I have been meaning to write for a while now but motherhood has had me questioning myself a lot lately. Look, I don’t doubt that I’m a good mother because that’s one of the few things I can confidently say that God blessed me with; the ability to patiently nurture and love my children! But rest assured that, that does not mean I do not have moments when I wonder if I am truly cut out for this “mom life”. Quick update; the Cele munchkins have recently joined a new school, we had been on the waiting list since 2018 so we were very excited<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/02/helping-your-child-adjust-to-change/">Read More →</a>
If you did not know this by now, I am a music lover. Music connects with us in ways we cannot fully express in words hence we dance, it revives our souls and heals us of sicknesses we did not know existed within us hence we cry. I started being part of the worship band at church when I was 12 years old because it pulled me in at an early stage in my life and has become my release on in life, it has been my release instrument for years. I have also fought many battles through worship. A Harvard study found that listening to music<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/02/raise-a-hallelujah-our-weapon-is-a-melody/">Read More →</a>
So I have been struggling with my skin since I stopped breastfeeding and started taking contraceptives (too much information right? I know), but the last time I struggled with acne I was a teenager and if you have ever had skin problems you know how it can affect your confidence. It has been rough! I changed from Dermalogica to 365 and my skin has been in the “critical but stable” state ever since. I thought let me give it a year maybe my hormones will calm down and I will have my skin back, this is according to my friend Google and the timing of<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/01/start-already/">Read More →</a>
So a year ago , on the 7th of January 2019 we met Nokuthula she has since become Phopho and Thando’s aunty . She is a part of our family not because we have dinner with her and sleep under the same roof but she is family because we love her and want the best for her and the feeling is mutual. She feels pain when my kids are sick, she shows them affection and they miss her when she is off. When we dropped her off on the 14 December 2019 my daughter cried and my mom said “Thando can’t imagine her family without<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/01/is-my-helper-coming-back/">Read More →</a>
18 January 2010 I started my internship at the National Treasury, it is also the day I met Sweet-One, he was starting his trainee programme. We got married in 2013, we had our first born in 2015 and our second one born in 2017 . We bought our first home in 2015. I got my post graduate degree and valuable work experience I would not trade for nothing. I failed my dissertation for my masters in town and regional planning in 2014. I also made good friends who encouraged me to be better and who love me for me. This was a blessing for me because I<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/01/the-amazing-decade/">Read More →</a>
So we left a week earlier than normal for December holidays in Port Shepstone due to a funeral we had to attend. I was never ready for what was about to happen 🤦🏾♀️my Thando who is now 2 years old could not speak last time we took a trip down to the South Coast. This time around she was very vocal, she started off telling us how sore her bum bum was from traveling then she made us take extra stops for the toilet because she needs to pee in the toilet even when I had given her permission to pee on her nappy (I know<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/12/parenting-during-the-holidays/">Read More →</a>
So one of the Monday’s at cell group we were reflecting on the Sunday’s sermon about leaving the familiar. People in the group reflected on where God had taken them from, it was a good session to remind us that He is committed to our development, growth and success. However one of the members asked: ”what if you are okay with being comfortable?” and he gave an example about how he grew up in a Christian home so he does not necessarily have the similar curiosity to dig deeper as someone who’s encountered God at a later stage in their live…(I am paraphrasing.) But this<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/12/starting-from-an-advantage-point/">Read More →</a>
So I recently wrote about (why we need time away) to reconnect with our spouses and it got me thinking about what happens when you lose connection. One of my friends commented on the post and this is what she said “by that time, it may just be too late to fix things because you both would have learnt to survive without each other.” This disturbed me so much I just had to write this post, most of us wonder when things changed but the reality is that it is not one event but a series of days, months and even years which led to<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/12/protect-your-intimacy/">Read More →</a>
By now you probably know my content is inspired by the word, sermons, music and LOVE. Today is no different, I listened to Steven Furtick a month ago, the title of his sermon was: “I know how this story ends” if you are interested in searching for it after the read click on the link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54jgesZlCQ8) .He was speaking about the distractions David faced before facing Goliath. 1 Samuel 17 verse 28:“When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/11/who-is-the-real-enemy/">Read More →</a>
