Goodbye 2012

As I write my final blog tonight for 2012, it is a time for reflection and thanksgiving. 2012 will certainly not be a year easily forgotten. The year was filled with both high and low moments but certainly with memories I will treasure. God has been faithful in his guidance and inspiration for these devotionals and I feel that personally my relationship with him has definitely deepened.

There certainly were dreams that were not fulfilled but others that took me by surprise in seeing God's direction with major decisions that needed to be made. Some doors were closed, others remained constant and others were opened in surprising ways.

My 39^th birthday this year brought with it wonderful blessings that I had not expected. To have snow fall for the first time in Jo’burg on the 7^th of August, and indeed in all 9 provinces was truly spectacular. More so was the adventure I went on to Parys in the Free State. Limitations I had set as to what I thought I could do were challenged which opened a flood gate of creativity.

I give thanks to God for all of you who have been following this blog so faithfully over this past year. I give glory and honour to God for fact that this blog through the various media used has now reached readership of nearly 200 per day. I am thankful for your support and knowing that I have someone to write for has kept me going at times when it felt a bit like too much work. I am hopeful that in the year to come that many of you will refer me to your friends and colleagues and that readership will continue to grow. 

I give thanks to God for my family, especially my mother June, who without I would not be in this blessed position today. I give thanks to God for friends who have stood by me through both the good and bad times and I am so looking forward to seeing what new blessings God will bring in 2013.

I pray God's richest blessings on you all now for 2013 and once again, thank you!

God bless!

Ronwyn

It's a seed thing

Growing my own herbs and vegetables from seeds has given me a new appreciation for the industry of farming, it can be very tricky. Some seeds will propagate and others won't and it really takes quite a while for your crops to grow till they are ready to harvest.

Some seeds are happy seeds. Nasturtiums will take the usual 2 weeks till the first little green leaves appear, but once they see the sun, oh boy, are they just ready to go grow wild. Other seeds are shy seeds. They take longer to appear and then there's quite a big wait to find out whether those two tiny leaves you see are actually going to grow into anything worth while.

Our gifts and talents can be like that too. Some things we are just naturally good at and they burst out of us like water over a waterfall, but others are like a still clear pond, they serve a great purpose but they will seldom make any huge impact.

All our gifts and talents are valuable. Learn to value the time they take to grow and allow God to bring them to fulfilment.

Christmas Blessings!

Wishing all my blog readers a very blessed Christmas!

I pray that you and your family will be filled with the joy and peace

that comes from knowing Christ as your saviour at this precious

time of year!

Yours in Christ,

Ronwyn

Under the tree

I suppose the true joy of putting up the Christmas tree was knowing what was coming next. When we were little the excitement of going to bed on Christmas Eve then waking up the next morning to a huge pile of presents to be opened was just so magical, and yes, I did believe in Santa Clause until my sister spoiled that one for me. Lol! As we got older the presents would slowly gather under the tree as they arrived and it was great fun to watch the pile grow.

Our Father God is our ultimate gift giver. He blesses us throughout life with our talents and abilities. The wonderful part is as we grow older these gifts too grow in number and as we discover them and start to use them, we are in effect opening the gifts which God has given us. These gifts and talents too bring us great joy.

Do you know someone who doesn't know God? Invite them this year to meet the ultimate gift giver. Do you have gifts and talents that are still sitting wrapped up under your tree? It is time to open those gifts and start to use them for God.

Putting up the Christmas tree

One of my most treasured childhood memories are those of the annual event of putting up the Christmas tree. A task, once old enough, my mom happily left us to complete on our own. What joy to string up the lights, then the tinsel and all the little hanging toys. What a colourful spectacle it was to turn on the tree lights each night.

My other favourite was the beautiful home made manger scene that my mom lovingly crafted from a shoe box, some Hessian and a couple of cake decorations serving as Mary, Joseph the manger, baby Jesus, some wise men and shepherds and the cattle and sheep.

Living alone the fun of putting up a tree has just not been the same, so it was for me such a great joy this year to be able to put up my sisters' Christmas tree with her and the boys and so much fun was had.

This Christmas, why not share some of your Christmas traditions with someone who may not have a family around to share this joy with. You are sure to be a blessing and the joy you will receive in return will be immense.

View from above

My day of departure from Johannesburg was a rainy day across the country. When we'd reached our cruising altitude, we were high above the clouds, the view looking down was amazing. Beautiful brilliant white fluffy clouds everywhere looked so peaceful, a view far removed from the damaging storms that raged below.

