Being heard

Have you ever had a conversation with someone only to realize that they haven't heard a word you said. Now I know it is possible to get lost in thought, but to willfully ignore someone is not nice.

When we don't listen to what other people have to say, we invalidate them as a human being and I think that is something we need to be aware of and guard against.

Ps 66 v 19 says "But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer." God always takes the time to listen us, I think we need to learn to give others the same respect.

He stomped his foot

I've spoken before about the fact that we shouldn't take vengeance. Does that mean that we must just roll over and let people walk all over us? Certainly not!

Did Jesus ever get mad and stand up for righteousness? He certainly did. People were trading in the temple and he did not agree with what was happening. Jesus quite literally lost it, turning over tables and chasing people out.

This angry face of God has been seen before in the wilderness when the Jews made the golden calf and worshipped it. God stomped his foot and the earth split open and swolled them up.

Now I'm not trying to give you nightmares, but just point out that God does desire us to stand up for righteousness. Stand your ground but don't harm anyone. Allow God to sort out the justice part!

The truth shall make you free

A well known media personality regularly makes use of the phrase "the truth shall make you free". Sadly my opinion is that she uses it incorrectly in many instances, which can lead to people with soft personalities being easily lead astray.

My feeling is that any time somebody has to scream at you that the truth sets you free, chances are it's probably a lie. We are told that the devil loves to masquerade as an "Angel of light". Beware of his tricks.

The Holy Spirit will always speak with a still small voice, even when he is warning you of something. Jesus said, my sheep know my voice. It is in that quiet place that we will find the will of God.

Ssssssh...... Let the Holy Spirit guide you with his still voice.

Welcome Michaela Hope Pohl

Born on the 26^th of March 2011, I welcome into the world Michaela Hope Pohl. What makes this little girl so special? Her Mom, Joanne Pohl.

You see Jo was 28 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It took a year of Chemo and Radio therapy before Jo first went into remission. As Jo's chances of falling pregnant immediately after cancer were almost zero, Jo and husband Mark, after months of fostering two amazing twin boys aged 9 (Aleistar & Christopher), adopted them and they came home in December of 2009.

The thing about Jo's cancer though is that falling pregnant could have meant dissaster as the hormones produced during pregnancy would have acted as fertilizer for the cancer. Thankfully, that didn't happen. I believe God honours us when he know's he can trust us with his precious gifts and in July 2010 Jo fell pregnant.

After a stressful pregnancy and monthly testing, Michaela this child of hope and a reminder of God's grace, has finally been born. I wish Mom and Dad all the best in the years ahead. Enjoy your little bundle :-)

It worked, didn't it?

As a kid in primary school, I remember doing a science project once. You may have done it too. Proving that a smaller wheel can turn a larger one. Like most kids I went to my dad for help. He told me to go and get two empty cotton reels from my mom. To my dissapointment, he hammered them into a plank and popped an elastic band around them and nocked another nail into the smaller wheel to act as the pully. Not very pretty!

I had two choices: go to school with the not so pretty plank or make my own. I went to school with the plank. Guess what happened? Most of my classmates arrived with well designed systems that looked very smart.......but most didn't work, only a few did.

Then my turn to step up..... knees shacking.... I turned the wheel and walla! It worked. Okay so I lost a few marks for presentation, but scored very high on application!

Sometimes we try to get too complicated with our relationship with God. We need to remember to stick to the basics and when we do, we will grow in faith and in our relationship with God. So what are the basics? Read your bible, pray, reach out to others, fellowship with the saints and confess your sins! Keep it short and simple.... K.I.S.S. Mwah!

Are you playing your cards right?

Good card players know the game. They know they are going to get a limited number of cards, they have to play within the rules and they have to outsmart their opponent. If they do, they win the round. It doesn't end there, they have to repeat this feat many times to in order to win the game. To amatuers a game of cards is just luck, but to a professional there is a definite skill in attaining their winning form.

Here's the thing......they have to play the cards they are dealt. They can't say to the dealer, sorry but I think I got the wrong cards, or sorry this just isn't fair. Isn't that what we do with life though. We wake up and say, why did this or that have to happen to me? When it comes right down to it, we all have our own unique problem cards and we need to learn to deal with them and conquer those problems if we are going to succeed in life.

