Why I Write – This Tribute Had Me In Tears. If I Can Help One Person… Just One “Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do” Written by Terence

When Terence reached out to me I was both in awe and humbled. Yes I started this blog to help people and perhaps I have in different ways. But to actually receive a letter about just how much someone’s life has changed from reading my posts, wow.

I have not changed Terence’s letter; which he penned to me as I think he writes beautifully and perhaps his story, will encourage somebody else, somewhere, somehow.

“It is a real honour, privilege and pleasure to share the impact that JoJo Bayvel’s blogs has had on me personally. My name is Terence and JoJo Bayvel’s blogs have been such an encouragement and inspiration to me.

The last couple of years has not been easy but even more so in particular the last three years, life simply did not behave and some of my dreams and goals seemed out of reach.

But despite that I trusted God and leaned on Him for strength and also decided that it was time for me to embark on the completion of a degree program that I started a couple of years ago.

Little did I know that after registering in January 2020 to complete the last couple of modules, that a Pandemic would soon reach our Countries’ shores and in March 2020, life as we all knew it would change and my studies was under threat of not being completed over the planned time.

I managed to get through the semester but by the start of the new semester I was faced with more challenges and i was facing the very real prospect of not continuing my degree study program. I was ready to throw in the towel. But I prayed and asked God to help and encourage me.

It was at this time that I came across JoJo Bayvel’s blog while busy online, and found the posts very interesting and so real as I’ve not come across someone being so real online about their life’s journey and family challenges.

The Blog that totally amazed me was “Against all Odds”, where some of the challenges and against all odds experiences were shared about her sister. I was in awe of the faith of her sister, JoJo, and the rest of the family. Her sister is a living testimony that God can get us through things no matter how difficult it may be.

As soon as I was done reading it, I asked myself the Question, “ If her sister could endure all of those Against all Odds experiences and have such deep faith and be an overcomer, then I have no reason to give up”.

That blog played such a pivotal role in encouraging and inspiring me to not give up and despite my challenges, to try again. I believe that when I prayed to God for help and encouragement, little did I know that one of the ways in which He would answer would be through a blog post and the life experiences of sisters with such deep faith.

And I am so happy that the blog encouraged and Inspired me at a crucial time when the challenges mounted and i made the decision there and then to not give up, as I will be graduating with my degree in December 2021. 

JoJo Bayvel’s blog found and reached someone at a time when he needed it most. It is with this gratitude that I want to say thank you so much for your blog. It is inspiring, thought provoking, a tear jerker, courageous, brave, smile inducing, encouraging, life changing, joyful, hopeful, and most of all God Ordained and Inspired, to allow ‘An Ordinary Girl On An Extraordinary Journey Through Life’ to reach people where they are.

May God continue to bless you and your family abundantly more than you could ever ask or think and continue the excellent work. Blessings.

Terence, I end this by saying YOU are the one who has encouraged me. Tears stream as I have no way of repaying you for your beautiful words.

I know you can and will achieve great things in life – Gods holding the pen that will write your book.

Thank you again and again for inspiring me to keep on trying to make a mark on this world through my life’s experiences.

Joy always comes in the morning!

Love Always

JoJo

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To The First Person I Fell In Love With … Momma

“When you are looking at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.”….

You were the first person I fell head over heels in love with,momma.

The one I first opened up my eyes too and knew that I would be loved by, a Heavenly angel forever to take care of me.

I am not blessed to have you as a mom, I am the luckiest girl in the world. No two like you were created and I get the perfection that was.

The entire world family, friends and strangers alike would, without a doubt say; you are the epitome of everything good in this world.

Beauty
Grace
Selflessness
Love Unconditional
Muse

You truly are the rarest of gems, God spent his time polishing to perfection.

This world would be an empty space without you as you light up and fill every room you walk into, with beauty, dignity, love, holiness and light.

Dad, was always (in his own grumpy way) head over heels for you. He would be so proud of all you are doing to keep us afloat and strong.

Momma you make loving easy.

That’s why this love can’t sit still and is so full – it’s a skip to the sun, a jump to the moon perhaps a little leap to Mars, straight up to the Milky Way and the Heavens above and right down to the depths of our incredible oceans.

YOU, Denise Bayvel are everything.

I love you infinite ♾ time infinity.

Becky

Debbie Lee Bayvel a journey against all odds – A Story Of A Legend Like None You Will Ever Hear –


So it begins.
I am honoured to not only be this hero’s ‘little’ sister, but to have the opportunity to be the main author of her book & life.

9 years old diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma (2% survival rate)
Chemotherapy that did not work.
Heart failure.
11 years old a secondary on her head.
My tiny angel given her death sentence.
Maybe months, weeks or days… no more.
A fighter with Faith penning a letter that with Her Daddy above she would survive.

No skull
Half a pelvis
Ribs & a piece of her lung
Veins, muscles, skin
All removed.

20 odd years in remission with one hiccup

70 major reconstructive ops some over 11 hours

1 more to go.

42 years old – ALIVE

She is whole. She is my muse. My strength. My support system. The ying to my yang. My hero. My legend.
My sister.

Debbie Lee Bayvel
Cancer warrior
Cancer survivor
Medical miracle
Faith Driven
Child of God

Thank you for choosing me. I will make you proud sis.

