Where are you from? 

Since moving to Texas, I am often asked where I’m from because of my accent. 

Most people guess that I’m British or Australian, with only a handful correctly guessing that I’m from South Africa. 

But there is so much more to the answer of where I am from. 

I was born in Lourenço Marques (now known as Maputo), Mozambique which at the time of my birth was a Portuguese Colony. Both of my parents were born in Portugal and moved to Mozambique as children (my mother was 2 and my father was 9 when their families moved to Mozambique). They met and married in Mozambique and my sister and I both were born there. When I was 3 or 4 years old, Mozambique gained independence from Portugal and civil war broke out. My dad decided we needed to leave, and 7 days later, my mom, my sister and I were over the border in Salisbury, Rhodesia (at the time a British Colony – it is now known as Harare, Zimbabwe).  My dad went back to Mozambique to finalize the necessary documents for our move and to get our things out of the country. Thankfully, my dad is extremely connected as he was a basketball star in Mozambique and Portugal and managed to get all our things out. So many others lost everything! (My dad played basketball internationally and was the captain of the Mozambique / Sporting team. We have wonderful photos of him being carried through crowds in the airport upon returning from some overseas tournament wins – exciting days…. but I digress!). 

Almost all my extended family moved to Portugal, some returning and some living there for the first time. 

In Zimbabwe, I had to learn English so that I could attend school. Up until this time, I was speaking only Portuguese. So began the accents in my family. I’ve always had a different accent to my parents, and they had different accents to each other. I guess that happens when you learn a new language. 

Rhodesia then gained independence from Britain (and became Zimbabwe) and sadly, as in Mozambique, civil unrest ensued. I remember going to school with armed soldiers surrounding my school. I remember my dad serving in the Rhodesian Army and coming home with rifles, and I remember being frightened. It was at that time that I began to be aware of my surroundings and it was the first time that I experienced the feeling of being unsafe (but that’s for a different time). My dad worked for a company that had a branch in South Africa and requested a transfer, which they granted. So, we packed up again and travelled for 3 days by train from Harare, Zimbabwe to Johannesburg, South Africa where my mom had some family (what a blessing they were to our family!).

Thankfully the company made all the legal arrangements and the arrangements for our household items to be sent to South Africa, because leaving Zimbabwe at that time, they only allowed each person to take one suitcase and Zim $1000 (which today would be approx. US$6,000) per family. Again, many lost everything whilst trying to leave the country.

Although by this time I’d learnt English, I spoke with a British accent due to being raised in a British Colony. On top of that, I now had to learn another new language (Afrikaans). At 11 years old, this was my 3^rd language and my 3^rd country. 

I lived in South Africa for 15 years, and I picked up a mostly South African accent. I was raised in the height of Apartheid and lived in South Africa post-Apartheid too. It’s the longest I’ve lived in one city or country. For many reasons, this is the country I call “home” and having spent the first 25 years of my life in Africa, Africa is and always will be home to my heart.

Just before my 26^th birthday, I moved to London. My plan was to work and travel for 2 years (as many of my friends had done / were doing at that time) and then return to South Africa. 

My family were certain I’d return to South Africa within 3 months (I only found this out much later!), but fourteen years later I was still living in London and loving it!! At that point, English was my first language (as it had been since childhood), but I had to change my words and my dialect to be understood. Not everyone understands the difference between “now, now now, and just now”, the meaning of “lekker, takkies, bakkie” or what “Panado” is…one must be South African to understand that (and so much more)! 

Whilst in London, I heard about Human Trafficking and later moved to Thessaloniki, Greece to work for an anti-human trafficking organization. So, I started learning Greek. It was my favourite language to study; however, I didn’t have a lot of time to learn Greek because months later the organization asked me to move to Kyiv, Ukraine. So, I moved to Ukraine – a country I had never even visited to head up their operation. In Ukraine they speak both Russian and Ukrainian (they are different languages – I didn’t realize this until I moved there). Thank God for translators and for Google Translate. I’m not sure I would have survived without them. 

I met my husband online and when we married, I moved to China where he was living at the time. That was the first time I’d ever experienced real Culture Shock (that story is for another time though).  We spent the first five years of our marriage in China where I had to pick up another language to navigate basic life (taxi’s, supermarkets, etc.). It’s the one language I really struggled to pick up and although I didn’t grasp the language, I managed to get by. It’s a tough one for sure!

