole life was going to change because now I’m an adult! However, I find myself somewhat nostalgic for times when I was a “kid.” During the past few weeks I’ve been reminiscing about my days as a kid in school, and some of the memories that I’ve grown fond of while growing up.

Job
I recently got a job and have been a member of the American workforce for about 2 weeks. LOL! Things have been great so far, and I’m learning how to handle various responsibilities, communicate with my coworkers, and grow into my own confidence.

Graduation
I am graduating in 2 weeks! I cannot wait to graduate from high school, and move into the college aspect of life. I’m really excited about the process of going off to college and meeting a ton of new people. Oh yeah, did I mention that I’m going to Messiah College and majoring in early childhood education?! Graduation is so exciting to look forward to, but I am also a little sad about leaving my friends and school community behind, because I’m so comfortable there. I am sure that none of us likes to be pushed out of our comfort zones. LOL!

GOD
So by now you’re probably wondering why I have included all of these seemingly random things in my blog? Well, all these new transitions have taught me that God is at the center of it all. This past year has shown me I really need to work on trusting God more. Sure things might seem difficult as I move into “adulthood” but what I’m seeing is that God is there. Things can be challenging at work, but I’m now realizing that God put me there for a reason. And even though I’m both excited and scared out of my mind at the idea of graduating and going college, to know that God is still there every step of the way gives me great hope for the future.

Oh, how I want grow to say, "But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love. I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.” Psalm 52: 8-9

I am beginning to learn that, in every aspect of life, I need to trust God, and it is our responsibility to respond to HIS ability. So I have just one question….are you trusting God's ability or yours?


Until next time, peace out!
Tovah


Ponnie will be back on Tuesday!

Seasons Change

Many of us are approaching the summer season and end of the general school year. So, what does that look like for us?

Well, here in the city for one it means that the rush hour traffic is cut by one third. Mass public transportation is a much better ride without all the students and their foolishness. Yay!! But it also means that many parents have to shift to a different schedule. If you are a stay-at-home mom, you have to start thinking about keeping kids entertained and giving up some of that oh so precious, “me time” when they have been at school. If you are a parent who works outside of the home, then you have to figure out where the younger kids will be during the day. Though we look forward to summer vacation, it brings with it many challenges for children who have the entire summer off. But since it comes every year, most of us know we must prepare months in advance. We know to start looking at summer camps in February if you want to make sure you snag a spot for your kids. Same goes for renting a summer home at the shore. Most college students have the good summer babysitting and mother’s helper jobs secured by April. We all know that the summer months here in the USA take on a whole new face because most schools are out.

Since we know the summer “school is out” season rolls around every year, we make sure to prepare for the changes our families will encounter. So, why is it we don’t take the same time and care to prepare for every day life? How come we are not spiritually prepared for the ups and downs of this life or should I say, “Seasonal changes?”

Yeshua (Jesus) himself tells us that there will be trials and tribulations in our lives, yet we are often not as prepared as we could be. We have a tendency to put off reading our Bibles and spending time with God, especially when our plates are full. But if we put off looking for summer camps to the last minute we would have slim pickings and might not find one at all. Then what? What do you do when you have to go to work and you have a minor child or children who must be supervised? We really don’t want to think about that, so we make sure to have our ducks in a row when the summer season rolls around. Well, truth is, we should have the same tenacity in our thinking when it comes to the Word of God by making sure we keep it before us.

Life on this earth is unpredictable to say the least. We can have so many ups and downs before it is our time to move on, we can’t even count them—many good and some not so good. But in its totality that is what life is all about. It is far from perfect and we might have one thing after another come our way some seasons. But our Messiah has told us to be of a good cheer or to have joy in all of it because He has overcome or taken care of it! Problem is we don’t keep meditating on what the Messiah has told us. We’re not reading the Old Testament which really gives us the big picture on who God is and how He operates. We are not medicating on God’s Word day and night as we are instructed. So, when we enter a season that requires us to make a huge shift in the way we do things, we become all discombobulated and out of sorts. After awhile we begin to moan and complain. But worst of all we begin to doubt God. Why? Because our minds and hearts are not as convinced of God’s sovereignty as they should be.

