My 2010 81

This year I discovered a key, which has made such a difference in my life... thankfulness. I know, after 32 years of being a Christian, you'd think I would have it down, but they say the most difficult distance to conquer is the 30cm between your head and your heart, and I think that was the case with me.

I've learned that thankfulness opens your heart, to see the blessings that you already have, and to receive more blessings, it also gives God the chance to work on the rubbish that we have hidden in the dusty corners. And it is a discipline - you don't always feel thankful, but once you start counting your blessings, you become thankful.


So as 2010 draws to a close, I've decided to make a list of 81 things which I have enjoyed in this amazing year, as my tribute to my heavenly Father, and his work in my life. SO here goes (in no particular order - as they pop into my head!)


Lord I am so thankful for:


1. My relationship with you. You are my life and my reason to live.


2. Jonathan, a wonderful husband who is my best friend, my warm place in a cold world

3. Special times together as a family - lots of laughter

4. Kenan, and the deep philosophical chats we so often have

5. Asher, our professor, who organises us all and keeps us in line, while at the same time providing lots of laughs

6. Shaylah, my princess, who sings her way thru life

7. Gabi, the cutest little blessing, who can always make me smile

8. Our trip to Manila and Kuala Lumpur, which was a complete miracle, and changed me forever, in so many ways.

9. My coffee machine :o)

10. Saturday nights with the extended family - which range from theological discussions, to chick flicks, to silliness and plumbing jokes.

11. My church family, so diverse and beautiful

12. Kick 2010 holiday club, we froze, but God was at work in children's lives

13. The world cup in SA, which was not the disaster some predicted, but brought us all closer together.

14. The jacaranda's in Jozi - they remind me that you are an artist.

15. My parents, and the legacy of their love for me, which has made me who I am.

16. Countless ideas, some of them far fetched, some doable.

17. The times I have thought I heard your voice, and then found that it definitely was you speaking.

18. The kids of Jozi Lights - so many amazing individuals - what a privelege to watch them becoming.

19. The Swazi Nevilles, who are so much more part of our lives now.

20. Spring, full of promises of new beginnings

21. My family's health - we've only had 1 trip to the doc this year.

22. Our home, which is a safe, cool place to escape to.

23. All the brilliant books I've read this year, and the people who wrote them.

24. Virgin active, an easy means to stay in shape.

25. Finances - you have never let us down.

26. Sunday mornings - in all the busyness and excitement, you always show up and work in kidz lives.

27. Gerda and the amazing team of Tots leaders - they minister your heartbeat.

28. Adding Letty to our team - she has been a HUGE blessing to Jozi Kidz, and a wonderful friend.

29. Mentorship group, which keeps me challenged and growing.

30. Our car

31. Friends who speak into my life

32. The ease with which Asher and Shaylah adjusted to school life

33. My precious new niece, Bethany

34. People all over the world who pray for our family

35. My Wednesday morning escapes.

36. Dates with Jonty

37. Unlimited (mostly) easy internet access

38. Praise and worship times at church, when I have felt God's presence

39. My pencils and sketch pad

40. The near misses you have saved us from

41. Your word, which leads and guides and inspires me every day

42. Our Wednesday night "garage drive-in" nights

43. Our trip to minister in Kimberly, and the new friends we made there.

44. 3 trips to Bulembu - a town that has crept into my heart.

