Day 13: Running water and electricity
It is so easy for me to focus on what I do not have, what I want. Things, conveniences, opportunities. And yet I sit here at night, writing on an iPad, while keeping one eye on the TV which is showing one of my favourite movies (crazy stupid love). I'll get to modern convenience in a future post but right now I want to take it down to the basics: I have water in my taps and electricity in my home. It is a privilege and I am grateful.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
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Sunday, November 11, 2012
30 days of thanks: day 12
Day 12: democracy
It is not possible to live in South Africa without knowing the terrible legacy of apartheid. Today I saw the brilliant musical Kat and the Kings for the 3rd time in about 15 years, and it remains a vivid reminder of the impact that apartheid had on the lives of South Africans. And I hate it.
I hate that my legacy as white, Afrikaans speaking South African is one of discrimination and racial division. I cannot stand it when I have a conversation with another Afrikaans speaking person and they assume, because of the colour of my skin and my language, that I will agree with whatever idiotic racist comment they are about to make. My oldest is going to school in January and we chose an English school, because the Afrikaans school in our area came across as really racist when we went to the open day. Nothing overt, just the small comments. And of course not a black person to be seen anywhere.
So for today, I am grateful for democracy in South Africa. I am grateful for the people who dedicated their lives for the struggle, including some who died for it. And I will do my part to speak out against racism and other discrimination wherever I see it.
It is not possible to live in South Africa without knowing the terrible legacy of apartheid. Today I saw the brilliant musical Kat and the Kings for the 3rd time in about 15 years, and it remains a vivid reminder of the impact that apartheid had on the lives of South Africans. And I hate it.
So for today, I am grateful for democracy in South Africa. I am grateful for the people who dedicated their lives for the struggle, including some who died for it. And I will do my part to speak out against racism and other discrimination wherever I see it.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
30 days of thanks: day 11
Day 11: Freedom
In the light of the recent US elections, it is clear that there are many definitions of freedom. And I don't necessarily agree with all of them; I do not believe that we are or should be free from the consequences of our actions, for example. Nor do I think we are free of responsibility to society, or to those less fortunate. I pay a lot of taxes and I am happy to, because that's the only way it is going to work. I do not believe we should be free of ever being confronted with something we disagree with, including breastfeeding in public, gay couples being affectionate in public, contraception covered on our health plans and a lot of other things. I do not believe freedom should be limited to the freedoms I choose to avail myself of.
However, a story I just read reminded me vividly of the freedoms that I do treasure more than words can say. Freedom to speak my mind without fear. Freedom to love. Freedom to believe and practice my religion. Freedom to be educated and choose a career that I love. Freedom to choose to have a career or not, for that matter. Freedom to choose to have children, and how many, and how to raise them.
I have a lot to be grateful for.
In the light of the recent US elections, it is clear that there are many definitions of freedom. And I don't necessarily agree with all of them; I do not believe that we are or should be free from the consequences of our actions, for example. Nor do I think we are free of responsibility to society, or to those less fortunate. I pay a lot of taxes and I am happy to, because that's the only way it is going to work. I do not believe we should be free of ever being confronted with something we disagree with, including breastfeeding in public, gay couples being affectionate in public, contraception covered on our health plans and a lot of other things. I do not believe freedom should be limited to the freedoms I choose to avail myself of.
However, a story I just read reminded me vividly of the freedoms that I do treasure more than words can say. Freedom to speak my mind without fear. Freedom to love. Freedom to believe and practice my religion. Freedom to be educated and choose a career that I love. Freedom to choose to have a career or not, for that matter. Freedom to choose to have children, and how many, and how to raise them.
I have a lot to be grateful for.
Friday, November 9, 2012
30 days of change: day 10
Day 10: the community at www.gentlechristianmothers.com
I love the internet, and a huge part of that is the social aspect. I have taken part in many onlin discussions and forums, but I found my online home at Gentle Christian Mothers. It is a community of mostly Christian women, most of whom are parents, with a focus on raising our children with grace and discipline.
Here is a copy of the statement of beliefs:
Statement of Beliefs
Our Christian Beliefs
1. The Bible is the complete, infallible, inerrant, inspired written Word of God; it is the final authority on what a Christian is called to believe. We do not hold Church Tradition to be on equal footing with Scripture.
2. There is one God: He is of one essence yet He has existed eternally in three persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
3. Jesus, God in flesh who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins and rose again the third day.
4 We are sinners and could never be "good enough" to make it to heaven or to please God in any way, and, without Christ, we are enemies of God and destined for eternal punishment and separation from God. Romans 3:10, 11, 12; Romans 3:21-24; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 6:23a
5. Salvation is a free gift from God, and we are not saved by our own works, but rather we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. His righteousness is credited to us and in Him we have assurance of salvation. Romans 6:23b; Ephesians 2:8, 9
6. Those who are saved have been given a new heart which desires to do His will and which loves Him above all else. II Corinthians 5:17; John 14:23; James 2:26
