School performance..and a Father

Fist of all, I would like to wish all my friends and dear ones "Ramadan Kareem"! May it bring the warmth and love we always share together during its days and long nights!

This year Ramadan coincides with the last days of school for many of our children. The excitement it brings to my kids is not caused by the vacation to start soon, but rather by the end of "year closing event" they will perform in front of all the parents, showcasing what they learned and put their efforts in perfecting. Leila and Farida kept rehearsing their songs and plays, thinking about the surprising effect they will leave on us.
Here comes the BIG day of the show, they went to school and with a big kiss on my face they told me "See you today Papi, don't be late." I went as promised since I missed it last year, and sat among all the parents that came to watch their kids glowing and growing as a year passed by by. All the kids looked amazing, with the biggest proud smiles on their faces, looking with confidence into the eyes of their parents with a posture of "Look at me...I am a super star". They got their confidence by the applause and kisses sent in the air from their moms and dads. ALL so cheerful except one, who had her eyes wet, her head turning around, every second and another, standing on the tips of her toes, searching desperately for her parents...who didn't show up, despite the promise to be there. I was really sad, you could see her confidence shaken, her hopes crashed and her interest lost. She knew that no one is there to cheer for her. At the end show, her mother came in running, and as soon as the girl's eyes fell on her, she broke into unstoppable tears...in fact both of them.
So small of an incident, so Big of emotions!

In that moment, I thanked God for always having His eyes over me. How comfortable and peace inducing is the confidence we have in His presence throughout our days. I know that all my works are in front of His eyes, to rejoice and to save. I know that nothing can separate me of His love..no distance, darkness, sleep, traffic, work nothing...He is watching all over me. I Love this verse in Psalm 34:

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry (Psalm 34:15 NIV)
عَينا الرَّبِّ نَحوَ الصِّدّيقينَ، وأُذُناهُ إلَى صُراخِهِمْ. (المَزاميرُ ١٥:٣٤)

I pray today that our walk in life would bring Him joy and pride as my kids did brought to my heart that day. Yet I know, that no matter what mistake I do on stage, He will be there helping, correcting and cheering me up as He promised saying "and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. (Matthew 28:20 AMP)". AMEN!

Keep your peace my friends...He is ALWAYS there!

!إرفعوا الستار

آخر ايام العام الدراسي
 الاثارة التي تملأ عيون الاطفال بإقتراب الاجازه ، ويفوقها اثارة و حماس ( حفلة نهاية السنة الدراسية ) .. الاستعدادات للعرض الكبير الذي سيقدمونه امام الاباء و الامهات و الذي يجمعون فيه كل ما تعلموه طوال العام ويستجمعون كل قدراتهم الصغيرة علي الإبهار
 ظلت بناتي يتدربن بكل حماس علي الاغنيات و يراجعن الادوار ..في انتظار اللحظة التي فيها ستلتقي أعيننا وهم علي المسرح و نحن ننظر ونستمع بإنبهار شديد ، و نفكر كيف يكبر الاطفال بسرعه 
ثم جاء اليوم الكبير و قبلتني ابنتي بسرعه قبل المدرسه وقالت " هشوفك النهارده .. متتأخرش "
 وعدتها وذهبت تماماً كما وعدتها ( فمازال ضميري يؤنبني لاني لم احضر حفل العام الماضي ) وجلست بين الاباء والامهات في انتظار أطفالنا في أبهي لحظاتهم.
صعد الاطفال علي المسرح بعيون تلمع بالسعاده والفخر..عيون تنطق بكلمه واحده " انا نجمة
يستجمعون ثقتهم بنظرات في اعين اباءهم ويتلقون السند والشجاعه وقبلات في الهواء هنا وهناك
 كلهم سعداء إلا واحدة .. ظلت تبحث بعينها الصغيره الدامعة... تلتفت كل دقيقه .. تقف علي اطراف اصابعها بحثاً عن ابيها او امها .. احزنني ان اري ثقتها تهتز .. و املها يتحطم .. وببساطة فقدت حماسها للحفل ، فلم يكن هناك من يسعد طفولتها
 في نهايه الحفل دخلت ام الطفله تجري و جرت الطفله نحوها في بكاء و حسرة... و بكت الام ايضاً.. موقف بسيط جداً .. و مؤثر جداً
و لكني في هذه اللحظة شكرت الله الذي لم يرفع عينه عني ابدا
وكم هو احساس مريح و يبعث علي السلام.

