Twelve Months of Christ: December

Last week, I watched a movie called "The Birth of a Nation". A movie about the life of a black slave who was raised on the Bible by a white woman, about slavery in old America and how they used him to be a preacher for profit. This movie moved me and made me question myself.

As this year comes to an end, I write this blog at the beginning of December to encourage you to ask yourself the same question.

Regardless of the generation, we all have a choice, to either become a slave or believe in a Saviour. Slaves who were disregarded and abused believed in God, regardless of their situation and their experiences. Faith is all they had and today, faith is all we need and have too.

We can choose to either be a slave to our current situation and walk with shackles on our hands and feet, allowing to evil to whip lash our backs and damage our souls or we can believe in our Saviour, God, the only one who has the key to unlock the shackles, heal the scars on our backs and repair our souls.

Even today, amid our heartaches and trials, God is all we have and all we will ever need.

This December, we look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ and as we get excited for the New Year, I ask you....will the birth of our Saviour encourage you to become a slave or believe in a Saviour in the coming New Year? 

Twelve Months of Christ: October and November

Life sent me a tornado at the end of October which spun me in and out of hospital. Apologies for not publishing a blog post. I've decided again to combine two months as I tell you a story.

A smile is not always welcomed where I was. Trauma is. Chairs lined in single file against the wall expect you. Beckoning is not allowed. A hacking cough sounds next to me as I wait on the chair conveyor belt of the emergency room. Not knowing what comes next makes you listen to everything and watch everyone. No one know whether courtesy or friendliness is allowed. No one speaks unless spoken to.

Emergency here seems slow yet steady. More come in, while very little leaves. My file has a yellow sticker on which means I'm not that sore, even though the pain stops me from leaning back in my chair. Yellow means I can wait...at least four hours, so the chart on the wall screams at me. My Mother who has been keeping me company leaves, making the world seem smaller and scarier to me. I wish I didn't have to be here. I look around, taking it all in again. Poverty no longer chooses colour, age, area or money. We all sit here, in the same boat, yet world's apart, us yellow stickers.

Finally, it's my turn, just to find out they want me to stay. I'm taken to the actual emergency/trauma ward. Fear fills me to the brim as organised chaos rushes in front of my eyes. Bodies on beds fill every inch like a packing factory. Doctors and Nurses rush around, poking and prodding their packages. I am ordered to sit on a plastic chair. I obey as I wonder where I fit in here. No explanation and no compassion scares me more. There is just no time for it. Please don't make me go into the factory. Before I can run, I'm taken to a bed rammed against another one housing a masked man. Is he contagious?  I hang on to my bag like a lost school girl, making me lay stiff.

I'm told to put a gown on but there is no where to change and no curtain to close. I won't do it. A nurse tells me to follow her into the store room to get changed. I'm starting to feel like a prisoner instead of a patient. I return to my bed which they have kept for me. A drips is plugged into my hand and once again, I am wheeled around to a different area. Still anxious and hanging on to my bag and clothes, I lay wide-eyed. A sticker is stuck on my bed as it seems I have made it to the parking area. Now, I wait, and with no further explanation, I find out that I have to wait for a urologist to come and see me. How long will this take? I ask but no one knows and no one can guess.

My Mother comes back and tears form in my eyes as I make the decision that I can't be here. Beds on either side line up with women who too are waiting for a doctor. On the opposite side, are beds with men in them. No curtains keep us private. This area feels like a hostel room. We are all parked, going no where slowly. I can't take it anymore. I sign myself out and leave, with a heavy heart as I wish I could take everyone with me.

This experience reminded me how lucky I am to have options, how to take better care of the body God blessed me with and how we need God no matter where a tornado takes us.

It reminded me too to have faith over fear......

I sometimes forget that God didn't say life would be easy but He did say Follow Me, Trust Me and I will bless you.


This happened in one day and I never prayed so hard as I did this day.

What has been your tornado lately? Where has it got you spinning to?

So, don't worry, because I am with you. 

Don't be afraid, because I am your God.

I will make you strong and will help you;

I will support you with my right hand that saves you.

Isaiah 41:10

Twelve Months of Christ: September

 

A spider web is imperfect yet perfectly made. From far, it is beautiful. Thin strands of carefully woven threads strung together to make a distorted catching net. The net is delicate yet can weather the breeze of the tree as it hangs between two branches. Sunlight glistens off it showing its location. When we see a spider’s web, we know the spider is nearby in the shadows, patiently waiting for the unfocussed insect.

