A source of fear

I have just started work again and I must tell you I have forgotten how versatile people are and each individual can really be so different from the rest.  Thinking about the lady I work with, she is short and stout, pear-shaped with long brown hair.  She doesn’t wear any makeup and cusses all the time.  It seems to me that every second work is a swear word.  It seems to be part of her vocabulary.  She praise God with the same mouth and yet she can swear just as badly.

One thing is for sure she is fearful of dying.  Each day we would chat about this and that and then boom; she is reminded of someone who passed away and would discuss them in detail.  At first it didn’t worry me but lately it is working on my nervous.

I find it disturbing to hear about dead people each day and today it is a relief not to be speaking about dead people but look what I am writing about?  My goodness, I don’t have to be writing about this but look at my title ‘the source of fear … dead people’.

Thinking about a sermon I was listing this morning Pastor Brian Houston discussed his trip to the USA where he visited Pastor Joel Osteen.  On discussing the trip Pastor Brian told of an event they attended at a ranch and the huge bulls all around them.  The thing that got onto him was the ‘cow dung’ which clung to his shoes and he just couldn’t get rid of it.  So I am starting to wonder if this ‘dead people’ thing is something that is sticking to this poor woman and she just cannot get rid of it.

How to approach this matter will be interesting and I must tell you I believe I can only do this by consulting my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  There is no other way, I would have to speak to the Lord and trust in Him to renew my thinking and help her to change her speaking.

So I am going to focus on the Word of God Luke 6: 45 ‘The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For what you say flows from what is in your heart.’

The condition of this ladies heart is dread of dying I need to help her see life instead of dying.

I want to pray and ask the Lord to help me and guide me so that I am able to give her sound advice and help her face each day without worrying about dying.  She needs to start living her life in abundance and not by worry about something like dying.

New every morning

Lamentation 3: 22 – 23

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

Each day has its own challenges and we don’t always know how to deal with them.  I believe these challenges are to help each of us grow and draw us closer to the Lord.  The Lord has been so gracious and provided something good in my life.  My latest challenge is to get along with new people of different cultures and they don’t always understand me or I them.

I thank the Lord God for His great love that is not consuming and His compassion that never fails.  I also thank the Lord God for them new every morning; great is my Lord’s faithfulness.  I want to make it my goal in life going forward to grow old gracefully, to be kind and show compassion.  I want to be able to listen to people and not interrupt them.  I want to be able to speak to them without accusing them.  I want to be able to give without being stingy.  It is my desire to pray without ceasing for each of the people I love and care for and also for those I don’t know.  I want to be able to answer without starting an argument.  I want to share without pretending and enjoy without complaining.  It is my desire to trust without wavering and forgive without seeking punishment.  Make promises without forgetting.  In doing all of these things I want to glorify my Lord Jesus and take Him as my clothing.

As it says in Romans 13: 14 ‘clothe yourself with the LORD Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for {indulging} the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature].’

In doing all of this I want to be content with whatever the circumstances are in my life.  I am turning all my desires and cares over into the Lords Hands.  God knows my desires, and the Lord knows what is best for me.   I am choosing to trust in Him and in God’s timing.

In so doing I want to ask the Lord to let me live a bold and confident and overcoming life.  As I am the righteousness of God in Christ as 2 Corinthians 1:9 puts it ‘but this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.’ 

The Lord God promised in Jeremiah 29: 11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD.  They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.’  Why would God state this in the Bible if that wasn’t the case?  I believe God wants me to prosper.  Praise the Lord for being kind, loving and caring.  Praise the Lord for looking out for each one of us and helping me grow old gracefully with dignity and understanding.  I am being transformed into Jesus Christ’s image through the Word of God. 