7. We embrace all members of the invisible Church.
Our Parenting Beliefs
1. All children are a gift from God. Psalm 127:3
2. The husband/wife marriage relationship is the scriptural model for creating a family.
3. Life begins at conception, and unborn babies have a right to life and should be nurtured and loved. Psalm 139:13-16
4. Babies deserve the most natural and gentle birth possible.
5. Babies communicate through crying, and their cries deserve a quick, nurturing response.
6. Parents should not put an unnecessary emphasis on schedules.
7. Children greatly benefit from lots of physical touch, and babies can not be held too much.
8. Breastmilk is God's design in infant nutrition.
9. Breastfeeding satisfies not only babies' hunger and thirst, but it also is a great way to pacify and comfort them.
10. Breastfeeding babies on cue is important not only to help them grow strong and healthy, but it also helps them to learn to trust.
11. Breastfeeding into toddlerhood--and for as long as mother and child desire--continues to provide health and emotional benefits and serves to strengthen the foundation of trust laid in infancy.
12. Children's nighttime needs are as worthy of being met as their daytime needs, and each child has individual nighttime needs that should be respected and met to the best of their parents' ability.
13. There should be minimal separation between mother and baby, and parents need to be sensitive to their children's need to be close to them and not force separation before their child is ready.
14. Everyone benefits when children are an integral part of the family's daily life.
15. A father's involvement in raising his children is vital.
16. Parents have been given authority over their children from the Lord. Scripture is clear that discipline and correction are our responsibility as we raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
17. Fear and purposely-inflicted pain have no place in gentle, loving, Biblical discipline, and children should be discipled from birth with an appropriate mixture of kindness and firmness in a manner that respects their feelings and their developmental, emotional, and daily needs.
18. Parents are responsible for making informed decisions regarding their children's healthcare.
We are not perfect mothers, and we make mistakes all too often, but we believe that our children are a gift from God. God chose us to parent our children, and we can be sure that He, by His grace and mercy, will provide the tools necessary to do so in a way that will bring glory to Him.
It's an awesome place with awesome women, and I'm grateful for all of them today.
I love the internet, and a huge part of that is the social aspect. I have taken part in many onlin discussions and forums, but I found my online home at Gentle Christian Mothers. It is a community of mostly Christian women, most of whom are parents, with a focus on raising our children with grace and discipline.
Here is a copy of the statement of beliefs:
Statement of Beliefs
Our Christian Beliefs
1. The Bible is the complete, infallible, inerrant, inspired written Word of God; it is the final authority on what a Christian is called to believe. We do not hold Church Tradition to be on equal footing with Scripture.
2. There is one God: He is of one essence yet He has existed eternally in three persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
3. Jesus, God in flesh who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins and rose again the third day.
4 We are sinners and could never be "good enough" to make it to heaven or to please God in any way, and, without Christ, we are enemies of God and destined for eternal punishment and separation from God. Romans 3:10, 11, 12; Romans 3:21-24; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 6:23a
5. Salvation is a free gift from God, and we are not saved by our own works, but rather we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. His righteousness is credited to us and in Him we have assurance of salvation. Romans 6:23b; Ephesians 2:8, 9
6. Those who are saved have been given a new heart which desires to do His will and which loves Him above all else. II Corinthians 5:17; John 14:23; James 2:26
7. We embrace all members of the invisible Church.
Our Parenting Beliefs
1. All children are a gift from God. Psalm 127:3
2. The husband/wife marriage relationship is the scriptural model for creating a family.
3. Life begins at conception, and unborn babies have a right to life and should be nurtured and loved. Psalm 139:13-16
4. Babies deserve the most natural and gentle birth possible.
5. Babies communicate through crying, and their cries deserve a quick, nurturing response.
6. Parents should not put an unnecessary emphasis on schedules.
7. Children greatly benefit from lots of physical touch, and babies can not be held too much.
8. Breastmilk is God's design in infant nutrition.
9. Breastfeeding satisfies not only babies' hunger and thirst, but it also is a great way to pacify and comfort them.
10. Breastfeeding babies on cue is important not only to help them grow strong and healthy, but it also helps them to learn to trust.
11. Breastfeeding into toddlerhood--and for as long as mother and child desire--continues to provide health and emotional benefits and serves to strengthen the foundation of trust laid in infancy.
12. Children's nighttime needs are as worthy of being met as their daytime needs, and each child has individual nighttime needs that should be respected and met to the best of their parents' ability.
13. There should be minimal separation between mother and baby, and parents need to be sensitive to their children's need to be close to them and not force separation before their child is ready.
14. Everyone benefits when children are an integral part of the family's daily life.
15. A father's involvement in raising his children is vital.
16. Parents have been given authority over their children from the Lord. Scripture is clear that discipline and correction are our responsibility as we raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
17. Fear and purposely-inflicted pain have no place in gentle, loving, Biblical discipline, and children should be discipled from birth with an appropriate mixture of kindness and firmness in a manner that respects their feelings and their developmental, emotional, and daily needs.