The spider is focussed, cunning, patient and likes to watch their prey squirm. Eventually the trapped insect grows weary and stops struggling, letting fate take its course.

At the end of September, I took a step back and took an outside look at all the relationships I have with people that I care about. Like the web, relationships are our thin strands of woven thread joined together to create our circle of friends and family. Even though these strands are joined in our heart, they might never actually cross paths. The spider web of relationships can be good and bad. Many threads survive many seasons and never break while others, usually involving others, get neglected, abandoned and eventually weather away.

Good, healthy, loving relationships can withstand the breeze of the tree staying rooted in the love between us. Certain relationships can often encourage us to cross certain lines which create cracks in the threads eventually breaking and ending in heartache, pain and loss. Some boundaries shouldn’t be crossed, yet being humans we test them, cross them and the thread is damaged, often beyond repair.

This September, I questioned why did God bring this person into my life? Is it for me or the other person? Does He want me to keep this person in my life? Is this relationship a rooted thread or a weary one? I am reminded that God created relationships when He created all of us in the hope that we would love and treat each other in His way and of course, most importantly, have an eternal, loving relationship with Him.

Relationships are important to us and we need to nurture each one and not neglect them. A relationship can help you grow or help others to grow. A relationship can show our strengths, our weaknesses and how we relate to each other shows where that person fits in our life. Reflection on our connections can also show us relationships that should be ended too.

Our relationship with God, in my view, is the one we should never neglect even though we do. As I reflected on relationships, I noticed that once again as one relationship in my life grows, others are neglected and I’m embarrassed to say that my relationship with God has waned a lot which leaves a bitter taste in my mouth as I write this.

As we all know, we often only realise what we had until it has been lost. I pray that you get a chance to take a look at your relationships around you and decide which ones need to be nurtured, neglected and ended. But, whatever you do, never neglect your one with God. God is the only one who always nurtures, never neglects and His relationship will never end!

Some friends don’t help, but a true friend is closer than your own family. 

Prov. 18:24

 

Twelve Months of Christ: August

 

August in South Africa is Women's Month and we celebrate Woman's Day on the 9th. It is only fitting that this month's post is all about Women.

Throughout time, women have been in the background, making homes and raising children. Until recently, women weren't allowed to be in prominent positions and participate in a "man's" world. 

But think back......we don't always realise it but women have been making a difference and changing the world since Biblical times. God allowed women from all walks of life to make an impact in the lives of many men; some good and some bad. From Creation, women have influenced their men and worked behind the scenes to make changes in the forefront, sometimes without men being aware of it.

Admittedly, their decisions were not always good ones. However, their decisions still made a difference in the short and long term.

From Eve in the Garden of Eden who caused us all to be aware of nakedness and often weakness, to Ruth who teaches us faith, respect and loyalty to Mary, Jesus's Mother who taught us to always listen and follow God even when we might not understand, agree or believe it's right. Mary also teaches the pain of being a parent and the loss of a child.

Are your eyes wider yet?

How about the woman in Song of Solomon who shares her wisdom on romance, love and sexuality?
Tabitha, a devoted Christian who helped the poor? She teaches us compassion.

I could go on and on. Throughout the pages of the Bible, men have ruled but women have influenced, encouraged, manipulated and whispered in these men's ears.

In these modern times, women still feel inferior, weak and often not good enough to try to be different, to make a change and follow their passions. Listen to God, listen to me, read Scripture and open your eyes to the Women of Worth that God created.

God created you, His Princess and like the women in the Bible, you are important and worthy. Ask God to bless you with the confidence, perseverance and wisdom so you can see, appreciate and use your value to influence and encourage others to see their value too.

In my eyes and definitely God's eyes....you are....W.O.W. (Woman of Worth!)

Twelve Months of Christ: June and July

Bloggers block, health issues and winter made my month of June fly past into July. Forgive me, for combining two months into one.

I asked on Facebook what I should write about and one comment reminded me of a exercise I recently used. So, I thought I would share it with all of you and possibly encourage you to give it a try.

We each have a wish, a dream, a goal and something we want in life. I am going to teach you how to reflect on this by drawing it and asking yourself certain questions. Be honest and have fun!

Let's do "THE MOUNTAIN" exercise together

1. Take 4 wax crayons (different colours) and a blank sheet of paper.

2. Take your first colour and draw a wavy line near the bottom to represent water. 

    With the same colour, starting at the bottom in your water, draw a mountain.