”For better or worse, I am in this for the long haul.” Those are the words i heard during my quiet time with the Lord, “not even death can do us part.” If there is one thing I have learnt over the year is that God speaks to us in a language we understand, love is a language I understand very well, I study it, I am fascinated by it and because our Father knows this He said this to confirm how personally He knows me. Jesus knows me Dzo 😀 . That alone deserves a blog post, because I can’t imagine a more beautiful form<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/11/for-better-or-worse/">Read More →</a>
Two years ago on our anniversary I was in a maternity ward with our two days old daughter Thandolwethu, needless to say it was not the romantic anniversary we had hoped for but it was a special one. The best gift to celebrate four years of marriage. The maternity ward anniversary taught me to never take for granted the freedom(we have)to choose how we celebrate our anniversary, because for the first time I had no choice but to be at the hospital. The year before that I just breastfeeding our first born at least so I had more flexibility in my choices, not a week<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/11/why-you-need-time-away/">Read More →</a>
So one morning Aisha who has been married for 2 years now, sent me a message after I wrote something on my whatsApp status about not hardening your heart because its not healthy and this is what she said ” dear friend, please consider writing a story on the difficult parts of marriage…it will be a blessing to us ”. I must admit I was surprised by the request, not because I never experience challenges in marriage. I just have a different perspective on things. I am a glass half full kinder person, I don’t dwell on the missing half but on the half that<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/09/marriage-and-finances/">Read More →</a>
As women’s month drew to a close, I found myself appreciating the amazing force that is a Woman. We are phenomenal creatures, meticulously created for God’s glory. We are delicate yet strong, we are gentle yet courageous, we brave the toughest storms and emerge stronger than before. Sweet-one always says, “if there is anything he admires about women, it has to be their emotional strength”. I know you may think that, that is a not big compliment but it is. It takes strength to love unconditionally and to hope for the best. It takes strength to forgive, to nurture a fragile person to life. It<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/09/embracing-every-stage/">Read More →</a>
“Our small car”, that’s what Phopho calls our Run-X. And this Saturday morning when he went to the garage he noticed that the car was not there and he asked, “Mama, where is the small car?” I struggled to answer him because I also didn’t know, so I muttered something like: “it was taken,” “by whom?” he asked “tsotsis” I said, but quickly realized he (had) no idea what I was talking about. I ended up resorting to “the bad guys” but he thought I meant Batman the superhero 🙄 I eventually gave up and left the explaining to daddy. Yes, that’s what I do I<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/08/but-not-crushed/">Read More →</a>
So listening to Michelle Obama made me think about equality and what it means for marriage. I immediately remembered a sermon about how in the beginning God created “them”(male and female) in his image. You can read it for yourself in Genesis 5 verse 2. What is it that Michelle said? in essence she was saying how important it is to be a team player and push the other partner to be better and do better. And that we must be careful of not to settle with people who will not call us out when we are wrong, that person maybe easier to deal with<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/07/what-is-the-role-of-a-helpmate/">Read More →</a>
As the cool kids say prayer is the ‘plug’, it simply keeps you connected to the right frequency . So I have been feeling down because of my work situation and feeling unappreciated. I remembered what God said through a friend to me at the beginning of the year about how things about to change. And I just got angry thinking about it because it doesn’t look like it at the moment, instead it looks like things are getting worse. So, I had to come up with a strategy to get me through this hurdle. I started with listening to sermons instead of just reading<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/06/prayer-is-the-plug/">Read More →</a>
Live in the moment – It sounds like something you have heard a motivational speakers say, right? something out of a psychology book. Because if you do that you will have fewer regrets and worries. But what does this mean for your marriage or relationship? In the few years, I have been married to Sweet-One I have experienced all kinds of emotions. I would be lying if I said there have not been moments when I felt like screaming at him or wondering how could you do or say that? I have felt it all and I am sure I am still going to feel<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/06/living-in-the-moment-marriage-is-not-doomed/">Read More →</a>
