So ‘a guy’ comes and he gives me a quote to do ‘something’ at uThando leNkosi. I explain to him that any expense over a R1000 needs to be approved by the board of trustees (the quote is just over R1000), so it might take a little while to get back to him. He goes “o well you should have told me that… then i would have arranged that you pay cash, and we could just skip the vat all together.” I try not to let my jaw drop. I mean i know that happens all the time, people skim the system. But i had just told him that we were a Christian children’s home and that our name means God’s Love.

Do we as Christians (in general) also skim the system so much that non-Christians are no longer at all ‘skaam’ to suggest doing it???

How honest are we in our dealings? Are we ‘shining like the stars” or do we fad in with the darkness?

Wow so i have about 8 different topics I want to blog about, but I just have not have the time… I will blog about them one by one, starting with the Harvest!

For the last few weeks God has really being laying Matthew 9v36-38 on my heart:

36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

This had special reference to uTHando leNkosi and children’s homes and places of safety around the world and foster and safety parents and adoptive parents etc etc (ie dealing with children in need). There is such a huge need for the church of Christ to rise up and take care of children. There are thousands of kids, children just like any other child, who want to learn, who desire to have fun, who need love, and yet there are very few people taking care of them! I really felt that God was asking me to pray for more workers to be sent out to the harvest field of children. They are rip unto harvest, they are ready for the gospel… but who will go? who shall God send?

But since then this has expanded and I am really praying for more people to be going out into all harvest fields. This weekend I was at a training session and they said, (in my own paraphrased words), ” if people are looking at the health of Christianity in an area and they find that things are hard and people are ‘non-receptive’ to the gospel. They often say the problem lies with the hard hearted individuals.. yet really the problem is that there are not enough workers, we must therefore prayer that God would send out more workers.”

This verse just keeps coming up. So are you praying for the harvest fields? are you praying for more workers? Lets do what God commanded us to do! More workers, cover more ground…

Hi all!

SO the last few weeks have been challenging. But I really believe God is teaching us so so much!! Like to “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!” man i am glad there is that “again I say rejoice”! Becuase it really encourages/reminds me to rejoice even when i might not feel like it!

When Sam and I started dating, we felt GOd gave us Psalm 27v13 and 14 as a promise. “Being sure of this you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, Be strong, take heart and Wait for the Lord.”

When our house flooded I was like God, you have promised we will see your goodness so I am excited! But then all the work started happening, and I got tired… But Sam and I truly have seen God’s goodness and we have much to rejoice for, here we go:

1) We are thankful that I only work 20hours a week, if I had been working a full time job, we really would not have been able to get through these last few week without alot of leave being taken!!

2) We are thankful that we live in a formal house. Even though we got flooded, it it only the first time this winter and we we will be able to recover from it. People in informal settlements have it so so much harder.

3) We are thankful that I am still alive and well after been knocked over by the car. If i had broken a bone or something I would still be in a cast!

4) We are thankful for our health! When you lose it and get it back again, so are so grateful for it!

5) We have truly seen God’s goodness through our AMAZING friend James, let me just begin to list some of what he has done for us in the last 2 days, COoked Dinner on Tues and Wednesday night, helped move furniture Tues night and Wed morning, lead devotions for us on Wed night (With the ladies, so that we didnt have to prepare), loaned (or gave) money as our cash flow dried up as our flat got wet (it expensive to get flooded), drove around for us, did lots of our washing up, and was all together a fantastic friend! James thanks, you really did demonstrate God’s goodness to us!

6) I personally rejoice in having a fantastic husband! He has worked so so hard the last two days! Really he has used he last drop of energy to help sort everything out! Sam you are such an encouragement to me! You also cared so well for me, with the whole accident! When you are sick in bed, you amazed me by starting your own business! You have such great faith and you are always encouraging me to go deeper in my relationship with God! THank you! with you and Jesus in my boat i can smile at the storm!

7) We are in awe of a mighty GOd! He has forgiven us sins, and He has eternal plans! Thinking of eternity helps these “light and momentary troubles” to fade away! He is the King! and He has mighty plans for His Kingdom! This week He spoke to us so clearly that He is in control of things at uThando! ANd we just want to praise Him and rejoice in that fact! WE LOVE YOU OUR KING!!

Let us Rejoice and count our blessings!

So I was asked to write a paragraph about my work and how I see God in it and stuff… it ended up being a bit longer than a paragraph! here is it..

“Be Holy because I am Holy”

I am involved in the community development sector. I work with Refugees, in economic empowerment and with a children’s home. I really see God is on the move, awakening people to the issues of injustice and giving people more and more hearts of compassion to serve others.

All of the organisation I work with are Christian, and I get an opportunity to pray at work, and do evangelism and discipleship. However just because I work in a Christian organisation doesn’t mean all of a sudden my work is more holy than anybody else’s. Because working for a Christian organisation doesn’t make me sacred. Being Holy is who you are, not what you do (but it affects the way you do, what you do). So I could go into work everyday (at a Christian organisation) and be really mean to and about my colleagues. I could gossip and want my own personal desires, more than seeing other people blessed. I could do all my work out of selfish ambition and vain conceit. I could go an entire day without asking God for wisdom on the best way to tackle solutions. OR I could do my work out of love, respect others, with a servant heart and being humble. I could constantly seek God for the best solution and His wisdom in all circumstances. You see how that is really no different from than if I was working in a ‘secular’ organisation? I would have to make those same choices. Because its really about who I am in Christ, and not about my job.

I love working with people (I actually get really anticy if I am not around people) and so this really is the perfect field for me. I get to see God changing lives. I get to see broken people’s heart’s restored… and that makes me excited!

I am also a wife. This is an area in which God is teaching me so so much! Man I fail at being a good wife so often! But I have a husband who is fantastic and FULL of grace. But I am learning more and more that I need to be holy in my interactions with my husband. Am I treating him with respect. Am I wanting something from him that I should want from God? Am I seeking my own personal gain, or do I really want what is best for him. You see in my relationship with him, I should be reflecting the love of Christ… and God is teaching me how to do that.

A bit off that point, but lately God is teaching me that I need to be ‘Holy’ when doing shopping. ha ha… SO when I go to the grocery store, things often go wrong, like I can’t find parking, or I leave the parking ticket in the car, or was stuck in traffic on the way there, or can’t find what I am looking for, or I forget plastic bags (o so often) etc etc. Those are all really small and insignificant things (I mean lets compare my two minutes sitting at a red robot to eternity, why don’t we?) But those things can get me frustrated. I have noticed this happens to a lot of women. Pay attention at the till queue next time you go. People can be really really rude to the cashier. They treat them like a ‘thing’ that must work for them or else they will huff and puff and moan. So God is challenging me, to be kind and chat to the cashier (cos 90% of the people are rude to them) and also to rejoice in all circumstances, rather than complain (even if just to myself) and let it affect my day. Being Holy is a way of life.. being Holy is what is happening in your heart, when everything else is happening…

Ja so basically I need to be filled with the Spirit more and more. Because no matter what skills and talents I have, I could used those for my own personal gain, or I could use those in such a way that brings Glory to God.

This clip has a cool message. Not so mad about the art work… ha ha

I think so often we write children off ‘as still having to learn’, before God can truly use them. Yet it is often that learning that draws them into the world as away from God. We should be allowing God to really use children, and not hindering them!

I really want to see SA’s kids be used in a mighty way! Its part of why I am involved in uThando. I believe God has mighty plans for them! Won’t you join God in making that possible… by changing the way you see children. After all the God of the universe is not restricted by size or age!