So when you are feeling down and thinking you have the worst lot in life...... go and help someone! Trust me, there is always someone out there who is worse off or hurting more than you are! You'll be surprised at how good it will make you feel just to give out!

He loves to bless us!

Hehehe! Just when I've spoken about the disciplined nature of God, I read a devotional that reminds me of our God who delights in giving and who desires to answer our specific prayers.

God takes great joy in blessing us, especially when the honour goes to him. He desires for us to live full lives, lacking nothing. He is a father who wants the very best for his children.

What God desires is that we truly have a relationship with him and not just come to him when we want something. When we draw close to him, he takes care of all our hearts desires!

Now I have a problem!

As a teen just out of school, I temped at a clothing chain store in Empangeni. I did cash receipting (can you imagine we still did over the counter payments back then) and general account queries.

At the time I used to get frustrated by this but now it's funny but I used to get clients comming to the counter saying: "Now I have a problem. I have lost my card." Solution - buying slip. I guess they will have stopped that now with all the fraud going on.

Isn't this how we treat God sometimes? Hey God, now I have a problem, please fix it for me. Do we stop to think how we got into that problem in the first place? Not usually. Sometimes we come with a very fake, I'm sorry.

Strangely though, if it's not much trouble, God in his mercy will grant our request. Other times, you are going to have to ride out the storm. Storms do pass, so eventually we get to where God wants us to be: responsible adults!

I just can't face those oats

Living alone has it's challenges. One being that you never want to open too many cereals at one time, for fear of them going off. When it comes to a favourite like Pronutro, I have no problem wiping it out in no time...... Then there's the oats. You see I eat oats because it's good for me, not because I like it!

Work can be like that sometimes. We just need variety or change in routine to get us interested again. Sticking it through with the same old same old can just drive you nuts.

Our spiritual walk can be the same. We need to work at keeping it fresh, changing the routine and mixing it up a bit. Many will have heard the question, "When last did you do something for the first time?" Well, when last did you try something new in your relationship with God?

I love our angry Earth

We live on an active planet. Volcano's errupt every day and the earth is constantly shifting. Earth quakes, floods, droughts happen accross the world. With all of this activity, people around the world are asking, "Are we in the end days?"

Okay I'm not here to say we are or are not in end days, but what I do want to point out is that we have to take a good long look at earth history. This planet of ours has been changing for millenia. Some changes were expidited during the flood in Noah's time, but for the most part it will have taken a very long time for our continents to have drifted apart the way they have.

So what am I trying to say? Stop stressing about end times and get to the business of living out your calling the way that God has ordained for you to do so. Trust God and know that he know's what is happening with our planet. Make peace with the fact that God will not allow your death to happen a day sooner than he has planned and when you do die..... It will be because God is satisfied that you have completed your mission.

Our most basic human right

Tomorrow, 21 March is Human Rights Day.  This got me thinking about the first, most important human right God gave to man.  The right to choose.  When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, it was because they had exercised this right.  God will never override this right.  He desires for us to love and serve him of our own free will and that is why he will never deny us the opportunity to walk away from him.

All sin does have consequences. The consequences of choosing to disobey God is separation from his presence. Jesus came so that he could pay for our sins and reunite us with God and allow us open access to his presence and give us the right to stand before God pure, holy and without blemish. 

Joshua said to his people, "Choose you this day whom you will serve, but for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". Are you going to choose to serve God with your whole heart?

Is that Amazing Grace?

A few years ago a good friend confided in me that she had an abortion when she was a young woman.  Now normally my judgemental spirit would have kicked in and I would run away from listening to her story, but as she talked all I could feel was the pure love of God towards her.  Her guilt had held her back for years from experiencing the full, amazing forgiveness that there is to be found in God. 

When Jesus died on the Cross, there isn't a single sin he didn't shed his blood for.  When God sees us today, we are washed white as snow and covered in the grace that his forgiveness affords us. There is a condition though..... 1 John 1 v 9 tells us that we must confess our sin. When we do, he forgives us and removes our sin as far as the East is from the West.  He never remembers it again.