All parents have experienced it, the moment when you think “I’m not getting up this time he or she must go” lol. So in my house winter means cold nights, humidifier, nebuliser and waking up tired. This year is no different, we are trusting God that it will be better than last winter because they are older and hopefully soon we will not have this kind of challenge. So even though we have been going through this for four winters since Phopho was born and of cause second winter with Thando just took it to another level of exhaustion because when one realizes one is<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/05/shared-responsibility/">Read More →</a>
“Lets talk about sex baby….” Being the only girl, and raised by christian parents, saying my relationship with sex is complicated would be an understatement. Everything I learnt about the subject was from friends, television, books, and of course my friend google. I remember when I was 13 and I had my first period, the first things my mom said to me is that I must stay away from boys basically if I don’t stay away from them, I will have a baby. You can imagine how scared I was, so instead of embracing puberty I was traumatised by it, if anything it was a<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/04/black-womens-relationship-with-sex/">Read More →</a>
Guys weaning a baby of breast milk is hard 😥 I breastfed our firstborn for about 17 months, the plan was to stop at 2 years, but he started wanting the boob and nothing else so had to stop. It was hard, but I think it was better than how I ended things with Thando our second born 😥 😥 . Sipho was already used to feeding only at night so supply had gone down so we skipped the painful engorgement. It took about three to five days to introduce a substitute. My sweet boy genuinely sympathized with me pain, I told him I had<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/03/weaning-stages/">Read More →</a>
February is the one month where romance is the number one topic whether you are a romantic or not, it is in your face and we are forced to have a position about it. Some go to an extent of giving us the history of Valentino and others feel the need to explain why they do not celebrate. So one of the ladies from mzansi wives as the name suggests the group is for married ladies, asked my thoughts on the romance topic and so I thought I should share with you. The first think that came to mind was who set the standard for<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/03/to-romance-or-not-to-romance/">Read More →</a>
It turns out the more progress you make in your fast the more the enemy tries to distract you from focusing on God. This does not just happen when you fast but after every mountain top, there will be a valley. When this happened to Jesus he responded with the word. For most of us our first reaction is to feel defeated 😥 You start thinking of quitting I mean , you can’t be fasting and praying while things seem to be getting worse right? but that is the time to pray even more simply because it is hard. It is not going to be easy,<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/01/dont-stop-now/">Read More →</a>
New year’s eve I took Thandolwethu to my mother’s place because Sweet-One and I desperately needed to Dezemba even if it’s just for one night ( for those who don’t know what to Dezemba means , it is alot of things to different people but for the purpose of this post it means have reckless fun like we don’t have responsibilities 😆 ). On our way there she was napping and I realized how quiet it was because Phopho was not in the car. Then I said to Sweet-One I can’t believe we ever complained about exhaustion when we had one child 🤷🏽♀️and we laughed about it. Now<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/01/reflections/">Read More →</a>
I recently went to a baby shower for one of the ladies who welcomed me at my husband’s church five years ago and my spiritual home now. She was not a mother nor a wife at the time but she did not see that as a barrier for us 😀 I remember thinking one day when I get an opportunity to shower her, I pray God gives me the strength to do so. And I was not the only one who felt that way, her shower was beautiful and a lot of people came to celebrate her. I was asked to say something about motherhood from<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/12/dear-mom-to-be/">Read More →</a>
“I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low? Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know (ooh oh) You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing You say I am strong when I think I am weak You say I am held when I am falling short When I don’t belong, oh You say that I am Yours And I believe (I), oh I believe (I) What You say<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/10/brown-skin/">Read More →</a>
So I finally understand the verse that says “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today”. Matthew 6 verse 34. Last Thursday my boy had a dry cough and didn’t sleep well which means I didn’t sleep well. Allowed Adjustment budgets stress get to me and had a disagreement with a colleague . Now Back to Phopho I nebulized (not sure if this is still english 😛 ) him gave him telfast and we slept okay the following night. Saturday went to a baby shower in the rain then Thando came back with a bad cough, nothing<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/10/one-day-at-a-time/">Read More →</a>