Sisters just as you are making preparations for the upcoming summer months, be sure to spend time making preparations for that upcoming trial, test or tribulation Yeshua has promised is going to come our way.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


Thursday: Tovah Wilson

Balancing Life plus College

Hello, Ladies from the Kitchen Table,

I know it has been a long time since I was able to write to you all. I’ve had issues with a sinus infection causing me to have a lot of migraines, vomiting, etc. Even though I was having these
symptoms, I did not let them stop me, I continued to move forward.

During my Business Communications class, my professor always talks about connectedness. Connectedness is key! Even though it is a business class, I can still use the word “connectedness” for my daily life.

My professor says that because of the advancement in technology, we are losing the essence of the face to face connection. It’s not only in the face to face connection, but also in just using the phone to call someone, for example: I know some people will not answer their phone, but will respond to a text.

Women, we do not want to lose this connectedness with God, our spouse, our children, our families, our friends, our colleagues, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our neighbors, the list
goes on and on.

Ponnie, such a sweet heart, sends me cards (not an e-card) a physical card comes to my home. That’s connectedness! Even though we are miles away from each other, I can read her card (in her own handwriting) and know that we are still connected.

Questions for you, when was the last time you visited a friend or a family member? When was the last time you had a conversation on the phone and not a conversation by text message? Think about it. I’m sure that some of you are thinking...wow I got wrapped into it that I did not realize this was happening to me. Believe me it has to me and I admit it.

I’m so glad that I’m taking this class, not only do I benefit from it, but others along the way are benefiting from it to. Meditate on this message about “connectedness”. Until next time!



Take care and many blessings,

Maria Guzman





Equilibrio de la vida más Colegio



Hola estimados de la mesa de la cocina,

Sé que ha pasado mucho tiempo desde que pude escribir a todos. He tenido problemas con
una infección nasal causándome mucha migraña, vómito, etc. A pesar de que estaba teniendo estos síntomas, no los deje detenerme, continúe avanzando.

Durante mi clase Business Communications (comunicaciones de negocio), mi profesor siempre
habla de conectividad. Conectividad es clave! A pesar de que es una clase de negocios, todavía puedo usar la palabra "conectividad" para mi vida cotidiana.

Mi profesor dice que debido a los avances en tecnología, estamos perdiendo la esencia de la
conexión de cara a cara. No sólo en la conexión de cara a cara, sino también en sólo usando el teléfono para llamar a alguien, por ejemplo: sé que algunas personas no responderá a su teléfono, pero responderán a un texto.

Las mujeres, no queremos perder esta conectividad con Dios, nuestro cónyuge, nuestros hijos,
nuestras familias, nuestros amigos, nuestros colegas, nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, nuestros vecinos, la lista sigue.

Ponnie, tan dulce, me envía tarjetas (no tarjeas electrónicas) una tarjeta física a mi casa. Es la conexión! A pesar de que estamos lejos de sí, puedo leer su tarjeta (de su propio puño y letra) y saber que todavía estamos conectadas.

¿Pregunta para usted, cuando fue la última vez que visitó un amigo o un miembro de la familia? ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que tuvo una conversación por teléfono y no una conversación por mensaje de texto? Piensa en esto. Estoy segura de que algunas de ustedes están pensando... wow estoy tan envuelta que no me di cuenta de que esto me estaba sucediendo a mí. Créeme Me está sucediendo a mí y lo reconozco.

Me alegro mucho de que estoy tomando esta clase, no sólo me beneficio de ella, pero otros en el camino se benefician. Medita sobre este mensaje sobre la "conectividad". Hasta la próxima!



Tener cuidado y muchas bendiciones,
María

For Good or For Bad

I don’t know about any of you but, I love technology and all it has to offer, especially Facebook!