Then we have to be willing to live a repentant life. What does that mean? It means that we have to be willing to turn away from that lifestyle and choose to live in a way that will honour him.  God knows we will sin, but his grace is there to pick us up.... and he will.... he will every time! All he desires from us is to confess our failures and he will rebuild our lives anew every time we do. Eventually as we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and we grow we will learn not to repeat those behaviours.

Come to God..... Confess your sin and know the amazing grace that saved our souls!

Howwwww baas where's my burger

Eish! Went into a fast food joint today to grab a quick chicken burger. I 'thought' I was ordering my favourite chicken burger. Instead - a morsel was delivered that made me wonder if I'd wondered into a less than favourite competitor. Disappointment reigned :-(

I do recall on a previous occassion having the opposite experience. Expecting a really arb burger but getting a heavenly treat.

Life's like that..... We win some, we loose some. God's word stands contrary to this. When we come to the word with a longing heart truly seeking God, we will never be dissapointed.

Go grab your New King James burger today, it is sure to delight!

Flock of birds before my eyes

Every morning on my way to work, I drive past the William Nicole interchange. There on my left I see a sight that warms my heart. A flock of birds does a devine swooping dance in the air, flying too and fro.

Joie de Vivre - The joy of living. These birds definitely have it! Why do we humans worry, stress and get angry so much? Maybe it's because we have been lied to so often about what the Joy of life really is.

Shouldn't the joy of life mean being able to wake up and just enjoy each day as it unfolds? Being present and being able to live in the moment is truly a gift.

Guess what? On the way home, I see those same birds again. They celebrate the end of day just as joyfully as the beginning. I think we all need to follow their lead and learn to celebrate the start and end of each day.

I think tomorrow I'm going to start the day a little differently...... And you?

Mirror image

Scripture Union produce really great Christian materials. Their kids materials are especially great. I remember one SU devotional I did as a kid. They asked you to hold a word up to a mirror. As I held the word up it became readable.

That's what our lives are like. When we look at things the words seem backward and we struggle to make sense of our lives. It is only when we view our lives through the mirror of God's word and our relationship with Christ that things become clear.

The word tells us that we shall behold Christ and we will be transformed into his image. I want to encourage you today to take the time to gaze at Christ and allow his image to become reflected in you.

God news broadcast

Why is it that only bad news sells? Earth quakes, floods, storms, murder, crime and any form of mayhem.

Well I believe it's because the devil knows that as long as he can keep us looking down, we'll seldom look up to see how great God is.

So I thought I'd give you a God news report for today:
- Somewhere in the world today a women who's doctors said she would not bear children has delivered her first child.
- A boy born blind has been healed and received his sight.
- A couple headed for divorce have reconciled.
- An abondoned child was adopted into a good home.

God is good..... All the time! Lookout for his goodness coming to a friend near you!

Ring of fire

Japan is situated in an area known as the ring of fire. This means it is in an area of the planet that has a very thin crust and where the movement of tectonic plates happens frequently allowing the firy hot malten lava of the earths core to push through. This is the reason they have so many earth quakes in that area.

All the continents are on continental shelves which also shift, but a continental shelf is stronger and thicker than the area that Japan is located on for example. So the continents and mountain formations also move, but not as much.

Our lives are like that too. There are some areas which we are all stronger in and others that just constantly cause us problems. We have to learn coping mechanisms to deal with these problem areas. Knowledge is power both spiritually and practically. We need to not only study scripture to find out what it can teach us about our “hot zones” but learn from other books and people too.

In order to do this though we need honesty above all. We have to be able to look at our lives and be real about our issues. I want to encourage you to not be afraid, but to do some introspection. When you have accurately pin pointed your hot zone, you will soon be able to learn to master it!

Does your earth shift?

Yo Yo Yo!  March 11th 2011 will be remembered as a day the earth moved! An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale moves the Island of Japan 8 feet (2.4 metres) and moves the earth's axis 10cm - mind blowing! These events will most likely alter our planet and it's weather patterns in a profound way. 

