Blogging State of Mind

2018 is coming to an end. It has been a crazy year and I can't believe that we are already looking at another new year. To be honest, blogging was not a priority this year. My heart just wasn't in it. I think it is a temporary state of mind and I will be back to blogging again at some point. Blogging means a lot to me, when I look back at my old posts, I am always glad because those are memories captured.

Anyways, this is a short post. All I can say is 2019, maybe you are the year that is going to bring me back to blogging again - I hope so anyway. Let's see what happens. 

The Good Changes

Perhaps I am a person of contradictions but here is the thing – I like doing new things but I am not a huge fan of change. I like planning for things in advance and having certainty, and yet, on the other hand, I also like learning and doing new things. When I go to new restaurants, I am that person who will want to try a new dish; I must admit it does not always turn out well – at least I know what not to order the next timeJ. I love travelling, you can ask me to go to a country I have never been to, and I will pack up, go and settle in quite nicely, I have done it several times, and I have always seen it as having an adventure.

At the beginning of the year, my swimming school (yes I am learning to swim to those who don't know) told me that I was going to change my swimming instructor because my current one then would no longer be available. I was sad because I liked my swimming instructor – she was very patient with me, and I could not imagine anyone else being that patient. There was no avoiding it, the new instructor came, and the lessons had to go on. The first two or so lessons I struggled because I did not trust her yet and I was getting to know her. At some point, something happened, and we connected. I tell you my current instructor is even better than my first, not only is she very patient but she is also fun. We laugh a lot, and we have so much fun – I am always surprised at how fast the lessons go. The other day she sent me a sweet message telling me how well I was doing, that she was proud of me and enjoyed teaching me. I was floored by her message, and I could not agree more that I also enjoy having my lessons with her.

Not all change is negative; change can be good. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that to everything there is a season and time… When life’s season changes occur it can be scary or sad but if there is one thing which I am learning, even a seemingly bad season always turns out for good in the end. The Bible is on point when it says that all things work for good for those who love the Lord (Romans 8.28). Look at Joseph - being sold into slavery and being thrown into prison after a false accusations were terrible things to happen to him, BUT God turned those situations for good, he became the second most influential man in Egypt second only to Pharaoh. May God grant us the grace to trust Him with every change and situation which comes our way. He knows what He is doing; he has everything under control. He’s got this!

All Rolled Into One

There was a point a while back when I was beginning to feel that this blog was now becoming a travel blog. All I seemed to do was do travel posts. I then decided to go easy on the travel posts and so that means I have a number of travel posts which I never shared. To remedy that I have decided to do this post today summarizing my travels since late last year. Some of the things are just too good not to share so here goes:

October - November 2016
I returned to England  for a visit after six years. I never thought I would return to England but wow ... God had a plan. It was exciting visiting and it felt like coming home again.

Walked down the streets I used to walk in my not so small anymore town in Hampshire.

Hung out with old friends. So much fun.

Visited my old work place and even shopped there. I used to walk up and down those escalators everyday. 

Hung out with kids of friends who I remember as tiny little things. 

December 2016 
I was privileged and honored to be asked by one of my friends to be a the maid of honor at her wedding. This was my second time being a maid of honor, but I was still taken back at how much of a responsibility it was. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot of things. I was taking notes (wink, wink).

Look at the bride doesn't she look gorgeous

 I even managed to capture the big moment. I took advantage of my maid of honor position to take good pictures. 

Bridesmaids.

December 2016  - Early January 2017 
After the wedding which was in Bulawayo I flew to Windhoek, Namibia to visit some friends and of course to play tourist. I loved Namibia - I am a sucker for small towns and countries. I could see myself living in Namibia.

We stayed at the fabulous Lapa Lange Lodge. It was an oasis in the desert in the real sense because it is situated in the middle of no where. 

Got to watch animals coming to the watering hole at the lodge. It was a beautiful sight to behold. 

Hung out with the cool kids 😄

Took some selfies during the game drive.

If you are ever in Windhoek, you have to visit Joe's Beer House. It is a must go to place.

February 2017 
My goal each year is to visit at least three new places. Nigeria was first new place of the year. Abuja is surprising and not what I expected. As the capital city I expected it to be crazy busy and very advanced but alas it is still developing and nothing like Lagos (briefly passed through Lagos but not sure it counts as it was from the domestic airport to the intentional one). The people are very friendly and have big personalities.

