Inside my head

My pastor has this knack of getting into my head.
Like. All. The. Time!

Hubby and I have joked before that we are convinced he spends time in our home, without us knowing about it. He just seems to be speaking directly to us every Sunday morning at church. About 2 to 3 times during the service, we will glance at each other, with a look that says, "Guess, who's been listening in on our conversations again!"

Oh, I know that he's not psychic or anything, and he's definately not a stalker! He's just a man who loves God, and is faithful to wait on Him week after week, in order to bring us a message from the throne room of heaven. It's encouraging, challenging and emotional, all rolled into one!

I love that it gives me a lifeline, a rope to cling onto when I feel that I'm sinking. It helps me keep my head above water. I cannot walk away from the service unchanged, or untouched. I like that. I really do.

(Image by aftab on Flickr)

I am thankful for my pastor, and his heart after God. I am thankful that he takes the time to crawl into my head every now & then, and remind me that God loves me...in spite of myself!

Soccer Fever

While America gears up for the Summer holidays, South Africa is going World Cup crazy! I cannot wait for the games to start, and it's  20 days till the opening ceremony.

Enjoy this Fifa World Cup promo advert.....it's one of my favourites!

Summer Holidays....yay!

Image by 'smil via Flickr

YAY!!

Just over 10 days of school left for this year. I'm looking forward to sleeping a little later, no morning breakfast rush, no homework (awesomeness!!), no packed lunches to make.....you get the picture!

Coming from South Africa, where the longest school vacation we had was around 6 weeks, I am totally un-used to a 3 month summer holiday. I was at first dreading such a long break, wondering how I would keep my boys occupied without them sitting in front of the TV all day. Now, I am looking forward to making use of all 13 pools we have here in The Woodlands, doing some more exploring, and taking a trip down to the beach now and then. I have a few summer day camps lined up for the kids, which should be interesting for us all, as we don't have those much in SA either. And my mother is coming to visit from the UK for 2 months. There are also some great family summer movies coming out, which we are all looking forward to: Shrek; Furry Vengeance; Despicable Me; and Karate Kid.

So all in all, I think we'll be alright. We have Memorial day weekend coming up, and some friends are finally making the big move from the UK to Houston, and will be flying in next week.....so we are looking forward to their arrival, and showing them around the city! Good times!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to sing me some Cliff Richard's 'Summer Holiday'......

She will stay with me forever.....

Lately my 6 year old has been telling me he wants me to stay with him forever.
I know....words that a mother Always.Wants.To. Hear.


On a few occasions he has come up to me, draped his little arm around me, or cuddled really, really close to me, and whispered those few precious words. My heart melts, but also breaks in knowing that I won't always be with him forever.


I tell him that one day he'll get married and live with his wife, and not his Mommy. He thinks a while. Then very seriously says, Mommy, you'll be going on the honeymoon with me!


I don't know what scared me more.....the fact that he's talking about a honeymoon, or that he wants me to go along with him :)

Anyway, this is what he brought home from school the other day, I just had to share it with y'all ....

What he wrote....

My Mom is speshale bicose. (My Mom is special because)

She feds me owase    (she feeds me always)

She prextrt me!!!!!!!!  (she protects me)

She Love me.

She halps me.

She plas withe me. (She plays with me)

She halps gordning. (She helps gardening...which simply means I help him water his bean sprouts!!)

She wile stae with me forever......

She will stay with me forever!

Proud to be an African

I have been watching some DVD's I stumbled upon at our local library. As soon as I saw them lying on the shelf, I knew I  had to watch them again. They are from a TV series that came out in the early 80's. And they bring such a flood of wonderful childhood memories back to me, and also a yearning for my home country - Africa!

The TV series was called "The Flame Trees Of Thika", and if any of you have seen them, you will understand why they make me so homesick. Even though it was filmed in Kenya, it reminds me of the bushveld in South Africa that I have grown to love and appreciate.

So in my state of longing of all things African, I decided to share this little clip with you. It is a speech from the former South African president Thabo Mbeki, that he recited in parliament. The South African Tourism Board have made a video around the speech, and I just love to watch it over & over (it's on my YouTube playlist).

The country is far from perfect, like any country I guess. But once you have spent a fair amount of time there, it simply gets in your blood, and beats in rhythm with your own heart. It is a beautiful land......