MAKE MY LIFE A PRAYER TO YOU...

The time has come for me to enter the third decade of my life! Yes I am turning 30, and I must say that I have this wound up feeling, that I am going to enjoy this fresh season in my life.

A day or so back, I was contemplating about my life up to now, and I realized that I wasted my 20’s by being worried about things, things that never even came into existence. I wasted time, I wasted energy, I wasted cell membranes in my body, causing my glands to secrete unnecessary adrenaline, and giving me wrinkles instead of dimples… Well, those days are over! I am not going to waste my 30’s, and become preoccupied with nonsense.

During the past few years God has dealt with me forcefully, and maybe it was necessary for my 20’s ship to sail in somewhat stormy waters at times, because I feel a maturity that comes by being dealt with. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that I am not going to be dealt with ever again, but I do feel a certain amount of growth in my life, and a change in character. This is surly not out of myself but totally from God.  

I don’t have any specific hero or favourite movie star icons, but there was one Christian musician called Keith Green, who is and will always be my music icon until the day I die. He was a passionate man, who lived life with gusto, played piano and composed music like a genius, sang beautiful, but most off all absolutely smitten and sold out to Jesus Christ. He died at the tender age of 28, but he approached life with unexplained joy en zeal. He lived a life dedicated to Christ. To Him Christ was all, is all and will be all.

May the new season of my life, be personified with this song that Keith Green Holy Sprit inspired composed and wrote:

Make my life a prayer to You

Make my life a prayer to you
I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise

I wanna shine the light you gave
Thru your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you're really there [ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/k/keith+green/make+my+life+a+prayer_20077345.html ]
Chorus
Well I wanna thank you know
For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I'll have to trust
And just believe what you say
Oh you're coming again
Coming to take me away

I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free

I wanna tell the world out there
You're not some fable or fairy tale
That I've made up inside my head
You're God the son and you've risen from the dead

Chorus

I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free

SHALOM 'TILL NEXT TIME XX

The Secret is in the Source

  Don't we all have times when life seems hard to live? I visited a friend of mine, who has a little baby boy of 7 weeks. He is as cute as can be. As she was nursing him and changing his diaper he cried and made little uncomfortable sounds. She looked lovingly at him and said in a playful, sympathetic tone "Oh but it is hard to be little isn't it?" Her playful, tender words struck me - even that little baby, in its 28days of existence finds life hard to some extent... He doesn’t know how to communicate with words, he feels irritable and frankly, oh, it is HARD.

I watched attentively at the way she wrapped him in a fluffy butterfly printed “blankie”. He gave a few moans, but, within moments he was quiet and slept safely in his beautiful mommy's arms...

I had a few trying weeks since the murder of one of my dear friends. Death is one of the most abstract concepts to me. It is impossible to think that an existing being, can just literally vanish into thin air...

But Death also means freedom and total surrender; it is giving over, and embracing a new realm. As I was thinking about my difficult past experiences, I realised that I had to find a Source. Someone who could also wrap me - this broken torn vessel - in a fluffy blanket, and make me feel safe.

My found Source was Jesus Christ. God incarnate who came down to earth and wrapped all of us in a fluffy blanket telling us that "EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK!"

But sometimes I don't even feel that The Source is near me.

When I am lamenting like that 7 week old baby, I don't realise that my Father is there, experiencing every emotion I have WITH ME. We struggle and resist and strive and try effortlessly and want to figure out our hard life all by ourselves. We need to realise that, irrespective of intellectual and physical maturity, we are still fragile, brittle, helpless beings, and it is only our Source that can give us comfort in this earthly life.

What an encouraging thought! Although we want to do things our way, our Source is constantly watching over us. But we need to surrender fully; die to our own willpower in order to experience His rich, vast, never-ending love, overflowing blessing and abundant grace.


Praise be to God! Jesus came to set the captives free, He came to give us life and life in abundance; He came to give us peace that surpasses all understanding.

If you are experiencing turmoil, be it physically or emotionally, remember to surrender and turn to your Source, who is standing there with open arms to wrap you in a beautiful butterfly printed, soft fluffy blankie.

My you find The Source that fills your whole being will love, power and a sound mind.

