Supermom

Supermom




We interviewed a woman who has made a name for herself in her career, a single mother raising three. How did she do it? We chat to her to find out.

One of the most difficult jobs in the world is being a parent. This job does not come with a manual or instructions, but you improvise as you go along in hopes that you get it right. It’s so much better when there are two of you. At least you have some one to share the responsibility with; but what happens when you have no one to share the responsibility of bringing up a child with.
Without a partner this makes your job even more difficult, because now you have to act both as the mother and father. Single mothers have to take care of everything; juggling time between work and parental duties. Sometimes when you are a single parent your social life is non-existent. You have sacrificed themselves for their children.
These are supermoms.
Good afternoon Doctor, thank you for taking the time to chat with us.
Question: how many children do you have?
"Three,2 girls and 1 boy"
Question: we know you are a single parent, how have you been able to raise your children up alone, and who has helped you with them?
"It hasn't been easy, I lost my husband in 1994, my youngest was only 10 and I had to raise my teenage children. I had a lot of responsibility. But God helped me and the support of my family and my 93year old father. I remember once I had no money and my child needed it, so I called up my sister and told her, next thing my child calls me saying thank you for the money. I have a great support system".
Question: now you are a career woman and a mother, how do you find the balance?
"It was not easy as well. I had help, because I went to medical school as an adult, so I would only have holidays to spend with my children. I had to work hard and complete my studies. God raised my kids".
Question: how do you feel about dating?
"I believe if you have the energy and time then you should do it, but I don't think I am able to date. The are times we do need some company. But dating is not easy".
Question : if you had one wish for your children what would it be?
"My wish would be that my children know the Lord and for things to work in their favour.
Question: what do you do to relax?
"I switch on the tv, and watch christian networks and movies. I can stay up till 3am just watching these networks".
Question: what makes a great mother?
"It is someone who is there for her kids, forgives, accommodates her children and gives unconditional love. Allow your kids to make mistakes."Being there"
Question : would you say you are a great mother?
"My kids would be able to answer that. But I am trying my best, I guess".
Question: if you had advice for any mother or mother-to-be what would it be?
"Accept your child, do not compare your children, be there, offer guidance and make sure your kids know you are there".
Thank you so much for the interview.

spirituality

Be happier in life

Look at yourself. Evaluate yourself,look at how far you are in life, be honest with yourself, don’t hold back anything. Identify the negative and the positive. Choose the thing in your life you want to change the most. The most negative aspect of your life right now.
Admit the problem to yourself and think about admitting to someone you trust as well. Make a change.
Write down that problem and make a decision to change and think of why you want to change. Look at different ways you can make this change. Talk to people, find out the best ways to change. Maybe you can attend meetings or research on the internet for different clubs or websites you can join.
Stay committed to the change, think of the long term benefits of making the change in your life and the people the problem has affected and how the change is affecting them or how it will affect them .
keep record of your progress, this will help you see how far you have come and it will motivate you to do even better.
Once you have done it and seen the progress you have made, help and motivate others that are where you where. Share your success and inspire someone else.
You’ve done it! Enjoy life, because you are a better you.






Prayer point This New Year Lord open doors for me, make me the best me I can be, remove all negative people in my life, bless me Lord and let me be a blessing. Help me take risks and work hard towards my dreams and goals. Lord lead my steps, stretch out your hand towards me and carry me. Amen

My child replaced me

Author: karabelo Lenong - 11/27/2011 - 14:55

Pregnancy in my eyes is the beginning of a new life. It is one of the many great gifts from God. A new life in the family brings an atmosphere filled with love, peace, joy and happiness. The whole family comes together to celebrate the miracle of life. This perspective, has however, been changed or rather shattered by the teenagers of our generation. Teenage pregnancy is an issue that is always discussed the are thing we are thought could prevent it from happening. The one thing that people rarely ever consider when talking about teenage pregnancy, is the damages it does to the families involved and how many relationships can be destroyed. This article is based on a story about a fifteen year old girl, whose pregnancy has left her relationship with her mother in shreds. “My name is Samone Moodley, I am a fifteen year old high school student, and I’m six moths pregnant. When I first found out that I would be a mother at the age of fifteen, I felt like my whole life was falling apart. Many people told me that I deserved what had happened, and that I knew what I was doing. My pregnancy, like many teenagers was not planned. My boyfriend and I had been dating well over a year now and he had respected everything that I stand for, including sex after marriage. Well, that was until recently.