I recently went on a spa treatment with two of my friends and mom guilt came up. For those who are not familiar with the concept urban dictionary describes it as the guilt a mother feels anytime she takes time to do something for herself, outside of work, that does not involve her children. It is real. It exists, and my friends and I were talking about how it affects us making time for ourselves. The truth is there will always be things to buy for the house, and do for the family. As women it is in our nature to give and prioritise the<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/09/pouring-from-an-empty-cup/">Read More →</a>
The other day a friend was sharing how in winter he switches on the engine and lets it run for a few minutes before driving, he mentioned that it is important for the oil to be warmed up so the car functions optimally. I immediately, I remembered that both my husband and my dad do the same but I never bothered to ask why. My friend mentioned that he uses that time to pray before he goes to work, like a light bulb switching on I saw that as him starting his spiritual engine and warming up for the day to ensure he functions optimally.<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/08/getting-back-in-rhythm/">Read More →</a>
So, a day after date night I posted a video of myself singing “ngikuthandile by Vusi Nova” yes I can hold a note 😉 dedicated to the Sweet-One of course. I received feedback from friends who were surprised that married people sing to one another. In my ideal world couples freely express their love for one another without any fear, because “perfect love casts out all fear” 1 John 4:18. I decided to write this post because we all need to be reminded about why its important to date your spouse. Hopefully when you done reading this you will write a letter,sing a song or plan<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/07/dating-your-spouse/">Read More →</a>
So my boss came to work with an audio cd that he thought I would like, still not sure if he is trying to say something to me about my work 🤔 anyway….the cd is about gifts based on the talents parable in the book of Matthew 25:14. And he was right, I loved it, I listened to it over and over. When I was trying to prepare a message to talk to Young Adults Ministry about finances, I subscribed to a christian website and upon subscribing I received a 23 paged booklet which I started reading immediately. Guess what the book was about? Yep Matthew 25<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/06/how-many-do-you-have/">Read More →</a>
As May draws to an end, I would like to reflect on motherhood and how it has changed me. I am a mother, I have a mother and she also has a mother, point is there is no human being without a mother. Whether or not you have a good relationship with her is a topic for another day. Since I became a mother I have been amazed at the depth of love I have for my munchkins and children in general. So my friend Dorcas says I was motherly even before I was a mother I am not quite sure what that means but I<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/05/there-aint-no-hood-like-the-motherhood/">Read More →</a>
So, I wanted to post this on workers’ day but I couldn’t the kids kept me busy, and I was praying that my current nanny comes back from the long weekend so I can reassure myself that I am not a horrible employer.Okay, let me start at the beginning so you understand why I was starting to think I am horrible employer. Our mothers took care of us with the help of family (grandmother/aunts/sisters)or no help at all. So we look back and wonder how they did it. There are advantages and disadvantages to that. The advantage is that you know the people taking care<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/05/the-nanny-struggle-is-real/">Read More →</a>
When I was pregnant with our first child I was surprised just how quick the conversation shifted from me to my belly, in fact most people just jumped to wow your belly is so big or you are a shade darker. I made peace with it and told myself people are just excited and they were expressing this, by giving me advice; from what I should wear, eat and even when I should sleep. I didn’t think it could get worse, then I had the baby 🙆🏾. Being a first time mom you already have enough doubts and you take whatever advice you get, until<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/04/unsolicited-advise/">Read More →</a>
I saw a quote which I liked on social media which said “Don’t pray when you feel like it. Make an appointment with the King and keep it” Corrie ten Boom Everything within me agreed with this quote because if I simply waited to pray when I felt like it, that could mean once a week, once a month and eventually never. A prayerful life does not happen by accident it is something one must practice every opportunity they get. Until it becomes a part of who we are. We must pray until we don’t do anything without committing it to God ,not only should we<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/03/when-do-you-pray/">Read More →</a>
On 22 August 2017 , the former statistician-general Pali Lehohla released the latest report of Poverty Trends in South Africa. This depressing report got me thinking about how our environment can lead to a never ending cycle of poverty. The report reveals that the victims of poverty in South Africa are children aged 17 years and younger, black Africans, females, those with little or no education and people in rural areas. And the most affected provinces are the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. While poverty is highest amongst children (aged 0–17), poverty levels tend to drop as they reach productive/working age and only starts to increase<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/02/are-we-a-product-of-of-our-environment-or-our-choices/">Read More →</a>
