Saying goodbye to Miss Daisy’s Petals

I started laughing as I wrote the title for this final blog post, as some of you may be thinking “hasn’t this blog died already?”

That’s how absent I have been…

Well today is the day that I officially say Goodbye to Miss Daisy’s Petals.

Why? You may ask (or not)

I started this blog in 2013 when I first moved to Wales. I love to write as a form of expression and I wanted to document this huge journey I was embarking on. I wanted to share the lessons I was learning living in a new place alongside my experience of growing as a Christian and as a woman.

That was 10 years ago, and as you can imagine a lot has changed since my first blog post, and Miss Daisy’s Petals just no longer represents the Daisy I am today.

I think things were coming to an end around 2019/2020 and if you have been following this blog you would have noticed that I started to write less. I         started to focus more on Instagram and YouTube as I felt maybe more visuals is what Miss Daisy’s Petals needed. Looking back I think I was just delaying the inevitable because by 2021, I more or less abandoned all my platforms as I just couldn’t connect with Miss Daisy’s Petals anymore.

This blog website is extremely outdated (cringe), and in 2022 I began playing around with the idea of rebranding and revamping the blog. I even hopped onto Instagram a few times announcing my comeback, but I was never able to follow through.

By the end of 2022 a lot had changed and so many things came to an end.

• My singleness – I blogged a lot about singleness but I am married now! I married the most caring, honest and kind God-fearing man in July 2022. I shared a photo on my Insta stories to everyone’s surprise :)

My husband and I on our wedding day 💗

• I moved out of Wales! Literally on the 31st of December 2022. This was a HUGE change for me as I had lived in Wales for 10 years and it was the one place that truly had my heart. However I knew, even outside of getting married, that my time in Wales had to come to an end.

• Lastly, I experienced a very painful friendship breakup that was literally life changing. Life changing in a sense that it marked a turning point for me,  as I had to finally confront my avoidance, people pleasing, tendency to walk on egg shells and operate out of fear and anxiety. I know this sounds like a lot but this was my default and something drastic needed to happen to allow me to see it. The friendship breakup was incredibly difficult to go through and caused a blight on what was supposed to be a beautiful first few months of marriage.

The many endings of 2022 made me reflect on this blog, and I realised what Miss Daisy’s Petals needed wasn’t a rebrand, it needed to come to an end.

New beginnings

2023 is a new beginning for me and I want to fully embrace the newness of this season, and no longer hold onto the things that represent all that has ended.

Writing for this blog has been a tremendous blessing and I want to thank all who have taken the time to read my posts over the years and those who have supported by sharing, commenting and liking the blog posts. It’s not easy putting yourself out there on the internet but you have all been so positive and kind and I am so grateful!

What’s next?

I am still your girl! The journey continues and I will be making a comeback. There will be a new name, a new website and some new content! I am so excited to share this phase of my life with you.

Please sign up to my mailing list for details of the website launch, otherwise you can follow my Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook page (hurry, before the name changes) as I will be making announcements on there.

Goodbye Miss Daisy’s Petals…

You will be missed.

Last few months in Wales

…old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

 

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Daisy ♥  

2019 is NOT going to be my year

If we judge it by how long it has taken me to write this one blog post!

No, but on a more serious note.

God has a reputation of answering prayers,

…therefore we need to be careful what we ask for.

It’s true that he “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” Ephesians 3:20.

But that “abundantly above” doesn’t always look pretty, or come in the way we expect it.

Sometimes answered prayers bring us face to face with our own weaknesses and may even require sacrifice.

In 2018, I prayed.

I asked God to help me to learn to stand tall; and for His name, be able to face this world and not flinch.

I asked for this and received;

trials, challenges, estrangement, grief, and even betrayal.

…But like I said God answers prayers.

I guess, firstly he wants to give me an experience that can maintain what I am asking for, right?

He has to build me and make me stronger; otherwise what I am asking for will never be of any benefit to me.

I used to have the “this is going to be my year!” mentality.

I had 2018 planned so well but the Lord had a change of plan...

…I tried so hard to resist it.

But the scripture says “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

I know this very well yet here I was falling into the same trap.

2018 did not go to plan at all, but the change of plan turned out to be such a blessing; one that I wouldn’t have been able to plan myself…or even fathom.

God is good!

So much so that I can look back at 2018 and count it all joy because he is “too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly” Steps to Christ, page 96.

I needed to learn that God will change plans for our benefit and his glory; so I need to be ready and willing to surrender.

So! 2019 is not going to be my year,

...Because I am going to trust.

 I am going to give it over to him, come what may, so that his name may be made great…even in all the earth.

Happy New Year everyone!  I pray that God’s will may be accomplished in your life this year,

… be ready and willing always to surrender.

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥  

Miss Daisy's Petals is now on social media!

It's been just over 5 years blogging and its time to develop and grow!

I have decided to set up two social media accounts for this blog. So if you are on Facebook or Instagram you can like my page/follow me at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missdaisyspetals/

Instragram: @missdaisyspetals

There is so much I want to share with you and I am looking forward to the future. There are lots of exciting things to come from Miss Daisy's Petals!

