I have been praying for many years for my sister and her husband. I was praying for her walk with God and that she will experience God in a more real way. I also prayed for specific disciples to enter her life that could challenge her spiritually.

And all I can say is that God is really moving in my sister’s life. She was baptised the other day and she is beaming and so hungry for more!

All glory to our Lord and Father!

Some of you might know that my husband (Gerhard or liefie) organised a surprise trip for me for our 10 year anniversary to the Philippine Islands. (Check out our photos on facebook, if you want) Well it was an absolute awesome time. It felt like we were on the amazing race! We travelled a lot and on all kinds of transport. My parents came to live with our kids for the time (Zion 4 and Abigail 2)

It was the first time we left them for more than 2 days, since they were born, so it was a bitter, sweet occasion. But I enjoyed every moment with my husband, especially looooonnnng uninterrupted conversations.

I can recommend a 2nd honeymoon for any couple!!

It is amazing how you can use these times to take stock of your life and to gain perspective. But running away or thinking a holiday will solve all your problems, will not work as all of you know.

What challenges me spiritually lately is something I read by Oswald Chambers. He wrote: “We all think we need to do great or exceptional things for God, but we need to be exceptional or great in every little thing, in the everyday walk of life, that is what makes a difference!”  If you change a nappy exceptionally or you go about your everyday job exceptionally, that is what makes you the salt of the earth!

Linked with that is something that Heinz said: “The here, us and now is what ensures us our inheritance!”

I want to make a difference in all the little things and Lord help me to be the light in the everyday walk of life!

What struck me after reading this book, is that in most of us there is an elder brother spirit that pops out sometimes. Even just a long the lines of being surprised if something bad happens to us, thinking “Lord I am serving you and living a moral , good life and this should not be happening to me.” You see, in thinking this we still don’t understand the Gospel and God’s grace, because it means that because we are “good” we think we deserve certain things and that means that although we do the right things we are doing it still for our own selfish gain! So in essence we believe in good works!

This Book also talks about the elder brother (being the elder brother in the story of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32) and that it is sometimes harder for the elder brothers , those who live a moral, good life to accept God’s grace, because you don’t think you need it! And that means we don’t understand what is sin, because when we do the right things but to earn God’s brownie points or in thinking that being good will gain us a good life, we are still serving ourselves and the focus is still on us and not on our relationship with our heavenly Father.

We all fall short of the glory of God and all of us live daily by His grace!!

John 16:33 “ I have told you these things, so that IN ME you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. “

This scripture really ministered to me lately!! There is NO PEACE but IN JESUS CHRIST!

He is our only safe place. “In this world you will have trouble” .. why are we surprised when we have trouble in this world and my question is are we running to Jesus to find peace in Him?

He is our only hope!! and He is really my hope!

I don't know how anyone can live without Jesus!!

Well, easter is coming up and once again I have great ideas, but whether it will realise, I don't know!

I have a dream to make easter a really special time in our family. To bring back the true meaning and to make it enjoyable and a time to remember.

And how am I planning to do this?

Some of my ideas are:

• to have a special candle-light dinner on the easter Fri.

• to let the kids make crosses while we explore the meaning of easter and

• to swop our crosses at dinner table.

• I want to check out some special recipes , for instance unleavened bread etc.

On the Easter Sunday I want to:

• organise a easter hunt for the kids although we don't do the easter bunny thing

• Have a special coffee time where we explain the resurrection of Jesus

• Maybe get the kids to paint some rocks to remind us that Jesus was raised from the dead

Well those are just some of my ideas, if you have any ideas that you can share with me, please do!!

May you all be blessed this easter time!!

While we were on holiday in Morgansbay I asked the Lord to show me what He wants me to focus on in 2010 and I believe this was part of His answer:

2010 must be a year of:

FRIENDSHIP: I want to spend more time on building those precious friendships in my life and I want to be a better friend.

LAUGHTER: I just want to laugh more and make other people laugh more

JOY: I want to really come back to a place where I find joy in the Lord and in my salvation and through that be an example and blessing to others, especially in my family. I want to create an environment where we as family can experience laughter and joy

MORE IS LESS: This is actually a theme that we as elders are exploring . I want to trust the Holy Spirit to guide me to do less better and to focus only on that which God wants me to focus on. I want to be more effective in the Kingdom of God

SPACIOUSNESS: I want to create a haven for my husband and my family, a spaciousness from where we can operate and be effective in the Kingdom of God.

You see as a young family serving in the Kingdom of God, a lot of what we do is very rushed, especially with 2 todlers who do not understand the term: “Ons is haastig of maak gou”

I want to be more organised and more relaxed and bring an 'unrushness' to our household. For instance I want to pack bags, lay the table, put kids' clothes ready for a Sunday morning on a Saturday evening and start the Sunday morning with a worship CD playing in the background, etc..... In any case, I want to try..

As I said I don't really believe in new year resolutions, mainly because I don't think many of us are very successful in keeping them BUT I want to trust in my Lord to guide me in all these areas and by HIS SPIRIT only will I achieve any of these, because as Helet, I know I will fail.