Do-over

I've heard many people bleating, "here we go again!"  This Covid thing just won't end.  We have all had more than our fair share of troubles caused by this disease and we are all sick of it.  We are sick off the loss, the pain if ill, the sadness and grief at senseless deaths, the economic drain and I could go on. 

Today, being my first day back at work, I have been trying to encourage my team to look at the positives that we have gained.  Usually at the start of the year returning to work, or actually after every leave, I would be a wound up wreck.  Much due to the stress of knowing what work load I am returning too but also the stress of having to leave my home environment to go back to work, leaving my precious, but naughty fur balls alone all day and possibly only arriving back home each night after dark. 

Well, this year was different.  I barely had to change my wardrobe, Lol! I was able to get up, get ready for work and walk downstairs, switch my PC on and get going.  It truly is a precious joy for me to be able to work from home.  I value being in the same space as my babies and being able to spend time with them. 

This season opened up new friendships as I was able to join a home fellowship group at the church I was still fairly new in when lock down started.  I was able to enjoy the warmth of my fireplace when winter was showing its nasty teeth.  I have been able to enjoy the blessing of working for a company that is filled with so many wonderful Christ followers and that has been a true blessing to me.  

Can I challenge you to count your Covid blessings and if you are feeling up to sharing those with others, would you be so kind as to send me your story or testimony to GWG.Ronwyn@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you. 

Let's choose today to give thanks to God for what we have received in this time and give him the honour and praise that He is due!

Holding on to Christmas

January 10th is my dad's death anniversary.  Today being my last day of leave I decided it had to be time to pack away the Christmas decorations as I had delayed this project this year.  I somehow just could not bring myself round to packing away all the decorations so kept out my little Christmas village houses and some lights.  

I just did not want to let go of the joy of Christmas quite so quickly but I recall that in the first few years after his passing things has been very different.  You see, dad suffered a stroke on approximately the 23rd of December 1997.  I hope I am recalling that correctly as I believe my original flight to Durban bad been booked for the 24th of December and I had to rush to the travel agent to change the date.  

He was still in recovery from the brain surgery when he suffered a heart attack 3 weeks later and passed on the 10th of January 1998.

For several years after that, Christmas just did not feel like Christmas any more, but I eventually healed from the heartache and slowly began to find the joy in this beautiful time of year again.  

Thanks fully God has granted me many joyous and amazing Christmas's since then and this past one was very special spending the time with my mom in her new home in George in the beautiful Western Cape.  

I know many have spent this last year feeling the same way I did before, but know this my friends, God does heal the heartache.  He always allows us to remember those when have lost but we will be able to find the joy of Christmas and in deed our faith once again.

So if you have already packed away the decorations, how about lighting a candle with me. Ask God for healing and strength and give him your heart so that he may touch it with his gentle love and tenderness. 

The 'Rain' perspective

Certainly the most joyous events in spring are the arrival of the spring rains.  With it most certainly also come the storms.  What a difference there is between the gentle soaking rains and the devastating effects of lightning and hail.

Soft rains soak and refresh the earth, but surprisingly even soft soaking but continuous rain can also lead to flooding. 

All these natural fenomina are great metaphors for the spoken words in our lives.  Soft words heal and refresh, while harsh words like storms can cause great emotional devistation in our hearts. Continuous badgering and nagging can hurt like floods. 

The Bible teaches us that a gentle answer turns away wrath.  We are encouraged to speak wisdom with meakness. 

Sadly often our responses have become programmed into us by life's hard knocks, the way we are raised and the environment we find ourselves in.  The truth is that our words can be chosen and our responses reprogrammed but it takes a conscious decision to do so. 

What is your rain perspective today?  What do your words say about you and your God?  Will you help others to experience the love of God through your gentle words today.

Oh my, what a Thursday

Thursday was just one of those days when nothing went right from morning till night! 

I went to the office to work due to load shedding as my generator was not yet operational.  When I planned to leave the office my car wouldn't start due to leaving my lights on in the morning drizzle.

We tried my jumper cables, they were burnt out. We tried jump starting, car wouldn't go. Eventually I had to call roadside assistance.

Eventually got under way and arrived home to find I had accidentally locked Ginger up in my bedroom, poor kitty!

The evening was busy with doing the laundry but I eventually crawled into a clean and warm bed greatful for the day to be over.

Life is just like that, some days are ordinary, others really suck but every now and then a great one comes your way! 

