Steadfast and strong

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to and end
They are new every morning
Great is thy faithfulness of Lord

Life is hard, really hard and there are many challenges that befall us every day.  Some great and exciting, but hard nonetheless and others painful.  Sometimes the pain if of our own doing and other times it is just the nature of walking in a fallen world and then other times we know it is just pure evil busy attacking our soul.  Oft times we can be left feeling sore and bruised. 

Yet in all these difficulties God's word promises us that He never changes, he never waivers.  The beautiful chorus I have quoted above encourages us to live life in a new way.......No matter how hard today has been, God's mercy and grace are there waiting for us when we wake up every day.  When we have sinned and repented, He forgives us.  When we have been broken hearted, He is there to give us mercy and strength and above all else, He is steadfast, solid as a rock.

So whatever your trial, whatever your tribulation, whatever pain or sadness you may be feeling right now, allow the Holy Spirit to come and comfort you.  You may need to repent before God, or you may need His loving touch, whatever you need, come before the Lord in humility and prayer and give Him your everything. 

Positively speaking

I've been feeling angry tonight and tempted to get stuck in and rant and rave about the evil that is rife in our world today.  Yes I could stand on my soap box and bleat

and scream about how it all makes me sick to the pit of my stomach........But then I realize that this is not who I am.  I might have been there in the past, but not anymore.

When I look at my FB page I see humour, a fascination for nature, creation and the universe.  I see someone who delights in others successes and celebrates with those who find victory over life's challenges.  I remember a line from a blog I wrote years ago, which read, "the devil knows that as long as he can keep us looking down, we'll seldom look up to see how great God is."

Yes our God is great!  He is great in big and small ways, so today I want to praise Him for all the little things that have gone right in the last few days: 
- My boss finally caught my sense of humour and I enjoyed that tremendously!
- Our company month end run went successfully despite changes needing to be done. 
- I was able to successfully coach a colleague as to how to handle a very difficult and challenging day. 
- My kitties are having fun in life, even though I don't enjoy their little "gifts".  
- I have been able to spend time with a very precious friend. 

Yes, simple, good and positive things have happened in the last few days and for that, I am truly grateful.  God, you are Lord of all!  Nothing mankind can do is greater than your power and I need not fear anything!  

The windy road

In geometry we learn that the shortest route from point A to B is a straight line.  The question is, is it the quickest.  Now logic would suggest that this should be the case, but try that out in peak hour traffic and you'll quickly learn that it is not. 

Case and point my new route to work.  From where I live to the office park is on a relatively straight line, but that line happens to be Hendrick Potgieter drive.  Mmmm.  Not such a long distance, so I can't complain, but sit in that stream and a normal 15 - 20 minute drive can quickly turn to half an hour.  The junction where our office park is happens to be right in the bend of the offramp to the highway, Arrrgh! 

So along comes the windy road.  I never dreamt that this would be possible, but each time I try it, I beat my navigator by at least 5 minutes.  The windy road takes me on a short strip to just past Clearwater Mall, turn a left onto the route to my old office park, but duck a quick left again just before and I quickly reach a little back road on the top side of the mountain that takes me all the way to just behind the park.  Cross over the bridge and duck right and away we go and I'm in.

Now what does this have to do with our relationship with God.  Quite a bit.  Main line Christianity would teach us that there is a formula to developing our relationship with God when it comes to our quiet time.  I'll admit on the days I'm up early, that's great.  I especially love my new QT spot in my loft.  The sun comes steaming in through the red curtain and its a beautiful start to the morning.  Trouble is, I'm not a morning person.  Here comes the windy road bit.  How about I try that QT straight after feeding my kitties in the evening, seeing as their feeding station has now also been moved upstairs to the loft?  Bingo, job done.  A bit later in the day but no less effective and I enjoy it just as much, sometimes more because I'm not watching the clock.

So where will your windy road take you?  I have no idea and only you can complete the journey, but trust me, if you do, there's a whole new world of joy to discover in your relationship with God!

To sing a song

Over the last two months particularly I have been reminded about the true power of praise and worship.  On the night I received the Melanoma diagnosis I was drawn to the song, "Emmanuel" by Hillsong...Emmanuel, Jesus Christ, you never let me go!  My shepherd King, you're watching over me!  