All of this to say: I’ve lived in 8 countries on 4 continents. I have 3 passports (one of which is issued by a country where I’ve never lived: Portugal). I had residency status in China. I’ve had driving licenses in 3 countries. I’ve attended 3 schools in 2 countries. I’ve travelled to over 140 cities in over 30 countries over 6 continents (I have no plans at this time to visit Antarctica). I speak 3 languages, but I speak each language with an accent. Legally I have 3 surnames / last names: one is Iberian (Portuguese / Spanish), one is Portuguese / Spanish / Italian, and one is American. I’ve been a foreigner all my life and I’ve had a foreign accent everywhere I’ve lived. 

Ancestry.com states that I am 75% Portuguese (no big surprise there), 12% French, 10% Spanish and 3% Irish / Scottish (hilarious!). My DNA tells a very different story to my actual life. 

So, when people ask me where I’m from and I say South Africa, it’s because it’s the easiest answer I can think of.

Kevin and I lived in China for the first 5 years of our marriage. He lived in China for a total of 13 years. 

China was very different to anywhere I’ve ever lived (and I’ve lived in 8 countries over 4 continents so that’s saying something!). Living in China was the first time I experienced culture shock. Everything was so different and often very challenging. We lived in rural China in a city called Zhangjiagang (previously a fishing village). It was a city of around 1.5 million people which is small by Chinese standards (most cities are around 5 million people). Of the 1.5 million people, only around 200 were foreigners. We lived in a compound of about 10,000 people and were the only foreigners. Less than 1% of people spoke English, we couldn’t drive (you have to take the driving test in Chinese to get a license there), there was only one foreign restaurant and we had to travel to another city to buy foreign food. 

Although living in China had its challenges, the Chinese were very welcoming, they treated us well, we had a lovely home and we always felt safe, all of which were a blessing.

We used to travel between China and the US approx. 6-8 times a year to see and spend time with Kevin’s children. The first few times we visited, we either stayed in hotels or Air BnB’s but we wanted a home that we could enjoy as a family, a place where we could create memories together and set down roots. In 2013 we bought a house in San Antonio, Texas and we went on to make it a home for us and Kevin’s children when they were with us and when we were in town.

China was good to us in so many ways and we were and always will be thankful for our time there. We had a good life there, but we yearned to live in the US permanently. It was time. For Kevin, being away from his children became harder and harder. His children are his three loves, and he didn’t want to miss more time with them than he had already missed. 

Kevin had built a successful business in China, and it was going to be tough to sell (seemingly impossible!). Very few people are prepared to make the kind of sacrifice he made to move to China, build a business from scratch, learn a new language and be away from his children and everything that was familiar to him. 

In 2015, Kevin and his business partner (who lived in the US) started talking about the possibility of him buying out Kevin’s 50% share of the business and we were thrilled. Could this be the answer to prayer we had been waiting and believing for?  About a month later, Kevin’s business partner decided to not go ahead, and we were back to square one.  

We continued praying and believing that the Lord would make a way for us to leave China. We didn’t know how or when, all we knew was that God is faithful in all things and that He answers prayer.  

Kevin and I were talking one day, and I said to him “If we believe that the Lord will make a way for us to leave China, we need to start living like we are leaving”, so we started living like we were leaving. Over the next year, we went through our things and donated the things we didn’t want or need and every trip we made to the US that year we took some personal items with us to leave at our home in San Antonio. 

In December of 2016, Kevin business partner again broached the possibility of buying Kevin’s 50% share of the business. This time the discussions proceeded with ease, a deal was made and on March 1, 2017 (just 3 months later!) Kevin and I were on a one-way flight from Shanghai to San Antonio. That was the final time we left China. 

We prayed for 3 years for God to make a way for us to leave China and move to the US permanently. For us, selling Kevin’s business and leaving China was the “parting of the Red Sea”. It was the impossible being made possible. 

Whenever we feel discouraged, we remind ourselves of our “Red Sea” experience and we remind ourselves that if God did the impossible for us then, He will surely do it again….and again….and again. 

We always celebrate March 1^st because it’s the day we left China for the last time and it’s the day we started living in the US permanently (we left China on March 1^st, traveled for 24 hours and arrived in the US on March 1^st…got to love time differences right?). 