When it’s family, you forgive them for they know not what they do When it’s family, you accept them, ’cause you have no choice but to When it’s family, they’re a mirror of the worst and best in you And they always put you to the test And you always try to do your best And just pray for God to do the rest, when it’s family Some are preachers, some are gay Some are addicts, drunks and strays But not a one is turned away, when it’s family Some are lucky, others ain’t Some are fighters, others faint Winners, losers, sinners, saints, it’s all<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/02/family/">Read More →</a>
When a child is born the family rejoices and they anticipate the wonderful things they will do in this world. We know God saw a challenge on earth and he decided to send that specific person to bring a solution. When we start seeing their personalities we appreciate that they are not like their siblings and we celebrate it. Somewhere between creche and high school the panel beating takes place. When a child expresses themselves through drawings instead of singing then we scold them for that decision. When you raise your hand in class, they say you think you are better than everyone. It is<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2018/02/are-you-who-they-say-you-are/">Read More →</a>
Oh how I love spring beautiful flowers, rain, sunshine and warmth everything about this season is wonderful. It is a physical reminder of the seasons in our lives that come and go, winter seemed like it was going to last forever especially when you have a toddler who catches a cold every now and again. But guess what? it didn’t last forever and spring is here and it will also not last forever. It has to make way for summer. The trick is not to get too attached to the season as it is just passing by, we must learn from it and prepare ourselves<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2017/09/four-years-later/">Read More →</a>
On the days leading to the end of my pregnancy, like most women I was anxious about the safe delivery of our daughter into this world; in the perfect health, and the birth that I have been praying for. I started thinking about a failed attempt at seeing our baby girl through a 4D scan the previous Saturday, she only gave us a glimpse of her eye and nose but quickly brought her hands to her face almost as if she knew someone was trying to look at her. We did this for 30 minutes and still no luck. Sweet-One concluded she did not want<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2017/08/why-do-you-believe/">Read More →</a>
To my baby The one thing we pray for, is that we do not give you a childhood you will need to recover from when you older. In the past 2 years, I have learnt that every parent loves their child regardless of how they choose to treat them or show that love. As a parent my first point of reference is your gogo (grandma) and mkhulu (grandad) and like it or not my parenting style is influenced by what I have seen them do. Although your grandparents meant well, I will not apply everything I saw them do and I’m sure they said the<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2017/08/our-first/">Read More →</a>
Today I’m tackling the contentious subject of submission. Most ladies cringe when the topic of submission comes up, mainly because the 21st century woman believes submission made sense in the 1600s. Back then, the man was the only one bringing the bacon home and therefore, he made all the decisions and she simply followed. The question is, can the modern wife submit to her husband even if she is able top pay the mortgage herself? My answer is a definite YES. Submission is not something you do because…It is something we do because God commands us to. This topic came up when I told my<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2017/03/submission/">Read More →</a>
Dear daughter I love your soft curly hair, soft skin, the precious smile especially when you are asleep. I even love the way you smell. Bala izibusiso zakho zonke ungasoli qha(count your all your blessings and don’t complain ) Every morning I look into your eyes, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness and unfailing love for us. Newborns are precious, sweet and vulnerable they are proof that God trusts human beings. Being trusted with a fragile baby to nurture and love is a privilege that we are eternally grateful for. We have been going through some challenges as a family and your arrival has given<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2017/02/new-member-2/">Read More →</a>
I have been meaning to write for a while now but motherhood has had me questioning myself a lot lately. Look, I don’t doubt that I’m a good mother because that’s one of the few things I can confidently say that God blessed me with; the ability to patiently nurture and love my children! But rest assured that, that does not mean I do not have moments when I wonder if I am truly cut out for this “mom life”. Quick update; the Cele munchkins have recently joined a new school, we had been on the waiting list since 2018 so we were very excited<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/02/helping-your-child-adjust-to-change/">Read More →</a>
