A total surprise

So by now in our journey we had already seen the likes of Westminter, York and several other awesome Gothic cathederals and structures. On a visit with friends in Germany though we were advised that we just had to make a stop at a little church named Wieskirche.

Well we did, and driving up to this little white and yellow painted church did nothing to excite us to the reason for the diversion in our tour to this remote little village in the foothills of the German Alps. BUT.... upon entry to the famous little church my breath was taken away at the immense beauty that unfolded before our eyes. Ceilings and walls painted in supernatural and appastolic figures, with walls, organ pipes and pillars overlaid in gold leaf made for the truly spectacular!

In 1738, tears were seen on a dilapidated wooden figure of the scourged Saviour. This miracle resulted in a pilgrimage rush to the village and the church was built to accommodate the figure. Construction of the church took place between 1745 and 1754, and the interior was decorated in stuccowork in the tradition of the Wessobrunner School. The church was nearly destroyed until it was declared a world heritage site in 1983.

The old cliché of don't judge a book by it's cover definitely held true here. In life we so often judge people before we get to know them. Allow yourself to scratch beneth the surface of people before you dismiss them, you never know what a jewel they can be in your life.

False start

Details of the origins of the origins of Westminster Abbey are scant and seem that there are early records of building being errected as early as 624AD. The first stone Abbey was build from 1045 to 1050. It appears as if the Abby was built and rebuilt several times, with the last noted land purchase being listed as 1884. After several false starts construction of what is believed is the current building started in 1895 and was officially opened in 1903.

In stark contrast to the other cathederals we've looked at building on these projects seemed to always go quickly. This may have been due to the fact that it was the preferred site for many Royal weddings, coronations and funerals. The Abbey only briefly held Cathederal status from 1546 to1556. The building even briefly held the national treasury.

It would seem that what one could take from this is that it doesn't matter how many false starts you have in life, with the right support you can achieve anything.

Well I'm sure the whole world will have their eyes fixed on the Abbey in one way or another as we celebrate the Wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton. May April 29^th be a blessed and celebrated day and hopefully a dawn of a new Royal era.

A tale of destruction

It seems the tale of York Cathederal would match the tale of many of our lives. Just when you think you've achieved something, the devil comes in and tears it down and you have to start all over again.

It seems the orginal construction of York began in 630AD and was comleted in 637AD but was a considerably smaller structure than now stands. The building was destroyed by fire in 741 and then rebuilding began. Like the previous cathederals I've mentioned it suffered many destructive moments. New wings were added in the 1250's and the cathederal was finally declared complete in 1472, 842 years after it started.

I am greatful to God for allowing me to take these trips down memory lane. What I am witnessing as I research these magnificent structures, is that God is no rush! At times I've been so frustrated by how long it seems to be taking for a promise I've received from God years ago to come into fruition.

What I can say for a certainty right now is this: He who began a good work in you, will complete it to the day of Christ...... and that day is when he is convinced construction is complete. We can take this away – God finishes what he starts, so never give up hope!

Lost and found

So picture this, a camper of 4 South African's touring through Europe on our own. All credit must go to Mom [June Louw] who planned our entire trip. So here we are in Cologne, Germany and we are in search of the famous Cologne Cathederal. I can't remember if we had a map or not, but one thing was for sure, anywhere you drove in Cologne you could see those stunning spires (the second tallest in the world) towering above everything. Round and round in circles we drove, until eventually.... we found it!

And here I thought Notre Dame took long to build...try this out. Work began in 1248AD and ended in 1880AD – A mind blowing 632 years! This could have had something to do with a little problem they had..... at some point in time the plans went missing. When they were miraculously re-discovered in the 19^th century, work continued and the cathederal was completed.

Was it some strange fate then that we got a tad lost the day as we tried to find it? Maybe not. Maybe now 27 years later after that experience, I've learned for myself that there are times when we can get a tad lost in our relationship with God. Like our efforts that day though, I have learnt too that persistant seeking of the face of God will eventually reveal his majesty!

Got the wedding fever.....but not the usual way!

I just can't help it, Royal wedding fever has gripped me too. But not in the normal way. I'm reminded of my very own walk through West Minster Abby, so I have decided to devote this weeks blogs to just a few of the worlds most amazing cathederals that I have had the priviledge to visit.

Starting with Notre Dame in Paris. To each cathederal there are such unique experiences, sights and sounds that words hardly manage to describe their majesty, beauty and craftmanship of each magnificent structure. Reading briefly through the history of this structure, I am struck with awe. Work began in 1163AD and only ended in 1345AD. That's a staggering 182 years. Just not comprehendible in our microwave society where we get mad if our house isn't built in 6 months. The trials this structure has overcome are also simply awesome: French revolution in 1790, nearly being destroyed by fire in 1871, world war 2 in 1939.

