Hanging over

I'm often surprised when driving round at how many trees, shrubs and all other sorts of plant life are hanging over the walls boldly declaring their beauty and daring you to do something to control them. They are simply defiant in their boldness to spread out wherever they may grow.

I have seen pictures taken by photographers showing how nature takes over where towns, buildings, theme parks, old castles and cathedrals that have been abandoned and not maintained. That's precisely the point, cleanliness takes work.

Our spiritual lives are no different. Where we once had a disciplined routine of reading scripture daily and fellowshipping with God and other Christians on a regular basis, we may have abandoned these aspects because we may have felt they require too much effort.

Unfortunately when the garden of our heart goes unattended, sin runs rampant and before long the weeds of lies and deceit move in. If you've allowed things to grow a little wild in your spiritual life, ask the Holy Spirit to come and tend your garden and restore you back on a path of wholeness in God.

Back to the drawing board

There are times when you think you have a plan all figured out, then something crops up and you have to go back to the drawing board and try and figure it out all over again. It can all be a bit frustrating, but once again that's where learning to take council is so vital. I'll admit that is one area in the past I have been good at in some ways and bad in others.

In case I haven't said it before, I am writing about all these things not mearly to put life experience on paper but because I too am on a continuous growth path and recognize that until the day we are with Jesus we will be continuously formed and shaped to Christ's image. I'm grateful that through sharing my heart it allows opportunity and times of reflection.

Reflections are good and the amazing thing about them is that they never lie. A true reflection in a mirror tells you exactly what you look like and I don't mean those funny bent ones that make you look all out of shape.

The word of God is our hearts mirror that allows us the opportunity to reflect on our spiritual growth. Have you take a look in the mirror lately and wondered why things look a little distorted? Maybe it is because you are overly critical of yourself. Maybe it is because you've chosen to ignore some issues that actually need attention. Either way put away the mirrors of self doubt or deceit and look unto to Jesus. Ask God to show you how He sees you. I believe with all my heart that when you do you will look into the eyes of grace and forgiveness and you'll have no other choice than to raise your head tall and take the courage to change what needs to be changed.

Getting closer

It was with nerves and excitement that I headed off to CTM on Saturday to make my final selection and purchases for the tiling job to be done next month. The nerves were from the fear of making mistakes with my purchases. Thankfully there was a very helpful and professional staff member who did a great job with making sure I got everything right. He even cautioned me about certain products and recommended others where he felt I would get a better long term result. By next Saturday all the goodies will be here and then its one more week to go.

At times in our spiritual walk with God we also need guidance to ensure we make the best decisions and at times like this we should choose to walk with people who have gone on the road before us. Both David and Solomon urge us to 'walk with the wise' and to seek wise council.

Whatever tough life decisions you have to make right now, do not fear! Take heart in God's goodness and don't be ashamed to ask others for advice and wisdom.

Mid week break

Oh you just can't beat a public holiday on a Wednesday. Before the weeks stress has even kicked in you get a day off and then its a breeze till Friday. I sure enjoyed the day off. I didn't do anything special but just being home with my cats was a treat.

Honey drove me crazy, its moulting season so he meowed incessantly to be brushed. I eventually escaped to the gym and then headed back home to water the garden and enjoy the tranquility of my back yard.

It really was no great shakes but I was unbelievably grateful to have had the day off. Learning to be grateful for the small blessings of life is such an amazing place to be that fills your heart with peace, joy and strength.

Thank you God for small blessings and to a beautiful day!

Emotionally vested

It is a very painful truth but there are times in life when you just have to say enough! It is a time when you've been giving your all into something, be it a relationship, a business decision or any other situation that has been draining the life out of you. The difficulty is knowing when to cut yourself loose emotionally and when to dig your heals in and hold on for dear life. Making that differentiation is difficult.

When and where is it appropriate for us to decide to withdraw emotionally? For starters if you are the only person involved and it doesn't involve a group of people the decision is up to you. Another time may be when continuing to invest emotionally will end in long term damage to your emotional well being.

Do we have a scriptural right to put our own emotional health first? We most certainly do. We are told in Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” That means that we should look after our own emotional well being because all of our actions are governed from that space.

If you are in a place now where you are totally drained and need to make a change, ask God to give you His strength so that you can find the courage you need to make the right decision.

Seedlings and cover

Friday evenings reckie of the garden revealed something utterly delightful! Somehow some seeds from my raspberry bush must have landed in the flower bed below the main plant and were lying dormant through winter and now they had sprouted into cute little seedlings. I could hardly believe my eyes and I was so glad that I had not weeded that bed two weeks ago as planned as I may have mistaken the small seedlings for another pesky plant the wild strawberries I've been trying to get rid of.