Shalom

OUMA BESSIE

                                           

My husband and I started a cute little fudge business called OUMA  BESSIE  FUDGE. We ventured with no trepidations and for the past 3 years, we have been selling our fudge at our local Farmers Market in Pretoria South Africa from 5:30-9:00 on a Saturday morning.

At first it started out to be a fun little enterprise, but after 3 years it has become a tremendous part of our lives.

                                              

                               Our fellow exhibitors have become our true friends whom we love and cherish dearly and have so much fun with, every Saturday.

 

                                                      

On our left we have Uncle Andre and his wife aunt Petra. They sell home made muesli and all kinds of dried fruit and nuts. Delicious! Uncle Andre is a real treat, he is always as chipper as can be, and makes the most hilarious jokes with the clients. The brand name of his muesli is AHA - "Because", he says, "it puts the sparkle back in your eye, and then you say ahaaaa I feel great".

Right from our stand is Uncle Hennie and Aunt Marinda. They have a farm and bring the most delicious delicacies to sell. Their specialty is "Melkkos" (for those of you who don't know what it is go Google it),

  a numerous range of yummy home made jams, soup and the worlds best tasting rusks. In summer they also exhibit the most colourful lilies that they grow on their farm.

Then it is Henry and I with our humble fudge stand. If I must say so myself, our fudge is absolutely divine, it

melts like candy floss in your mouth, an absolute treat.

The morning starts off with cozy music and the smell of freshly brewed coffee, pancakes and cinnamon in the air. Every now and again you hear the announcements of a new product a farmer has to offer to his consumers. The customers who support the market are just as interesting, fun and unique. Almost every shopper brings his/her dog with, to enjoy this early Saturday morning experience.


What makes me chuckle is that every owner looks like his of her dog. It is so strange. There is Lilla with her dog Stoffel, Frans with his Bulldog Butch and Aunt Pitsy with her French Poodle Peggy, to name a few…


In Pretoria, it normally rains in summer. I always find it interesting that on a Saturday God holds back the rain in our three hours of trading at the Farmers market. There is not an indication of rain during that period but when the market draws near to an end, it is as if God says "Now it can rain".


With the marvelous and wonderful influx of sweets, cupcakes, hotdogs, tramezini's and prego rolls, fresh fruit, veggies, honey, cheese, bread, dogs and their lookalike owners, I feel blessed to enjoy and be part of such a unique diverse, truly South-African experience every Saturday morning.

                        

REALITY CHECK

It’s been a while since tending to my BlogSpot, so many insightful things happened in my life and I think the time is only now truly ripe to start writing again.

So many times we have a certain idea or perception, about something. We may see things and effects, through our frame of reference; maybe it is culture, tradition, our upbringing, the way our tertiary studies have influenced our minds, our strong will, or choleric personality the list can go on and on, but is what we perceive really true? Is what or how we feel the true and actual reality of life?

No, I am not sitting on the hill of the Grecian Acropolis, trying to philosophize with Aristotle and Plautus. But during the past few months I was earnestly seeking. I didn’t know what for in particular, but my life became, carefree and happy-go-lucky on a very superficial and empty level. I love having fun so don’t get me wrong, but I longed for spiritual substance in my life that lacked.

A dear friend of mine recently died and he wrote something profound, saying that how wonderful it is not to measure reality against itself, but ONLY against the word of God.

Wow! There was the answer!

Perception, tradition, upbringing, culture etc can be erased, wiped out, and we can only use THE WORD of God to perceive, distinguish and identify true reality! This profound statement makes me give a sigh of relief, because although there were and are Godly preachers all over the world, the responsibility is ours, to find out the true meaning of reality in our lives (present, as well as past)


We are so lucky, because the WORD OF GOD is twofold:


1. It is the actual Good Book we read, BUT


2. The Word of God is Jesus Christ – for the first time now it makes truly sense to me, when my mother told me as a little girl Jesus is always with you no matter what!

1 John 1:2 says: “The Word of Life appeared before us…” Wow – goose bumps!

Note to self:

Forgive,

Love unconditionally, speak life and be positivite

 and measure reality only to the word of God!

Proclaim over myself today Gal.2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ, I no longer live, Jesus Christ now live in me.”

