Just a little bit of murder

I absolutely love using my Kindle application and it never ceases to amaze me as to how many ebooks are sold on Amazon on promotion at rock bottom prices and also many totally free.  A while back I stumbled across 'Cold-case Christianity' written by J.Warner Wallace.  Mr Wallace is a seasoned homicide detective who claims to have been a solid atheist who met Christ at the very point of his skepticism.

He grew curious about whether or not a true case for the authenticity of the gospels could actually be verified.  Using his skills as a homicide detective and looking for all the 'clues' you would look at with a crime scene he has skillfully drafted one of the most powerful defences for the accuracy of the gospels I have ever read and seeing how he has managed to contrast homicide investigation with an investigation into the gospels is purely spectacular.  Okay there are few parts where the intense detail gets a bit boring, but push through that and the end result and image is mind blowing. 

The trick here is he used the same methodology as he did in his homicide investigation work so the question I have for you is, what skill do you have that you can use in a 'defence of the gospel'?  Every one of us has skills and talents that God has given us to glorify His name and His great desire is for us to use what we have in our hands to magnify His name. 

A state of being resigned

There are always a lot of emotions that you go through once you've resigned from a position. Some feel elation, others relief, others excitement or just pure joy. Whatever the state you may find yourself in it is clearly because a decision was made.

At a time of being resigned you feel in control and as though you have direction and focus and at least for the short term you feel that you have clarity about life. But why is it that we only allow ourselves to feel this way when we have done a resignation? Shouldn't we be capable of having clear and constructive thought about our future more often than that?

For the last three years, at the beginning of the year, I have chosen an animal to represent the direction that I want my life to take and so far it has been spot on target and my life has followed a pattern I chose at the beginning of the year. 2015 was the year of the Dinosaur and breaking old barriers. 2016 was the lion (or lion heart) year, and with the loss of my little lion, that as certainly true, but it was also a year to be brave. This year 2017 has been the Eagle year, a time to rise to new challenges and soar to new heights and I can see now that I am certainly on track for completing that by the end of the year.

Are you often indecisive about what to do about life and the challenges you face? Do you find it hard to find peace and clarity? If so ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be brave and to make some decisions and to be clear about what you want for your life. When you do that and you are able to make the right choices, you will be able to experience the joy that comes from “being resigned”.

He lead me by....still waters

Today, after nearly 8 ½ years at the bank I tendered my resignation. The decision was prompted by a number of factors, but the most pressing of these being my absolute hatred for Jo’burg traffic. It has been the most painful part of my life for almost a decade as my previous job was in Sunninghill as well.

It took literally hundreds of online applications to produce just a handful of interviews. As I look back now I realize that with each interview, God was bringing me closer and closer to home, but somehow with each one the fit just wasn't right. While on leave these past two weeks I had responded to an advert and was called to submit my documents and then later attend the interview. I couldn't believe my eyes when I found out the office block was just behind Clearwater mall, which is really a stones throw away from where I live.

But to tell the full story I need to back up about 10 to 15 years to when I was still attending Rhema Bible Church, I had been to see a counsellor about a matter and during the course of our one session she prophesied that she saw that God would lead me to still waters. This image resonated with me so greatly that when I created my blog page and had my blog business cards designed, I chose images of still waters.

Back to present day and during the course my interview I took notice of the rather large mural in the board room with an image of bubbling ocean waters. When I enquired if the image had any special or significant meaning to the business owners their response was, “Nothing in particular, but just that they liked the image of.....still waters.” After many other indications during the interview, this was my final cue, that indeed God had planned this meeting many, many years ago and that he was now leading me...by still waters!

Once again God has been gracious enough to allow me a mountain top experience where I can look back and know that though I do not always understand God's plans and often question His work in my life, He has indeed been guiding me through every little step I take and as I surrender my decisions to Him and allow Him to guide me, He will lead me into His perfect will for my life.

I pray this testimony will encourage you to seek God's will and submit your decisions to Him and allow Him guide you every step of the way.

A new season – a fresh start

So I took a short sabbatical from writing but it was oh so necessary! Like many perennial plants I needed a season of complete end in writing to reboot. What aided this process has been my annual leave that I have just finished now and Monday is back to work.

God has spoken clearly and He has ordained that the next few months will be months of change and new beginnings and I cannot wait to share these experiences with you. God has stamped His mark clearly on this process and there is no doubt or no turning back.

I know there will be many challenges that lie ahead but there will also be great joys. After ending my season of grief after Honey passed, God has now blessed me with a season of joy and thanksgiving. I have prayed for a special anointing to rest over my writing as well in the months ahead. I may face a times of frustration with technology or other complications but I am praying that these will be minimal.

My hearts great desire right now is to get back to a place where writing will be more frequent and that it will once again be a blessing to my readers and I hope that you will join me on this journey.

44 but who's counting?

Wow! Mid 40's already. I never would have thought it would happen this fast. 7 August is my birthday and I have a little game I've played with the numbers of in my birth date: 07/08/1973. If you split the numbers into groups of 4 with a separator in between (for convenience an =) an interesting scenario appears, let me show you.

0 +7 0+8 = 1+9 7+3

7 + 8 = 10 + 10

15 = 20

1 + 5 = 2 + 0

6 = 2

6 + 2....... = 8

I might have lost a few of you, but never mind too much. No matter what arrangement I place the numbers in I always end up with either an 8 or a 7. Quite bizarre!

But what is the significance in all of that? I believe God is very specific. At this point in my life I am not at the place in life that I want to be personally, but I do believe that God has a divine plan for my life and that one day it will all make wonderful balanced sense. God is very precise about numbers.

One of my best friends dad passed away last week and I mentioned to her that her dad really was a brilliant business man....and he closed out of the life business, precisely at close of business on 31 July.... That certainly does not surprise me. We love him and miss him dearly.

Every day in our lives is unique and special, even when we don't see its significance and beauty.

As I celebrate my birthday this 07/08/2017 (Lol - More 7's and 8's) I choose to believe in God's wonderful plan for me. Will you join me in having faith for your life too?

P.S. And 44? 4+4=8 Go figure!

Bright lights

I have this annoying thing that happens with my bedroom lights. For some unknown reason I have noticed that it won't be too long after I have changed globes, the one light will burn out/blow really quickly. Then, due to my hatred of changing light bulbs (too scared I'm going to fall off the ladder), it stays that way until the next bulb bursts, which for some unknown reason, takes a very long time. In all that time my eyes get used to the slowly dimming lights as it fades in strength.

Then once the second one has blown, its off to the shops and I replace them both.....and oh boy it is just so darn bright. So much so that I feel uncomfortable and exposed. Weak light makes it difficult to read, while overly bright light creates glare.....I think its time to change my lights, tee hee.

When we first come to God, it is like being bowled over in love. As time goes by and God begins to work in our hearts, it is as if the brightest light has come on and we don't know where to hide to get away from its glare. Let me encourage you my friend, don't run away. Your spiritual eyes will adjust and when they do you will enjoy being able to see your life clearly for what it is and it will make dealing with issues so much easier.

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.