The last breath of winter as spring arrives

 

Red, yellow and brown maple leaves falling from the trees
a chilling wind raising some leaves wafting away
exposing the naked barks to the chilling wind

Whistling threw the trees the wind winds around and about
swirling the red, yellow and brown maple leaves still hanging on the trees
pulling at the leaves as the wind picks up and pulls more leaves to the ground

Red, yellow and brown maple leaves cover the ground
resting and turning brown as the days move along
Flickers of sunlight peeking through the clouds touching a carpet of brown leaves

Birds come to rest on the bare barks singing their merry songs
A warmth is felt all over the fields as the buds of little green leave appear
Gently spring is moving closer taking tiny steps 

Haiku poem

by 

Yvette van Niekerk 

(13 July 2012)

Temptation

Watching people around me and thinking about what I want to do with my life, I honestly want to be a nicer me.  One of my dreams are to grow old gracefully.  It is important that I live a graceful life that is fulfilled with all the joys that live has to offer me.  God has blessed me with a wonderful man that is constantly praising me.  God has blessed me with children that fulfil my life with joy and also with a granddaughter that makes me smile and thank the Lord.

James 1: 12 ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation …’  You think that you can work around your temptations and you believe that you have the upper hand but be careful, temptation of getting even can bring you down.  Are you struggling with the temptation of eating too much?  Looking at the slice of chocolate cake you’re tempted to only take one little bite.  What is the harm in having a tiny slice of cake?  After you take that bite you lose yourself and before you know it you have eaten the entire cake.  You were blinded by the dark sweet chocolate and red cherries; the sweetness is so binding you just cannot stop it from overwhelming you.  Then the grinding painful thoughts keep haunting you as you look at yourself in the mirror.  

My advice to you is to stop, think about your situation or circumstances and then to take the correct action.  Once you stand still and look at the situation or circumstances you are able to actually make the right decision.  We never really think about it but temptation is something that is orchestrated to firstly blind you for that moment and then bind you for another minute and the final blow which will take its toll is to grind you for a very long time.  The devastation and reality of temptation is that you have failed at taking control over your actions.  

A fresh cup of tea

Placing a tea cup and tea pot on my tray
On the hand crocheted doily

A sugar bowl with spoon on my tray
As well as a jar of golden honey

The kettle boiled and I pour the boiling water
into the tea pot which covers the teabag

As the tea starts to brew I place a little plate
of biscuits on my tray with the tea pot

Entering the lounge I place the tray on the table
Sitting down I take my teapot and start pouring
the rich flavoured tea into my tea cup

Adding honey to sweeten my tea
I start to stir it until the honey has been absorbed
lifting the tea cup with saucer I place it on my lap
taking a sip of the tea I feel refreshed and start
to relax.

Listen now, my people, and come to me;
come to me, and you will have life! – Is 55:3

Poem by Yvette on tea

Driving through the mist

It’s early morning and it is cold as we get into the car.  A normal morning I thought, as we headed off to the Highway on our way to work.  On reaching the Highway you can see the mist rolling in.

It is still dark outside as a blanket of mist covering the road ahead; nothing is visible around us as we drive down the road with our hazards flickering on and off warning the people from behind to slow down.

Protocol calls for slower driving and adjusting speed limits as the mist doesn’t want to give way this time.  As I look out over the fields which aren’t visible I start thinking how fairy tail likes to seems.  This white blanket of mist rolling over the fields and covering everything it touches.  It starts to remind me of the Holy Spirit which comes softly into your heart; as a gentle soft white mist covering me, from tip to toe.  How awesome is our Lord God. 

                                                                                                  

As the light starts to shine through the darkness seems to fade away but the mist is still hanging over the land, the mist seems to lift here and there.  The movement of the vehicles seems to chase the mist forward but when you look again it seems to come and rest over the land.

How amazing is the world around us, it seems to light up as the sun starts to peak over the horizon.  A new day is dawning and we are so blessed to start the day together.  I am so happy to be driving to work with my husband at my side and knowing that we will see each other through the course of the day. 

Romans 8: 1 NKJV ‘There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.’

Thank You Lord Jesus for seeing me as valuable to You, Lord thank You also for making me strong and most of all Lord seeing me as capable, trustworthy and talented, thank you Lord.

We serve an awesome God allowing us to experience His supernatural favour in our lives.  Today I choose to see God’s purpose in my life and to know that the Lord Jesus Christ loves me and that He cares for me and I am seen as valuable and worthy of the Lord my God.

Take time in the word of God and see God’s supernatural favour all around you.  See the mist settling down all around you as the Holy Spirit in and all around you.  How awesome is the Lord my God, using the mist to remind me of His great and awesome power?  Trusting and believing in the Lord God is so awesome.