That really made me think. Sometimes in life we pull out or throw away something really valuable because we can't yet see its full potential. Maybe it is a friendship that never quite got going because we refused to make the time to get to know that person. I'm sure there are many more examples but I'll stop there.

Sadly Saturday evening we had quite the storm with rain, wind and hail and my garden took a knock. I have no idea if my seedlings will recover, but now that they are in a separate pot it will be easy to keep an eye on them. The storm revealed one more thing. I had taken a lot of effort to lay new top soil and compost throughout the winter and sadly the storm had washed most of this down the path but the areas that were well covered with ground cover however succeeded in retaining their soil. I will therefore have to make a huge effort to ensure that there is sufficient ground cover planted by the end of this season.

I guess this means that in our spiritual lives we need covering as well. Nothing will achieve this more than having a strong knowledge of God's word. Lets make a commitment together to value people and get to know Gods word so that we can weather the storms of life and see great fruit in the seasons ahead.

Pink spectacle

The arrival of the pink flamingo's at Kimberly's Kamfers dam is greeted with much excitement especially this year. The breeding grounds for these beautiful birds was being threatened by pollution. Thankfully it seems that a solution has been found and they have returned in their glory.

This colony is unique as it is among only 4 such colonies in Africa and their numbers can range from anywhere between 20,000 and 50,000 each year. That is so awesome and truly mind blowing. The flamingo's are attracted to the area because of the high algae presence in the dam and their breeding has been encouraged with the building of a man made island in the middle of the dam.

In both instances the encouraged breeding and the birds disappearance were both affected by man. It is truly amazing how much of a direct impact mankind has on our planet and nature and yet we ignore all the signs that our planet needs our help in order to sustain life.

OR - Is there another side to this?

I think there is. Our planet has proven that should the threat of our damage to our planet become too severe, she will simply wipe us out. In life and spirit we need to be able to maintain the balance of our affects on other human beings as well as nature and we should never underestimate the power and strength of God's beautiful planet.

Bed time for babies

Oh my goodness, don't tell me that pets don't behave like children! Well ja, I know cats don't normally sleep well at night due to being nocturnal but in our crowded suburbs where other cats lurk around it just isn't safe to let them have free reign of the house. That's not to mention the problems you have trying to keep other cats out. The best solution is that we all go to bed at the same time.

That doesn't mean that all is well in the land of kitties. Every evening there is a long drawn out process of get them to settle down while they sit around batting their eyelids (the same way tired children do), all the while fighting the urge to go to sleep.

Why is it that we fight the things that are good for us? We do it in our spiritual walk as well. God draws us to a closer relationship with Him and what do we do? We pull away and avoid His presence.

If that is where you are at right now I encourage you to surrender to God's love, His presence and His peace. When you do you will find spiritual rest for your soul and the benefits far outweigh the those of physical sleep.

Nighty night, little ones!

A little bit of mint

It was just one of those days in the office when things just don't work the way they should and needless to say it just left me irritable and frustrated. While on the drive home a migraine developed and coming home was no joy either as I arrived home to find that we had no water and warning came late.

Luckily there was enough water in the taps for me to fill the bottom of the steamer, so it was steamed butternut and fish for dinner. I had heard somewhere recently that the scent of mint can help ease a migraine so I boiled up some mint, lavender and a leaf of rose scented geranium to make a bath essence. Luckily for me the water came back after dinner so I hopped into the bath, added the scent and a dash of eucalyptus oil and melted away my troubles.

As much as fragrant herbs can bring healing and clarity of mind, the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit can bring the anointed healing of God and minister to us in many ways. We do not have to rely on a priest to minister God's anointing to us, Christians can minister one to another.

Typically although scriptural anointing oil has many spices mixed together, today we will usually use olive oil for this purpose. By means of application a small amount of oil is usually dabbed on the forehead followed by prayer.

If you are struggling with your health right now, ask a believing friend to anoint you with oil, pray together and stand in faith for your healing. God will honour your prayer!

Fresh lime green

One of the beauties of spring are the fresh lime green leaves on display everywhere! They announce loud and clear that spring has commenced and that life may well feel a little easier. Surprisingly though this spring we have gone straight to temperatures well in the 30'sC, which is quite strange for this time of the year. We normally manage quite a few weeks with moderate 20's before the summer temperatures start. Probably has something to do with the lack of rain we've had this year.

With fresh leaves come a fresh start to a new season of new gardening fun, lazy days in the sun with family and friends. With longer daylight hours the days seem longer and we feel we are able to achieve more and yet time for spiritual matters still seems strained. Are there ways in which we can make our spiritual growth easier?