Have you ever felt like just when  you get things settled, something catastrophic happens and your life gets altered or shifted on a different course?  I know it's happened to me and the effects in the immediate aftermath of an event like that are devastating. I believe God has made our world to be an indicator of what our lives are going to be like. So what can we learn from these catastrophic events?

Yes, I know the pain felt immediately afterwards is devastating.......but the earth recovers.  Humanity stands together and we are able to rebuild areas where this devastation takes place.  The most important thing to learn is that changes need to be made. 

In the wake of the Tsunami of 26 December 2004, which killed roughly 250,000 people, seismologists implemented more accurate early warning systems, allowing them to get out evacuation orders more quickly and helping to prevent this mass disaster again.  We need to learn to implement our own early warning systems and with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to devise your own systems.  This will help you in future to be on the look out for warning signs of disaster and take personal evasive action.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan.  May God help you to rebuild your nation after this disaster!

Guess who's comming for dinner?

I love entertaining, but I'm quite padantic about making sure everything is prepared exactly to my liking. My aim is to try and ensure that my guests are comfortable, relaxed, and well fed. What I've learnt with entertaining is that the better prepared you are, the easier it is and the more enjoyable it is.

When we first meet the Holy Spirit, it's like entertaining a stranger. At first it's awkward and you really don't know what to say to one another. As you get to know one another though, the conversation becomes relaxed and sparkling. Then there are those really special moments when your heart is prepared and the time spent with him is simply magical.

Have you invited he Holy Spirit to be a part of your life yet? If not, all you have to do is ask. Say sweet Holy Spirit, I invite you to be a part of my life and I ask you to dwell within me.

Prepare to be amazed at how your relationship with God is about to grow! :---)

Spot the dog mom

Now this very same glass door was the scene for my next story. My mom used to love to bake and her two best recipes were her chocolate cake and milk tart. One day mom made her famous milk tart recipe and was on her way out the door when the worst happened................

Our beloved golden Labrador cross Doberman doggie (who happened to be the same colour as the carpet), was having a snooze by the door. Before we knew it, there flew mom's milk tarts all over the show.

My mom got so mad, she chased the dog out the house with a broom..... And oooops..... Broke the door.

Now what's the moral of that story....... beware the sin that matches the carpet... i.e. It blends in and is hard to see... It can easily trip you up and send your dreams flying.

Periscope effect

I remember one sunny afternoon I came bouncing into the house. Our house has a glass front door which was standing open. I saw my sisters reflection in the door. As I came inside I immediately started speaking to her, only to find as I turned the corner that she wasn't there.

Confused I looked forward and saw her reflection again in the opposite lounge window. This time I could see her reflection was actually coming from the dining room window. I had to search a little further before I found her. The positioning of the windows had created a perfect periscope.

We often do that when we come into God's presence to worship. We think we are coming to the place where God is, yet when we turn the corner he isn't there. We have to search a little further to enter into his presence. That is because when God ordained the structure of the temple, there was an outer court, inner court and only then the Holy of Holy's.

We need to press on in our quest for God till we stand in his full presence. Then we will not behold a reflection but his pure image!

You can smell the sweat!

I love the smell of the gym....and by that I don't mean the sweaty toned bodies, but rather the pool chlorine smell. I suppose it's because it means I'm at a place where my mind can unwind and I can partake in some rejuvenating exercise.

So why do I avoid it like the plague for months on end then come hankering back like I've been deprived of my favourite cake. Well I suppose it's because it requires some inconvenience and change to my routine.

Well our relationship with God also requires some inconvenience. Trying to fit in time for church, bible reading, fellowship, is a real effort. Truth is, once you get into it, you'll love it and wonder why you've been fighting it for so long.

Go on.... Jump in and get involved!

Groenie die Draak

I'll never forget Groenie Draak, who's motto in life was "Ek wil n brandveer man wees" (loosly translated as the little green dragon that wants to be a fireman). Unlike Groenie, I want to be a fire spitting, devil slaying dragon!

So how do you get the word of God to be your primary weapon? Well it takes some memory work. You need to commit to reading God's word regularly and when you find scriptures that inspire you..... Memorize them!