If you did not know this by now, I am a music lover. Music connects with us in ways we cannot fully express in words hence we dance, it revives our souls and heals us of sicknesses we did not know existed within us hence we cry. I started being part of the worship band at church when I was 12 years old because it pulled me in at an early stage in my life and has become my release on in life, it has been my release instrument for years. I have also fought many battles through worship. A Harvard study found that listening to music<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/02/raise-a-hallelujah-our-weapon-is-a-melody/">Read More →</a>
So I have been struggling with my skin since I stopped breastfeeding and started taking contraceptives (too much information right? I know), but the last time I struggled with acne I was a teenager and if you have ever had skin problems you know how it can affect your confidence. It has been rough! I changed from Dermalogica to 365 and my skin has been in the “critical but stable” state ever since. I thought let me give it a year maybe my hormones will calm down and I will have my skin back, this is according to my friend Google and the timing of<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/01/start-already/">Read More →</a>
So a year ago , on the 7th of January 2019 we met Nokuthula she has since become Phopho and Thando’s aunty . She is a part of our family not because we have dinner with her and sleep under the same roof but she is family because we love her and want the best for her and the feeling is mutual. She feels pain when my kids are sick, she shows them affection and they miss her when she is off. When we dropped her off on the 14 December 2019 my daughter cried and my mom said “Thando can’t imagine her family without<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/01/is-my-helper-coming-back/">Read More →</a>
18 January 2010 I started my internship at the National Treasury, it is also the day I met Sweet-One, he was starting his trainee programme. We got married in 2013, we had our first born in 2015 and our second one born in 2017 . We bought our first home in 2015. I got my post graduate degree and valuable work experience I would not trade for nothing. I failed my dissertation for my masters in town and regional planning in 2014. I also made good friends who encouraged me to be better and who love me for me. This was a blessing for me because I<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2020/01/the-amazing-decade/">Read More →</a>
So we left a week earlier than normal for December holidays in Port Shepstone due to a funeral we had to attend. I was never ready for what was about to happen 🤦🏾♀️my Thando who is now 2 years old could not speak last time we took a trip down to the South Coast. This time around she was very vocal, she started off telling us how sore her bum bum was from traveling then she made us take extra stops for the toilet because she needs to pee in the toilet even when I had given her permission to pee on her nappy (I know<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/12/parenting-during-the-holidays/">Read More →</a>
So one of the Monday’s at cell group we were reflecting on the Sunday’s sermon about leaving the familiar. People in the group reflected on where God had taken them from, it was a good session to remind us that He is committed to our development, growth and success. However one of the members asked: ”what if you are okay with being comfortable?” and he gave an example about how he grew up in a Christian home so he does not necessarily have the similar curiosity to dig deeper as someone who’s encountered God at a later stage in their live…(I am paraphrasing.) But this<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/12/starting-from-an-advantage-point/">Read More →</a>
So I recently wrote about (why we need time away) to reconnect with our spouses and it got me thinking about what happens when you lose connection. One of my friends commented on the post and this is what she said “by that time, it may just be too late to fix things because you both would have learnt to survive without each other.” This disturbed me so much I just had to write this post, most of us wonder when things changed but the reality is that it is not one event but a series of days, months and even years which led to<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/12/protect-your-intimacy/">Read More →</a>
By now you probably know my content is inspired by the word, sermons, music and LOVE. Today is no different, I listened to Steven Furtick a month ago, the title of his sermon was: “I know how this story ends” if you are interested in searching for it after the read click on the link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54jgesZlCQ8) .He was speaking about the distractions David faced before facing Goliath. 1 Samuel 17 verse 28:“When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/11/who-is-the-real-enemy/">Read More →</a>
”For better or worse, I am in this for the long haul.” Those are the words i heard during my quiet time with the Lord, “not even death can do us part.” If there is one thing I have learnt over the year is that God speaks to us in a language we understand, love is a language I understand very well, I study it, I am fascinated by it and because our Father knows this He said this to confirm how personally He knows me. Jesus knows me Dzo 😀 . That alone deserves a blog post, because I can’t imagine a more beautiful form<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/11/for-better-or-worse/">Read More →</a>