I often wonder what God sees when he looks down on this world he created. So much mayhem and violence. So much depression and despair. Is there any hope in a world that seems to be slipping into darkness?

The Christmas story is indeed one such story. It is a message of hope, peace and love. Our God on high looked down from above and saw passed the fluffy clouds and saw a world in desperate need of a saviour.

Will you be the candle bearer to show that light to the world? Will you carry the hope and strength that there is in the message of the new birth? God waits on us to be the real spirit of Christmas to those around us.

Last minute rush

That last minute rush to get stuff done before you go away can be quite exhausting. Going through your mental check list to try and make sure everything is wrapped up at work with staff to cover your most important duties. Then there's the home needs with someone to water your plants and feed the cats and check on your house.

The last minute rush for any new expecting mother can be even more frightening. Now a days there is making sure the suitcase for hospital is packed with mom's and baby's needs provided for. At her tender age I have no doubt that Mary must have had many fears.

We don't read about them though. The birth of Christ is written of as one of and truly is one of the most blessed moments in human history. So many of us have lost a loved one around this time of year, so facing Christmas without them can be hard in the first few years after that. Finding the joy in the simplicity of Christ's birth, brings our hearts back to God.

Before I go

Preparing to go on leave is always so much work. I'm quite pedantic about making sure that the house is clean and tidy and that all the washing is done so that I can have a full wardrobe to chose from when I pack.

I wonder what Mary must have packed for her trip to Bethlehem. She must have known her time to give birth was near. Nowhere do we read that this young woman who had being carrying this miracle child for 9 months ever complained about having no place to stay the night that Christ was born.

Her grace under pressure is immense and she made the very best of a really bad situations. How easily do we complain when we don't get the window seat on the plane we'd hoped for or the meal at our lunch stop isn't quite the way we wanted it?

Maybe we need to learn a little more grace when travelling and be patient with those who serve hundreds of customers every day. I know I sure will try.

New toys

Well I collected my new cell phone over the weekend. I had expected it to take me a while to figure out, but I am pleased to say it really is user friendly and I found it quite easy to get going. I'm sure I will soon find new features I haven't discovered yet.

I find the bible like that too sometimes. There will be parts of the bible you may think are difficult to read like the prophetic books, but when you read them with an open heart, you'll be amazed what amazing wisdom they provide.

When last did you investigate the word of God curiously to see what amazing surprises it can bring you?

Game of pounce

The new pots have added a unique new feature, not only for me but the kitties as well. They are great objects to hide behind when they are in the midst of a game of pounce. It is only a matter of time before one kitty makes a break for it and the chase is on.

God is our divine hiding place. In times when life is tough and the trials are real all we really want is to find a place of comfort and warmth in which to find a soft place to lie while we regain our strength and then move back into the game of life.

Where are you at right now? Do you need a time out? Draw near to God and find strength in his love and comfort. With this new strength you may well find that you are able to lift your arms as wings and catch the thermals to fly high above the troubles and the storms.

16 Days

The 16 days of activism against women and children abuse are a vital reminder that women and children throughout the world are still suffering abuse from either parents or the opposite sex. As Christians what principles should we uphold?

Abuse in any format should not be condoned. We need to take a stand against these behaviours and work toward transforming society from the wreck that it is now to the community that God desires for us to be a part of.

Taking such a stand does not mean head banging all offenders and hanging them out to dry but rather training, educating and guiding them whilst providing a safe haven for those who have suffered to be ministered too and restored. We can however insist that the law takes its course and that people are held accountable for their actions.

Our broken world can only be mended when we as Christians do what God requires of us and if we do one more thing....Pray!

December Topaz

As cool and inviting as a blue lake on a blistering summer day, such is December's birthstone, the blue Topaz. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "tapas," meaning fire. This is because Blue Topaz was considered by ancient civilizations to have cooling properties.

It was believed to be able calm hot tempers. This gemstone was credited with many other healing properties, among them the ability to cure insanity, asthma, weak vision and insomnia.

Blue Topaz is the hardest of the silicate minerals. The blue hue is created when Topaz is heated, whether the heat source is natural or engineered by man.

It reminds me of a little board my parents put up on the wall outside my bedroom, which read, “keep your temper, no one else wants it.” Does the book of James not warn us about the problems that can arise due to an unbridled tongue? Raw anger will easily lead to anxiety and an inability to make rational decisions.

We ought to take heed of that warning and rather than feeding wild fires of anger, let us be the cooling, soothing, presence of the Holy Spirit.