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Raising children safely

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“Mummy, this is gravy, not sauce.” My firstborn is a bit of a smarty pants. Sometimes it makes me laugh; sometimes it makes me pause. And sometimes, if I’m honest, it makes me worry. Because I wonder if that same sharp mind and quick tongue will make it hard for him to fit in, the way I sometimes didn’t. When your mind works at a hundred miles per hour and your heart beats just as fast, you see and feel the world differently. You catch the undercurrents others might miss. You sense tension before it spills over. You want to fix things, but you don’t always know how. And lately, I’ve found myself holding my breath more than I’d like to admit. The terrible news from Melaka. The stabbing in a school just minutes away from our home. I look at my boys and think, how do we keep them safe in a world like this? Not just safe from harm, but safe in heart. Safe in mind. Safe in spirit. How do you explain to a child that the world isn’t always kind, when you still want him to see it as good? ...
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When the routine falls apart

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It was one of those mornings. His heavy, congested breathing the night before already told us what was coming. We’d agreed that he’d be staying home, and even prepped big brother that he’d have to be up earlier so dad could send him to school. The little one’s stuffy nose, the unmistakable heaviness of a small body fighting something off. Another day home from preschool. We go through this almost every other week. He’s not even two yet, but between preschool colds and the revolving door of viruses, it sometimes feels like we’re on a first-name basis with every strain making the rounds. So this morning, our usual rhythm fell apart before it even began. There was no rushing out the door, no quick tidy-up before diving into work. It feels like every time he starts settling back into his routine, another round of sniffles hits. Preschools, I’ve decided, are basically training grounds for immune systems and for parents learning to let go of control. When my kids get sick, my own rhythm...
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Faith in every season

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There was a time when faith, for me, looked different. Quiet mornings in the car on the way to work.  A cup of coffee and an open Bible. Worship music on the drive home as I thank God for the most incredible sunsets I get to witness on my route home. Those moments were beautiful. But then came new seasons. Work deadlines, school runs, sleepless nights, and noise that never quite fades. And I started to feel guilty that my devotion no longer looked “disciplined.” It took years to realise that faith doesn’t disappear when the routine changes. It just finds new rhythms. Some days, it’s an open Bible. Other days, it’s a deep breath between pick-ups, lunch, and homework. Sometimes it’s whispered prayers while putting the toddler down for a nap, or a small act of grace toward yourself or someone else. Faith, I’m learning, isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness. When I pause long enough to notice, I see that God is present in the pauses too; in the ordinary, in the in-betwee...
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There's a story in the Bible where a centurion said to Jesus, "say the word and my servant will be healed." SAY . THE . WORD Over the last few days, we've been privileged to sit under some of the most amazing speakers and preachers and word after word was spoken. But all of it wouldn't matter if the words you hear doesn't rip apart lies and break down walls that have held you back your whole life. But God spoke the word. The word was said. The ache is gone. There's a newness that comes with realising the truth that's been there all along. Worship doesn't hurt anymore. I feel like I've rediscovered my voice. The voice that was slowly being shut down for years to the point that I was silent.
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Of taking risks and losing control.

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Perhaps the biggest thing I've come to realize about life, at least mine, is that I do not have control over everything. I've always tried to be intensely careful and guarded so to avoid taking risks, making mistakes, get hurt, be disliked, etc. - to evaluate the probabilities of everything and weigh the pros and cons before doing even the smallest thing like reading a book. See, even reading a book can be risky. To spend that much time on something only to find out that the ending of the book is nothing as I expected. It's been intensely frustrating at times to discover that I know so little and have experienced only so little in life. Stepping out into the great wide world has been quite intense at times and overwhelming, one of the biggest risks I've taken. To try and figure out who are friends and who are foes. Yet, in all this I've never felt the Holy Spirit closer than He has been in the last three months. So I've given up trying to stay in c...
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