Two years ago on our anniversary I was in a maternity ward with our two days old daughter Thandolwethu, needless to say it was not the romantic anniversary we had hoped for but it was a special one. The best gift to celebrate four years of marriage. The maternity ward anniversary taught me to never take for granted the freedom(we have)to choose how we celebrate our anniversary, because for the first time I had no choice but to be at the hospital. The year before that I just breastfeeding our first born at least so I had more flexibility in my choices, not a week<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/11/why-you-need-time-away/">Read More →</a>
So one morning Aisha who has been married for 2 years now, sent me a message after I wrote something on my whatsApp status about not hardening your heart because its not healthy and this is what she said ” dear friend, please consider writing a story on the difficult parts of marriage…it will be a blessing to us ”. I must admit I was surprised by the request, not because I never experience challenges in marriage. I just have a different perspective on things. I am a glass half full kinder person, I don’t dwell on the missing half but on the half that<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/09/marriage-and-finances/">Read More →</a>
As women’s month drew to a close, I found myself appreciating the amazing force that is a Woman. We are phenomenal creatures, meticulously created for God’s glory. We are delicate yet strong, we are gentle yet courageous, we brave the toughest storms and emerge stronger than before. Sweet-one always says, “if there is anything he admires about women, it has to be their emotional strength”. I know you may think that, that is a not big compliment but it is. It takes strength to love unconditionally and to hope for the best. It takes strength to forgive, to nurture a fragile person to life. It<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/09/embracing-every-stage/">Read More →</a>
“Our small car”, that’s what Phopho calls our Run-X. And this Saturday morning when he went to the garage he noticed that the car was not there and he asked, “Mama, where is the small car?” I struggled to answer him because I also didn’t know, so I muttered something like: “it was taken,” “by whom?” he asked “tsotsis” I said, but quickly realized he (had) no idea what I was talking about. I ended up resorting to “the bad guys” but he thought I meant Batman the superhero 🙄 I eventually gave up and left the explaining to daddy. Yes, that’s what I do I<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/08/but-not-crushed/">Read More →</a>
So listening to Michelle Obama made me think about equality and what it means for marriage. I immediately remembered a sermon about how in the beginning God created “them”(male and female) in his image. You can read it for yourself in Genesis 5 verse 2. What is it that Michelle said? in essence she was saying how important it is to be a team player and push the other partner to be better and do better. And that we must be careful of not to settle with people who will not call us out when we are wrong, that person maybe easier to deal with<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/07/what-is-the-role-of-a-helpmate/">Read More →</a>
As the cool kids say prayer is the ‘plug’, it simply keeps you connected to the right frequency . So I have been feeling down because of my work situation and feeling unappreciated. I remembered what God said through a friend to me at the beginning of the year about how things about to change. And I just got angry thinking about it because it doesn’t look like it at the moment, instead it looks like things are getting worse. So, I had to come up with a strategy to get me through this hurdle. I started with listening to sermons instead of just reading<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/06/prayer-is-the-plug/">Read More →</a>
Live in the moment – It sounds like something you have heard a motivational speakers say, right? something out of a psychology book. Because if you do that you will have fewer regrets and worries. But what does this mean for your marriage or relationship? In the few years, I have been married to Sweet-One I have experienced all kinds of emotions. I would be lying if I said there have not been moments when I felt like screaming at him or wondering how could you do or say that? I have felt it all and I am sure I am still going to feel<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/06/living-in-the-moment-marriage-is-not-doomed/">Read More →</a>
All parents have experienced it, the moment when you think “I’m not getting up this time he or she must go” lol. So in my house winter means cold nights, humidifier, nebuliser and waking up tired. This year is no different, we are trusting God that it will be better than last winter because they are older and hopefully soon we will not have this kind of challenge. So even though we have been going through this for four winters since Phopho was born and of cause second winter with Thando just took it to another level of exhaustion because when one realizes one is<a class="more-link" href="https://www.msdzo.co.za/2019/05/shared-responsibility/">Read More →</a>
2017-08-28