My boyfriend asked me to have sex with him and I refused. He asked for quite a while, and I kept refusing. He eventually became furious with and in turn, forced himself onto me. I was raped by my boyfriend. For days I felt disgusted with myself, until I could no-longer look at myself in the mirror. I skipped my period and so I decided to get a home pregnancy test, and I was positive. I cried myself to sleep. A few days later, I realized that I could keep this to myself, and soon decided to tell my boyfriend. He was furious with me, and demanded that I get have an abortion. I refused and he lashed out at me, and thereafter, he left me. I became a statistic, “a single teenage mom.” I decided to tell my mother the following weekend. I did this knowing that I had disgraced my mother and the family name, although I did not tell her how it had happened. My mother’s response shocked me. She was very attentive and listened to everything I said, but she did not say a word to me. I felt like I had lost the one person who would help me through everything that life throws at me. Two months passed and I still hadn’t heard a single word from my mother. I tried by all means to apologize, but she would not listen.

I then decided to confide in a teacher at my school, not knowing what she could do for me. She took me under her protection. She did everything for me and my unborn baby. She made sure I had a scan done and set me up with a counselor so that I might be able to concentrate at school. My mother spoke to me for the first time, four months into my pregnancy. She told me that she wants nothing to do with me, and as soon as the baby is born, she will take it and raise it as her own. Everyone one that I thought was my friend has left me, I’ve lost both my parents, and I will soon loose my baby. I whole life is destroyed. I just hope that people won’t look at my baby and compare her to me. I hope that she will be able to replace me, and maybe mother’s heart won’t be hollow. I pray every night that god protects my baby that she may live life to the fullest and achieve all her dreams. Would have loved to a part of her life, like any mother would, but that won’t be happening.”

This girl had a bright future ahead of her, but because of a single event, and within less than twenty four hours, she lost everything. Some people have the strength to get up when they fall, but unfortunately for Samone Moodley, that chance has passed. Samone committed suicide after her baby was born. She left her parents a letter, telling them about how it all happened and how she could no-longer live the pain. Samone’s baby will grow up not knowing her biological parents.

 

Teenage pregnancy is not a joke, neither is it a fashion statement, it is something that can make a person change for the better or a take turn for the worst.

woman of faith

WOMAN OF FAITH.

