From season to season

So my first week back at work is almost over and I must admit I have to breath a sigh of relief! It is always said that no sooner are you back from leave and it feels like you've never had a holiday at all. Is it possible to keep the magic of our rested time alive. I believe it is.

During my last few days at home, I decided to get stuck into some spring gardening straight away. A rush of memories flooded my soul as I remember the emotions I felt just one year earlier after my trip to Parys, standing at the corner of my back yard, which was then a barren dry space with no life with only an imagined idea of what it could possibly look like.

By the end of autumn I admit I'd felt a sense that not everything had gone according to plan but somehow a feeling prevailed that I had achieved a large part of my plan. This proved to be the case when I started this time round. With just a few bags of soil and a small load of seedlings I was able to fill a big space. With a stack of seeds still left from last year, I was able to get some early sewing done and am hoping that this year my tomato plants will have enough time to grow strong before the autumn storms arrive next year.

Admittedly now when I look round out back I see not only the joy of my most recent holiday, but I can remember the effects of the last. In the same way we can build our physical lives from season to season, we can build our spiritual lives that way too. Learning to recognize our spiritual seasons will place us in the best position to build from one season to the next.

Check the size of those pupils

Bring out a new toy, or even a favourite and the moment my cats lay eyes on a moving target, their reactions become laser sharp. Most amazing though is to see how their pupils open to maximum capacity to allow them the opportunity to focus solidly on the target.

In life are we ready to make the most of every opportunity? To be honest I think for the most part we are definitely not ready to do so. The reason? We are simply not looking. A cat is built and designed to hunt and trust me they never miss the chance to do so, even if it means pouncing on each other, Lol!

For me as a Christian, living life to the full and grabbing every opportunity that comes my way is the best way that I can use the gifts that God has placed in my hands. Using our gifts and talents to the full brings God glory, so let's put the effort in and make the most of life.

Its a gift

I think I've always enjoyed teaching in all its forms. I remember even as a child I would line by dolls up along the passage and pretend the wall was the chalk board. The thing I love most about teaching is that it is an opportunity to impart knowledge and empower others to do something they may not have been able to do before.

Knowledge is a gift and I think we seldom stop to remember that. Our schooling and any education we may have had is a generous opportunity for us to learn and grow. Wisdom however is a totally different matter. Wisdom only comes from maturity.

Thankfully as Christians we have a source to both knowledge and wisdom. Scripture is our teacher in both life and understanding and when we receive scripture into our hearts we allow the Holy Spirit guide us in a uniquely powerful way.

If you are looking for guidance in a particular area, turn to scripture to receive your source of both knowledge and wisdom!

Gathering rocks

I have started new tradition from my holiday travels of collecting small rocks from each area that I visit. Last year I brought home a small piece of granite from Parys and this year I picked up another small rock from our day out at Magersfontein.

The granite from Parys is smooth but it has many cracks and jagged pieces, while the one from Magersfontein is round, but not smooth at all. They each tell their own tale. The granite recounts the tale of the astroid that smashed into our planet, shattered the granite rock formations and sent millions of pieces of granite raining down back to earth. The Magersfontein rock tells of the tale of a harsh desert climate with sand storms, lightning strikes and the harsh desert sun backing down on it every day.

In the same way that these small rocks tell a tale of their past, we too leave behind small pieces of ourselves (rock) with every person we come into contact with. The question is, what tale will that piece of rock you've left behind tell of the time you have spent with that person to passers by in the future?

My prayer is that as Christians we will be able to leave behind a reflection of the impact that our relationship with Christ has had on our lives. There are times when we may have jagged edges, but although that is true, there is a God given purpose for that trait in our lives and we need to focus on ensuring that those edges are not used to crush others but to rub off the nasty bits that cling to us unnecessarily.

What type of rock are you?

Do wild cats purr?

The highlight of my Kimberly trip was undoubtedly a visit to Felidae Centre. It is a rescue and rehabilitation centre as well as a breeding and educational program for wild cats. They have a whole bunch of beautiful cats. These include Lion, Caracul and Cheetah. They have a couple of other tribe mates in the form of Monkeys, Meerkats, Jackals and bat eared Foxes too.

During the tour of the facility I could not hold my excitement and had to ask our guide whether any of the big wild cats purr the same way domestic cats do. This was answered with a response that only Cheetah's purr and boy what a surprise I got when I finally got to stand next to Tato and hear this loud Cheetah's purr for myself. This was a dream come true for me!