!تلك الثقه بوجوده... بحضوره... بملازمته لنا كل ايام حياتنا

!وأعلم ان كل أعمالي امام عينيه ، فأفرح قلبه .. وفي وقت الحاجة... يحميني
 و انا أدرك انه لا شئ ...لا شئ ...يمكن ان يفصلني عن محبته...لا يعوقه شئ عن ملاحظتي و الاعتناء بي .. المسافات لا تعوقه .. و لا ظلمه !تحجبه و لا زحام يضلله .. الهي لا ينعس و لا ينام

يقول عنه داود النبي في المزمور
عَينا الرَّبِّ نَحوَ الصِّدّيقينَ، وأُذُناهُ إلَى صُراخِهِمْ. (المَزاميرُ ١٥:٣٤)

..أصلي ان تكون حياتي ( و حياتكم ) لمسرة قلب الله و سبب فخره .. تماماً كما يجلب أولادي السعادة الي قلبي كل يوم 
نعم أدرك انه اياً كانت اخطائي علي مسرح الحياة .. سيكون الهي هناك .. مسانداً .. مقوماً .. مفرحاً 
كوعده الامين ... وَهَا أَنَا مَعَكُمْ كُلَّ ٱلْأَيَّامِ إِلَى ٱنْقِضَاءِ ٱلدَّهْرِ». آمِينَ

!اصدقائي ..احتفظوا بالسلام .. فالله دائماً هنا
! خلينا منورين

Hotel Bedrooms..and beds!

Hotel bedrooms...and most of all the "all-over the bed" fluffy cushions that just seem to hug you once you lay down your head..who cant resist that? Include my family in! We have been travelling lately across different places and spent some nights in hotels. As you know, during holidays, your days are packed, literally you stuff each and every minute with action and don't want to miss a thing..and the kids walk along through your plan..enjoying but at the end of a long day, probably later than their sleeping time, they do long for a good deep sleep. What a nice site seeing them in bed...yet Obviously the challenge is waking them up again quite early to catch a bus or start a tour. I have been trying different techniques and none worked, tickling, shaking, uncovering, pushing, lifting, you name it..nothing effective, except one...I turn on the TV on a cartoon channel...and boom..all alone, without a word from me, they open their eyes, lift their heads and come out of bed to watch what they love properly (an option only allowed in holidays hotel mode)!!! Wow!

Just wondered what puts you out of bed? Waking up for something you love, for a purpose? That igniting start of the day needs a call..some just do it because they have to..otherwise, you miss your school, work, classes, forced to wake up, while others do it with a loving longing heart for a purpose. Jesus showed us what kicked off His days on earth, the day as it should start:

And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. (Mark 1:35 AMP)

وفي الصُّبحِ باكِرًا جِدًّا قامَ وخرجَ ومَضَى إلَى مَوْضِعٍ خَلاءٍ، وكانَ يُصَلّي هناكَ، (مَرقُسَ 1:3 )

Just realizing what you can get out of these moments..the blessings, peace, comfort, guidance, and wisdom. These are some of the fruits you will have for breakfast! Yes, I deeply desire that wake up mode..like my kids, open my eyes, lift my head and come out of bed to receive His Love!

Don't know what wakes you up? Remember the cartoon channel trick!

A week at the "Granja"

Last week Leila, my 6 years old daughter, had her first camping experience for a whole week away from home! If you are worrying about her being away at this age...then you are worrying about the wrong person...she had great fun (as expected)! In fact, the ones to be worried about their coping are Aline and Farida who was never in her life been separated that long from her twin sister! What made it worse was the fact that parents were not allowed to call and check on their kids, no contacts nor news except the website of the school on which the camp director would post everyday few words and may be a couple of photos to keep the parents updated!

You guessed it right, this website was our life for a week...checking it every few hours, opening it before stepping out of bed..and when some words or photos were posted, it just lifted up the whole mood...but NOTHING compares to the moment of the real encounter when Leila came back..The Running Hug, the warming tears, the long chats, and the smiling joy back again.

All this in incident reminds me of our personal encounter with God. A lot of times, we are content and satisfied living on the stories about God told to us through a multitude of media. In this era of communication, the Word reaches us all day, we watch sermons, we get verses, hymns, stories about Him. We attend services and meetings, but might not have the time to sit one to one..seeking this personal heart melting encounter.

