Little Hikkups

06/09/2025

What is acceptance ? Pushing against reality makes ordinary life issues into long term misery.

The rain.
We don't have to like it . If we can't change it - it really helps to accept it.
Complaining and moaning won't help.

06/09/2025

Effesiërs 6:10-16 leer dat ons stryd geestelik is, nie fisies nie. Daarom gee God ons ’n wapenrusting: waarheid, geregtigheid, vrede, geloof en Sy krag hou dit alles bymekaar. As jy dit elke dag aantrek, kan niks jou wankel nie.

Hier is ‘n paar affirmations waarmee ons elke oggend kan begin:
Vandag staan ek sterk in die Here se krag.
Ek omring myself met waarheid.
Ek beskerm my hart met geregtigheid.
Ek stap vas met die vrede van die evangelie.
Ek hou my geloof soos ’n skild teen elke aanval.
Ek is nie alleen in hierdie stryd nie, God veg saam met my.

Bosbul.

Gehard. Gegrond. Getrou.

06/09/2025

02/09/2025

1. Val 7 keer staan 8 keer op.
2. Môre is 'n nuwe dag.
3. Glimlag wanneer dit hard reën.
4. Om gelukkig te wees is altyd 'n keuse.
5. Ervaring kan nie gekoop word nie.
6. Kennis is mag.
7. Huil hard snot en trane.... daarna trek jy weer jou kroon reg!
8. Wees lief.Kry seer. Wees lief.
9. Eet. Werk hard. Speel hard.
10. Stel God altyd eerste.

28/08/2025

Emotions 😡😔😒😉🤪

https://www.facebook.com/share/17qhz2b7KG/

23/08/2025

Credit to

06/08/2025

I've learned that fixing a broken pot is like personal growth and healing - the process is slow, frustrating, messy, and requires ALOT of patience. You can't rush it or take shortcuts.

Each piece needs to be carefully glued and set before moving on to the next. It breaks apart more than a few times, concluding that sometimes you have to break apart a few times before you can heal.

Theres a waiting period for the glue to dry, a breathing period where you need to take a break, a moment you think you'll never get it done.. but then piece by piece it does find its way back together.. not the same as before. Certainly not all the pieces, because some we should rather leave be. Let go.

The gold painting part comes last, and slowly brings it all together, the light at the end of the tunnel. It may not look like it did before, its definitely different .. but quite uniquely beautiful too!

Come try it for yourself 🪴 I think you'll be surprised at the acceptance you can learn to have towards yourself after this!

Claudia Rautenbach

30/07/2025

Play therapy summed up quite well 👌🏼

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19gW2WhnAR/

23/07/2025

"How to Detect Abuse( or challenes and struggles) Through a Child’s Drawings and Stories

The Truth Hides in Symbols When Words Feel Unsafe

When a child is being abused—emotionally, physically, or psychologically—their nervous system often goes into a protective freeze.

Speaking the truth out loud may feel dangerous, disloyal, or even life-threatening.

So instead, the truth leaks out through play, drawings, and stories—symbolic languages that feel safer to the subconscious mind.

As a guardian, therapist, or trauma-informed parent, learning how to decode these symbolic messages is critical.

Because while a child may say “I’m fine,” their art and narratives often scream the unspoken pain.

Here’s what to look for:

✏️ Drawings That May Indicate Abuse
• Disproportionate body parts: Extremely large hands (grabbing), missing mouths (silenced), oversized eyes (hypervigilance).

• Dark, chaotic scribbles or excessive use of black/red.

• Rain, storms, cages, or walls—symbolic of fear, emotional flooding, or entrapment.

• Distancing of self: Drawing themselves far from others, especially from one parent.

• Figures with no faces, arms, or mouths—often represents loss of power or voice.

• Broken homes, houses with no windows/doors = no safe escape or visibility.

• Animals or monsters that seem threatening or cornering the child figure.

• Tears, angry faces, or X marks over people in the picture.

📖 Stories That Signal Internalized Trauma

Children’s stories are rarely “just imagination.” Often, they’re encoded emotional downloads masked as fantasy.

Watch for:
• A recurring villain that never gets caught.
• A child protagonist who is always trying to “escape,” “hide,” or “rescue” someone else.
• Themes of being blamed, not being believed, or being trapped.
• Happy endings that feel forced or disconnected from the actual story arc (sign of dissociation).
• Stories with missing or absent characters—especially when a parent is left out.
• Narratives where the child has to take care of others, or is always “the strong one.”

🔍 Additional Red Flags
• The child destroys or hides their own drawing afterward.
• They become hyper-focused on keeping parts of the story “secret.”
• Sudden regression in drawing skills or emotional tone of stories after visits with a parent.
• Their stories contradict reality in subtle ways—watch the metaphors.

🧠 Why This Works: The Brain’s Safety Mechanism

When the left brain (logic, language) shuts down from trauma, the right brain (imagination, image, and symbol) steps in. Drawing and storytelling are safe containers for unsafe truths—they allow the child to speak without directly implicating the abuser. But those trained to listen through this lens can hear everything.

🫶🏽 What to Do
• Ask curious, non-leading questions:
“Tell me about this person.”
“What happens next in your story?”
“If this picture could talk, what would it say?”
• Never correct or minimize what they draw or say
NB • Track themes over time: patterns matter more than one-off details
• Bring in a trauma-informed art therapist if signs persist

The body speaks.

The pictures speak.

The stories speak.

You just have to learn the language—and be brave enough to believe what you see.

It’s time our children’s unconscious messages are heard and unqualified therapists or guardians be stripped of their licensure for missing clear signs of abuse in children."

By Carey Ann: https://www.facebook.com/share/19TqMGfPga/

18/07/2025

Addiction = loss of connection

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C2HPG9aD5/

03/02/2025

Oooo that one hits hard!

when you criticize your kids because you’re angry or tired, they don't stop loving you, they stop loving themselves.

so here's your reminder that no matter how worn down, stressed out, or overstimulated you may be, do your best to take a deep breath and pause before you speak to your kids.

because it's a lot easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken adults. ❤️‍🩹