Looking forward to connecting with you all.

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

I’ve moved house by the way…

Sorry! I’ve been so busy I forgot to mention it.

The decision to move house came because I wanted to be closer to work. Though Llangammarch Wells was a dream location (see pictures here http://missdaisyspetals.blogspot.com/2013/03/goodbye-ammanford-hello-llangammarch.html and http://missdaisyspetals.blogspot.com/2013/03/snow-day.html ) my journey to work was 1hour and 20 minutes each way, and as you can imagine doing this 5 days a week was incredibly exhausting and also very costly. I also moved house because I wanted to experience having my own home as a single person and to learn how to build and run a home.

So in September I traded the farm lands of Lllangammarch Wells for the grass lands of Tonna, God has blessed me with a bungalow in this quiet village. Though I live in a bungalow I still have a fair amount of stairs, my house is up on a hill so there are steps leading up to my house (which is great fun when I come home with bags of shopping) and more steps to get to my garden.  I haven’t yet explored the area fully but according to a few maps I’ve looked at there are some amazing walks and beautiful waterfalls close by.

When I get a chance I will upload some pictures of the house/area for you to look at. Till then here’s a little sneak peek.

Side view 

Don’t be a stranger, come visit sometime.

My mum bought me these beautiful flowers for my new home x

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

Triumph: In loving Memory of Emmanuel Kulongo

A poem that I read at the funeral of Emmanuel Kulongo on Friday 23rd August 2013.*

Triumph

It is the triumph of the Christian faith that it enables its followers to suffer loss and be strong...

To maintain a grip of steel, then willingly give.

To love, and lose, and dare to love again.

To believe in promises while relinquishing the right to personal claims.

To accept tears as glittering gifts and as diamonds rare. 

To believe that we are perfectly loved, even when suffered to drink anguish.

To have unwavering trust though we don’t understand.

It is triumph.

To embrace and even welcome whatever God’s providence ordains.

To suffer softly.

To remember that His feet are washed best with tears.

To remember He has never once made a mistake.

To remember there is a reason why we are trusted with every sorrow.

To remember His name is made great when His children love Him anyway.

Manni and his siblings

Now it's our turn.

Our turn to tuck in this treasure.

To give our precious gift Emmanuel Wakoli Kulongo back to the Giver.

Me thinking this is the worst kind of personal loss— but at the same time wondering;

Is it really loss when you give a gift? 

What God has taken is it loss? No.

Nothing is lost if it is a gift given back...

But is it triumph?

That the closing pages of Emmanuel’s life pointed us back to the cross,

His Creator wounded to the delight of Satan and pleasure of those he came to save.

A lonesome death appearing like victory belonged to another,

But with His closing words 'It is Finished'

Christ yields His final breath in completion of His great conquest over sin and over death.

And in yielding all and letting go of life itself.

Christ bows His head conqueror in all things.

Therefore it is triumph!

That the last lesson Emmanuel’s life taught, is that Satan can do whatever to the body

But he cannot, touch the soul that abides in Christ.

Therefore it is triumph!

Manni and his wife Gloria (2010)

That many comfortable knees finally found the ground.

True confession and repentance.

Surrendered hearts.

We uplifted our brother.

In those final moments.

Hearts sustained only by prayer and Psalms.

The four of us standing strong and united.

Singing sacred lullabies.

Emmanuel drifts to sleep.

Walls left resounding “O Lord, How Great Thou Art"

In The stillness of the night.

Eyes filled with tears.

We remember...

Manni and his Son Josiah (2011)

A devoted Son, Brother, Husband, Father and Friend

A life bound to the altar, dedicated to service

A spirit humble

A heart patient and tender

Spiritual conversations

Loving rebukes and reproofs

Smoothies and fruit juices

Parks and restaurants

Back flips and handstands

Dangers of the night lurking, finding refuge in a drive home.

The musical mastermind

Heavenly compositions

Complex harmonies

Always insisting notes are nailed without compromise

Guardian and teacher

Ink ridden pens, tethered pages, worn out bibles

Studying together

Eating the little book together

Finding strength in the high places together

Manni and I (2008)

And what once felt like nightfall, now feels like the moment just before dawn

And when dawn should reach eternity on that glorious morning

We shall meet Emmanuel again

Crying “O death, where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory”

And together we shall say “It is Triumph!”

Later, when this pearl finds a temporary place of rest and after thoughts, words, prayers and tears have finished their work for the day, what is left for us is a lesson worthy of the gift through which it came;

Faith doesn't mean that if we believe hard enough, pray hard enough, we'll love the outcome.

Faith, is believing that God’s perfect will has been accomplished, regardless of the outcome.

Manni, Gloria and Josiah (2012)

Therefore I stand here today, Thanking God for Manni’s life,

How he stood up tall and graceful and gave his heart to a merciful God.

And by faith, I believe, that through Emmanuel’s life and his death, Christ has triumphed!  

                                 If video does not play, please use the following link:http://vimeo.com/74576711

In all things, Christ triumphs!

♥ Miss Daisy ♥ 

* Some exerts of this poem have been adapted from Sean Neblett's poem "Triumph [Like a Pearl]