The word the Lord gave us for 2017 was PROMISE…..and it was a year that we saw and experienced the promises of God in huge and unforgettable ways! He is a promise keeper!

Isaiah 65:24
I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers. 

This is one of my favourite scriptures. The Lord knows what we need and He is faithful to answer. 

In 2019 on a trip home to South Africa to see my cancer stricken mother, I gave her an iPOD full of worship music and got her the funkiest pink cordless headphones. I taught my mom how to use the iPOD and as she sat in her bed, she chose to listen to “Beautiful Name” by Hillsong Worship. As I watched, my mom closed her eyes, told me she loved this song, smiled, raised her hands and started worshipping. It was the most natural thing to her and for me, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen my mom do. 

Here was my mom, sick, barely able to even sit up, and yet she worshipped!! 

In January 2020, I flew home to South Africa to say goodbye to my precious mother. She was in hospital and the day before she passed away, I took her iPOD with me when I visited her and asked her if she wanted to listen to worship music and she responded that she’d already been worshipping. I sat with her and started singing “Beautiful Name” to her and even in her weakness, she hummed along and we got to worship together. It’s a moment that I’ll treasure forever. 

I’m no singer and I’ve always joked that the only people that enjoy my singing is Jesus and my mom!! But I believe that in that hospital room in the middle of Johannesburg, in a moment that was so imperfect and so heartbreaking, the Lord loved our worship!!! 

Praise and worship are different. Praise can be bestowed upon God, people or things.
Praise is an expression of approval and admiration of someone or something, it’s offering gratitude and saying good things about someone or something. 

Worship is reserved for God alone!

Luke 4:8 & Matthew 4:10 “You must worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” NLT

Exodus 34:14 “You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” ESV

Revelation 19:10 “Worship only God” NLT

Worship is taking our eyes off ourselves, our wants and desires and surrendering to Jesus. It’s an expression of reverence and adoration. It’s extravagant devotion, trust and submission. Worship is an attitude, positioning and realigning of the heart.

Worshipping God is not about how we are feeling, what is happening around us or who we are, it’s about who HE is! Worship changes everything because it connects us to a perfect God! 

How easy it is for us to get discouraged with life. There are always so many things that distract us, call our name, take our time and cause our hearts to break. There are many things that we can and do worry about, it’s human nature. But the nature of God is to draw us to Himself and to envelop us in His grace, love and mercy. 

We don’t need to have it all together to worship. Even when we’re tired, out of words, and have nothing else to offer, we can worship and connect with the ONE who knows all, sees all, understands all, forgives all and loves all!! 

I love how Bob Kauflin puts it… 
“To worship God is to humble everything about ourselves and exalt everything about Him”

Worship is constant, it’s not just for church on Sundays. No matter the circumstance we find ourselves in, no matter how tough or how heartbreaking, we can choose to worship through it. 

“Come let us worship and bow down” Psalm 95:6 NLT

“But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” John 4:23 ESV

“Honour the Lord for the glory of His name, worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” Psalm 29:2 NLT

“thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28 ESV

“Exalt the Lord our God; worship at His footstool! Holy is He!” Psalm 99:5 ESV

When you see this number that represents a year that has quite frankly been the quagmire of all years, what do you think? What words do you use to describe it? What do you feel? 

I’ve had numerous meme’s and jokes sent to me about 2020 and how awful it’s been, how unknown it’s been, how the end of 2020 can’t come to an end quickly enough, etc. And like everyone else, I’ve enjoyed a chuckle and often times can relate to the feelings of exhaustion, frustration and uncertainty being portrayed. 

But, what if 2020 is not about sickness, death, discord, anxiety about the unknown, endless plans being thwarted, an awful virus that has made the whole world come to a screeching halt? 

What if 2020 is about VISION?? 

We’ve all heard of “20/20 Vision”, which is the measure used to express the clarity or sharpness of vision. Interestingly, 20/20 vision is not considered perfect vision, it is considered normal and the goal of glasses or contact lenses is to bring a persons vision to the normal of 20/20.

The definition of vision is this: the ability to think about or plan the future with wisdom, the mode of seeing or conceiving, discernment and foresight. It is the state of being able to see. 

The most important sense is vision.  Vision allows you to see where you are going, to see danger coming towards you, it makes you less vulnerable to things around you, it allows you to connect to your surroundings, it provides the most information to the brain and it helps to maintain the sharpness of our minds. 