What a beautiful encouragement, in every situation, in every storm, Jesus will never let us go.  God is watching over us, every fear, every tear, every nervous moment, every sickness, every surgery, every step we take from here till we walk into eternity with Christ, God is watching over us. 

That should fill us with such hope and strength!  And how amazing is it that we can now google any song and just listen to that one.  I must admit, when a song really speaks to me I do play it over and over again, just to let the words truly sink in.  This also allows the Holy Spirit to minister to me the specific words of hope, courage and faith that I need to get me through the night, day or season that I am walking through.

I want to encourage you, whether you are brushing your teeth, doing your make up, driving your car, having a meal or any other opportunity you feel down, find a praise or worship song to lift your spirit.  The true power in worship is that God Himself inhabits the praises of his people.  Meaning that when we praise Him, His true presence, the real and living God Himself, steps into your midst and touches you right where and how you need it.  No other God or man can do it quite like Him. 

So let God be God to you and sing a song to Him today!

Live

Being the chairperson of a complex, there is never a dull moment.  I had received a complaint that someone was getting shocked when they use their taps, which I found very odd.  Naturally I appointed an electrician to  come and have a look.  Turns out some pesky thieves have stolen the earth wire right out of the main city council box....fancy that!

My concern to the electrician is what is the worst that can happen...and apparently it is quite serious, electricution if you touch water and metal at the wrong point.... serious..very serious!  With no earthwire the complex is dangerously live.  I had to take measures to try and communciate the risk to all as quickly as possible. 

The risks of being "live" are quite dire indeed.  Makes me think though, if having and earthwire missing can make things dangerous, how dangerous can it be to be for us not to be deeply earthed in our relationship with Christ?  How shocking can we be to those around us and how much harm can we do?  I suspect the answer to that is exactly the same.... serious, very serious harm.

Being earthed in our relatioship with Christ is sometimes the only thing standing between us and a very shocking reality in our relationships with people, so best we find out who we are in Christ and find a way to keep ourselves connected to that which keeps us neutral and useful to God!

Sensitivity, good or bad?

We all have minor medical hiccups from time to time and Sunday was my turn.  Although I needed today to recover I wasn't going to let that defeat my fighting fit attitude.  Yes, the devil has had a run in with me lately but it simply isn't going to stop me.  

One thing that should stop me and make me think though is how do people perceive me.  Not that I take people's opinions to heart much, but sometimes we should stop and listen.  I have worked hard over the last year or so to change those attitudes and opinions in my career but one place I haven't worked on it yet is with regards to how I speak to the home owners in the complex I am chairperson of.

I have been seeing them as a nuisance to be chased away rather than an asset.  I got snappy with someone tonight and it wasn't necessary.  It is hard to stay focused and polite when people come across as argumentative and always complaining, but if the Holy Spirit is pointing this out to me then it is something that I need to be sensitive too and listen.

Sensitivity can be a very positive thing when it is used correctly.  It was sensitivity that helped me to pick up and spot the melanoma in time to have it removed successfully before it could do any damage....and that's the right way to use it.  Being overly sensitive and agitated with people all the time is not the right way to use it. 

As I humble myself before God and ask him to heal me of my negative sensitivity.  If this is an are that you feel you need help with too, ask God to forgive you and to give you strength and insight as to how to change it.

Say thanks to the billy goat

I looooove coffee!  And to make ATU an even better place to work, our bosses bought us a delightful coffee machine which we are all now allowed to use (as opposed to being saved for guests).  Legend has it that a goat herder noticed his goats getting hyperactive after chewing on little red beans.  He later tried it himself with the same effect.

To cut a long story short it wound up in monasteries where the monks would chew it to stay awake during long prayer sessions.  Some priests apparently got mad at the idea and threw them in the fire, only to be rewarded with a delightful smell.  Thought came to them to try filtering it through water like tea and thus our roast coffee drink was born.  There are other legends around its origins, but I quite like this one.

You see in order for us to obtain any benefit out of the word of God whatsoever we truly need to chew into the meat of the word of God.  As we spend time mulling it over and over, the best flavours and aromas are released, so to speak, and the Holy Spirit enlightens us to the true meaning and that's when we gain the true benefit. 