This opened my eyes to a new part of the famous Samaritan woman encounter in John 4. I just got jealous seeing the way the Samaritans in her village did not feel content solely by the stories she told them about The Messiah..but decided to go and experience Him directly..to find a whole new living faith!

"Now numerous Samaritans from that town believed in and trusted in Him because of what the woman said when she declared and testified...So when the Samaritans arrived, they asked Him to remain with them, and He did stay there two days. Then many more believed in and adhered to and relied on Him because of His personal message [what He Himself said]. And they told the woman, Now we no longer believe (trust, have faith) just because of what you said; for we have heard Him ourselves [personally], and we know that He truly is the Savior of the world, the Christ. (John 4:39-42 AMP)

فآمَنَ بهِ مِنْ تِلكَ المدينةِ كثيرونَ مِنَ السّامِريّينَ بسَبَبِ كلامِ المَرأةِ الّتي كانتْ تشهَدُ أنَّهُ: «قالَ لي كُلَّ ما فعَلتُ». فلَمّا جاءَ إليهِ السّامِريّونَ سألوهُ أنْ يَمكُثَ عِندَهُمْ، فمَكَثَ هناكَ يومَينِ. فآمَنَ بهِ أكثَرُ جِدًّا بسَبَبِ كلامِهِ. وقالوا للمَرأةِ: «إنَّنا لَسنا بَعدُ بسَبَبِ كلامِكِ نؤمِنُ، لأنَّنا نَحنُ قد سمِعنا ونَعلَمُ أنَّ هذا هو بالحَقيقَةِ المَسيحُ مُخَلِّصُ العالَمِ». (يوحَنا 4:39-42 AVDDV)

Dear Father, i long for this encounter..that would take me to a whole new level of Knowing You..Experiencing Your Love. I don't want to get to only hear about you..but I want to know You directly as The Savior and Christ. Amen!

Be Hungry for more my friends!

A Travelling Father

Some of my weeks are full of constant travelling...where each of your breakfast, lunch and dinner of that same day are in 3 different cities. Amazing how travel opens our eyes and hearts to new experiences, but funny enough, this time my experience was here..at home..in between the travels!

Coming back home after 3 days away, I was welcomed with big running hugs and kisses from my girls, whom I missed a lot.. I wanted to enjoy the few hours I have back home with them before hitting the road and continue my travelling. After a quick family lunch, I started getting ready for leaving to my next destination..and then suddenly I saw Farida running to our room..not knowing why, I followed her to check, may be she prepared me a drawing to take as a reminder on my next trip..but It was far from that! There she was lying on our bed, her head down between 2 pillows and..crying..crying her heart out..I went and took her in my arms and told her that I am sorry but i have to travel, just for few days..and started explaining why i cant cancel my trip..but she stopped me with her eyes full of tears and told me "papi, i am not asking you to stay as i know you have to go, i am just crying because we spent so little time together now..it went fast and I miss you and wanted a little bit more time with you..." I was Silenced and her tears made their way to my eyes!

Isn't it strange that whenever we think of our life with God, we always see the relation reversed, we talk about how loving He is as a Father, how He seeks us daily and keeps looking and caring for His children..but rarely we look to that relation like Farida just made me see it..a relation where as sons and daughters do miss their Father. I always read this verse in psalm and it made me wonder if I will ever get that feeling too

كما يَشتاقُ الإيَّلُ إلَى جَداوِلِ المياهِ، هكذا تشتاقُ نَفسي إلَيكَ يا اللهُ. عَطِشَتْ نَفسي إلَى اللهِ، إلَى الإلهِ الحَيِّ. (المَزاميرُ 42:1, 2 AVDDV)

AS THE deer pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. (Psalm 42:1, 2 AMP)

At that moment, hearing her comment, i know that there is a great relation i am still looking forward to, a relationship where my heart will seek the living water..and feel thirsty being away..and I know that His waters will quench my thirst for any other. I wait for the day I cry for not coming and sitting there with Him every morning...tell Him like she told me "I want a little bit more time with you...!"

Imagine if Farida didn't miss me that much..I would surely doubt if I mean a lot to her as a father. Right?

Get thirsty my friends!

Back to School

Suddenly my timeline on facebook is flooded with proud fathers and mothers posting the pictures of their children's first day of school or even nursery..it is all over, the same picture probably, the kid standing there with a back pack half their size looking so cute with a big smile on the face, some times with mami or daddy huggin them so strong! If my mother had facebook, sure i would have seen my same pic posted the'like of fan page of "Dallas (7areem el sultan of that time)" and the latest hit from the super star Dalida!