I think we can. If you are anything like me when you are playing on the Internet you could have 3 or 4 web pages open at the same time, fleeting between each. How about fleeting to a christian website and read some interesting articles? How about becoming curious about a particular spiritual topic and googling information about that? I have also mentioned that some websites sell christian books free of charge so downloading some of those could be of great help to you.

In our information age, information about spiritual topics is easily obtained so it boils down to a choice about whether or not we are willing to put ourselves out to take the time to use the tools and information available. I'd like to encourage you to do so as this can only help lead you to a deeper and more meaningful walk with God.

Huddled round

Today as we huddled round a radio to catch the broadcast of the Oscar Pistorious trial verdict, thoughts crossed my mind of how the world waited and held its breath while Neil Armstrong and crew proceeded as they took their first walk on the moon.

This lead to thoughts about other key moments in history which people had come together to experience while huddled round a radio. News of the 1^st and 2^nd world wars as they raged on I Germany, Japan and in many other countries around the world; the coronation of Queen Elizabeth; broadcasts of major sporting events and many, many more.

Why is it that hearing news live is so key in our lives? I believe it is because one way or another, these events will fundamentally change the way we view our world. We may be delighted and overjoyed at the events or we may even be totally horrified about the news we are hearing. Our world view has a major impact on the kind of people we become.

Our world view however does not only shape our beliefs about the people on this planet but also the way in which we view religion. Many people the world over have turned their back on God due to the disappointment they felt over a particular incident and this happens even more when a religious figure falls from grace and one we all remember well in this case would be the Jimmy Swaggart scandal.

As a church today we have a responsibility to consider what people will think when they view our actions today and whether or not we maintain the integrity of God's church and the ministry.

Planning, planning!

I met with the company who are doing my renovations to do some planning and get some advice about the project work to be done next month and boy I am stressed. Although their staff are experienced the fact that I haven't been through anything like this before has me really nervous. I keep thinking about all the things that can go wrong and what if I don't have everything I need???? Questions, questions!!!

Luckily for me, the lady in charge has offered to go with me on the day I do the purchases to give final guidance and make those last decisions, so I do feel a little more relieved. I just have to hope that they don't get too busy to make it. She also showed me some of the work her guy has done on the bathrooms of their managing offices and I must say I was impressed with the finishing...looked very neat.

We all put a lot of planning into the projects we do in life, but do we give the same thought to our spiritual growth? I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity I had to do three years of bible school, but in reality although similar opportunities are available to all, not all of us will make the decision to sacrifice the time to do it. So am I gloating, No! What I am asking though is, what decisions or plans have you made to make your spiritual growth a priority?

You may say that you don't have the time or the money to attend a college, but we can all do personal self study. Are you willing to ask the tough questions and see what you can do? By way of a soft whisper in your ear, you might be surprised at how many free Christian ebooks you can get on Amazon, so why not take a look?

Look how far we've come

It fascinates me how far technology has come and how devices have merged. I was commenting to a colleague today that it annoys me that I have been able to follow the whole Oscar trial on my cell phone radio and now that the verdict is imminent, I won't be able to catch it because of my cell phone being stolen.

I can still remember the 'old days' when walking round with a radio was cool, oh and then came the boom box with the double tape deck and radio combo, and oh my CD's were just the hottest thing! Oh and do you remember starting up a PC program using DOS commands....yoh, giving away my age here!

We say we need these gadgets to make our lives easier, but don't they form much of the clutter that takes our attention away from finding time to seek God? I think in many ways they can. I remember times gone past when mid week church meetings calling people to prayer, refreshing of the Holy Spirit and growing in God were the most exciting place to be but now days we just don't see that any more. We have packaged religion on the shelf for our Sunday activity and forgotten what it means to be touched by God's anointed power.

I believe that God is calling the church back to Himself, back to moving in His anointing and knowing the power and reverence of His divine presence. If you are longing for a move of God in your life the same way I long for Him in mine, then pray with me....

Come Holy Spirit come!

The job is not finished yet

Jesus work was done. He had given His life, descended to the depths of hell, stolen the keys of death, hell and the grave and set the captives free. He had ascended to the Father and offered His blood, the atoning sacrifice for our sin, and set mankind free to enjoy union with God and everlasting salvation.

For most of us, that is where we think the work ended, but in truth it was only the beginning. The beginning of what? The beginning of the era of the church, the bride of Christ. While on earth Jesus alone could perform miracles and display the majesty of God to a dying world, but with His departure He ushered in the dominion of the Holy Spirit.

Through the Holy Spirit the church of Christ has grown today to a global body of believers and yet today, more than any time in history, we see the persecution of believers continuing at a staggering rate. Now more than ever God is waiting on His bride to put on the garment of righteousness, to walk in faith and declare His kingdom to all mankind. Yet with all this, something is missing.