Welcome to Abuja.

Met some awesome young people who  are passionate about making the world a better place. They are real Champions.

Driving around Abuja. 

Braved shopping at one of the markets. Word of advise -  you need to be a strong bargainer otherwise you will be ripped off. Having a local with you will help. 

Ate this delicious braiied fish.Usually I don't like spicy but in this case, spicy worked just fine. 

 
March 2017 
This is the month I met my second nephew ( Little Munchkin) for the first time. He is such a cutie. I flew to Hwange and spent a week there and even managed to play tourist in Binga, a small town along the Zambaezi. My other nephew Baby AA surprised me. The last time I saw him he would not come near me or anyone, he would hang onto his mum or dad's leg. But when I met him in March within an hour he had warmed up to me and we were friends.

This place in Binga along the Zambezi had an amazing view. Who knew that Binga was an interesting place. 

Look at my nephew Baby AA. He is all grown up and we were the best of friends.

Selfies are a must of course.

Took a boat ride in the Zambezi and even managed to drive the boat for a while.

Fishing anyone? I caught a big one or did I?

Best of all I hung out with these two lovelies.

 
May 2017 
This was third new place to visit for the year. I drove with a few work colleagues to the South Africa-Lesotho boarder town of Fickburg for a work event. I participated in my first talk show ever and fell in love with the electric blanket.

We stayed in this quaint little lodge. On the outside it looked disappointing but inside it was gorgeous and homey.

Made a presentation on girls education and also took part in a talk show. 

Captured this beautiful sunset on our way back to Johannesburg. 

 I really tried to make this post short and to the point. I did a good job didn't I? These could have been six potential posts but I think they are better like this, all rolled into one. 😂😃😄.

The Things I Did Not Know I Needed

Most of us, me included think that we know what is good for us and want we want, that is until that second when God shows us otherwise. There are those defining moments where you experience something and have that aha moment, realising that you didn’t even know you needed that thing. I had the opportunity to go on a business trip in a small town in Free State, right by the Lesotho border. It was early May, but when we arrived there, it was so cold. The lady in the lodge we stayed in (bless her heart,) switched on the electric blankets for us when we arrived. Till that point, I had never owned nor used an electric blanket before. I had always been sceptical about them because I didn’t think they were safe. That night in that small town I had one of the best sleep I have ever had on a cold day. The next morning I raved to my colleagues about how I was going to buy an electric blanket for the winter.

Life is also like that. We think that we know it all but do we? I cannot count the number of times when I felt I was happy and had all I needed. Then God would bring something my way, and I would realise I actually needed that thing but just didn’t know it. It is a privilege that we have a God who knows all our needs even before we do. If you make Him the driver of your life, you can be rest assured that you are taken care of and that at the right moment He will provide what you need. Imagine the advantages of having someone who sees ahead on your team (Revelation 1.8). It takes the worry out of you, and you don’t have to stress. I look forward to those aha moments; Lord keep them coming, your surprises are the best.

Keeping Your Head Above the Water

One of the things about me is that it is usually the very small things which get me. Someone might say something seemingly insignificant, but it can have a big impact on me. A quote or a few sentences in a book or a song can spark something huge in me. Some of my friends say that I have a weird taste in music and some always ask me where I get some of my ideas from because it is as if I live in another world. How can I put this? Usually, I am just being myself. To me it is normal, but I have come to realise that sometimes what I think is normal is not so to those around me.

Some time ago I was talking to my mentor, and I happened to mention that I am fascinated by Belgium because of Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective character from Agatha Christie’s books. She remarked that it was so funny because most people usually talk about the Belgian chocolates or beer. It was only much later when I was replaying the conversation in my head when I realised something - I am a unique individual, and God made it that way for a reason. That revelation made me more appreciative of who I am as a person – the quirkiness, the things about me which many people do not get and so forth. It is all me, and yet the pressure is always there to conform. Sadly, there are instances where I have pretended to be something I am not, just so that I wouldn’t come across as weird.