So can I encourage you to make a cup of coffee, relax and get tucked into some scripture and chew/grind it out until you gain  its full portion for your life.

Carry me

January 7th...Well I could say my year started with a bang, but to put it more accurately it ended with one.  December was a month long heat wave right until the last few days of the month when the rain decided the pour and pour some more.  My mom was visiting for a few days so I was desperately trying to steal a few days away from my normal hum drum to be with her.

Enter 31 December, year end ...finally and nothing can go wrong except the fireworks...right?  Wrong.  Our complex wall along a main road collapsed with the heavy rain.   Eish!  Luckily I checked and insurance would cover some additional security and not being able to do much else with everything being closed, I left it at that.  Now its a mile of paperwork to submit to insurance.

Work started off quietly (thank goodness) but now its back to its normal busy pace, but for that I'm grateful, I do like a busy work day, it makes the time fly.

But then today I had some other disturbing news about one of our complex's staff members and trying to wade my way through the truth and the lies will be a mission. 

So do I think 2019 is going to be a quite year, not at all, but one cry I had in my heart tonight as I sat eating my dinner was, "Carry me God".  Right now I have faith that all will come right and be well, but I need your supernatural strength, so carry me, I can't do it on my own. 

Renevatio

Over the last few weeks my heart has been bursting as I have been preparing to begin writing again.  It is with great joy that I get back to my favourite hobby and my prayer as always is that you will join with me in walking every day with God. 

Renevatio - the Latin word meaning renewal, renewing, refinancing and or renovation.  That is precisely what 2018 will be remembered as for me.  I faced yet another water leak inside the walls of my upstairs bathroom, that became so bad that my entire kitchen ceiling (which is a concrete slab) was soaked through, leaving water dripping down both side walls.  This resulted in the entire top row of my kitchen cupboards being destroyed.  After months of prayer I decided to tackle a task I've been wanting to do for many years and not just repair the one row of cupboards but rather use the opportunity to renovate the entire downstairs section of my apartment and build in a loft.  In future blogs I'll most likely share the stories and lessons that came from this time period, but the result has been a completely transformed home and one that I am incredibly happy in right now. 

That's not all that changed, after the change in job in 2017, 2018 proved to be a year of growth and transformation in my career and I'm completely at peace with the new trajectory of where my life is headed.  I can only pray that God will preserve me where I am and continue to bless the path I am on in submission to the leaders he has placed over me. 

Over the past year and various circumstances I learned that the depth and strength of my relationship with God does not lie in what I do, how I serve or don't serve or whom I am associated with, but purely by the grace of a loving God who chooses to allow me to walk with him in honesty, being real in every moment and in the faith that has been buried deep in my soul through, scripture, love and teaching.

It was a difficult and tough year, but one that bore much fruit and just when I thought I was set to coast home to Christmas I received news that would jolt my thinking, but thankfully not my faith.  On 1 December (Saturday) I noticed a small but irregular spot on my leg that did not look like any of the other beauty spots that God has so graciously placed all over my red headed body.  I photographed and enlarged it and noticed a small nucleus that did not look good.  On a hunch I googled photo's of Melanoma's and realized that this might be one.  I emailed my doctor immediately with my suspicions and she replied the next day (surprisingly on a Sunday) that I should come in immediately and have it taken out and tested. 

On 3 December it was removed and a week later I received confirmation of a positive diagnosis for melanoma but fortunately for me it was a stage 0 cancer, meaning we caught it on time.  A wider incision was necessary to retest the area to confirm that it is removed successfully, which was done last week Friday and I await the result. 

My faith in God is not shaken in the least, I know that my God has given me victory over this disease and I will walk whatever path I need too, to ensure that all stays well and that I fight and beat it on every level. 

My God is my victory!!!  That is my declaration as I face some uncertainty right now to do what is necessary to ensure that I follow all processes to take control over that which the devil seeks to use to destroy me...... He doesn't stand a chance! 

So as I walk through this wonderful new year of 2019, I pray that you will join me to walk by faith and walk in the victory of what Christ has already overcome on the cross of Calvary on my behalf. 

V.I.C.T.O.R.Y