3. At the top peak of your mountain, take another colour and draw a picture representing your wish,

   dream, goal, anything you want. 

4. Where are you on this mountain? Take another colour and draw a heart representing yourself, 

    showing where you think you are on your mountain.

5. Where is God on your journey? Behind you, next to you, ahead of you, maybe even far from you.

    Take your last colour and draw a cross representing where you feel God is on your journey.

6. Close your eyes for about 10 secs and now open them, looking at the whole picture.

Example:

 

Quietly, reflect on it, asking yourself these few questions:

1. Why has it taken so long to achieve your peak? 

2. What's making you not get there? Is it a person, a place or maybe it's yourself that's in the way?

3. What do you need to do today, regardless of how big or small, to get a bit closer to the peak?

4. Do you need to possibly ask for help or support? Maybe you need to speak to someone about it?

5. Lastly, where is God in the picture? Is He near? Is He far? Maybe, you need to speak to Him more.

    

It is your picture...your life....what you do with it is up to you.....

Twelve Months of Christ: May

In May, I attended my monthly writing workshop and we learnt an interesting lesson. We learnt to consider the small things when writing and it got me wondering about life. Should we consider the small things in life? What would we call “small things”? Does God want us to do this?

What would we call “small things”?

For me, small things are checking in with people I know and care about. Just letting them know that they are thought of and loved. I like getting messages like this. It’s nice to know that others do think of me and I want them to know I think of them too.

Sometimes small things are also the boring things many people don’t like to do but have to do, for example, laundry, dishes, ironing, etc. What if you or I did one of these “small things” for another? Consider this; sometimes what’s boring or tedious to us might not be to them.

A small thing could be buying something sweet for after supper to share with family. It could be a squeeze of the hand showing the person that he/she is not alone in this life. It could be hearing another person’s voice.

A small thing could be a love message in the lunch box of a child or a smile at a stranger. To some, it seems a wasted effort or too small to notice but you don’t know that. Your “small thing” could be huge, important, needed to another.

What are “small things” to you?

Should we consider these “small things”?

I think we should because a small thing can make a big difference. It can fill an empty space. It can teach a lesson or be a reminder of a type of behaviour.

A small thing could save us, inspire us, encourage us to be blessed. A small thing could be the sunshine in our storm or a rainbow amid our flood. If someone does a “small thing” to you, consider embracing it with all you’ve got. You just never know what the outcome would be.

Don’t let the size of the gift shadow its significance!

And God?

God is the man about all things small. We all start off as small, often feeling insignificant and unnoticed. But to God, sometimes the smaller we are, the bigger He sees us.

Remember the mustard seed…..it is tiny and hardly seen yet it grows to be a big and noticeable tree, deeply rooted in the Lord’s soil.

God might send someone to share a small thing with us because He knows we need it even if we don’t realise it.

God sent His son, Jesus, who never disregarded the small things. The woman who bled profusely touching his cloak because she believed He could heal her. He felt it and acknowledged it.

The tax collector trying to hide in the tree making sure He wouldn’t be noticed….Jesus noticed. The prostitute that others mistreated, making her feel like a “small thing”….Jesus noticed.

As you read this, you might be feeling “small, unimportant, useless, and unloved”.

STOP!

Let me tell you that size don’t matter to God; heart does….remember David and Goliath? Power doesn’t matter to God, respect does. A human making you feel like this doesn’t matter because God loves you, sees you, hears you and you are the biggest, most important and useful person God created.

The small things matter to you, to me and to God. Think about them, share them and consider them.

Hope your May was as big and small as mine. Share my world with you in June. Until then, God bless His “small things”.

Twelve Months of Christ: April

Blood cakes around the rusting nail, water mixing with tears. The moaning cries of a woman can be heard in the rumbling of the sky. Thorns look up as a yell is heard in the heavens.

As the next day settles, an empty tomb greets those grieving outside. He comforts them by appearing to them. The story we share every year. We have just celebrated Easter and spent the past week-end reflecting on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the significance of it and what it means for all of us. But what happens after Easter?

How often do we think about God during this period? Give thought to the person who made the decision to unselfishly sacrifice His only Son in order to give us a second chance.

I haven’t until this year. I had to deliver a message this past Sunday and being Easter Sunday, they expected one about the passion of Christ but trying to be different (always!), I went right instead of left and asked them too, what happens after Easter?