I love what Psalm 139. 14 -16 says.  I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God saw me before I was born and every day of my life has already been recorded in His book. Think of it this way, if God the Most High made each of us different and unique, then surely it should be ok to be ourselves instead of trying to be other people. I know that it is easier said than done and there will possibly be times when the urge to conform will be strong but I know one thing for sure – I can always be myself with God. Come on nothing can be hidden from Him so really there is no point in pretendingJJ. I tell Him things I would never dare tell anyone and I know that it’s ok. Even when I mess up big time I know that He still loves me. Plus I know that he gets me, as in really get me even when no one else does.  Knowing this enables me to embrace my uniqueness more and more every day.

On the Grass Being Greener...

 A while ago a friend asked me to do a post on her blog. I wrote something but completely forgot to send it her way. I saw the post a few days ago in one of my folders and well...I thought why not.

As a little girl, I remember being absolutely crazy about Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Two of my favourite songs from that movie where Under the Sea and Part of your World – ironically both songs have a strong theme about the grass being greener on the other side. Picture this - Ariel sitting on a rock under the sea having daydreams of what life would be like if she were human? She was convinced that life would be better, something she later discovered was not necessarily so. I would be the first one to admit that I am a dreamer and like Ariel, I used to (and still do sometimes) have a tendency of dreaming and obsessing over things. I used to constantly day dream and obsess over things convinced that it would be better say, to have what someone has. I learned the hard way when fervent prayers for some of these things came to pass. Once I realised the pitfalls of such prayers, I stopped making them. As they say, one man’s meat is another’s poison, just because it working well for Jane doesn’t mean it will work for me. We are all unique, accepting that I learned, makes life a notch easier.

Yes, I believe that it is possible that the grass could be indeed greener on the other side but one of the questions I frequently ask my myself these days is – is it my kind of green? A wise woman once told me that one of the best recipes to happiness is to embrace who you are and be the best version of yourself.  She was onto something. I have struggled many times about embracing who I am and where I am at on my way to where I am going. Maybe if I got married, maybe if I had children, maybe if I got a better job, maybe if … the list is endless but will it ever be enough? How much better is it really going to be if those things come to pass? Alas, it is like chasing a mirage. Getting to the seeming green side will never be enough because there will always be a greener looking side. 

Contentment, trusting in God, faith and oh yes patience – please don’t start me on the subject this could be a whole post altogether J – are important ingredients to achieving sanity in this crazy world which is always telling us it is better to be like this, to have this and to do this. We are all different, have  different purposes in life so back to my earlier assertion, maybe the question to ask is: is it my kind of green? As for me, I want to live a full life, I want my dreams to become a reality, but I want it to be to be in terms of it being my kind of green – a green that stems from trusting and walking with God. 

I love Him, Its that Simple

I love April. It is one of my favorite months because Easter my favorite holiday usually falls in that month. Easter is special right...I am always reminded about God's deep and unconditional love for me and the beautiful gift of grace which came with his death on the cross. I love Him so much and I feel blessed to know Him and that He is my God. Either way, when the chips are down or up, I know  I can always count on Him. He gives meaning to my life, take Him out of the equation and I would be lost. Thankfully, that will never happen.

So I have two songs which have been on repeat on my playlist of late. These songs take the words out of my mouth and are currently acting as my prayers as I sing along.

Jekalyn Carr with You are Bigger. This young woman is amazing!!!She started singing when she was 13 and she is only 19 now.

Dr. Tumi with Without You. Can you believe that he is also a medical doctor. I wouldn't have imagined that a medical doctor could sing so beautifully... but here he is.

I smitten by these two songs. What do you think?

Hello

It's been a while, I know. This year has been quite hectic and to be honest I have been procrastinating a lot in terms of blogging. A lot has been happening and I have quite a back log of posts. I have also discovered the joys of Instagram and hence I have been doing most of my postings there. Who knew that Instagram was so cool. Thanks to my good friend Lovely for introducing me.

Please watch this space for at least a post this week. I am determined to get on track with my blogging.

And We Begin Again

I cannot believe that we are in a new year already. Time is flying and my head is spinning. I am very excited though because I have this very strong feeling that great things are going to happen this year. I just know it.

The festive season was hectic - I visited my parents, was a bridesmaid in a wedding and even managed to squeeze in one more holiday in Namibia. I know I know - it means more post building up, I already owe two posts on my trips to Thira (Santorini) and England. I promise I will get round to it 😄😄😄.