The past few months I’ve been privy to watch a friend who is blind get her new guide dog. It has been such an inspiring journey. She has posted the entire process of filling out applications and being accepted down to her travel arrangements. We live on the East coast and she had to go to San Francisco, California to get her dog, Zeb. She trained with him for 3 weeks and now they are home. But I loved her daily updates about everything they did and all the different places she got to visit (from Fisherman’s Warf to museums and so much more) so they could see how he would handle the environment and her. I am so happy to say, “He passed every day with flying colors!” They had a graduation ceremony and she got to meet the family who raised him. Pictures were taken of him and her and posed on her Facebook. Wow!! It was a lot of fun for me to be part of her amazing journey and very encouraging as I watched her trust God with each step. This was most definitely a good use of technology and Facebook.

It would be wonderful if we used all things for the good possibilities they hold, but sad to say, that is not the world we live in.

Over the past 2 or 3 years I’ve been on Facebook (joined because my teenage daughter wanted to be on) I have witnessed too many life scenarios played out for the “not so good”. Friends and family airing dirty laundry, cussing and using such foul language toward one another. Jilted women exposing all for everyone to see and read. People being unfairly and unjustly ridiculed by others…it has been a real circus at times. Personally I have unfriended people because of things like these. Why? Because I feel that a public forum such as Facebook is not the place or way to resolve conflict and it can be very one sided and unfair to say the least.

As Believers we are faced daily with making decisions as to whether or not we are going to use something we have for good or for bad. Take the tongue for instance. It can give life to a discouraged spirit with words of encouragement, or it can injure a spirit with mean and hateful words. We can use our words to lift up or use them the tear down.

When a wrong is done to us, we are faced with the decision to respond in love or respond in our flesh. Love produces that which is good; our flesh produces that which is bad.

I wish I could tell you I always choose that which is good, but I would be lying if I did. But! I have learned over the years to make certain decisions in advance. Take Facebook for instance. I have made the decision that if I can’t write something that will encourage and inspire then I don’t need to respond on other’s posts. I also like to make people laugh or join in on the merriment of others. And I’m very careful about being pulled in controversial topics. This before hand decision has helped me immensely to stay out of others business and not always address things people write on my posts. In other words, I have decided to take the good that Facebook has to offer and stay as far away from the bad as possible.

Bottom line for me—with each passing year no let me rephrase that, with each passing day; I’m learning more and more to try and look for the good in everything and everyone. Have I found this to be easy? No...not always. But the days I mess up still doesn’t stop me from forging on.

Sisters, what choices do you make in life? Do you chose that which is good and full of life, or are you one who for whatever reasons seems to always seek out that which is bad and leads to death?

The Lord tells us in no uncertain terms what is good and what is bad—what gives life and what brings death. And He also makes our choice a “no brainer” by telling us to be wise and choose that which is good and gives life.

So, my dear sisters, what are the things you put your hands to going to be for?



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


Thursday: Maria Guzman is back with great inspiration and encouragement! English & Español

Change Is Coming to the Kitchen Table

My dear sisters, I have been trying my very best to keep the daily blog going (mostly by myself) for the past 6 months, and it is just been too much! But I wouldn’t give up because I wasn’t sure what God had to say about it, and until I had clarity on what His stance was, I have forged on.

With the publishing of my new website: SingleParentsCanHomeschoolToo.com, I have felt split in my time and writing, and the end result has been I’ve lacked excellence in the blog, my eBook and website. Not good!

I really need to focus my attention and efforts into updating my website and preparing for a homeschool workshop I have scheduled on May 25th with the Free Library of Philadelphia.

The Kitchen Table’s premise was to have a group of women from different walks of life writing daily blogs. But, as with all things, “life unscripted” happened to most of our writers and they found themselves no longer having the time to write. I’ve tried my best to fill in and keep it going until we could get another group this summer to start writing, but it’s not working out the way I had hoped. So, with prayer and seeking the Lord about this dilemma, I know that it is time to work on getting the message out that homeschooling is a viable option for many who don’t think it is. Therefore it is impossible for me to continue to do a daily blog at this time.