The whole experience of interacting humanized cats as well as seeing ones that had no human contact other than their feeding time was awesome. We even got to play with a whole bunch of lion cubs that were only a few months old, but already quite boisterous.

The other big highlight was that there was a new born lion cub that was rescued from its pride when we first arrived at the centre and I was given the opportunity to name the young cub. For his bravery I named him Xander.

God's creation is fascinating and beautiful. When we see the intricate detail with which God created the animals and wild life we experience we can only but stand in awe. God's love for mankind was so great that He gave us the ability above all other creatures to communicate with Him, yet we are the one creation that turns its back on God. All other creatures live to glorify God.

Will you consider stopping for a moment to give God thanks and praise not only for the fact that God created you but that He also chose to communicate with you every day!

You can still see the trenches

With my holiday now nearing its end, it is time to reflect on this enriching time. Any time spent in Kimberly always leaves me fascinated at how this little area has so much to teach us through history. My mom and I took a drive one day out to the battlefields of Magersfontein. From the koppie (rocky outcrop) on which the world heritage site is recognized you can still see the trenches from the battle that took place 114 years earlier on the 11^th of December 1899.

Although the Boers were later defeated at the battle of Paardeberg, this battle of the Boers during the second Boer war proved to be significant. That is because despite the common practice of taking higher ground in battle the Boers chose to entrench themselves in trenches stretching over 10km below the surrounding hills. With the assistance of Scandinavian forces the Boers were able to lie in wait for the British forces and were able to defeat their enemy while sustaining their position due to their sunken troops.

Our enemy comes at us daily in a loud parade. He blows his bagpipes and makes heavy noises as he advances against us. We too have a tactical advantage over him. When we hide ourselves under the shadow of our great Almighty we are covered in His blood and protected against our enemies advances.

Take some time out today to thank God for His protection over your spirit and soul.

The holiday begins

With the final birthday party done and dusted it was time to get the washing and house cleaning done and pack for my trip to Kimberly. It is always so difficult to leave your little ones behind but in truth I know that cats are very self sustaining and need very little to be comfortable and survive without me. There are kind neighbours that have agreed to help out again with feeding so all should go well. The one thing I do have to look forward to when I get home is another week of holiday. It will be great to not have to rush home and get ready for work straight away.

Have you noticed that any time an important event draws near that we get the urge to clean house? I have. There is something important about putting our house in order. Jesus talked about that too when he told the tale of the women preparing for the bridal ceremony. God does expect us to be prepared for his coming.

In our lives today that might not mean His second coming but just His input and significance in our lives. Do you allow Jesus to make Himself at home in your life or is He just a passing visitor that you pay occasional attention too?

I want to encourage you to prepare your heart. I believe there is a new awakening drawing near. Prepare your heart the same way you would if you were expecting a special guest and wait for God to reveal more of Himself to you!

40 going on 20

On the eve of my 40^th birthday it just doesn't seem real. Are you kidding me, this is mid-life? Wow! In that case, bring it on, I'm ready! Besides I it still feels like yesterday we were planning the big bash for my 21^st birthday. I seriously don't feel like an adult some days.

What they say about this time of life is really true! You truly do loose the fear of what other people think and you are willing to try something new at every turn. It truly does feel to me as if the best years of my life lie ahead and I can't wait to take each new adventure that comes my way.

So I'm going to take a deep breath, look forward to cuddling up in bed and waking up in the morning and looking at my 40 year old self in the mirror and say, “Here's looking at you kid!”  Thank you God for the blessing of life!

Here goes 40!

Feeling green

For the last couple of days I've been feeling green. I wish I could say it was envy but sadly I picked up a bug of some kind and it has taken some work to get rid of it. What didn't help is that my body is feeling run down and greatly in need of my up coming holiday.

When fatigue sets in it lowers our bodies immunity and allows germs to attack our system. Under healthy circumstances those germs would not stand a chance but because we are exhausted the body had no energy to fight back.

The same thing happens in our spiritual lives. When we are strong and healthy we have the energy and strength to fight the spiritual battles that come our way, but when we are fatigued our defences get dropped and we open the door to attack.

Have you been skipping taking leave so that you can bank it and get paid out? If so, that might not be the wisest idea. Rather take a shorter leave if necessary but make sure you take time out. Physical and spiritual fatigue can both have devastating effects, so allow yourself the time you need to recuperate.