45. The opportunities my kids have to play cricket, do art, ballet, band etc.

46. Tuesday morning 'chapel' meetings

47. Our connect group - Thursday night family!

48. Ladies' connect - what awesome ministry I've received there.

49. The brilliant sermons I have heard this year.

50. The privelege of parenting a teenager.

51. The children of Hope Street, with so much character and charm

52. The start of 'Jozi Roses' - a small group of future world changers

53. The music of Jesus Culture, Hillsong, HP Jozi and Passion, which has been the soundtrack of my life this year.

54. A lovely visit from Lynda and Donna, with amazing conversations.

55. Jesse Random Smith, who will add so much to our team next year.

56. Being part of the Every Nation Family, with its brilliant culture of discipleship.

57. The generosity of HP Jozi, which made our Christmas tree Project a reality.

58. Fresh dreams, vision and inspiration for next year.

59. Being part of the Rainbow Nation

60. The Jozi Kidz Christmas production, with all the fun and laughter it brought.

61. Music from the bandstand era, playing as I type this.

62. Fun times of watching You Tube clips with the family.

63. A dad who can fix almost anything.

64. My creative mom, who blesses us with precious homemade gifts.

65. Our brilliant, diverse team of Jozi Kidz leaders, who often sacrifice so much to serve.

66. The healthy body in which I reside.

67. The special family Christmas that we'll soon be having.

68. All the people who care enough, or are bored enough to read this blog!!! ;o)

69. Fruit and veg city (love our weekly trips to splurge on healthy food.)

70. Augustina who cleans our house so faithfully every Thursday, and often goes above and beyond the call of duty.

71. That we've managed to keep Talitha the bunny alive for a full year.

72. The joy and peace that passes understanding that I find whenever I come into your presence.

73. Your amazing grace, that saved a wretch like me.

74. Colours!

75. My cousin Warwick who blessed us with some wonderful kitchen stuff.

76. Sue and her boys

77. Cheesecake and biltong

78. The little details, which always fall into place.

79. The Jozi Kidz worship band.

80. Running water, electricity and indoor plumbing.

81. Coffee shops.

Lessons from the washing line

I went out to take on the profound task of hanging out the laundry. As I was about to hang the first black t-shirt, the sun in my eyes was dazzling, and I was about to turn my back to it, when I made a mind-blowing discovery - that little black t-shirt could actually block out the sun! How is that possible, when the sun is an incredibly large mass of burning gases, 109 times bigger than the earth? Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that it's all about proximity - the closer I stood to that T shirt, the more my vision of the sun was obstructed!

By now, my childrens pastor's brain was ticking - there had to be a lesson in there somewhere...

So often, we look at a problem, or a fear, or an obstacle of some sort, and it just seems huge. SO huge in fact, that we can't see how it can be tackled. We're so busy focusing on the issue, that we cannot see our huge God, who is so much bigger, and more than able to take on any issue (he is, after all the one who made that very big sun!)

Thinking about it some more I realised that sometimes the 't-shirt' could be disappointment in God. I prayed for a child to be healed, and she passed away. That disappointment obscured my view, and for a long time I was scared to pray. A few weeks ago, I heard about another child, who had been diagnosed with cancer, and had a tumor on his kidney the size of a tennis ball. I decided to look past the problem, and look to Jesus. We prayed for Ryan's healing, and a few days later the doctors got ready to operate - but they couldn't find the tumor! It had vanished - only God could do that!

So now, hopefully I will remember my lesson from the washing line, and when I am faced with a 't-shirt,' I will take a step back and look at my amazing God.

"Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered in shame." Psalm 34:5

"Step out of the traffic and take a long, loving look at me, your high God, above politics, above everything" Psalm 46:11 (The Message)

@ God's Window

God has been at work in me for the past couple of years - showing me who I am (and who I'm not), teaching me to trust Him and to 'glory in my weaknesses'. He's still at work, and has a long way to go, but His plans for me at EN2010 were a bit different. I felt like He was saying, "Ok, so you know I love you a lot, but it's time for you to look at the view from here, see things as I see them."

In Mpumalanga, there is a place called God's Window, where, on a clear day, you can see for hundreds of kilometers, and it's breathtaking! For me, EN2010 felt a little like that. People from 60 nations gathered together. We rejoiced together and we cried together. We heard stories of heroism, of persecution, and the joy of suffering for your faith.

It all started with a parade of nations, and a call to 'come together.' It was a proud South African moment for us as we marched in our yellow soccer jerseys, blowing Vuvuzelas - but it was an even prouder kingdom-of-God moment seeing people from churches in restricted nations walking in.

And the tears kept coming... Singing "Amazing Grace" in 50 languages was poignant and beautiful. It made me realise how my heart longs for heaven. I think the highlight was when we prayed for churches in restricted nations. I felt like God had transplanted a tiny piece of His heart into me. I felt how His heart breaks for people who haven't heard about the hope He gives. And I felt a call to do more - to step out of my comfortable life and make a difference. I'm still working on how to do that... but I can't go back!

Dancing deeper in creativity...

This is a line from a Kim Walker song that keeps running thru my head. I love it, because it's so true - the more time I spend in God's presence, the more creative ideas come to me, and it shouldn't be surprising really - he's an amazingly creative God - he made you and I! It's interesting that the first person to be filled with God's Spirit (after God breathed into Adam and Eve) was not a prophet, or a priest, but a craftsman named Bezalel (see Exodus 30:1-10). God will breathe His Spirit into our work too, if we take the time to place it in His hands, and ask for His guidance and direction. How awesome is that?

A new form of expression

Since this is my first ever blog, I guess it should probably be deeply meaningful and profound ... hmmm ... that could take a while! I'm hoping this blog will be a way for me to grow the writing gift that I know God has given me. I often feel inspired to start writing, but the question of where to start always stops me in my tracks and I just don't. Hopefully this will change that!