Yet with each of these revolutions, wars and natural disasters men stood firm and rebuilt or refurbished this majectic building. To enter these buildings is to only begin to understand the courage, faith and vision that it must have taken to see these structures become reality. I want to encourage you to see your life as more than just a 70-100 year time of worship on earth, but a God ordained vision that can last for thousands of years.

It was 50/50

Growing up, I had tremendous problems with my hearing. Whether it was due to ear infections or a birth defect, we do not know, but I had a bone missing in my ear. At that time a lot of inner ear surgery was still very experimental.

I remember my mom looking me in the eye and saying, "You can have this surgery done, but there is a 50/50 chance it could work OR you could go completely deaf, it's your choice". That would be a tough decision for anyone, but it was particularly hard considering I was 10 years old at the time!

Ironically it's the same year I remember making first commitment to Christ. The bible talks about the age of accountability being when children are given the option to chose Jesus willingly as their saviour.

Oh and yes! The operation was as successful as it could be. I still have a permenant 20% loss in my right ear, but I've adapted my lifestyle to cope with that.

If you have kids, have you considered if they are old enough to accept Christ as saviour?

There's no way he did that!

Wait!.......Stop!....... There is just no way the Son of God would jeopardize the plan of redemption that would seal our Eternal salvation just to comfort one women.... But oh yes he did!

Check this: John 20 v 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father.....". What did he mean. Well for the plan of redemption to be complete Jesus had to present his pure blood to the Father as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins!

Christ risked blemishing his blood just to stop and comfort Mary and to send her to the Disciples to tell them the good news that he had risen!..... And he still managed to do it with the utmost compassion!

Yes, yes, yes, Christ conquered death. Jesus Christ has won it!

He had a job to do

So Christ is dead!  Or so they thought.  His body now laid in the tomb, waiting for the final burial dressings.  But we know that's not where the story ends.  While his body laid beaten by death his spirit and soul had a job to do.

Jesus went down to Hades and set free all captives who had believed in him/God before the advent of the Christ.

He took the keys of Hell, sickness and the grave and smashed them right open. He lead those who had been waiting for his arrival with him and set them free to go to Heaven which would be their new home.

I don't know about you, but I would have been first in that que!  And thus, the triumph begins!

P.S. for those of you who haven't found the facebook page yet, I encourage to do so as I am posting more detailed research articles there for as many blogs as I can!

Can't wait for Easter Sunday!

The Horror of the cross

I think for so many of us, Easter has become so commercialized that we find it hard to connect with reality of what happened that day.

I thank God for a movie like the passion of the Christ because it did open up our eyes to a small bit of the reality of the horror of that day.  But truth be told, it still does not depict the full tale.

The cat of 9 tales used to whip Christ with was filled with glass, stone and any other sharp object the Romans could attach to a leather belt.  It was designed to wrap around the body and wrip great big chunks of flesh out.... we don't see that in the movie.

The nails used to peirce his hands and feet were larger than we think and they were hamerred higher than the hand between the two bones in the arm, otherwise they would have just torn right off. 

The reason we can so easily dismiss the cross is because we refuse to look at it for it's reality......Let's stop doing that and realize the full price Christ paid for our salvation!

Oberammergau

I was privileged to spend my 11th birthday in the little town of Oberammergau in Austria.  An experience I'll never forget.  The beauty of the town can only be compared to some of the most beautiful Cathederals I have ever seen. 

The streets are lined with buildings with paintings one would expect in a Holy chapel.  The story of the town is unique.  In the early 16oo's the area was plagued by the Bubonic Plague. The villagers pledged that if God would spare their town that they would commemorate the life of Christ by performing a play in his honour.  In 1634 the town was healed and since then for nearly 400 years they town has kept it's promise and performed the play every 10 years.

What will it take in your life for you to turn your heart towards God and honour him? For me, it was a simple communion service that changed my life.

Enough already

Have you ever had a day when you just end up saying, "enough already, I just want this day to end!" Well I think Jesus understood that feeling well. As we meditate on this week before his crucifixion, I know there had to have come a time when he thought to himself, "I just want to get this over and done with."

Hebrews 4 tells us that we have a high priest who is able to understand our weaknesses, and he does because he has lived the same life we have.

Scripture also tells us though that for the joy set before him he endured the cross. What joy? The joy of having a living relationship with you and me.

So next time you are feeling worn out, remember Christ and his strength will be with you!

Can you help with the load?

When Jesus was walking towards Golgotha, the Romans made a man named Simon to carry his cross as Jesus could no longer carry the load.

