An Unusual Palace

 In France there is a fascinating and unusual palace. Even more interesting is the story behind it. One day a postman stumbled on an unusual stone as he did his postal rounds, and it revived a dream of his—to build a palace. He decided to build a palace from stones. He began to collect some every day. 33 years later the extraordinary palace was finished.

It is incredible what one ordinary postman could do with simple stones and a whole lot of patience, vision and perseverance.

It is also amazing what God can do with ordinary people when they give their ordinary lives, talents, days and moments to Him. In His hands, He makes them into something beautiful that honours Him and brings benefit and blessing to the people around them.

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. ” Dwight L. Moody

This postman is also an encouragement to me to fulfil the dreams that God has put in my heart. It takes patience, vision, perseverance and a whole lot of God’s grace. It takes a lot of faithful plodding, trusting God, and taking the next step. But the end result is not a palace that has to be left behind when I die, but something that will count for all eternity. I will never forget what one preacher said. “I used to try to build something. Now I try to build lives.”

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Too Late

 "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazerus.
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was." John 11:5-6

I have been thinking on this story, and these are some things I have noticed. (Read John 11 for the whole story.)

*Sometimes we doubt God's love and care when we are waiting for Him to answer. And yet it may because of his love and care that He is waiting.

*Waiting times do end. Jesus did come.

*What God has in mind is always bigger and better than what we have in mind.

*With God, there is always hope.

*Jesus is not heartless. He cares about our pain and the fact that we don't understand.

*Mary and Martha both went to Jesus when they heard that He had come. They took their pain and questions to Him. They didn't avoid and stay away from Him because they didn't understand. We need to take our pain and questions to Him, too. Then He will help us.

*We need to follow God's instructions and obey His promptings even when they make no sense to us. (Take away the stone from the grave!)

*Sometimes we object at the way God wants to answer. (Lord, by this time he stinketh)

*God always hears our prayers and knows our needs. Just because He hasn't answered yet doesn't mean He's forgotten about you.

*With God, all things are possible. He's limitless!

*God's timing is different than ours. What we think is "too late" to God is "right on time!" We need to trust God's timing.

A Quick Fix

 When Joseph was younger, we were getting ready for school. Joseph had a cold. I happened to see what was in the pockets of his school shorts before we went out the door. It was full of vitamin C tablets and peppermints.

"Joseph, you can't have all those today." I told him.

"But I want to get better," he exclaimed, bursting into tears. My heart melted, but I had to empty his pockets.

Joseph wanted a quick fix for his cold. And yet, it would have done more damage than good.

I am sometimes like Joseph. I like quick fixes. I want out of any problem or pressure. And yet, how much I would miss if I always had a quick fix. It would do more damage than good.

If I'd had a quick fix when Lydia was born, I would have had no book to write as a testimony of God's grace helping us through that hard year.

If I always had quick fixes, I wouldn't have much to write about or share. Because most of what God teaches me is through pressure and challenges.

Abraham wanted a quick fix in having a son. So he married Hagar. It caused more trouble than good.

Rebecca and Jacob wanted a quick fix in getting God's promise. So they deceived Isaac and cheated Esau. As a result, Jacob had to leave and he never saw his mother again.

If Jesus had a quick fix when he was on the cross, there would be no salvation for sinners.

Are you are going through a challenge or waiting time? Be patient and trust God to bring you out in His timing. A quick fix will do more harm than good!

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4

The Value of Children

Yesterday morning I helped for the first time at a preschool. Our Christian school has a little preschool one morning a week and all of our children went to it. Now as all of my children are at school and a new preschool helper was needed, I am helping.

But before I went, I read my children a Bible story at the breakfast table. We were up to the story of Jesus blessing the children. What a fitting story! 

Jesus wasn't too busy for children. He didn't think they were any less important than anyone else. He made time in His busyness to be with them and bless them.

What an example to us!

It's easy to think that's it's less important to teach the littles ones as they don't understand so much.

It's easy to underestimate the value of working with children, whether it's mothering, changing nappies, feeding babies, reading stories, cuddles, playing, going for a walk, school teaching or homeschooling.

It also applies to the special needs children who don't understand as much as the others. They're just as important!

Song and Vlog

Did You Think to Pray?

  My husband is currently renovating our kitchen. When he got to needing an electrician, he found he couldn't get one until four weeks later. This would hold up the whole process so it was a bit annoying. When we all prayed as a family after dinner, I prayed that we would find someone who could do it sooner. Afterwards my husband thanked me for praying about it. He said, "I didn't think to pray about it." My husband is a praying man, but it just hadn't occurred to him to pray about this specific problem. And I'm sure there's many times I haven't thought to pray about things, too.

    We found another way to look for electricians who were less busy, and a few days later had an electrician doing the job.
    Nothing is too small, too big, too practical or too personal to pray about. God has a solution to every one of our problems. God sometimes answers in completely different ways than we expect and sometimes He teaches us to wait patiently and trust His timing and wisdom. And of course, He sometimes says, "No."
But it makes a huge difference when we think to pray about everything.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

What is bothering you right now? What problem are you facing?

Have you thought to pray about it?

When You're Waiting...