Shouldn’t we honour God for sacrificing Jesus Christ?

Shouldn’t we honour the memory of it by honouring God? 

Don’t we often show honour to someone close to us who we have lost on earth?

Don’t we honour our parents for raising us?

Shouldn’t we honour the one who allowed all of this to happen?

Reading these questions, you are also probably saying to yourself…great idea but how, when and why?

Firstly, we honour God by seeing what all He has done and praise Him for it. We honour God in the words we use, the actions we show and the way we live our life. We honour God by following Him, allowing Him to use His power in our life and by accepting His purpose and promise for us.

Secondly, we should be honouring God all the time, every second, minute and hour of our day. Yes, I know, way easier to write than to do and we are humans so we don’t do this but we can certainly keep trying. God knows we are not perfect and that we won’t do this all the time but all He wants is for us to try, and keep trying until practise makes perfect.

Lastly why? Why should we honour God for the decisions He has made and will make? Would we even know the difference if the results were different?

We didn’t ask Him to, did we?

Revelation 4: 9 & 11 answers…….

These living creatures give glory, honour, and thanks 

to the One who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever. 

You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honour and power,

because you made all things.

Everything existed and was made,

because you wanted it. 

Honour God from today, letting Him know that you know that He is ultimately the One making the big decisions and taking the most risk in raising us…His family, His children, His beloved.

Twelve months of Christ: March

I feel like a walking dictionary this month as words have been flying around me. Words like God, Grief, Gratitude, Silence, Courtesy and Childhood. What does this all mean? Where am I heading this month?


What I know for sure is God has given me these words and I need to hear them, understand them, learn from them and follow them. What do all these words have in common?

ME - YOU

These words are what we experience throughout our life. It's how God helps to raise us. It's what our parents expect from us especially in our childhood.

INNOCENCE

Childhood is where our innocence is enhanced, altered or even lost. Our childhood is where we learn how to be as adults.  It's God's foundation phase for us. Unfortunately, our parents often misunderstood his teacher's manual and made mistakes. Childhood is where our first laugh, loss and love is experienced. Childhood is where we learn to love unconditionally, accept without judgement and get to know ourselves.

SSSHH!

Silence is so important in life. Silence is the time spent in our own air space. A place where we are true to ourselves and God sits next to us, feeling our heartbeat with us and whispering in our ears. It's up to us how we use our silence. Sometimes our silence is to allow us to help others by listening or just being present. Silence is a lesson that needs to be learnt. We need to be silent, even in company, to allow God to work. Silence shows we don't have all the answers but we are mature enough to be patient and wait for it. Silence is when we become aware of everything.

WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS? MANNERS MATTER!

Does this sound familiar?  Courtesy is a good habit which we all need to adopt. However, courtesy is not only about having manners. It's in the little things we do for others, like allowing an older person through the door first or smiling among the frowns. In karate, we start with courtesy and end with courtesy. This is a lesson I try to practise outside the dojo too as courtesy shows your respect for others, that you have manners and that you that others do matter. Courtesy is hard especially when we have to be courteous to people we believe might not deserve it but honestly, we all do deserve it. God gives us the courtesy of being available to us all the time. He is courteous by listening to us, loving us and giving us the respect to be in His presence. Courtesy = Respect.

THANK YOU

How often do we truly means these two words? Don't we use it because we know we have to because....manners matter! When and how do we truly show our gratitude? Gratitude is not about saying "thank you" for everything. It's the way we look after our family, our friends and even our material items. God has given us family, friends and material items to bless us with the life He intended for you and me. We can show our gratitude by loving, accepting and making sure it all stays "fixed". This too is not easy as family lets us down, friends leave and our material items age. Gratitude is knowing how lucky we are and letting God know that you know. God doesn't ask for payment or a "IOU", all he wants is you and prayer. Show gratitude by spending time with God, your family, your friends and yes, even those material items which might need a bit of TLC too. Remember, God did not promise that our family, our friends and our material items will last forever. This is why we should gratitude while we have them.