Can it be that everything that has happened in 2020 is an opportunity for us to get clearer vision? To bring our vision back to normal?

The events of this year have caused us to absorb and to adjust to information at a rate that has exceeded normal. We’ve been forced to make huge changes to our every day lives in a very short space of time. We’ve had to adjust to the ever changing rules and regulations that promise to keep us safe. Almost every aspect of our lives no longer looks like it used to and it’s caused our vision to skew. 

I think it is safe to say that in 2020, many of us have lost vision, we’ve had so many things getting in the way, so many things caused our vision to blur. 

Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no vision, the people perish” NKJV

In the ESV version, it puts it like this: “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint”

God’s vision is perfect. It has not been altered or impaired by the things going on in the world. He is unwavering, He is constant, His word is unchanged and is as true in 2020 as it has ever been!! In the midst of all the chaos surrounding us, God’s vision for us is still clear. God’s sovereignty, authority and vision are not limited by the circumstances that we find ourselves in and He is not surprised by the events that we are facing. He is all knowing, all seeing! 

Perhaps it’s time for us to regain and refresh our vision, to realign our vision with God’s vision in order to be able to see clearly again, to get back up and to be in a state of being able to see and step forward into 2021. 

God has perfect vision, all we need is 20/20 vision, but if our eyes and hearts are closed to God, we have no vision and may as well navigate life blindly. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”.

“Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay” Habakkuk 2:2-3 ESV

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind” Psalm 146:8 NLT

“Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you” Ephesians 1:18 ESV

“Open my eyes, to see the wonderful truths in your instructions” Psalm 119:18 NLT

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness” Luke 11:34 NLT

“For nothing is impossible with God” Luke 1:37 ESV

Years ago, I was in a very challenging season that entailed caring for a friend for well over a year. It was a very trying and tiring season with many circumstances that brought extreme stress. It is one of the toughest seasons I’ve walked through.

I recall the moment when I found out that this friend had deceived me. I was on a business trip, away from home and alone when I found out.  I’m still amazed today that I      continued to function during that week, being professional, smiling, contributing and being present. It was a hard business trip to say the least!

I remember sitting in my hotel room, speaking to a friend overseas who had been involved in this circumstance with me and listening to how things unfolded and how the deceit was revealed. It was all so shocking and so surreal. Thoughts swirled, my mind was racing, I was confused. How was it possible that everything I’d believed about this friend had been a complete lie from start to finish? I couldn’t understand it, process it or articulate it. I was stunned, speechless!!

Did I mention that after that phone call, I had to attend a business dinner? Ha! Got to love the timing of things sometimes right?

I remember the moment later that night when I had the revelation “what is it that God has ahead for me that the devil would try to use this to discourage me?”

It was powerful, eye opening!! This revelation caused me to get up, dust myself off and step forward into what God had called me to in my next season.

Our world today looks extremely different to how it looked 6 months ago. So much has happened in such a short space of time, so much has changed, the landscape is so new. None of this is what we expected or imagined. Yet, here we are, in this very different world that keeps changing and bringing challenge, uncertainty, disappointment and confusion…to name a few.

There are people that have been ok in this season, that have embraced it, run with it, got on with it etc. There are people that have had struggles in this season and in the spirit of being honest and open, I’m one of those people.  I’ve found myself in shock, almost frozen at times, discouraged, confused and experiencing disbelief at what is going on around me. I’ve never been one to laze about in sweat pants (I don’t even own any sweatpants!!) with dirty hair staring into space whilst sitting on the sofa eating potato chips and that hasn’t changed. I’m still not that person. I get up each day, shower, get dressed, do my hair and make up, cook dinner, do laundry, work, etc. I am still fully functional, but I’ve struggled. Grieving the loss of my mom, caring for my almost 80 year old father from 7,000 miles away, family betrayal and the death of friends due to Covid haven’t helped in this already challenging season.

But in the midst of all of this, I am reminded of that revelation from over a decade ago “What is it that God has ahead for me that the devil would use “this” (ALL of “this”) to discourage me?”

What is it for you that is causing you to stop moving forward, that is confusing you, causing you pain that makes you stop? Whatever it is, know that what God has ahead for you is far greater, far wilder, far better than what you can see or imagine!!
Whatever your “this” is, don’t let the devil convince you that where you are now and that what you see now is all there is for you. God’s word warns us that the devil comes only to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). Don’t let him use your “this” to kill, steal and destroy your dreams, your purpose and your future!