18. Parents are responsible for making informed decisions regarding their children's healthcare.
We are not perfect mothers, and we make mistakes all too often, but we believe that our children are a gift from God. God chose us to parent our children, and we can be sure that He, by His grace and mercy, will provide the tools necessary to do so in a way that will bring glory to Him.
It's an awesome place with awesome women, and I'm grateful for all of them today.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
30 days of thanks: day 9
Day 9: in between seasons
A colleague predicted a decade ago that spring and autumn will disappear as global warming becomes more of a reality, and we will have long winters and long summers. I have no idea what he based that on, but I do see a little bit of that. The last few years we joked in Joburg that spring was that one afternoon in September, and after that summer was here.
This year was not really any different, once again there was about 2 weeks between when we took the heavy feather duvet off our bed and when we started using the air conditioner at night.
I really hope we do not see less of spring and autumn, but if we do, I want to appreciate it while I can.
So for today, I am grateful for the beauty and hope of spring, the feeling of new life and the exuberance of nature. I am grateful for birds singing outside my bedroom window at 4am, and for chilly mornings that fade into gorgeous sunny days.
And likewise, I am grateful for the slow down of autumn, for the change in colours that accompany the first cold spell. I am grateful for milder weather that follows the scorching summer, for the chance to move from as-thin-as-possible clothes to something more chunky, for cinnamon and spices and soup and cheese that somehow embody autumn for me.
A colleague predicted a decade ago that spring and autumn will disappear as global warming becomes more of a reality, and we will have long winters and long summers. I have no idea what he based that on, but I do see a little bit of that. The last few years we joked in Joburg that spring was that one afternoon in September, and after that summer was here.
This year was not really any different, once again there was about 2 weeks between when we took the heavy feather duvet off our bed and when we started using the air conditioner at night.
I really hope we do not see less of spring and autumn, but if we do, I want to appreciate it while I can.
So for today, I am grateful for the beauty and hope of spring, the feeling of new life and the exuberance of nature. I am grateful for birds singing outside my bedroom window at 4am, and for chilly mornings that fade into gorgeous sunny days.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
30 days of thanks: day 8
Day 8: food security
I shoo for groceries at least once a week, often more. And I always, always have a massive variety of choices of healthy, nutritious food for my family. Apart from the civil-war-is-imminent panic just before South Africa's first democratic elections, there has never been reason to think that this would not be the case.
It is not possible to live in South Africa and not know the reality of poverty to the point of starvation. So today I am grateful for a steady supply of food and the means to buy it, and I pray for an obedient heart to always be willing to share what I have with those less fortunate.
I shoo for groceries at least once a week, often more. And I always, always have a massive variety of choices of healthy, nutritious food for my family. Apart from the civil-war-is-imminent panic just before South Africa's first democratic elections, there has never been reason to think that this would not be the case.
It is not possible to live in South Africa and not know the reality of poverty to the point of starvation. So today I am grateful for a steady supply of food and the means to buy it, and I pray for an obedient heart to always be willing to share what I have with those less fortunate.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
30 days of thanks: day 7
Day 7: the internet
Right now, it is 3am. I can't sleep (ugh), and so I'm sitting up in bed with my iPad and checking the results of the presidential election in a different hemisphere.
I love that.
I am grateful for how the internet brings the world closer together: During my overseas trips earlier this year it was just so easy to keep in touch, not to mention affordable. With so many people choosing to work internationally, including members of my family, the internet enables us to maintain contact. I know what my cousin's children look like now, even though I have not seen them in 4 years, and vice versa. While hurricane Sandy was bearing down on NYC, my brother who lives in Brooklyn sent me a video clip taken from the window of his flat so I could know what was going on.
And of course, as one of my internet friends put it: I love my computer. Some of my best friends live there.
I have been a member of a number of online communities (and one of them will be a future post of thanks) and I am amazed how this Afrikaans girl from South Africa, who grew up in a country full of racism and isolated by sanctions, can now have friends in 10 differenct countries whom I have never even met.
So, to my online friends who read this: today I am grateful that we can know each other's hearts and touch each other's lives, even if we never touch each other's skin.
Right now, it is 3am. I can't sleep (ugh), and so I'm sitting up in bed with my iPad and checking the results of the presidential election in a different hemisphere.
I love that.
I am grateful for how the internet brings the world closer together: During my overseas trips earlier this year it was just so easy to keep in touch, not to mention affordable. With so many people choosing to work internationally, including members of my family, the internet enables us to maintain contact. I know what my cousin's children look like now, even though I have not seen them in 4 years, and vice versa. While hurricane Sandy was bearing down on NYC, my brother who lives in Brooklyn sent me a video clip taken from the window of his flat so I could know what was going on.
And of course, as one of my internet friends put it: I love my computer. Some of my best friends live there.
I have been a member of a number of online communities (and one of them will be a future post of thanks) and I am amazed how this Afrikaans girl from South Africa, who grew up in a country full of racism and isolated by sanctions, can now have friends in 10 differenct countries whom I have never even met.
So, to my online friends who read this: today I am grateful that we can know each other's hearts and touch each other's lives, even if we never touch each other's skin.
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