What's your custom

I have a routine every morning, this involves saying a prayer of thanksgiving, reading and meditation.

I start the day off like this, however I do not stick strictly to this routine, because sometimes I get up later than usual or have to attend to the kids. On such days my routine is disturbed.

When this happens, I find myself rushing into the day while muttering a thank you Lord here and there. Like me most of us live by routine, a set way of doing things, routines we have become accustom to.
Daniel lived by a set routine, one he stuck to regardless of what was happening around and within him. His routine was to pray 3 times a day, no matter what was happening, he stuck to this routine.

So it was when the decree was passed for no one to pray to any other god, Daniel was not bordered he knew this was just another.
I don't think Daniel went into prayer that day crying and wailing, asking God to save him from his plotters or for God to stop the lion's mouth. I think he was praying as usual about the things he always prayed about, he may have mentioned to God the current state of affairs, but
his devotion was not about the decrees because it was his custom to pray anyway.

Daniel was not the kind of man to cry and be afraid. The fact that he went home to business as usual after witnessing the king signed the decree, suggests to me that he was not a pushover, nor was he one to be bullied into doing or not doing something. Daniel went about his business as usual and prayed with boldness.

I imagined he prayed fervently, as was his custom but not with fear or out of desperation. He did all these because his life was of constant devotion to God.

To me Daniel's actions were almost as if he dared them to carry out their threat, as if he was thinking - these guys know nothing about the God I serve.
Daniel seems to be thinking, “what's the worst that can happen”? Be thrown in the Lion's den, so what? Death doesn't end my relationship with my God; if anything it begins a new life for me in the presence of my Lord. If he was going to die let be for doing what he love to do, pray.

Many times we are faced with life threatening situations which cause us to quaver with fear, or run and hide. We lose our faith in The All Powerful God, we abandon our custom and hope the storm will pass.  

Here’s what Daniel did in during this trying times

He carried on his business as usual

He involved God in his business

He had faith and resolute trust in God

He was bold in the face of dire circumstances

He was not afraid of death

Be inspired by Daniel's faith and boldness and audacious hope in God.

He was faithful to God and God honored him
He was involved in politics, and his integrity held up
He was judged by his peers to be the best at what he does
He was friends with the ruler of the land which Led to envy envied by others.

When trying times come as they certainly will, let your faith hold up, do not run scare, as much as possible keep your routine going.  We serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever, if he came through for Daniel he will come through for you. 

All you have to do is anchor your hopes on him and carry on as is your custom, he will honor your faith in Him.

The next 3 days

His hands were pierced.

The nails cut through his flesh reaching his veins, tearing tissues and ligaments. 

They tore through, blood gushed out. 

Each piercing was a piercing at his heart.

His was was of agony and utter despair.

His feet were nailed, each thud he felt, deep in his soul.

Felt, also by His father.

Each nail caused his heart to rise and fall.

As he was whipped, each spike ripped through his skin, peeling, removing and rendering it a deep wound. 

His head had a crown, not of gold or glittering silver, but of thorns.

Each thorn dug deep into his scull. 

Each pull, cut through deeper, blood poured out covering his face, making him unsightly.   

And he was pulled,

Kicked, 

Spat on,

Laughed at,

Tugged at,

On the road to death, he was deserted. 

And his death felt lonely.... 

He died,as silence fell across the land, 

but the story continues... 

Man breaths 

the earth wait 

silence greets the skies.

Even His enemies waited as

Earth's flame went out.

For the expectation of what might be, 

For his followers, the next 3 days felt like 3 years. 

The sea was calm.

His disciples hid and morn his death

Silent grips the land as 

Gloom embraces large as 

Man waited through the next 3 days. 

My Quest as a Mother.

As I observe my kids daily, My love for them grows bigger and better, beyond my imagination. I know that they love me just as much. What amazes me about them is their readiness to forgive or forget so easily after I reprimand them. I know they are still kids, but I am still amazed by it all. In its purest form, a child's love can be viewed as perfect love, the kind that we should all strive to attain. This genuineness and simplicity of their love is beautiful to observe.

However, there is danger in this kind of love as the unassuming nature of a sweet child can but should never be misinterpreted. Sadly, stories of abuse abound of one of God's helpless creature being tortured, misused maltreated. 

My quest as a mother is to nurture this love, not abuse it, 

To be grateful for the opportunity to experience this love, not misuse it. 

To cherish and give it wings to flourish, not to suppress it. 

This is my quest as a mother. 

I want my kids to grow up and keep a part of this kind of love

To be a steady example of kindness, fairness, love, patience, 

To live a life worthy of emulating 

My aim is to show them that it's ok to be wrong and accept forgiveness while giving the same

To hate in justice and work for what is good

To feed their mind while nourishing their physical bodies, 

To show them that when their love is rejected, it's nothing to do with them and to 

know that love can be found again. 

To help them be better human beings in every way

I know that as kids they love and want anything that gives them the feeling of being happy, they want anything sweet and chocolatey. This not what happiness is about, I 

To make them know that happiness  and their true worth is not in who their friends are or In their jobs, their social standing, or how wealthy they are, none is it in the things they have or can get. 

But true worth can be found in helping the needy and finding their true purpose in life, in this they can experience real joy, and sense of worth. 

I ask God for the strength to help me do this. 

This is my quest, my job, my mandate and my manifesto as a mother. 

Happy Mother's Day.