http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201101/billy-donovans-secret-sorrow

When we initially learnt we were pregnant, I’d placed my bet on this little one being a boy due to the way I was feeling. If, you’ve been following my blog, you know that our journey to parenthood hasn’t been easy and having cried out to God to bless us with a child like Hannah did, our little boy was going to be named Samuel. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that our little poopet was a girl, and having named our last two babies, I gave my hubby the wonderful task of naming our little girl. He eventually threw the name Nia my way, which is a Swahili word meaning purpose or will. It’s a name that puzzles many people but to us, our little girl is purposed by God, of God, and for His glory now and forever more.

Indeed God’s promises are Yes and Amen.

Nia - one day old

Mummy & Nia

Nia & daddy

A happy-go-lucky Nia

Isaiah 53

¹ Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

³ He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

⁸ By oppression ^[a] and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken. ^[b]

⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes ^[c] his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

¹¹ After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life ^[d] and be satisfied ^[e] ;
by his knowledge ^[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, ^[g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong, ^[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

We’re so thankful to God and to all our family and friends who have prayed with us and for us; thank you, dear stranger and fellow blogger who always checked in on us and prayed for our baby on this journey.

I will definitely keep you posted on how it all goes. In the meantime, please remember us in your prayers that all will go well and that our little bunny will have a safe delivery. Baraka tele.

The sad thing about all this is that this are people living among us. However, we’ve become a society that encourages establishing superficial relationships that we miss seeing such people. I, for one, have a habit of asking , “Hi, how are you?” without the patience of waiting for someone to really tell me how they’re fairing. The few times that I’ve actually stopped to get a real response, I find myself zoning out to find an appropriate response for this person, which equates to my missing out on quite a bit of information (including non-verbal cues)!

I therefore did some introspection especially after feeling prompted to go through 1 Corinthians 13 which defines what love really is. Love – the vital antidote to the loneliness in our lives.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

It was quite an eye-opener for me as many are the times that I look at relationships with a ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude. There are times that I’ll decide to sever ties with someone because ‘they are too needy.’  Other times, I’ll decide someone isn’t worth knowing because ‘we have nothing in common’ (read, different value systems). I also like assuming that all my friends and family are well so I can be quiet for months on end – after all, communication is two way and they can call and find out how I’m doing just this once!

Anyway, I’ve decided to take up this challenge and reach out to others regardless. Whenever the opportunity arises, I’ll try and establish a conversation with someone who is out of my comfort zone. I’ll also tell my family and friends just how important they are to me and not wait until there’s a special occasion for me to do so. With God’s grace (and less interference from our now unplugged telly), I’ll open up my heart and home, to all.

God’s lent child
“I’ll lend you for a little while
A child of mine” God said -
For you to love the while he lives
and mourn for when he’s dead.
It may be six or seven years
or forty two or three
but will you, till I call him back,
take care of him for me?

He’ll bring his charms to gladden you
and, should his stay be brief,
you’ll have his nicest memories
as solace for his grief.
I cannot promise he will stay,
since all from earth return
but, there are lessons taught below,
I want this child to learn.

I’ve looked the whole world over,
in my search for teachers true,
and from the things that crowd life’s lane
I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love,
nor think the labour vain,
nor hate me when I come to take
this lent child back again?

I fancied that I heard them say,
“Dear Lord Thy Will Be Done”
for all the joys thy child will bring
the risk of grief we’ll run.
We’ll shelter him with tenderness,
we’ll love him while we may,
and for the happiness we’ve known
forever grateful stay.
But, should thy Angels call for him
much sooner than we planned,
we’ll brave the grief that comes
and try to understand.
(author unknown)

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

In 2010, my prayer for you all is that the Lord will bless you and keep you. May He cause His face to shine upon you. May He lift up His countenance and grant you peace. Amen

Love one another as I have loved you

I see you, I need you, but I don’t know your name
I touch you, say I love you, but that’s all you get for today
It’s easy, so easy, to tell you it’s gonna be okay
When I don’t walk in your shoes, haven’t been through what you been through
Instead I push you away
Sunday everyone looks like you
But if our lives are cold inside tell me what’s the use

If I say I love Jesus, but you can’t see my Jesus
My words are empty, if they can’t see Jesus in me
No more excuses, I give myself away
Because I may be the only Jesus they see

Too busy, forgive me, I’ve got problems of my own
It’s easier to say your help is on the way
But I was your help all along
We’re shouting, we’re dancing, but can the world see a change
Am I just too selfish to see, the love they need You put inside of me

If we say we love Jesus, but they can’t see our Jesus
Tell me what’s the use if they can’t see Jesus in you and me
No more excuses, we give it all away
Because we may be the only Jesus they see

If I am Your hands and Your feet, and if Your church is built inside of me
Where did we go wrong, we’ve been here too long, we can’t see Your face anymore
It’s not the same anymore

Have mercy on us Jesus, please forgive us Jesus
I lost my purpose, if they can’t see You in me
See I lied too long, and I change it all today
Because I may be, the only Jesus they see

[ The Last Jesus Lyrics  Kirk Franklin on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

1)You have a reason to be thankful each day if you can actually breathe unaided
2) The one man you thought you couldn’t live without is probably the one you should live without
3)God has thrown a permanent lifeline in the murky waters of life; you must however be willing to grab it
4)Choices do have consequences so avoid making any major decisions when inebriated
5)You and your spouse are the sole determinants of when the honeymoon phase of your marriage ends
6)Don’t fret about your weight when in your teens; you’ll get a job soon enough and the bills will ensure drastic weight loss ( a good job will also give you the alternative of being able to buy clothes with the perfect cut to hide the flaws!)
7)Inflation will occur so you might a well invest in relationships too as the returns are much higher (they could also prove to be your bail out plan)
8)Gossip says more about you than the person you’re gossiping about
9)An annual visit to the gynaecologist could save you tonnes of grief later on
10)If you ask God for a God-fearing spouse, He’ll even add the desirable qualities you thought were too vain to ask for (think it works along the lines of Solomon asking for wisdom)
11)Pride about your culture, not arrogance, is commendable
12)If your wedding is breaking your bank account, it will probably cause a few cracks in your marriage too
13)Your mother-in-law is still your beloved’s mum. Be cordial at worst.
14)A chip on your shoulder is just that – a burden to you only! Deal with it before it wears you down
15)Some friends will come into your life for a season. Ask for God’s wisdom to know when the season is over, and for the grace to walk away amicably
16)Allow people to be human without fear of judgement from you
17)Music is really food for your soul. Go ahead and croon to Crystal Gayle if it makes you happy
18)Only take a loan to invest in an appreciating asset, or to meet a need. Never take one to indulge a lifestyle
19)Financial management is something that you should commence as soon as you start earning an income
20)Always read the fine print in a contract and if unsure, consult a lawyer before signing
21)Take a proactive approach to your health. Know your HIV status even if you’re not sexually active
22)Contrary to what the beauty magazines say, a smile does slow down the ageing process and could prove to be your biggest asset yet
23)When the world has you down, don’t be shocked to realise that most of those who help you up are actually members of your family

It’s been quite a while since I blogged…. couldn’t help it though. We are 15w 2d preggie and feeling really blessed. Been on strict bed rest for the past 3 months but after the cerclage was placed, I’m now allowed limited movement.

I can’t say it’s been a breeze – still get anxiety attacks from time to time. Our families and friends have been really supportive and their prayers have really seen us through alot. God bless you guys immensely.

All in all, God has been faithful and we are waiting on Him for our little miracle come April 2010.

Say a little prayer for us…..