GOOD-BYE

At some point in our life, we experience loss. Loss can take many forms whether it is something or someone. Why we grief is because we have lost something or someone that is very dear to us, has special meaning and we thought we wouldn't have to live without it or the person. God makes us suffer to teach us some harsh lessons in life especially if we are not paying attention. Deep down, we also know that everything God created was not meant to live forever. Saying good-by is not always easy but we all have to say it at some time. Depending on what you believe, loss can be a bittersweet time. The person who passed on has stopped suffering and is now with God, where love reigns and is restored. We all hope we never have to experience it but in order for God to work, we do. Grief is as old as time and like love and laughter, it is a part of our earthly life. God doesn't like to hurt us and see us suffer but sometimes it is to benefit others and not even us. Grief is God letting us know that we need to suffer to save and that our time on earth is short.

Life is short so....return to your childhood once in a while, be still and know God, use your manners, always say thank you and know it's okay to shed a tear for lost loved ones.

Twelve months of Christ: February

I know February is the month of “love” but this month of Christ, I am urged to share how overwhelmed I feel about my surroundings.  It has filled me with immense excitement, energy and enthusiasm.

February is not even over and I have been surrounded by INSPIRATION.  God has opened my eyes to see something I hope everyone gets to see at some point in their life.

Inspiration is all around us. It is in everyone we encounter, from God to the ground and back again. It is in the lowest of low to the highest of high.

So…what is Inspiration?

Inspiration is “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative, a sudden brilliant or timely idea and/or the drawing in of breath; inhalation” (online dictionary)

In the Bible (Youth Bible, New Century Version), it is defined as “used to mean that the Bible writers wrote what God wanted them to write. God breathed”

The man begging on the street who might hang his head in shame with his cardboard sign inspires me as he won’t give up trying to feed his family and himself. Yes, some do have addictions but even that inspires me because the determination to not give up even if it is to get money for the next meal or next fix (ironic, right?). I know you are reading this with your mouth open but really think about it. How difficult is it for us, who have wealth in different areas of our life, has no determination to try, to achieve and even to finish a simple task? Yet, the man on the street does. You say but he has no choice? Yes, he does. He can lie down and die, not caring or He can beg, hoping that someone might give me a chance at a job or home or meal. He takes a risk everyday standing there, not knowing what the next few seconds, minutes, hours will bring.

The dad who can’t believe girls have no opportunity to play a sport like soccer. He stands up and says “Not on my watch” and starts a soccer team in the Suburbs. Through persistence, love and media, it has grown, been blessed with donations and every week, new girls coming to train and to do something they love. The parents get involved because someone who doesn’t even know them welcomed them, accepted them and gave parents the opportunity to help their children follow their dreams and support them. Inspiration is felt by the commitment to try, to learn, to teach and to not give up for the sake of others, the girls.

The single mom and/or dad, who sees their bank balance, trying to figure out how to make it last while smiling at their children, ensuring they will always have what they need, when they need it. Parents who work all day and have to trust others with their children to make sure that their family is provided for. Inspiration from other people’s sacrifices of time, love, money to provide, support and to be present.

Even the man who changes the street lamp bulb inspires as he might not have a high education but as the ability to know how electricity works, how to fix wires and replace the light that helps you get home safely, helps you to see in front of you or helps you feel you are safe traveling there.

Inspiration comes from aging…..

The aged journalist who finds it difficult to remember sometimes, who fingers shake from age, to get access to her written words yet writes every day, laughs through what she can recall and share it all with people who aspire to have half the life she has experienced.

The elderly lady who knows that worshipping God on a Sunday is so important that she walks slowly with her walking stick to church not letting age, aches and lack of energy stop her from spending time with the man who never let her down.

Finally, inspiration comes from God…..

If you page through your Bible, you will encounter people like Ruth, Moses, Noah, Mary, Joseph etc.  who some followed God blindly not knowing where they are going, who they will meet and what will happen to them. You will encounter people who God inspired them by keep encouraging them through His voice to trust, to try and step out of their comfort zone, letting God take control of their life.

God inspires us by just listening to us and whispering messages of love, faith, hope, trust into our ears, hearts, bodies, minds and souls. How inspiring is it to know that God believes in us so much that He killed His only Son for us! How inspiring is it to know that God used a virgin and a carpenter to raise that Son? How inspiring is it to know that God took a bullied person like Joseph (Old Testament) and made him to be a man of power? How inspiring is it to know that God inspired Noah to build that Ark and follow Him who saved our world and in turn allowed us to grow and prosper?

Do I need to carry on? Look around you, listen to those you encounter and see the inspiration in it all. You never know, God might be using your surroundings to inspire you to do His will in your life and His plans will always make you prosper.

Let “God breath” onto you