The blog will now be posted twice a week—Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am hoping to have guest writers for Thursdays, and I will write the Tuesday blogs. Keep us in prayer.

I don’t want to give up writing the blog, because believe it or not there have many days when I started out to encourage you, but ended up encouraging me! ~Smile~

So, mark your calendars—Tuesdays and Thursdays—read the Kitchen Table blog!!



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Mother's Day

Repost from May 2010....enjoy!!!

Mother's Day stirs up many different emotions in us. My own mother passed away from a heart attack at a relatively early age, but I think of her every day. I can still see her laughing until the tears rolled down her cheeks. She had a great joy for life and showered us kids and my Dad with her love. How I adored her!

Yet, I never had the desire to have children of my own and I knew from an early age that it was not part of my destiny. Little did I know how God would someday bless me with children all over the world. He called me into a ministry to equip children in Africa how to share their faith with family and friends. I've been blown away by God's amazing grace, seeing children coming to faith in Jesus and then leading others to faith in Him.

My journey started about ten years ago when I went to Kenya for a few months. The first time I knew that this is exactly where the Lord wanted me to be, was when I was sitting in the Church of the Good Shepherd on Ngong Road, just opposite the cemetery. It was a steaming hot day and I sat by a window towards the middle of the crowded church. A little boy climbed over a few pews and quietly came and sat right next to me. He softly leaned against my arm and just stayed there the whole time. I found it so reassuring. His parents waved from back of the church and they were as surprised by his unexpected welcome to a stranger.

Never will I forget in Lira, Northern Uganda, torn by civil war when Ruth, a 12-year-old girl came to faith in Jesus and brought her family to church. Through her witness her mother, father, brother and two sisters came to faith in Jesus. Then in November a few years ago in Southern Sudan our village came under an aerial bomb attach and I can still see the fear and confusion in the expressive brown eyes of Wajo. I held him in my arms and prayed for his protection always. Thankfully the bomb attacks have ceased in that area. I still sometimes lay awake in my bed at night thinking of the children there and praying for their safety.

I have seen the devastating effect of Aids in Africa and it breaks my heart to visit some orphanages where 80% of the children are HIV positive. The only consolation I have is knowing that Jesus went to prepare a place in Heaven for them, and by trusting in Him alone, they can all know for sure that they will be with Him in Heaven some day.

We were doing training in Mwanza, Tanzania, on the banks of Lake Victoria, and I had been away from home for a long time and I felt very lonely as I walked down a dirt road in a remote rural area. Then suddenly I felt a small hand reaching out to me. A little boy from the village down the road came and took my hand and said: "I walk with you, yes?" He seemed like a little angel to me. I took his hand and we went strolling down the road. Times like this I will never forget.... What a wonderful, loving Heavenly Father we have. He shows His love for us in such tender, loving ways.

When people ask me: "How many children do you have?" I hesitate to answer and think to myself, I really don't know exactly how many. But I do know that motherhood is a noble calling and I sure take my hat off to all mothers who sacrifice so much for their children. One of the greatest gifts a mother can give her children is to lovingly lead them to faith in Jesus.

Tovah and I (Ponnie) prayed with all our hearts that God would bless us with friends as we were preparing to go to Tennessee for a week to become an ordained missionary and be accepted to join the PEF (Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship) Missions. Tovah’s friend was named Lydia, and mine turned out to be Elise. She was and currently still is a member of the PEF family. She was as refreshing as a cool glass of water or a very hot day. Her warm and friendly manner was just what I needed, because I felt so out of place in a predominantly Caucasian Southern group of people and when she walked up to me and introduced herself I knew she was God’s answer. That was almost 7 years ago and though she lives in Florida and we don’t get to see each other much (which is going to change) she is a dear friend and a woman who loves the Lord and all He has to offer.

If you would like to know more about Elise Stimpson go to pefministry.org. You will also be able to send her support or tax deductable donations through the PEF Mission.

The picture below is of Elise and her husband Steven.