Love always & a day more than that

JoJo Bayvel

Still So Apt But I Am Finally Ready: My Darling … Yet To Discover

Turning 38 and thank goodness genetically blessed from both folks physically and with youthful looks (knees now do feel the rain coming though 🙂 ), seems like a good time to repost these words I wrote in the middle of a game farm under a star filled African sky next to a mesmerising fire.

I was full of hope and yet I guess whilst the words were straight from the bottom of this heart, I don’t think I was quite ready to be … discovered let alone discover someone and give them my all.

I am ready now…. BUT not ready to discover just anybody. He must be my soulmate and best friend, my forever one, the man who loves me when I am no longer youthful looking but still blessed with the same kind heart and sense of humour ( perhaps with less wits about me but still witty) …because I know that I am capable of; and want that soul quenching, inner beauty loving…forever happiness.

If you asked me what I wanted my darling a thousand times over it would be the same thing,
I want a life filled with adventure, never letting the mundane and boring become a part of who we are,
My love, I want to explore the earth: in its entirety,  every last crevice of you, the earth, the oceans and each little thing that the moon shines upon and my love, I want to explore this with you …

Darling if you had to ask me what would make my heart happy and what would make my soul come alive I would tell you this;

Take my heart and hold it in your hand as though it was the very thing that keeps you alive,
Guard it and guide it,
Treat it with the utmost and gentle care, but never allow it to grow tired and still,


As my heart sweet darling needs to be touched and whispered to: so that your heart too, beats with the fire of a thousand African sunsets.


My love if you want to know the secret to hearing my laughter erupting from the depths of my very soul just know the answer lies in allowing me to be me,
for my love, my beauty lies not in the colour of my eyes nor the shape of my lips but rather in the way I live;
to feel free and alive;
And laughter, my love, is the way my heart sings, it allows you to pen lyrics to the sweetest melody your ears have yet to hear.

My darling if you want to know how to make your arms my safe haven then simply do this –
Treat me my sweet sweet darling as though I were the most special and incredible gift;
hold me in your arms, unwrap each layer that encases my body, heart and soul

BUT

Do this with care my darling as the rarest gifts need to be opened slowly and patiently in order to truly appreciate what lies inside the gilded paper,

My love, the answers to most of the questions your mind yearns to know are simple:
For darling  they are the very questions you have had the answer to, since the beginning of your mortal time.

A Dogs Perspective: My Bucket List Day. Leroy Brown

Leroy Brown the best bullmastiff ever

My other momma JoJo took me for my for X-rays today (I love the vet especially Duncan ,and they all just give me so many hugs and licks of love WOW! (I don’t even mind staying there for a while) my health news doesn’t look fantastic. My family has to see Duncan tomorrow, they are all a little scared. I can see it in their eyes BUT there is always hope. I need a specialist but a lady who owns GlamInc stole R 140 000 from my JoJo so Im hoping we can go!

I think JoJo adores me

I just don’t know if I’m ready to leave them yet although I am pretty sore and not feeling great; I think will tell them when I want to go to my forever home, I know they won’t let me suffer. 

this is my family

I know I still have so many reasons to stay here and teach them lessons so I really want to get better. They need to know more about unconditional love and living each day to the fullest, about protecting the people you adore and of course loyalty. I just love them so much, especially my orginal mom. She visits everyday and I get so excited; I wait on the patio for her and my tail starts wagging on its own when I hear her car! Then I give her kisses and thats my day made. 

After the vet today,  when my JoJo mom fetched me (I could see she had been crying and it made my heart sore). To cheer us both up we went on the best adventure ever. Can you believe I have never seen the beach? I live in Cape Town, mom hello?

Heaven on Earth

So off we went with loads of treats, a squeezy bottle of water as I get so thirsty lately ,and even though I am a little dumb – I can drink out of it. My JoJo was so proud! That made me happy. Except I hate pics and she just thinks I am so handsome she wants more and more and more, I guess they will be good for memories when I’m gone. Videos though? Are a no no – not because of me I am handsome, but JoJo sounds like Daisy Duck when she talks, so excuse her in these and hey, I still adore her and her voice.  

She started to smile, we put on some music and went to the beach and guess what? I put my paws in the ocean! 

WOW I know that there will be so many beaches and oceans in my forever home. They are Heaven on earth!

I eventually couldn’t help myself. I forgot I was sore. And I ran and played in the sand and dragged my freezing cold other momma right into the waves! I loved it we got sopping wet, full of sand and had the best time! 

I even drank some water, ate loads of treats (LOADS) and then we came home to the place where I will always leave a piece of my heart, and my other adoptive mom/aunt and real mom were there! What a treat, I got so much love. 

Im really pooped now, lying next to my momma JoJo as she works. I always need to protect my family, its what I came to do; that and to love them. That’s why I just love being close to each of them; even when my jojo is dressed a bit strangely in gowns and scarves in fact her whole wardrobe in Winter – I guess thats why she isn’t married (IG lies she doesn’t always look glam).

This adoptive mom loves me so much she makes sure I am warm in my blankie. See I taught her that we have to help and love each other every chance we get.  

She keeps looking at me and smiling and I know she can see in my eyes, I am smiling back. 

Later when I go to my room to sleep,  it’s so comforting to know that she will bring me water every two hours and let me out to pee  – I hope other dogs have family like mine. I think they think I am really special and I guess God made me oh so special just for them.

Night guys, 

Please keep me in your prayers. Let me know if my ‘Dogs Purpose’ is finished here or else pray that I don’t hurt anymore so I can stay just a little longer and teach little more love.

Licks of love 

Leroy Brown