Yvette's Whispers of Faith

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A Note of Gratitude to My Readers

To everyone who has stopped by, clicked a link, and taken a moment to read, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Seeing people find their way to this little corner of the internet has meant more than I can easily put into words. Whether you stumbled across a post by accident or came back intentionally, your presence here has not gone unnoticed, and it has not been taken for granted. I'll be honest with you: I'm still learning. This blog is as much a journey for me as it is (I hope) something valuable for you. I'm growing slowly, finding my rhythm, and working on building the consistency and diligence that good writing deserves. There were gaps, and there may be bumps ahead, but I'm committed to showing up more, sharing more, and improving with every post. So if you've been patient with me, thank you. If you're new here, welcome, you arrived at just the right time. More is coming. With gratitude, Yvette van Niekerk

Under Construction: Finding Strength and Hope in a Year of Change

Hello, my dear readers! What a journey it has been. As I sit down to write this, I am reflecting on the fact that this year is shaping up to be a major year of construction in my own life. I kicked off the month with the Daniel Fast (10 more days to go—I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!), and I’ve been thinking a lot about building a new foundation. Looking Back to Move Forward If I’m being completely honest, last year was one of the difficult ones—the kind of year I hope I never have to relive. Family life felt heavy, with constant fighting and backstabbing that left me drained. Work was the usual "get back on the horse and ride." However, in the midst of the storm, I found my anchors. Diving into Digital Marketing has been a fascinating learning curve and kept my mind busy. I also found peace with my hands—baking cakes and crocheting snuggle bunnies for little ones. And then, the news that changed everything: I’m going to be a granny! The year ...

A Rainy Monday Reflection

It is Monday afternoon, and the rain falls with a steady, insistent grace, turning the world outside a shade darker, cooler, almost contemplative. As I begin to wrap up my day, a day full of busyness, meetings, and the relentless pursuit of information. I am reminded that even the most carefully laid plans may be interrupted. The water purifier, that humble servant of modern comfort, has chosen to fail me today. And still, no water. Yet, in these inconveniences, there is a certain poetry. This morning commenced with a delightful meeting with my daughter, a conversation full of plans and hope. Later, tasks awaited me, each one demanding attention, and yet the electricity, that most ordinary of blessings, refused to grace our home until well after 9:30. One cannot help but wonder what tomorrow shall bring, given the relentless rain. But it is when one turns from the petty frustrations of water and electricity that the mind may wander to loftier matters, the Word of God, ever the lamp to...

The Tongue I Constantly Bite

“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” — Proverbs 21:23 It is a most intriguing experience, is it not, to stand in the presence of someone who has wounded you and feel a thousand unsaid words rise to the tip of your tongue? Ah, the human tongue. So small, so delicate, so deceptively dangerous. There are moments more than I dare admit, when the sharpness of my thoughts threatens to spill out. At times like these, I find myself pressing my lips together with the elegance of a lady refusing to entertain scandal at a grand ball. But oh, how my thoughts rebel inwardly! I wish I could confess that biting my tongue is a graceful art I have mastered. Truthfully, it is a daily battle. A tug-of-war between the woman I used to be, the woman I long to be, and the woman God is shaping me into, slowly, patiently, faithfully. People observe the stillness of my face and imagine serenity. But inside? A storm often gathers. There are days when the injustice of ...

The Quiet War Between Justice and Mercy

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” — Micah 6:8 It was on an afternoon much like any other, the kind that drifts with deceptive calm; when I found my heart once again caught in that delicate tension between justice and mercy. There she stood the one whose choices had fashioned wounds in my life. A familiar heat rose in my chest, that subtle tightening that whispers of things unresolved. Justice, like a stern but noble general, lifted its head within me and declared, “This is not right. Someone must pay.” But then, as gently as a lace handkerchief falling from a lady’s hand, another voice spoke, softer, almost imperceptible. “Mercy,” it whispered, “belongs to those who trust the Lord.” For years, perhaps a lifetime, I have been a seeker of fairness. A defender of what should have been, what ought to be, and what must never happen again. I have argued cases in the chambers o...

Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

A Reflection Inspired by Zechariah 7:8–10 It was upon this particular morning, as the sun cast its first golden ribbons across the sky, that I found myself once again confronted by the quiet whisper of the Lord; a whisper that tugged gently at the frayed edges of my heart. “Tell them to be honest and fair… to be merciful and kind… to stop plotting evil against each other.” So the prophet Zechariah declared, and so the Lord speaks still. How peculiar, that such a simple command should weigh so heavily upon a soul. And yet, here I stand; a woman who has lived long enough to know that forgiveness is far less a single act, and far more a continual yielding. I forgive… until I see the person. Then my throat tightens, my thoughts bristle, and resentment that unwelcome guest, returns to its familiar seat. Indeed, dear reader, I often find myself biting my tongue with the determination of a duchess maintaining her dignity at a most disagreeable ball. For within me there is a fierce desire for...