With many blessing and love,
Elise Stimpson



Ponnie will be back on Monday

Where's My Present?!

Repost from May 2010


I'm sure that we have all seen numerous ads for the perfect Mother's Day gift for this upcoming Sunday. Every magazine has some section titled, "Show Mom How Much You Care!" or "The Perfect Gift to Show Her What She Means to You!" These messages can send most of our minds into a whirlwind when trying to answer this single question, "What’s the one material thing that can embody everything that my mom has done for me throughout my life?" Now you may be thinking, "Hey, that's a really weird way to say it," but isn't that essentially what we are looking for? Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure mom will greatly appreciate that necklace you bought just for her, or the restaurant that you are taking her to for lunch, but how can one action or item show our moms how thankful we are for what they've given us?

Personally, my mom doesn't make a very big deal out of Mother's Day. She feels that every day is Mother's Day *smile* and my sister and I have no obligation to do anything for her on this day. My mom is the type of person who is always happy to receive cash, so that is her usual present LOL!! But the present that she asks for every year is really quite simple, yet I don't always give it to her. Do you know what that is? RESPECT! That's right, Aretha Franklin wrote a song about it, and that is what my mom wants. R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Now, have you ever disrespected your mother? If you answered no then can you please send me your tips on how to be a perfect daughter? LOL!! But seriously, we all have those times where it seems like all our mom wants to do is nag us, or say things really loudly because apparently we are deaf? Perhaps as a mother you have experienced those times when it feels like your child is not listening to you, and you tend to get really frustrated? Well, the Bible tells us a little something that can help us through this kind of situation.

Okay, stick with me here. I'm gonna remind us all of a verse that we all may not want to hear right now, but it does pertain to the point. Exodus 20:12 says "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Did you know that this is one of the 10 commandments? God was not kidding when He told us to honor our parents. He commands us to do so that we may live a long life. When Mother's Day is around the corner the media is bombarding us with ideas for the so-called perfect gift, but do the titles ever read, "Give Mom Respect, She Deserves It!" I challenge you find one media title that is posed this way and, if you can, please send it to me.

Don't' get me wrong, it's definitely great to get mom the bracelet she wants, or to take her out for a night on the town. Just remember to give her the love and respect that she deserves each and every day. I hope that you all will have a great Mother's Day, spent with the ones you love.


Until next time,
Tovah

Friday's Blog: Elise Stimpson is a very special guest who will be joining us on Friday. She is a missionary who teaches children how to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please be sure to stop by and visit with her.

Ponnie will be back on Monday!

Looking Back

Repost from May 2010...enjoy!

Hello Folks,

What can I say about my mom? I love her very much! My mother is a character and some times she drives me batty. She will always be my mother but she has not yet realized that she is no longer “mommy”; some of you understand exactly what I mean. The thing is I do understand where she is coming from. You see she raised four children by herself, without any real support system. My dad left when I was 2, leaving her to be the sole caretaker of me, a 3 year old, a 6 year old and a 7 year old. Now please hear me I am not down on my dad, he is in my life now and has apologized for the past, forgiveness has taken place and he is now a great dad and Pop- Pop (but this is not Father’s Day, LOL). As I raise my kids with all sorts of support from Brian, my mom, mother in law, sisters and friends, I look back on the lack of support my mom had.

With both her parents being dead and one sister who was struggling to raise her 5 children, mom did not have a consistent team of people, if you will, to rally behind her and encourage her. I would hear the occasional comment from a neighbor complimenting her on how clean and neat she kept us. If you knew what we grew up around you would understand how much of a big deal that was. How did she do it? I mean, how did she manage to raise us with out losing her mind. Now there were days when I was younger that I thought,”mom has lost her mind!” There are days when I think that about myself! Yeah mom hollered at times and administered the rod of correction, she would even say those mom saying like, “Don’t make me call you twice.” Now why would I want to make her call me twice I did not want her to call me at all! But all in all she kept it together, she kept us together. I guess between the occasional comments and her faith in God she was able to stand and do what she had to do.