I told my husband the other day that despite what we see, despite what is going on, I have this sense of excitement and hope that cannot be explained. It makes no sense at all. But I know what it is! It’s God’s promise of what is ahead that brings my spirit to life, causes me to have joy and hope. I know that it’s the hope of the Lord for the things that are ahead! He never fails us!

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” NLT

Proverbs 19:21
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” NIV

Lamentations 3:22-23
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” ESV

Isaiah 41:10
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” NLT

Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you” NLT

Deuteronomy 31:6
“For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” NLT

John 16:33
“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” NLT

Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest” NLT

Romans 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” NIV

My precious mother passed away on January 20, 2020.

The day before my mom’s memorial, I checked the weather report (I’m obsessed with the weather, I check it every day!) and saw that it was going to rain on the day of her memorial.

Anyone that knows me well, knows that my hair is naturally curly and I end up looking like a bad version of the Lion King in the rain, so I was not pleased to see that it was going rain on that day. Frizz was not the look I was after!!

Like many African countries, South Africa experiences seasons of drought, (sometimes those seasons last for years!!) and I was reminded that my mom would so often pray for rain for South Africa and that although my mom was no longer here, God was still answering her prayers.

On the day of my mom’s memorial, it did indeed rain and it was perfect! It was an amazing revelation that my mom’s prayers are eternal. Her prayers do not disappear because she is no longer on this earth. God does not and will not stop answering my mom’s prayers. My mom’s prayers will cover me, my husband, my stepchildren, my household and everything else for the rest of my days on earth. WOW!!!!

I shared this revelation at my mom’s memorial and I also shared this revelation with a couple of friends in the US when I returned. One of my friends sent the following quote to me about a week ago and it just so perfectly sums it up!

“Prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God’s heart is to set on them. Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world”

My mom was a HUGE prayer warrior!! She just loved to pray and speak to the Lord. No matter what came up, my mom’s first response was to pray. I can still hear her voice saying “don’t worry, we’ll pray about it”. Whenever there was something going on in my life, I’d always ask my mom to pray. I can’t recall the number of times I asked my mom to pray, either for me or someone else. For my mom, it was an honour to pray for others. It was truly one of the most beautiful gifts that she gave me!!

This is a thread woven through the generations of my family. My Grandmother was also a Godly woman who would pray over all of our family daily.

God is a generational God, He is not limited by time, space or distance and neither are our prayers.

How comforting to know that I and mine are blanketed by the prayers of the righteous women in my family forever. Prayer is a beautiful legacy and a powerful weapon to bestow on those we love. And it’s a legacy that we can all leave.

James 5:16
The earnest prayer of a righteous man (& woman) has great power and produces wonderful results. NLT

Psalm 22:30
Our children will also serve Him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. NLT

1 John 5:15
And since we know that He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for. NLT

Psalm 145:4
Let each generation tell it’s children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim Your power. NLT

Psalm 119:90
Your faithfulness extends to every generation NLT

John 14:14
Yes, ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. NLT

Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all he has done. NLT

 

 

Every year, we pray for God to give us a word to frame the year. We’ve done this for the past 4 years. For some reason, God always speaks that word to me and I share it with my husband and we align ourselves and our year with what God has spoken to us.

At the start of 2019, my husband and I excitedly anticipated our word, but what God gave me was a scripture.

Psalm 23:6 “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all of the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever”

What did this mean? My husband and I were a little confused. Not because we don’t believe God’s word, but we just didn’t see how this was to frame our year?

Nine days after we got this scripture, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This kind of news and the response is never straight forward.

Added to that,  my parents live in South Africa and I live in the US and the fact that I had a passport that was expiring in a few months that I could not travel with (which meant a trip to DC to renew my passport! Gotta love foreign laws right?) to see my mom made it even less straight forward!

I remember seeing a copy of the letter from the oncologist for the first time… the word “INOPERABLE” stood out like it was out of place, like this wasn’t real, it was incorrect. Surely, surely they could operate… it hit me like a ton of bricks. I spent that entire day on the sofa in a blur, wrapped in a blanket, confused and unable to function. I remember thinking, praying, asking God what I should do. God very clearly responded “rest in ME” and so slowly I started my journey of understanding what it means to rest in Him.