God never told us life would be smooth sailing when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but He did promise us that in every moment of life he would be with us, helping and guiding us through life's journey.  With Him at our side, we can overcome all difficulties! 

Spring time and rain

Spring has sprung and with it some light rain here in Gauteng!  Over the last month I've been able to re-ignite my passion for gardening and the garden is getting some new life into it as well.  I know that I must achieve all the heavy lifting now before the temperatures rise too much.  I have already scattered hundreds of seeds and seeing the little leaves rise slowly out the ground, I hope and trust I'll have a beautiful herb harvest this year!  

My Clivia's are my favourite garden gold and this year thanks to much growth over the last few years I was able to split some off and add their beautiful cheer to the front garden and I look forward to them maturing and bringing me great joy as they bloom. 

For me, reorganizing my garden, reorganizes my soul and I find peace and strength in the beauty that new plants and new life bring.  There is always the wonder of what will my garden produce for me this year?  With that wonder, I ask myself, what will this season bring for me this year?  Its a time of deep introspection and reflection.  

In our spiritual walk our passion for God sometimes needs a kick start too.  We may have found that when hardships, like the season of winter, cause pain, sometimes we become a little frost bitten in our relationship with God.  Who would have thought that 2020 and the bizaare occurance of Covid would toss our lives upside down?  With it, there has been much pain, but at times some true joys and I find myself deeper in love with my saviour than ever before.  

This spring let new life, new gratitude for what we have, bring you closer to your maker as you look to Him!

How do you solve a problem like Corona?

So if you didn't catch it, that's supposed to be sung to the melody from, "How do you solve a problem like Maria", from the sound of music, and I think Ive seen a group already do that.  

Well, this is the question that has gone through all our minds over and over since this thing started and now is seemingly being blown out of proportion.  When it all started in China, I listened with half an ear not really that interested thinking this was just another bird flu, swine flu, SARS thing that would blow in and out without too much fuss. 

When it his SA and they announced the lock down I was all for it, sounded like a solid plan.  I was even somewhat excited at the prospect, that for the first time in my life, I was going to actually be able to productively work from home and spend some very good quality time with my fur babies.  It's at times like these that I miss my Honey-Bear, but life must move on right and Topaz has joined my family to fill his place in the space but never my heart.  Ginger is supposed to be in his senior years, but boy does this cat keep me busy.  Topaz is her darling boisterous self. The time I have had with them has been special and precious!

SA wasn't ready and in many ways still isn't for dealing with this.  Many companies scrambled to enable work from home setup's and some companies due to the nature of their service, have just collapsed because they are not allowed to trade, something which I deeply disagree with.  

The changes necessary both internally and externally have been overwhelming.  Some things are easily resolved, a good shopping app can get me most of my needs but it cannot give me a hug or let me know that someone cares and understands. 

Despite everything, one thing I know is that God is not overwhelmed by what we are going through.  He knows exactly what we need and how to bring those things too pass.  Many thought the church would flownder under the pressure of not being able to have services but in many ways this has brought church right into our homes and the heart of our lives.  

If you have been struggling to adapt to what life is throwing at you, then pray and ask God for wisdom.  He has the power and abiltiy to turn every disaster into a miracle.  Stand firm in Him and believe, God has got a plan for every one of our lives and this virus is not going to stop God's plans, purposes or pursuits for you

COVID Who?

I have asked myself a thousand times why I have not been writing feverously since the start of this COVID-19 pandemic, after all this stuff is fodder for writers.  There are so many stories to tell and angles to cover.  The truth is that I have been overwhelmed by it all.  We have never experienced anything like this and it all seems like a crazy movie. 

I don't think I can begin to describe all the emotions.  Gobsmacked, stunned, bewildered, delighted about working from home, confused, frustrated, angry, heartbroken, sad, happy, annoyed, challenged......I could go on for quite a while.  

The myriad of beliefs, conspiracy theories, contradictory news reports, figures that don't add up, it all just doesn't make sense.  I think I've about had enough and I know I'm not the only one.  

Over the next few weeks I will try to unravel all the inner mysteries of the work that I see God doing through the midst of it all.  When all is said and done though, one thing is true....... God truly is working in the midst of all of this, but for the time being, we just can't see it yet.  

God made us many promises in His Word, and one promise I hold dear and cling too with all my strength right now is this:  He works all things together for good for those who LOVE the Lord and are called according to His purposes. 

Love Him, Hold onto Him and He will get you through this!