Picture from here

Anyway, something really awesome happened to me today and it made my day. I went to the tax office to finish off filing my taxes for last year. I got there at around 14.15 and they close at 16.00 hrs. The guy who was assigning which query was which told me blankly that I should leave because with the way things were looking I was highly unlikely to be served. I looked around and saw what he meant,the place was packed. Nonetheless, I persisted and told him that I would take my chances. He shook his head and issued me with a ticket. I took a seat in the packed waiting room  and prepared myself  for what most likely was going to be waiting in vain. I took out a copy of Joseph Prince's Unmerited Favor , the book which I am currently reading, made myself comfy and started reading.

I am really enjoying this book because it is opening up my eyes to so many things. For sure Joseph Prince is challenging me to be more daring and purposeful with my faith. One of the things he talks about in the chapter I was reading  at the time of my waiting, was practicing the presence of God all the time in all circumstances. He gives an example of David who was known for singing praises and hymns to God in all circumstance. As I was reading I briefly thought to myself, 'I am reading a book on favor, what if somehow I don't wait in vain and I actually get served today.' However, I quickly dismissed the thought because I could see how packed the room was and the ticket numbers for my query were hardly moving. 

The miracle happened just after 3. I watched in awe as ticket number after ticket number under my particular query ended up as abandoned tickets - the ticket number owners were no where to be found. In a space of 15 minutes my ticket number appeared on the screen, I couldn't believe it- I was going to be served  after all - with about 40 minutes to spare before closing time. 

I just couldn't get my mind around  what had happened so as the officer who assisted me was just finishing off, I mentioned that I was so glad that there had been so many abandoned tickets  otherwise I would  not have been served. He agreed and said that actually, he wasn't supposed to be doing my kind of queries but he had decided to volunteer to help otherwise, he pointed out I would have had to come back another day. Then I remembered something I had been reading in Unmerited Favor - that if God cares enough to keep track of the hairs on our heads, there is nothing too small which He cannot do for us. God it seems, didn't want me to wait in vain and come back another day to start a whole new queue. He stirred things up just for me.

Its been hours since the incident but I am still feeling grateful and humbled. God is so good. If this is what favor can do I definitely want more of it in my life. 

Okay ..,. I am going back to my book Unmerited Favor. I highly recommend it, its a good read because it brings about revelations about things we know about as Christians but never really ponder on, understand or put into action. I love it when things like what happened to me today happen - thank you Lord, I know you have my back.

Why This Season Makes Me Sad In A Way

I love the season of Christmas. There is always something exciting going on - talk about events, parties, markets and so much more. One of the things I also look forward to are the Christmas movies. However, (I bet you saw that coming) each year something always bothers me. It feels like Christmas has been hijacked. Santa Claus/Father Christmas and the commercialization of the day being some of the culprits. Honestly, I don't think many people know what Christmas is all about. The focus is no longer on Jesus as it should be but its on other things which have taken the focus on the real meaning of Christmas.

I remember watching a programme sometime ago where they were asking people what Christmas was all about. Shockingly very few people even mentioned Jesus. I was hurt, yes hurt and saddened. One person even mentioned that Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus because if he really ever existed he wasn't even born in December. This person just had to miss the point...

Anyway, so what does Christmas mean to me. Whilst I agree it is also about spending time with family and giving gifts, those are just side events which are done to share and show each other the love which the Lord Jesus Himself showed all of us by coming down to earth, living as a human and dying for us in order to give us life abundantly and bridge the chasm which had been created between us and God because of sin.He didn't have to but he did it anyway because He loves us so much. Christmas to me is about remembering how much God loves me and how He was willing to humble himself although He is God. His very birth changed the fate of mankind and human life was forever changed.  I am glad that Jesus came and died for me, I am because of Him and I cannot imagine life without Him. He is my everything.  One day when I have children I am going to make sure they know the real story behind Christmas.

Here is my current idee fixe. I love Lauren Daigle, I think she has an awesome voice and this song is really awesome. Love it and it is on repeat on my play list.

In other news - I have also been doing the rounds visiting Christmas markets. I am always on the look out for interesting and unique staff and general markets always deliver. Here are a few pictures.

The Christmas Village at Monte Casino was one of the places I couldnt miss.

You can just tell its Christmas.

There was even a cool fountain place where the children could cool off and have fun.

They even has movies showing every evening. 

I got this gorgeous bag which is perfect as an over night bag or an office bag where I can put in my laptop and work stuff.