I just fell in love in all that pride i have seen, i am sure that we all parents, wish the best for our kids at school, but i know that no matter their performance, we will still love them, no matter their failures, they are still running to our shoulders and cry.(i do remeber this day after one of the Chemistry exam in Thanaweya 3amma..my dad's shoulder was soaking wet), cause they know where is their comfort, they know that we are always Proud of them..we are always there to Raise them and lift them up! I really do wish that I am up to that pride and I can keep my Father always always proud of me..as I walk down the path of life seeking worthy to be called His son and He Himself my Father!

God bless your Rentree-first week of school or nursery! 

Through Their Eyes...

Sabah el kheir ya gama3a..salute to the ones who could watch the tennis final last night and made it to the morning moment fresh start..to his or her morning minutes of silence and prayer! by the way, Isn't amazing that God created the day and the night, so we can start fresh Everyday..start a new beginning, a new hope, a new You..giving us this chance everyday!

Sometimes i do an exercise to get a new perspective of parenthood, i put myself in the shoes of my kids, looking from their eyes, thinking through their smaller view! one day doin this exercise, i got hit with this simple incident..on that day, seeing through their eyes i looked at us as parents and realized that the kids must be saying now out loud in their mind "you are cruel parents...you do not love us..why do you do this to us..dont you see the pain we are going through!? Dad, it is painful, cant you stop it please?" You know what, i even saw these expressions in their eyes filled with tears, in their screams filled with pain..we were so much in pain, our hearts aching as well seeing them going through this..but they HAVE to live this experience..they will pass through..they have to take their vaccines (el tat3eem)!!!

Can you imagine how hard for the kids to understand what they went through if they didnt come and ask us why? If they didnt have the full blinded trust in their Father, in their Mother..the trust that all they are going through is for their good? That in the middle of this fear and pain, we were there watching with love..telling them to trust us giving them a healthy future life...

Do we trust our Father that much, do we trust the one that said:

"Don’t be afraid. I saved you. I named you. You are mine. When you have troubles, I am with you. When you cross rivers, you will not be hurt. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not hurt you. That’s because I, the Lord, am your God. (Ashe3ya Isaiah 43:1-3 ERV)" and said “Can a woman forget her baby? Can she forget the child who came from her body? Even if she can forget her children, I cannot forget you. I drew a picture of you on my hand. You are always before my eyes. (Ashe3ya Isaiah 49:15, 16 ERV)". 

Just come and speak with Him like a father and He ll surely let you know His love.

Where is My Hug?

You men (and women) travelling for business will know what I am talking about! You know this moment at the end of your trip when you are at the airport's free shop searching for a gift for your little ones that are waiting for you back home..the little ones that you miss so much. At that moment, at the airport, i only dream about this simple loving act..THE RUN in my arms and THE HUG welcoming me back home..And me giving the girls their little gift! You all surely love this moment...we akid the hug and kiss of the wife too :)

However, one of these times, things did not go as i always loved it to be...i came back after 3 days away, opened the door, shouted HELLO and went on my knees waiting for that run and amazing hug...but i waited for longer than usual, i felt something was wrong..ran to their room, to find them playing normally (Thank God)..but they gave a normal 'hi'..one i sometimes get during the week back from work ..but not after travelling for 3 days! And then the LESSON HIT ME I knew what happened, i told aline to manage their expectations as i ran late and couldn't get them anything..i just felt that the RUN and the HUG were for the love of what I got, not for the love of who I am! What a painful moment for a loving Father!

I might be dramatizing it a bit...i know my kids love me so much..i love the moments when they just come to caress and kiss me and sit on my lap and they know that i adore them, i would do all the good for them ALWAYS, i would die for them. BUT this story above doesnt ring a bell...doesnt it remind you of a relationship you know...i had the same relation with my heavenly Father..till that moment when showed me the (No Hug) lesson.

Friends, praying has always been linked in my mind with demands, needs, and wants...till i realized that praying is much bigger..it s creating a relationship..a bond..knowing Him more..he is a living God with a living Holy spirit inside me! And i knew if i want to know Him, i d better sit with Him and read what He has to say.. only then prayer moments got a much much richer taste! Try it..let me know if i can help with some start ups!

"Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need." (Matthew Matta 6:32, 33 ERV) "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew Matta 6:8 ERV)