The word says, that we should hide his word in our hearts so that we won't sin against God. When the word is dwelling in us, we can draw draw on that resource in spiritual warfare. Trust me, we need that every day of our lives.

I encourage you today to dig in.... Learn the word and have that dragon slayer fire tongue ready!

I don't think so

Worry worry worry....... NOT! We all know that God's word tells us over and over and over again NOT to worry. So why do we? Well I suppose it's because at times we forget that there is a wealth of "strength treasure" hidden within the pages of the bible.

Let's take our worry wort situation. If we tell ourselves that we must not worry - ONLY, we have little to peg that statement on. BUT when we remind ourselves that:

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal
These weapons pull down strongholds
We can take every thought into captivity
We do not have to let these thoughts dominate our thinking

Well, don't know about you, but I just forgot what I was worrying about!

Have a blessed day!

It's all just smoke and mirrors

Fascinating! Watch any magic trick with no knowledge of how it's done and they really look real. Once the "how too" is revealed, you can't believe how easily you've been dooped.

There's someone else I know with an expert knowledge in "magic". One Lucifer. He loves to make the lifestyles of the rich and famous look like our earthly path to heaven. Before we know it, we are caught up in a quest for things rather than life.

I've heard it said that we should learn to live simply, so that others can simply live. This quest for simplicity will lead to a path of contentment and ultimately a deeper relationship with Christ.

Fury fun!

Oooooi! What a week. Battled flu the whole week and then of course it's month end..... And year end! From what I can tell..... I'm not the only one who's had a rough week.

So what happens? I come home to find that my fury little feline monsters have found their catnip in my kitchen drawer. They politely helped themselves......... To the whole pack!

Well the antics that followed were quite hilarious! Rolling, sprawling, fighting, and licking up every little piece of catnip they could find.

So I know parenthood has it's challenges, but I also know that kids have the ability to amuse. I think God knows that we need some entertainment and amusement to take our focus of work, so he gave us children and pets to bring us joy and fulfillment.

Common take some time out to play with your pets and little ones and enjoy life a little!

The butterfly's cocoon

The biggest challenge after a fight is always forgiveness. Some people say, "I forgive but I don't forget". In truth, nobody ever forgets. The human brain is designed to store eveything we have ever learnt and experienced. It is our memory recall that is usually an issue.

The brain is also designed to protect us and when a memory is too painful the brain forms something like a cobweb to cocoon and lock up that memory.

At some time in the future, when we are able, that memory is released like a butterfly comming out of its cocoon. Hopefully this will happen at a time when we are able to effectively deal with that memory and get emotional and spiritual healing.

Dealing with past hurts can be a very liberating experience, it also comes with great joy. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you if there are some issues you think you need to work through.

Anyone for some hot coals?

Oh boy, how do you deal with those biiiiiig challenges? When the guns are out and you can see all out war coming and all you want to do is attack........!

Romans 12v17-20 tells us that we must not take vengance.... mmmm (I keep thinking easy for you to say). Honestly though, long term experience teaches us that when we let God fight for us, he can take better care of our enemy.

Then there's that confusing bit about "heaping coals of fire on their heads". What on earth does that mean? Well, in days gone by if a traveller came into a home from the icy cold, the host would give them a bag of coals to put on their guests heads. This was to warm them up because the head stores most of our body heat and a warm head means a snug guest.

It seems God knows that by showing kindness we can defuse a potentially explosive situation. Eina..... now to go and put it all in pratice.

Ka poof!

What fun Jesus must have been having when he walked the road to Emmaus with those two disciples. He must have been enjoying the opportunity to brag on himself as he expounded the scriptures to them. He even pretended to be going further with his journey to secure an invite for dinner.

While breaking bread, he allowed for their eyes to be opened... (I still haven't figured that one out) and then................ He disappears!

Isn't that just like Jesus?... Just when he gives you a spiritual revelation.... He seems to vanish. I've certainly had that happen to me. Why does he do that?

Well I can only guess, but I'd venture to say that this vanishing act is a ploy to get us searching, yearning and longing for him all over again. He longs for our adoration and will do anything to get our attention.

Question is......... Will you start the journey again, or will you give up? Don't know about you, but I'm up for adventure!