 So what have you been up to this festive season and whet does Christmas mean to you? Just curious:).

Spring and Milestones

Spring is here! The flowers are blooming and the trees are coming back to life. Today was a good day - I took my first laps in the pool without a float - amazing!!! I must say swimming is going well, more than I anticipated. I am glad that I faced my fear of water - and I am looking forward to more swimming adventures. Big up to Chez my patient - very patient instructor.

Unexpected Loss

Last week I lost my uncle (my mother's brother). I was devastated because we were close. I am not always good with keeping in touch with people, so I would often go for long periods without communicating with him but he would always reach out to find out how I was. The last time I talked to him was on the 12th of July. He phoned and was so happy telling me that his grand daughter had just finished her last semester at university and she was going to graduate in September. Little did I know that that was the last time I was speaking to him.
A lot of my childhood memories are filled of going for holidays at his house and spending fun days with his family. One particular holiday I remember him playing a particular song almost everyday and encouraging us to dance. Oh how we would dance. I guess it was his song of the moment. This is the song, it has always and will remain to remind me of him:

I am going to miss you Uncle S. May your soul rest in peace.

So when we heard of his death, my brother and 2 other cousins made immediate plans to travel  the
2 560 km (back and forth) journey with a boarder to cross in between, road trip. It was not an easy trip since we encountered some delays along the way. It was worth it though. Here are a few pictures:

Imagine we got a flat Tyre. It just had to happen when it had just gotten dark.

The guys fixing the car.

I got to see my handsome awesome nephew. Love the way he looks right at the camera and smiles.

There  he is - learning to drive already?

Random picture on the way.

This is the place where Uncle S was buried.

Poor dog, it was so hot and he couldn't help  but sleep.

We left at 02.00 hrs on Tuesday early morning and where back by Thursday 14.00 hrs. This was a marathon journey and we were exhausted. But I am so glad that I was able to be there and bid Uncle S good bye. A summary of who my uncle was: he was a frank person who was not afraid to say what was on his mind. He was that kind of a person with whom you could have an argument with but within a short time he would have moved on, he did not keep grudges. He was a perfectionist and never accepted mediocrity. He loved people and loved God, the many testimonies given were proof of that. He is going to be greatly missed.

I Found It!

In a post a while back I shared how I was hunting searching for a couch. I am glad to tell you that the search is over. Just when I was getting weary because I kept seeing more or less the same ones, I walked into this one shop and wham! I fell in love.

I have been particularly looking for a sleeper couch because I live in a 1 bed place and I want visitors to have somewhere reasonably comfortable to sleep on. I love this couch because it is different. It is unlike all the other sleeper couches I was coming across. It is also quite comfortable (yes I tried it for a night), easy to transform, is very strong and looks good both as a couch and bed. I am excited. Now I will be accessorizing and I am moving on to my next buy. House furnishing and decorating can be stressful but is exciting all the same.

An Empty Lounge Area. It had been like this for over 2 months. 

Assembling the Sleeper Couch.

Making progress.

All done. I am in love with this Couch.

Couch turned into bed.

Look at that - it looks like a real bed doesn't it?

   Great weekend everyone.

Changes

The whole of last year and part of this year on my side bar I had a list of things I wanted to do. Moving to a new place was one of the things on the list. Well...it finally happened. From the 1st of July I moved into a new place. I am now staying on my own. I love the space, the independence and just knowing that the place is mine. Makes me feel so grown up lol!

Old Place

New Place

The place is still very empty but that does nothing to diminish my excitement. I am always on alert for things that I can put in my new place. Being the picky person that I am I have not yet found a couch which I love - a couch is number one on my list. I have so many ideas running in my head and I have been doing my research. Pinterest is such a good place to get ideas and inspiration.
In my search for home ware I went to the Decorex Expo last week and I am glad I did. Here are a few pictures.

Looks too good to take a bath in.

For my garden or veranda some day.

Love love the burst of colors

These hand made flowers caught my eye.

I have never been a pink person but this got me.

More lounge ideas. Red/maroon doesn't look too bad for the couch.

The more I see home ideas the more I realize that the choices are many. It can be a bit confusing but at the end of the day it is down to one's budget. At the Decorex Expo I saw a lot of lovely stuff but on asking the prices I found myself cringing more than thrice.
I see exciting times ahead as I furnish and decorate my place. It's a dream come true for sure.