    Yesterday I had to go to The Little Haven at 8:00 am to unlock the doors. My husband, Johan, had organized for someone to come and fix the heat pump. Since Johan was working, he asked me to go down and open up. But it had been organized at a least 1-2 weeks before. The night before I was thinking how I was going to get down there with four children by 8:00am. I wondered if they were still planning on coming as we hadn't heard anything since. They were also traveling at least an hour to get there. So I wrote down the contact number to take with me incase they didn't turn up.

    The next morning we all got dressed, had an early breakfast and drove down. I parked around the front and unlocked both the front and back door as I didn't know which door they would come too. I asked two of my children to take their game to the kitchen at the back so they would see if anyone came to the back door. I waited in the car around the front with my two other children. At 8:10 we were still waiting. I didn't mind waiting, but I wanted to know for sure that they were actually coming. So I texted the mobile number I had to ask. I got an answer confirming that they were on their way. So we waited and waited. Finally, around 8:30 they turned up and we could go back home again till they were finished.

    Waiting can be hard. Especially when you're not 100% sure that what you're waiting for is definitely coming. It can be so easy to doubt! For me I had to trust the person's email. And then when they were late and I sent a message, I had to trust their reply message that they were on their way. Even though for a while I could see no sign of them, I had to trust their promise. I also had to be prepared for them to come to both doors.

    It's the same with God. In the waiting times, we need to trust His words. His promises. Maybe we need to ask for confirmation when we're unsure. But we need to take Him at His word even when we can't see any sign of an answer yet. His timing may be different from ours. And He may not answer in the way we are expecting. There is more than one door He can come to!

    If there is something you are waiting for right now, stay close to God's promises and trust His Word.

Which Backpack are You Carrying?

 Two people went on a hike. They both had backpacks. The girl had a small backpack with essentials. The boy had a large backpack with everything they might possibly need. Talk about being prepared! The only problem was he could hardly lift his! Having to lug this heavy pack around slowed them down. The girl told him to leave it, but there was no way he would. Later on there was an accident and he fell off a cliff into the lake below. The girl looked down and all she could see was a big backpack floating in the water. The heavy weight was keeping the boy under. She dove in, pack and all, and was able to get his head above water and pull him to land. In the end, he finally let go of all those things they might need!

I heard this story recently, and while I doubt it's true, I think it's a perfect object lesson. I can't get the picture of that heavy backpack out of my mind---slowing them down on the track and holding the boy under the water. And the fact that it was the person with the small backpack that could help someone else. The person with the big pack could hardly take care of himself! There are lessons we can learn from this, both spiritual and practical. 

1)First, the practical.

Stuff can be a heavy weight. It's possible to drown and be overwhelmed by stuff. Like that boy, we can hang on to everything we might need in the future. It's hard to let things go that we might need one day. But if we don't, we have to care for it, clean it, organize it, store it and let it fill up our space. Instead of being free to help others, we are too busy trying to take care of all our stuff. But oh, the relief we feel when we let it go! It is like a big heavy pack dropping off our back down to the cliff below. While it's hard and painful to let go and trust God for the future, it's also hard to have that heavy burden to lug around. Like the girl with the small backpack, there are things we need. We can't live with nothing. But there is a limit to how much we need. We can choose between a heavy pack or a light pack. We aren't all the same and we all have different capacities for how much we can manage. The girl also needed help in the story at times, but not because of the pack she was carrying. We all need help sometimes (and some heavy burdens we carry are not our choice), but the help we need shouldn't be self-inflicted!

2)Now, the spiritual. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 says,...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus...

The Christian life is like a race or a hike. We need to travel light! There are many things that can weigh us down and make our growth much more slow than necessary. 

Unbelief and wanting to see before we will trust
Fear, worry and all the what ifs

Covetousness, greed and attachment to things

Envy and jealousy

Sin and guilt from the past (if it's been dealt with and forgiven, it doesn't need to be a weight)

Pride and the fear of what people will think

Friends that are a negative influence

Impatience

etc.

What is hindering your spiritual growth? What is stopping you from taking the next step? What are you not willing to give up?

Here are some things that should be in your backpack!

Faith, Prayer, Contentment, Thankfulness, Patience, Love for God and others, Humility, Peace, Trust, Joy, Self control, Perseverance etc.

The Bible also says in Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Are you bringing all the things that burden you to the Lord in prayer?

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Waiting

 Waiting! Yes, patiently waiting! 

Till next steps made plain shall be;

To hear, with the inner hearing,

The Voice that will call for me.

Waiting! Yes, hopefully waiting!

With hope that need not grow dim;

The Master is pledged to guide me,

And my eyes are unto Him.

Waiting! Yes, waiting, still waiting!

I know, though I've waited long,

That, while He withholds His purpose,

His waiting cannot be wrong.

Waiting! Expectantly waiting!

Perhaps it may be today

The Master will quickly open

The gate to my future way.

Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still waiting!

The Master will not be late

For He knoweth that I am waiting

For Him to unlock the gate.

~J.D.Smith~

Cultivating Patience, Sowing Seeds etc. Vlog

This week I felt very uninspired and I prayed about skipping a video this week. But after praying about it, I realized I did have a few things to share. I also remembered Ecclesiastes 11:6 which I talk about and explain. I share some ways to cultivate patience, some thoughts about staying close to God and about gratitude, some frugal living tips and some good Christian movie recommendations.