My concept of church

Wow! I have never been as challenged about my concept of church as I was on Sunday. Typical me, I wasn't on children's church duty, so I dawdled through the morning to go to second service because we had a children's church lunch on after that. No sooner had I left home (not even out the complex driveway) when I was hit by a major sinus attack. My eyes swelled with water and burned as the almost toxic late winter dust and fire smog filled air got in my eyes and sent my dust allergies flaring.

Needless to say I arrived at church very late. I didn't want to embarrass myself by walking into the auditorium late so I went into one of the other venues where they have some lounge chairs out and they had the service playing on TV screens right in that spot. As I sat there it struck me as to how we limit God and our perception and reality of what the church really is.

In terms of buildings I've experienced so many, from Holy cathedrals, to massive auditoriums, to small intimate chapels....but... the truest church of all has been found in the warmest loving hug of great spiritual friend who has stood by me through thick and thin.

For the love of a kitty

With Honey and Ginger I can't remember how it happened or when it happened, because it was all so organic and being male kitties they would rub themselves against me constantly to mark me as their territory, but their affection towards me just grew each year. Ginger is now highly affectionate when he chooses and it is easy to love him. I still miss my darling Honey-Bear dearly and think of him daily.

The challenge for me was little Topaz, even though her stay at the shelter was really short when compared to some of the other cats that had been there a while, she arrived very hardened, afraid and unloving. Biting me was a daily routine and it took a long while just to work that habit out of her with love, but getting any affection or being able to tickle her was practically impossible.

So I began with tickling her when she came in from her morning run around. I would tickle her while she was feeding, then slowly I have been able to find other ways to encourage a few tickles. Now her training has grown even more to her now doing the same thing that Honey and Ginger do and that is jumping on top of the toilet when I get out the shower and while I dry my feet she gets a daily tickle.....and boy can I see that she is starting to like it, much to my delight.

I've said it before but I believe God brought Topaz into my life to teach me how to love people who have been hurt and wounded by life and how to reach out to them with constant love and affection. Yes, people will bite and hurt you too, but if you stay put and you just keep at it, slowly they will be able to relax and open up to you.

Dead end of winter

My beautiful pomegranate has all but lost all its leaves, the berry bushes are seemingly lifeless stalks and anything that is growing or alive is still looking okay, all be it a tad shabby and for the time being all the plants are being left to just be. This as the dead end of winter finally shows its claws.

I know though that in roughly 4 weeks time, seemingly out of nowhere and with no sight of spring yet visible the new buds will appear and herald in the seasons change once again. But in this seemingly dead end time how do I just let things be in peace and know that all is well and will be resurrected in spring once again? Well because this happens year after year.

Our spiritual lives go through these dead phases too. Dreams may seem crushed, hearts may be broken, life may seem lonely, physical pain may seem never ending.....but if we wait for God and trust in His timing, then as sure as the laws of nature, new life will spring forth again.

So if you are tired and feeling weary, take some time to rest in God. Rest in the knowledge that He has everything planned as it should be.

Perfectly cosy

I am attending a two day course on the other side of Joburg to where I live. Most people would have just done the longer drive in the morning and not worried about it. Me, I'm not a morning person, so fighting double distance traffic for two days wasn't an option. Besides the course I am doing is going to require some introspection and thought and although I miss my kitties dearly, they do demand all my attention when I am home and I knew I just would not gain what I needed to if I stayed at home.

So I've checked into a very small cosy 1 bed cottage B&B for the two nights which puts me closer to my destination. I could have figured out a plan to go for something more expensive but my birthday is around the corner and I know I'll be doing something special then, so for now, cosy suites me just fine.

Paul says in Philippians 4:12 [paraphrased] that he knows how to have much and he knows how to do with little. There are times when it is completely necessary for us to be removed from the comforts of home so that we can learn gratitude and appreciation for what we have. Today I am grateful for the blessings of my beautiful home and the beautiful mountain that I get to look out on every day from my window and when I go for walks with my kitties.

Thank you God for all beautiful blessings you bestow on us daily.

A while before it is done

Well it all is taking quite some time...that is sorting out all my PC issues and I have decided that when it is done, I must have two fully functional laptops that can do what I need them to do even if I turn the old one into nothing more than a terminal machine.

The reason for such a strong decision is that I am almost helpless to control all the aspects of my life that need controlling without it. Does that make me a control freak? No I don't think so, I simply recognize that busy people with a lot of responsibility require more support, be it technical or otherwise to get things done, so I need to make sure I'm covered. Then there is also the added benefit that should I loose one to theft, I won't be stranded again. This long season with limited computing power has been utterly frustrating.

Jesus understood the frustrations of not being able to get things done. He encountered it everyday in the helpless lives of people that reached out to Him for a miracle because there simply were no other solutions to their problems at hand.

God knows our fears and frustrations when we are run off our feet and yet still fee like we are treading water. Whatever your situation today, call out to Jesus in the same way the His people did, “Son of God, have mercy on me.” Then open up your heart and prepare to receive strength from on high!

It's about instinct

Some time back I remember reading an “info” spot about cats and it said that by instinct cats will not drink water next to their food bowl as it goes back to conditions in the wild and that they won't trust water that is too close to their kill as it may be contaminated by the blood or germs of their kill.

In my bedroom I have two trays under the dresser, one with food and the other with water, but the kitties seldom drink water here, I'm guessing for the reasons stated above. Recently while installing the new wall panel heater downstairs, my electrician told me that they keep a bowl of water next to theirs to act as a humidifier. I decided to follow suit, but take a guess who found my water bowl....you guessed it, the kitties! So now I have a hard time keeping it filled, tee hee!

What is our spiritual instinct then when it comes to our relationship with God? Well God designed us to have a yearning for Him and thus our natural bent will be to search for and long after God. When we deny that instinct we will search for things to fill that void, but when we yield to the call of God we can come to Him and be filled to overflowing with His love.

How are you going to respond to your instinct to search for God?