But greater than that, was the revelation of the scripture. God revealed to me that in the midst of this unbelievable circumstance, He is GOOD and that I should see His goodness despite everything else that I saw and would see in the coming months. The scripture He gave me said that His “GOODNESS and unfailing love” would follow me, chase, me, look for me, pursue me!! So beautiful!!

Being so far away from my parents is hard at the best of times, but this year it has been the hardest. My amazing father is almost 80 years old and lovingly caring for my mom. No matter how much I love my mom, God loves her more. MUCH MUCH more than I can possibly ever imagine.

I flew home to South Africa to find my beautiful, precious mom extremely frail, losing her hair, her body already showing the toll of various procedures and the start of chemo (that was nothing in comparison with what was to come!). It was heartbreaking to say the least, but in the midst of it all, I saw God’s goodness. WE saw God’s goodness!

God’s goodness has been all around, in the people that are praying, the people visiting my parents, the meals so lovingly and carefully prepared, the kind and thoughtful gestures (flower deliveries, books for mom to read etc), pastors coming to the house to pray with my parents, the phone calls (including one that saved her life!), being able to connect with mom and our entire family on Whatsapp (yes, God is good with technology!!), my sister and I being home with my parents twice this year, my mom’s sister visiting from Europe, finding a wonderful lady that takes care of my parents home daily, making friends during radiation treatments who stay in touch despite their own cancer battles, the oncologist who is kind enough to take my calls from the US, the list is endless.

We are so thankful for everyone that has touched our family in this year, they’ve all been beyond blessings. But we know that it is God, in His goodness that has brought people alongside us to love, encourage, speak life, believe with us, pray with us and to help practically and physically. He knows what we need and when! He is GOOD!!

I think that sometimes we expect to see God’s goodness in the big acts, the extravagant acts, the obvious, but I’ve found that if we just look for God’s goodness in everything, we find it in the most significant ways, even if it’s not obvious to anyone else. Our circumstances don’t change His goodness, but His goodness changes our circumstances!

My mom is still fighting. Her body is still fighting. It’s a rollercoaster ride, up one moment and down the next. It’s rejoicing at positive news and being heartbroken at the news that is not great. But we know that cancer does not have the power to take my moms life. The name of Jesus is above every name, including cancer!! Only God knows her day. And even on that day, He is still good!!

I’ve heard so many people talk about what a tough year 2019 has been and I know that there are people dealing with far worse things than I, but I would encourage you to look again over this year and seek out God’s goodness. Circumstances may not look good, situations may not be what we’d like, but the goodness of God is everlasting. Despite what you see, despite how you feel, despite how hard your year has been, GOD IS GOOD!!

 

The definition of courage is this: the quality shown by someone who decides to do something difficult or dangerous, even though they may be afraid. The ability to do something that frightens you (bravery).

Esther is a great example of courage.

Esther had been living in exile before being brought to the king’s palace, she kept her Jewish nationality a secret and went through a year of beauty treatments in preparation to be presented to the king. Can you imagine how much courage it would take to be in that position for a whole year?
Esther was crowned queen and still she kept her nationality a secret! She did this at the instruction of her uncle Mordecai. It takes courage to trust people at times, but she had the courage to trust him with very her life!
When Mordecai told her about a plot to assassinate the king, Esther had the courage to tell the king and it saved his life.
The king issued a decree that all Jews in every province were to be killed. These were Esther’s people!
Although Esther was queen, she, like everyone else could not approach the king unless he had called for her. If anyone approached the king without him calling for them, he would have them killed, unless he extended his gold scepter towards them. Can you imagine the courage it took for Esther to go before the king without being called for? Not only did Esther go before the king, she also disclosed her nationality and requested that the king spare her people.

What makes us courageous? What would make you courageous? What is something that you could or would do should you decide to be courageous?

It’s easy to look at where others are and not see the courage it’s taken for them to get there.

Perhaps the thing they do that makes you think they are courageous doesn’t make them courageous at all. But if you did that thing, it would make you courageous! Courage is a daily decision. It’s waking each morning and deciding to face, keep on and overcome!

A beautiful quote by Mary Anne Radmacher “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the silent voice at the end of the day that says ‘I will try again tomorrow’”

Courage looks so different for each of us.
For some, courage is starting something, for others it is ending something.
For some, courage is speaking out, for others it is keeping quiet.
For some, courage is taking control, for others it is releasing control.
For some, courage is standing up, for others it is stepping down.
For some, courage is facing something, for others it is turning away from something.