In other peoples's time of difficulty, do you have the strength in you to carry their load? You may know someone with cancer, aids, who are maybe crippled or deaf?

At this time when we remember Christ's suffering, let's not forget the suffering of others and see what it is that we can do to help ease their pain, even if it just means standing with them in prayer through a difficult time.

Practice makes perfect!

If you were remotely around Christian circles in the late 80's early 90's, then the music of Carmen must have had some impact on your existence. I can still hear the sounds of "Lazarus, Lazarus, Lazarus come forth!"

A wave of faith hit anyone within remote earshot of those powerful words. Now take that back 2000 years and I'm sure the reaction was very different. Fear, dread, excitement, but as Lazarus appeared from the grave, the greatest joy ever must have errupted as this friend of Jesus was raised from the dead. I wonder....... Was this a practice round for what Jesus knew was to come? Was this the first time Jesus had exercised his faith before a greater miracle was due? I think not.

Why did Mary, the mother of Jesus say to the servant girls at the wedding, "whatever he says to you... Do it!" I believe because Jesus had practiced his miracle working power at home.

His actions of practicing his faith saw him stand ready and confidently proclaim - I am the resurrection and the life! Then he proved it!

Counting the hours

Most of us have had either exciting or nerve wrecking experiences in life that we have looked forward to with either great excitment or fear. I wonder which emotions dominated Christs thoughts as he walked his final week as a mortal being.

There must have been fear and dread, knowing what betrayal, pain and death lay before him. He knew his Spirit would be safe in the hands of God. He knew his flesh would be destroyed, but I wonder if he pondered the effects of the week ahead on his Soul?

BUT, as I've said before, he knew the plan! He must have wondered, if he too would leave the grave looking like Lazurus? But then he must have smiled, knowing that his ressurection, would be like one no eyes had seen before!

Christ on a donkey

There are moments in time when many words are just inappropriate. Tonight as I write, I am aware of the Holiness of the season we are in, so I'll keep it short.

The Christ on a donkey
The Christ on the cross
The Christ of all mercy
His life for us he lost

As we remember this Holy week before Christ gave his life, let us take moments to be silent and pay reverence to the cross.

ZZzzzzzzzzzzz!

Oh Oooooooooooh! I overslept this morning. Now normally that would leave me stressed, frantic and outright grumpy. Today for once I chose not to let it get to me and I just got on the road as fast as I could.

Then I got to the office and aaaaaaaah, my cell phone battery died! My lifeline to friends and civilization... kaput! Again, I made the decision not to let it get me down. Admittedly, I'm not always this strong, but I believe that as I have been going on this journey of blogging my daily walk with God that it has had a marked impact on my own spiritual journey.

So what has changed? I believe that as I have had to be more consious about what I'm going through daily, it has helped me keep focused on my relationship with God and how it impacts people. Once, I tried getting a journal started and that failed, because the purpose was not on extracting the good, positive things out of life.

Today I want to encourage you to find your own way of focusing on the positive, wonderful and good things of life!

Now let's hope I manage to get the alarm set right tomorrow! ;-)

Writer and director

Did you know that James Cameron first attempted to launch the production of Avatar in 1999, but because the technology was not yet fully developed the vision was shelved for 10 years. Wow, that blew me away. You would have thought that after the success of Titanic, studio's would have fallen over their feet to make it happen.

The end result, was worth the 10 years wait! Cameron wrote and directed the movie. That gave him a huge amount of control over what the end product would be. Hebrews 12 tells that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith! Wow, that means he not only designed our faith but works with is to make sure that our faith achieves it's designed purpose!

So those dreams you've been waiting for.... Jesus is not only going to give you the faith you need to wait for them, he's designing the exact path and way to get you to your final finished product!

So if Titanic and Avatar are anything to go by...... I'm going to let my "Director" do his job!

Grand stands

At school I was never a good athlete, but always a keen cheer leader! Standing on the side lines wasn't so bad when I got to dress crazy and scream my lungs out!

We all have our own race of life to run and Hebrews 12 tells us that there is a cloud of witnesses that surrounds us. What does that mean? Well it means that our family and friends who have gone to heaven are watching us and cheering us along our path!

Heb 12 also tells us that we must run our race with patience (something I'm not that good at). I always want everything to happen NOW, but God says we have to learn to wait and let our dreams grow at their own pace.

Don't give up on your dreams..... Wait for them, God is busy working to bring them to pass!

She'll be comming round the mountain

Well we've all been there. That one niggly trial we just can't beat. Well sorry to tell you, but you are going to have to keep going through that until you do get it right.

It's been said that the distance required to reach the promised land from Egypt, could have been walked in 40 days.... Yet it took the Israelites 40 years to complete the route. Why?