I can hear you say, “how can you say that?” but it is true. With our fast paced world and the growing ruts we find our lives in there is something we are sorely lacking.........Revival! The church of old is gone and God is calling us to cry our for rain on our parched earth but not the rain of water, the rain of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

How do we usher in revival?.........................We Pray!

A peaceful delight

After the mayhem of the week gone by, it was a relief to just settle down to a quiet weekend. A total delight in getting back to gardening is to see the fruits of the previous season's work. My raspberry and blackberry bushes are both sprouting forth new leaves and I am guessing that first fruits will only come in late spring or early summer. Most of the side gardens slips have grown to small bushes and my clivia's are all starting to bloom. I had two early bloomers and the rest are following suite.

Almost all my snap dragons are in full bloom already so the bursts of yellow, orange and purple are just too cute. My hibiscus which took a real knock this winter are growing their first leaves. Hopefully once the rainy season gets into full swing that will foster a burst of new growth.

There is a delightful rhythm that kicks in when all things are normal and even my cats sense the pace of each day. Almost every week on Sunday as I prepare to go to church for our evening service, they settle down for a nap, knowing that when I return they will have their last run around for the weekend before we settle into bed.

I wonder how Jesus and Mary spent their weekends? Was there a pattern to their lives and did it at times seem so mundane? I'm quite sure there were as Jesus would not have been able to fully experience our humanity without such moments. I'm sure too that there were times once His ministry had began when He may have quietly longed for the solace of those peaceful days.

Jesus has shared every part of our humanity so He knows and understands exactly what you are feeling right now. He knows when we have had times of chaos and he knows the peace we long for. Reach out for Jesus and ask Him to calm your storm.

Back up plan

I went into one of the outlets for my service provider and I can honestly say this one in particular is fast becoming my least favourite. When I arrived I asked the attendant if I could use the Sim I had already bought to reactivate my contract line. I was informed that this would not be possible due to the fact that there were apparently different types of Sim cards used for contract and prepaid phones, which is something I was not previously aware of.

I agreed to activate a new Sim bought from their store, but I also informed him of the difficulties that arose the previous night when I tried to activate the prepaid Sim and I asked him if he could assist me with still getting the prepaid line active so that I would have a backup while I sort the lines out. He tried to spin me a long story about the fact that he wasn't allowed to activate a Sim purchased from another store. There was no way I could hide my disapproval but I accepted his terms (thoughts of writing to Hello Peter, did cross my mind).

He took his time activating my old line and then, as if doing me a huge favour grabbed the other pack to activate the prepaid line. “Now was that such a big sacrifice?,” I asked myself, not to mention that not doing so might have well landed his store up on the complaint line. Again I am so surprised at how little people give consideration to what true customer service is about. That being said, I can say that recently I had two wonderful experiences from another company and it has totally sealed my loyalty to them.

When people walk into our churches, what do they experience? Do they experience a body of believers who ware warm hearted, open and welcoming or do they walk into a room with little groups and click's where nobody makes them feel at home? When people come to our churches do they find out about places where they can connect with other Christians and where that process is made easy or do we make them chase after our attention as though they should earn it?

I think it is time that we checked out Christian customer service chart to see if we are living up to Jesus commandment for us to truly “love one another.”

What next?

My goodness, sometimes I feel like my life is just a magnet for trouble. I wasn't feeling well over the weekend which led to a dreaded doctors visit. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with doctors, its the bills that annoy me. I stayed home yesterday to try and recover but it is going slow but I had to return to work today as we are processing month end which is always difficult.

I got to the office and went about business as usual but noticed some time mid-morning that I hadn't seen my phone since I came into the office. I recalled seeing it in the car so just thought I'd left it there, so I didn't stress about it.  Needless to say, when I went to the car to look for it later it wasn't there. I have searched my car and handbag and it is no where to be found. The only thing I can think of is that I had placed it somewhere in open sight and that someone had stolen it when I wasn't looking. Oh the hassle.

To make matters worse I thought I'd quickly get a prepaid Sim, but forgot that now with the RICA act that they won't activate it until its been RICA'd.  Needless to say that will require another stop at my network provider tomorrow night to get this whole mess sorted out. Luckily I did remember that I can load airtime to my data Sim so I have done that and will push through with that until tomorrow but it is going to be nuisance switching it between my modem and my old backup phone (luckily I hang onto these things).

Life just isn't fair sometimes and we have to hang on for dear life as we get dragged through yet another storm. The only thing that I can truly be grateful for is the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead me through how to best navigate these issues. I can also say that I do have God's peace guiding me through this time. Although illness is painful and losses frustrating, I will not allow Satan to steal the those things that I hold to be true being the knowledge of God's love and faithfulness!

Our God who is greater than all things will see us through!