Courage can take many forms. It can take courage to say you’re sorry, to say yes or to say no, to do the right thing, to go in a different direction, to trust someone, to be vulnerable, to reach out, to try again, to walk away, to face the truth, to change.

Courage doesn’t always have to be a massive step, it just needs to be a step, no matter how big or small. It’s moving forward, taking ground, it’s going further than you have gone before.

We are probably all courageous every day, sometimes without realizing it.

Esther 4:14 “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this” NLT

Just as it was for Ester, perhaps you were made for such a time as this!

Courage is believing God, trusting God and stepping out in faith.

Deuteronomy 31:6
“So be strong and courageous”

Joshua 1:6
“Be strong and courageous”

2 Chronicles 32:7
“Be strong and courageous”

Psalm 31:24
“Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord”

2 Samuel 10:12
“Be courageous!”

 

Have you ever felt like the Israelites did when they left Egypt, trekked to the Red Sea, had the Egyptians following them and no place to run? Can you imagine the dreams that they had, the freedom they felt, the hope and joy they experienced at being freed….at last! And then….oh hello Red Sea!!

Have you ever felt that way with the dreams and desires in your heart?

It seems like your dreams are unfolding and there is a way ahead, so you go at it full steam and suddenly there is an overwhelming “ocean” in your way that appears insurmountable, impossible, discouraging, dream killing?

In these times, don’t we all, like the Israelites cry out to God and blame other people and circumstances? Don’t we sometimes feel like giving up, like our dream has just been shattered, like we got it all wrong? We doubt ourselves and we doubt God, frustrated at the thought that we must have misheard, must have misinterpreted Him.

Do we fail to see what is in our hand? Do we see and imagine how things should be instead of being open to how God will unravel our dreams and desires? We can see the end result without walking the road to that end result. We miss the big because we ignore the small?

God asked Moses what was in his hand.
Exodus 4:2 “Then the Lord asked him ‘What is that in your hand?”

Moses had a stick (staff) in his hand and God used it and the results were WOW! Beyond WOW!!

If we choose to see what is in our hand, are faithful with what is in our hand and extend what is in our hand to God, will He not use it just like he used Moses’ stick?
Will God not use what we extend to Him to bring our miracle?

Even if it seems insignificant, useless, irrelevant, worthless, small, unusable, unexplainable – What is in your hand?

I was in church one day when one of the pastors introduced me to a lady who had walked into church for the first time that day. He asked me to show her around and tell her about our church.

So I walked around with this lady and she started to tell me about her life. It was obvious that she had a lot going on and she was telling me everything almost as if trying to explain or justify why she was where she was. I told her that she didn’t have to tell me anything at all, that she was accepted just as she was. She relaxed a bit and we chatted about this and that, I showed her around, answered her questions and got her a cup of tea (in England, tea makes everything that much nicer!).

When it was time for her to leave, she turned to me and said “thank you for being kind to me”. I was floored!! Her thanking me for being kind told me that nobody was kind to her. All I had done was talk with her, show her around and give her a cup of tea…..seemingly insignificant, but to her, it showed kindness. Oh my heart!!

It was one of those “AHA” moments. It made me realize that not everyone is shown kindness…sort of obvious you’d think? But is it? It also made me realize that kindness is such a simple yet profound thing. It made me realize that I’d been kind without realizing it. If we extend kindness without realizing it, imagine how much more we could do if we were really intentional about being kind!! WOW!!

The definition of kindness is this: An action without expected return, advantage or praise, a value of and concern for others, with an attitude of warm-heartedness, affection, care and gentleness…which costs you nothing!

Kindness is a choice to take your eyes off yourself and see the needs of others. It knows no race, sex or religion. It recognizes that it is not about me. Kindness tells someone that they are valued, irreplaceable, seen, considered and thought about and that they matter!

Of all the habits that we can pick up in this day and age, kindness is a habit that changes and impacts not only the person receiving it, but the person showing it.

Kindness is a fruit of the spirit and it gives insight into the condition of our hearts.

Matthew 5:47 says: “ If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.”

Proverbs 31:26 “When she speaks, her words are wise and she gives instruction with kindness”

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to each other, tender hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ Jesus has forgiven you”