As I bring this to a close I want to share a memory that has made a lasting impact on my life. Because of sickness and being clumsy I had quite a few trips to the emergency room. I also saw lots of different doctors. One time in my life because of eczema my hair fell out. I was so embarrassed that I never wanted to take my hat off. When I did I was teased by the kids in my school. My mom did everything she could to help it grow back including taking me to a Trichologist to get treatments. I was the only person in my class who even knew what that was. Okay for those of you who are saying, “What?” It is a hair and scalp doctor. That’s not the part however that made the difference it was the trip to Gimbles, a department store that is no longer in existence (oh my I am dating myself). At Gimbles she bought me the prettiest hair pins and other hair decorations. I loved them and wore them proudly. I don’t remember if the teasing stopped but I do know that I went to school feeling beautiful and special.

As I reminisce on all that I’ve written I realize that pride and arrogance has no place in raising my children. I am only living off of the example that has been set for me. Thank You God for mom and all that she has done. Let’s pray. Father we thank you for being moms. What a wonderful gift you have given to us. We praise You for both the successes and the failures we have experienced. As we care for our children we commit to living a life of humility before You, for your word instructs us to humble ourselves under Your mighty hand. We resist every spirit of pride. Thank you God for everything You’ve done for us. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Until next time…



Hugs and Kisses,
Cheryl


Thursday's Blog: Tovah's up

A Mother's Love

Repost from May 2010...enjoy!

In celebration of Mother’s Day, I am tasked to write this month about a mother’s love. I must be honest...this has been one of the hardest blogs for me to write so far. For days, I have been thinking about what I wanted to write about...even prayed that God would give me the right words to say...but nothing came to mind. As much as I love my children, Zachary and Mali, I simply could not determine what to talk about!

Do I talk about the day that they came into my life and changed me forever? Do I discuss the day that I met each of them and instantly fell in love with them? Or should I discuss the day that each of their adoptions became final and how emotional I felt when the judge officially made me their mother?

They are 13 and 15 now...maybe I will write and reflect about the infant and toddler years. How happy I was when they said their first words or how proud I was the first time that they rolled over, began to crawl and took their first steps. The kids love for me to tell them stories of when they were “little”. I thank God for all of those memories and for the chance to experience each one of them. So many milestones achieved during those early years...too many to put into a blog...

So what do I talk about?

Maybe I will talk about their school years. More major milestones achieved! I can remember how emotional I was the first time I dropped Zachary off at his Kindergarten class. I am sitting here and I am reminded of how, after many struggles in Kindergarten, Mali finally realized that she could read and how my heart swelled with joy. I have to smile when I think about the numerous violin and band concerts, PTA performances, dance recitals and how, no matter how many kids were there, I only saw mine. (I loved to see their faces light up when they saw me in the crowd.) Even now...I tear up ever time I see Mali dance...she is so graceful...more than I will ever be. And to this day, I think Zachary is by far the BEST alto sax player in his band...I’m just saying. *smile*

All of those things are great…but they don’t really talk about a mother’s love, do they?

Let’s see...maybe I will talk about the sacrifices of a mother to show a mother’s love.
The nights that I didn’t sleep because I chose to sit up all night holding Zachary up during his bouts with asthma and bronchitis just so he could stop coughing and get some sleep...or the nights that I walked back and forth to Mali’s room just to make sure she wasn’t having a seizure. The many nights staying in a hospital room on the pediatric ward...the many doctor’s appointments. The decision not to date in order to protect their hearts and to spend more time with them. Not buying that Coach purse because the kids needed new shoes. Taking trips to Disney World and buying LOTS of souvenirs when I would have much rather gone on an adult trip to the Caribbean....I’m STILL making sacrifices for one or the other, year after year!!! (But they will only be kids once, right?) *smile*

All examples of a mother’s love...but I wouldn’t dare write about those experiences because I don’t want to come across as complaining. You see, even though I made those sacrifices for them....I am thankful for the opportunity and I would do it all over again...so, I won’t write about them.