From humble beginnings in KZN, she is a simple Zulu girl, whose life has been changed by the grace of the Lord Jesus.
Pinky Mthetwa grew up very very poor. She says the day she gave her life to Jesus, things took a turn for the better. There is a song from Shirley Caesar that says when you come in contact with God you are never the same again. This was so true for Pastor Pinky, because God has made her into a powerful, God fearing woman. “I am comfortable with who I am for now”.
She tells me where God has taken her from and lead her to. From a place where she was deep in sin; she's is now growing in faith, prayer and fasting, overcoming by grace the things that held her back - they don’t have hold over her anymore. She has been granted the power to overcome the devil. She is still on her journey. “I’m getting there”.
Her greatest passion is poor people, helping them in anyway she can: clothes, food and anything she can help with. She tells me, she knows how it feels. She says she knows when you are poor, you just wish that there could be that somebody who can help you, an angel, she wants to be that angel for somebody. She has a project that helps under-privileged people, but because of finances and other circumstances, the project had to come to a hold. “I love poor people”.
Pastor P. Bagah is a mother and a loving wife. The legacy she would love to leave behind for her family is the legacy of love. She loves her family, her kids and her husband, she wants them to know that even in death. She wants her kids to know that you need to cherish people and have compassion, that is one of the other legacies she would love to leave behind, one of compassion. She wants her kids to have patience with people and share what they have, if they do have.
Being a pastor's wife puts a little more pressure on her because as the wife of a pastor, you don’t have a 9-5 job, but have a 24/7 job. You don’t just live for yourself, but for others. You sometimes want to just breakdown, but you think of everyone depending on you and you need to smile more than others because people depend on you and you need to be willing to wake up late even at midnight to pray for someone or just to listen. There's pressure. you find that I have to deal with the kids on one side and the church on the other.“ I have no time off”.
At home she is at work.
Pastor Pinky Bagah has been on radio a number of times preaching. I asked what she feels about women in ministry. As a woman in the ministry she feels that God has opened doors to women in the ministry. In the past the where things that we dubbed as being only for male Pastors, God knows there is much potential in women and He is using them more and more. Being on radio is humbling for her, because she does not just talk to 2 or 3 people but she speaks to many people and that way she is able to reach more people for the Gospel. “As women, I thank God for the doors He is opening for us”. God is really raising up great women in the ministry and Pastor P. Bagah happens to be one of them.
She is enjoying where she is and believes that God is taking her places. For women in ministry there is a certain attitude towards them. Pastor P. Bagah feels like female Pastor aren’t as well treated as males Pastors are. There is more pressure on women. People look at all aspects of their lives, the way they raise their children, their home life, how they carry themselves and their marriage. You find that if a male Pastor does something wrong, people don’t take as much care for it then if it had been a female Pastor or leading ladies.
Her best bible quote is Psalms 91 “ you are safe” . Pastor P. Bagah has written an unpublished book which she would like to be publishe in the next five years. Her book speaks about; "women arise, women have been held down for so many years, I believe it is time for women to arise, and do something for themselves". She knows the Lord will groom her spiritually and use her in His ministry worldwide. She loves travelling and so preaching the Word around the world is one of her dreams.
Pastor’s biggest dream “for now” is to own her own beautiful home.
Truly a woman after Gods own heart. From a humble start, to a graceful life. God knows where He is taking her and if He can take someone out of poverty into provision, out of sin into grace, then God lives. I love how Pastor says, “I'm getting there”, even being a pastor does not mean you are perfect, but it means that you are walking in the light and grace. God is using women all over for His gospel and if only we will call to His name, and let Him change our lives.
Thank you to pastor P. Bagar for chatting with us and inspiring us.

unsung hero

 

Author: koketso Mashaba - 12/31/2011 - 22:00

Unsung Heroes

A very rare but truly special occurrence is when you live with a heroic spirit at home. I am one of the few who are blessed with this remarkable privilege. Writing this article will be one of my many emotional and retrospective moments…
Masana Elsie Motubatse, what a woman! Born into a family of five children, married at the tender age of 19 and becoming a mother of five herself is but the tip of the iceberg of how her life would unfold. She fell under the sad reality that many women born in the 1940s live with - illiteracy. Being the determined young mother that she was, she sold fruit to fund her education and subsequently send her own children to school. She did her absolute best and watched God do the rest.
As she was raising her young ones, she started off as a nurse at Lydenburg Hospital. As her children ventured into their various varsities, she became an Afrikaans teacher at a rural school. Naturally as it would occur in one’s career, she later became the Principal at two respective rural schools. God elevated her and positioned her in His own pace! She later got involved in ANCWL and started running various women-empowering projects, where the focus was to help rural women become self-sufficient. This was especially important to her because she had been divorced from the father of her children and had to learn to fend for her five.
Good things come to them that wait, is the description of the next stage of her life. She received national recognition for her efforts in her community- she was awarded “Community Builder of the Year 2002” in her late 50s. God didn’t stop elevating her there, no! She became the Mayor of Burgersfort in 2006, the Municipal speaker of Tubatse Municipality from 2007-2010. Through this channel, she has been able to send innumerable under- privileged youth to prestigious varsities via bursaries. And several to Cuba study medicine.
The test of all tests struck her during this year, 2011. She had been in an accident where she collided with a truck, head-on! As her grandchild I was utterly devastated and drove from Pretoria to Limpopo to see my gran-gran! To my surprise and comfort, she had walked away from the accident without a scratch! I wept as she testified to me how faithful our God is, she said “He said I should not fear, He said he will finish what He has started. Who am I to doubt the Word of God?” . Jitters, goose-bumps! God has done exactly that