Shalom
Alecia

Be in NOTHING anxious!

I went through a really tough time for the past few weeks. I had so many things to do, and so little time (right, that’s what they all say...) I started to develop fear and anxiety with regard to certain situations. I am a very controlled and calculated person, sometimes being just plainly a pain in the ass! But here I found myself in the most anxiety stricken state and I did not know how to make it stop. What it comes down to, is that, if I can't be in control of a situation I go banannas! Yes I am a control freak, and I'm not boasting about it, on the contrary! Being the responsible person that I am, I understand the word "dead line", but is seems to me that others are obliviously unaware that such a word actually exists. For me this was not even a situation God would be interested in, so I took it on myself to "save" the world and boy was that a disaster!

In my minds eye I could see God smiling gently at me, and whispering in my ear to go back to my “Ultimate Survival Guide on Earth”. It is really a good book! Very insightful and has answers to any questions you will ever have. So I went and just spent some time with my Heavenly Father, and read an amazing passage from Philippians 4:6 “In NOTHING be anxious; but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known unto God…” Wow He is going to take care of everything and I needn’t be anxious about anything. It is actually a big sin to be fearful or anxious because then, in reality, we are telling God we don’t trust Him. We are telling the Creator of the universe – sorry I don’t trust you!

Think about your fears and anxieties and cast you burdens unto Jesus for He cares for you! Nothing is too big for Him.  Come in the habit of trusting God, no matter what the cost! Ask God to give you the gift of faith - faith isn't something we already have - It is a gift form God! Pray for that gift daily!

And if fear and anxiety strikes out of the blue, turn to nature to see how God cares for His creation, aren't we worth much more to Him?

May the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding be with you today, tomorrow and ALWAYS!

IN NOTHING BE ANXIOUS, BUT GO INTO GODS PERFECT REST!

                                          Shalom

Friendship

I read an article by one of my dearest friends Claire Pienaar. She is an editor of a local magazine. I read her touching editors note. It was about love. What it came down to, was that it is easy for us to love things that are nice and fun and cute, but what growth of character is there when we only indulge in the sweet stuff in life. Sincere Godly love manifests when you are offended or wrongly accused and to, in spite of yourself, still love that person who wronged you.

To add on to her article, there are so many things I love too. I love my awesome husband, I love my cute dog...I love my dearest sister, I love my darling mother and I love my steadfast father. I love to feel safe and comfortable. I love to go shopping (I think I've make my point!). But then Claire made a further radical statement, saying that love is a CHOICE! Ok so does it mean that I must love the person who irritates me? Yes. Does that mean no matter what mean stuff someone can say to me, I must still love them? Yes. But why???? Because it is a commandment straight from God - no buts or if's. It is a tall order! But then that scripture comes to mind where Jesus is preaching the good news and says, if someone slaps you on the one cheek, turn the other one. But why God? "Because my child I'm not interested in your COMFORT, I'm interested in your CHACTER" Wow, what an amazing thought, anyone who is rude or nasty of unjust toward me, must be seen as tests and hurdles to overcome, so that I can be blameless and pure before the King of Kings.

Go today and make a friend of a stranger and pour out Gods love in your heart! Love always in spite of and not because of!



Alecia

What do you make...

TO EVERY PERSON WHO EVER WONDERED WHAT TEACHERS MAKE...

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued: "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers: "Those who can...do. Those who can't...teach."

To corroborate, he said to another guest: "You're a teacher, Susan," he said. "Be honest. What do you make?"

Susan, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness, replied, "You want to know what I make?"
"I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could."
“I make kids believe in themselves when no one else will.”
"I make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor and an A- feel like a slap in the face if the student did not do his or her very best."
"I make parents tremble in fear when I call home"
"You want to know what I make?
"I make kids wonder."
"I make them question."
"I make them criticize."
"I make them apologize and mean it."
"I make them write."
"I make them read, read, read."
"I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, and definitely beautiful over and over and over again, until they will never misspell either one of those words again."
"I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English."
"I make them understand that if you have a dream, then follow it...and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make or what you do, you pay them no attention."
"You want to know what I make?!I make a difference."
"What about you?"