Getting ahead of the pandemic.

It feels so good to be able to get back to writing as this is something I am very passionate about and I am thankful I have the opportunity to pour out my heart once again. Thank you for being here.

This is a very critical time in the world right now as the world has not experienced the magnitude of this pandemic in a long while. The way you perceive and react to the current situation is however very important, especially for the sake of the young ones who cannot seem to comprehend why all of a sudden their once structured life and routine have suddenly been disrupted.

My four and five years old’s first question every morning is, ” Mom, are we going to the real school or home-school today?” I particularly cringe from the look of disappointment on their faces when I say, home-school it is, in the most exciting way I can put up. There is something liberating about dressing up and stepping outside and also having somewhere safe and cozy to go back to, at the end of the day. This is not only applicable to adults but to the young ones as well. The word FREEDOM may have been a little underrated or taken for granted, given most humans’ sense of entitlement but we all know better now.

These whole experience has been eye-opening to the fact that, this life you have is not yours and cannot be controlled by your power and that tomorrow is not guaranteed. If this is the case, you, therefore, need to be more conscious about how you live your lives. You need to pay more attention to your body, soul, and spirit by caring for them intentionally.

While you still can, teach your daughters to love and care for their body soul and spirit. Never neglecting one for the other. I personally feel this whole experience is a way of God telling those that survive that I give you a second chance at getting back to the things that really matter – Me (God), without the many lists of excuses (work, school, traffic………………). The question however is, are you willing to learn from your mistakes and really make time for what matters. Here are some tips to help steer you in the right direction during and after these trying times.

Start your day with God.

I am pretty sure we have heard this several times but it feels like a very hard thing to do. Not because we don’t want to do it, but because of our ever busy and never-ending hectic schedules constantly in the way.

Well, guess what? God has taken all that away and he wants to be our first priority and number one choice every single day. This is because God is a very jealous God.

I particularly see a huge difference in my day when I start my day with God rather than at the end of the day when I’ve used up every bit of energy and creativity. Trust me on this, I have tried it both ways and never going back to having my quiet time at night.

He waits and yearns for us to connect with him the very minute we open our eyes and when we close our eyes to sleep. This is my most treasured devotional. I love it and believe you will too. There’s a way God magically allows your day to align in a unique way which keeps your peace intact and your joy overflowing by the time you lay down at night to sleep. Give this a try from today and I’d love you to share your experience with me.

By starting my day with God, I also find God dropping great ideas in my heart all day long and speaking to me better.

Seek first the kingdom of God

God is explicit in his word and faithful to fulfilling his promises in our lives, as long as we remain obedient to his word. This is not about knowing, believing, and quoting the scriptures but by our actions. What do we do with the word we hear or the scripture we read?

We have endless needs on a daily basis which brings us to a place of being constantly worried. However, God’s word says we should not worry about those things because God knows we need them already.

As you focus on seeking the kingdom of God first(doing God’s will), all those things you need will be given to you. But the truth is that we reverse this order and still expect God to still fulfill his promises to us.

Oh well, he’ll always be a faithful God. I must implore you to please do your part because this God is able to meet you at the point of your needs.

Spread hope and not fear

Trust me there’s enough fear to go round in the tabloids and media to last a lifetime. We have absolutely no control over what the media does but we can control the news we spread.

Spreading and sharing fearful news will never help or get us anywhere but sharing hope will surely do everyone a lot of good.

For instance, we hear of so many deaths as a result of COVID-19 but there is little or no news about the people recovering from the disease. This in itself speaks volumes. I read the ordeal of some survivors on Twitter recently which was really enlightening and gave me a lot of hope.

Encouraging the sick by our words and actions is also a good way to show we care. Check on your family, friends, and acquaintances as much as you can. Sharing is also caring, share your time, knowledge, information, cash, or food with those around you that are in dire need. A little act of kindness goes a long way in this survival journey.

Create lasting memories

Most families are together at home at this time, with most working from home and homeschooling the kids as well. I must confess this not the easiest thing to do.

Just visualize a picture of some hair pulling and bathroom hiding when the day begins to go out of hand. You must learn to yield and hand everything (including the most irrelevant) to God because you are not wired to handle life as it happens in your own strength.

Now to do this, start from the first tip and see how much time you can devote to bonding and making lasting memories with your family. It’s simply a magical experience and I can’t wait for you all to experience such peace and lasting joy. I tell you, it’s everything.

In my family, some of the things we are able to do together as a family now are evening walks, praying, bible study, exercising, dancing, cooking, baking, watching movies, swimming, play board games – We love our scrabble.

An hour a day

Block out at least an hour a day dedicated to doing something that adds more value to you. It may be meditation, read a new or abandoned book, take an online course or a new skill, work on an abandoned project, attend to your side hustle, redecorate a space. (I did a lot of redecorating in the house like the entryway and our driveway), decluttering – Sort out the unused stuff in your home and take them to places where they are needed. The girls and I take ours to Goodwill but you can also sell such stuff to make an extra income.

Meal planning

If you haven’t been planning your meals before now, you may need to start now to avoid frequent trips to the stores which can expose you to the danger of contracting the dreaded virus. Involve your children in your meal planning and see what interesting food ideas they come up with.

Bring your creativity on by using available ingredients in your pantry. Clean out your pantry, fridge, and freezer to know what you have and what you need to buy. Do bulk cooking of foods you eat frequently like stew, soups, and rice, to avoid spending your whole day in the kitchen every day.

Sanitizing and disinfecting

I love that everyone has taken their cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting more seriously than ever before but indeed this should be our daily lifestyle. Therefore, endeavor to keep at it now and when everything gets back to normal.

Limit the use of technology

We all lean towards the use of technology during this critical time as that is our major means of communicating with the outside world, getting our work done, and learning.

However, as we well know, too much of everything is bad. You need to find ways to improvise and substitute especially for the kids. I got grade-specific big workbooks to substitute for my kid’s education and that has been so helpful. You may want to keep a closer look on the device they are using for their remote learning, be it a tablet, laptop, desktop, television, or phone. There are so many inappropriate Ads popping up on such devices as they work.

Journaling

I love journaling. It’s a means of penning down your thoughts. When your thoughts are aligned with God’s word and purpose, you generate a lot of power. I also encourage my daughters to journal and they are slowly easing into that. Get my journal for girls here.

Pray without stopping

Cultivate the habit of praying nonstop. You can achieve this by praying in your heart when you are busy working or attending to crucial issues. When you have private time to yourself, you can then pray out loud. Whatever you do, never stop praying.

I hope you find peace in the midst of the chaos. Do share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.