I know...I know...maybe, I will talk about a mother’s love and the power of a praying mother. Maybe I will talk about the countless hours of praying for them to be healed...and once they were healed, praying that God would keep them healthy. Perhaps I should talk about how I begin to pray the minute they walk out the door to go to school for their protection or that they will make good decisions while they are there, the many prayers that they will pass their test or that a friend (or foe) won’t hurt their feelings today. I’ve prayed many times to parent them effectively so that they will grow to be a strong, successful, Christian man and woman. And I’ve prayed about the many times that I may not have parented them so effectively. Seems like so much of my day is spent praying for my babies....but maybe I won’t write about that because isn’t that what a mother is supposed to do.

Maybe I will talk about the pain of a mother’s love. Last night on the news they reported that a mother’s son was found after missing since Jan. 31st. His truck and body were recovered from a lake behind the college that he attended as a freshman. I cry because I have babies too and I can only imagine her pain. It’s a mother’s love that makes you cry when you hear of another mother’s pain...

Hmmm...maybe I should talk about how even while writing this blog, the tears begin to flow...because I am so thankful for my babies.

Sigh...I’m so frustrated. I love my children more than anything...they are two of the greatest people that I have in my life. As I said before, I love the fact that God chose me to be their mother and I thank Him everyday for the opportunity to parent them and yet, I can’t figure out not one thing to write about to express that love.... HELP!



Until the next time,
Sasha

Wednesday's Blog: Cheryl...being raised by a single mom

They Always Seem to Have a Song

This past weekend I was awaken Saturday and Sunday by a bird singing its heart out before 6am. I didn't mind so much Saturday, but by Sunday morning I felt myself becoming annoyed with all the noise it was making—Errrr, I wanted to sleep in a little bit! But then it hit me, this is God’s creature and it seems to be very happy that it is alive. Also, it was sitting on top of utility wires, in the back of the house were there are no trees. So, not only has this bird taken up residency in the not so plush back alley, it has a great song to sing. Wow! That made me think about us as God’s children and how we don’t sing and praise Him so much through the hard and lean times.

There are huge trees right outside my door, yet this bird loves singing in the back where there are no trees. I have owned a couple of parakeets over the years and found that birds are very social creatures, whether they are domestic or free. Years ago, I lived on the top floor of a five story brownstone which had a back balcony off my kitchen. One day while preparing breakfast, I head a bird singing and I wasn’t familiar with the sound it was making and when I peeked out the door, it was a bluebird. They are here in the city of Philadelphia, but you don’t see them that often. I stood there and he sang for me. I remember feeling so blessed by that. Well, he started coming every day as long as it didn’t rain and he would sit in the tree across from me and sing until I came to the door. He did this from the spring until the fall of that year.

Birds are not only social they mate for life. When they are flying south in the fall, if a bird is sick or becomes injured the mate and one other bird will leave the flock and stay with them until it’s able to fly again or dies. The two left will join another flock going by.

God put such creativity and beauty into creating his birds, and made such provision for them from the very beginning—just as He has for us. But the one difference between them is…they don’t complain. They don’t feel sorry for themselves and they have a song in their hearts to sing each day. Wow….we can learn so much from them.

You know what? I want to be like that bird who sings in the back of my house. I want to be able to sing God’s praises no matter what is going on in my life. I want to have a song at all times for God. I want to be content with plenty or with a little. And most of all I want to believe with all my heart what Yeshua (Jesus) tells us in Matthew 6:25-26, 25“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food and your body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (NLT)

Do you wake up in the morning with a song of praise in your heart, or are you plagued with worry, doubt and unbelief? Do you grumble because it's Monday? It’s one thing to sing because we’re happy, but it sure is something else to sing when times are hard.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

In honor of Mother's Day (USA) this upcoming Sunday, the next 4 blogs will be reposted blogs from our 2week Mother's Day special in 2010. Enjoy!

Tomorrow: Sasha Brown: A single mom of 2 adoptive children