Well there were aspects of faith and obedience they needed to learn and they needed to keep practicing until they got it right. When they did, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down!

So how will you know once you've got it right? You'll know because your reactions to a situation now will be dramatically different from times before. So don't loose faith if your are stairing at a mountain. Ask God to give you wisdom and you are sure to succeed!

The Glory of Gethsemane

The Glory of Gethsemane? Impossible you say. For Gethsemane was a place of sorrow and surrender. You are right. Gethsemane was the place Jesus made the final choice to surrender his will to the will of God and to go through with the plan to go to the cross.

But you see without Gethsemane there would have been no cross. That can't be..... oh yes it can! Remember we've discussed this before.... that God will never override our free will and he would not even have forced Jesus to the cross. Going to the cross had to be by mutual agreement. Jesus had to say yes Lord, NOT my will but thine!

The Glory of Gethsemane came from a surrendered heart that was not only committed to the cross........but committed to the Resurrection, and therein.....lies the Glory! The Glory of the power of the resurrection.

If you want the power of the resurrection in your life.....commit to the cross!

Step it up!

Have you ever felt like you are in a position where your back is against the wall? You are dealing with a problem and there just seems to be no way out? Well that's when it is time to step it up and deliver your best work.

Very often people will try to crush your spirit. This kind of behaviour is contrary to God's word and we must learn to see these moments as an attack of our spirit. So what do you do?

As I said earlier, it's time to step it up! It will require every ounce of creativity and tenacity, but when you put your heart into it, you will seldom come up short. Then ..... When you do deliver, the person who has been against you will have to stop and think twice before they judge you again or try to put you in a box!

Go on..... Give it your best shot!

Just what the doctor ordered

After stuggling for a week and a half with headaches, I decided that it was time to slow down and take care of myself. It required a little bit of help from my doctor to shut down and re-boot my system. The result today is that I am a more functional human being.

We all know that occassionally computers "hang" and often the only way to fix it, is to re-boot the system. The question is, does this also happen in our spiritual lives? I think it can.

At times circumstances can seem so overwhelming that we just simply cannot think straight. The bible tells us that in the multitude of councellors is wisdom. It does also say that we must not caste our pearls before swine. The point being that we should choose who we confide in carefully, but that it is important to have someone to talk to.

Have you got a support structure? If not, maybe it's time to talk to one of your spiritual leaders. You are in my thoughts. Have a blessed day!

Double or nothing

It amazes me how much other people's opinions and reactions affect us. We begin to question our whole existance, simply because we get a negative reaction to something we have said or done.

One man who knew the sting of a negative opinion from close quaters was Job. His own wife told him to "curse God and die". Surely he was being punished if he was being smited in such a cruel manner.

Yet Job stuck to his convictions. The result? God not only restored to him what was lost, but doubled it!

To do list

So it's financial month end at work. There's always a long list of things to do. So how do you keep your mind focused on God when there is just so much to do?

Well if you are new to your relationship to God, then it may just help to pop a reminder in your diary to take a few minutes out for prayer or bible reading.

As you grow in him though you will probably find your thoughts wondering to him, even during a busy day. When we whisper a quick prayer, it's like sending an "I love you" sms to God! Such actions are sure to bring his presence and strength close to you.

Mid air refuel

I was fascinated this weekend while watching one of my favourite movies to see a plane do a mid air refuel.  This is done so that a plane does not have to land but can keep flying longer, so basically it's about survival. This got me to thinking.  So many Christians crash and burn because they run out of spiritual fuel.

What is your spiritual survival kit?  I'll share what I have in mine.... Firstly the word, I have a bible loaded on my phone so that I can read it at any time.  But what if I didn't have my bible with me?  Do you have enough of the word memorized to help you in a crisis?

I also carry praise.  Praise is something you can do at any time that instantly draws you closer to the presence of God and helps you focus on him.  Then communicating with him is so much easier.

What do you have in your kit?  If you would like to share them with me, write to me at: GWG.Ronwyn@gmail.com.  I'd love to hear from you!

How's your signal?

So I just got a new 3G card.  Funny thing is some nights it works, some it doesn't.  The only thing I can think of for sure is that there is a signal problem. 

It's amazing how much we rely on technology to communicate these days. Thing is how strong is your signal in your communication with God?  Most people would admit that this is a problem area. We often find it hard to tune into God or hear from him.

I've learned a few tricks over the years. Whisper softly, sweet Holy Spirit, come and talk to me..... feel the goosies? Once there, bask in the presence of God by whispering sweet nothings to God about how much you love and adore him.  Pretty soon you'll find you are out of the doorway and not just in the throne room, but right on the lap of Father God! 


Enjoy his presence!