a thousand blue fish

My kids are not good at waiting.  They look sweet here but in the real world if they had to sit or stand anywhere waiting for us they'd be moaning.  In the same way if anyone could tune into my frequency they may hear a bit of a moan.  Actually they'd hear a rumbling nausea.  Its not a panic, because I know as I know as I know that God is doing exactly what God does.  And I trust Him.  Its just something like: there is so much that I have no control over and so much that still needs to happen, how Lord?. And there have been a couple of low days and then amazing teaching.  A low day happened on Friday when the wheel on our beloved twin pram decided it just couldn't anymore.  And it happened in a busy shop and nobody helped me.  And that was after the lady in the Post Office determinedly avoided smiling at me.   But I had been reading something about that in Oswald Chambers.  I can't quite remember exactly what he said-I just know...

I woke up this morning to a smell I couldn’t quite place.   It was a manly smell that I haven’t smelt in a month as my husband has been participating in Movember.   Before I’d even had time to put my glasses on (which means my seeing eyes are not seeing much) he’d handed me a stone shaped like a heart with the most perfect hole in it.  I kissed him and wished him happy anniversary.  At this point he jumped out of bed and grabbed a small black and gold bag out of his cupboard.  Inside the bag was a box and inside the box was the most beautiful, thoughtful present I could ever had hoped for.  Emiel had, in the last couple of weeks, found a coin from Swaziland. He had taken the coin and had it put on a silver chain… for me.  Swaziland is my heart place, my safe place if ever a physical place could be that.  We went there for a few days on our honeymoon because I wanted so badly to show the man I loved the place I loved.  And it was a...

Everyone knows Jeremiah 29:11" For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."(NIV)  Like everyone else who has read that verse you hold onto it, pray it over yourself and give it to the people you know who are in a tough place.  That's what I did.  And then a couple of weeks ago I decided to read it in the Message and whoa, something changed, something came to life.  The Message (Remix version) has verses but they are grouped together.  For example when you look for verse 11, you'll find 10-11.  Here goes: 10-11 This is  God 's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.   Did you see that? It is ...

At home before our trip to Home Affairs Rebbeca our ...pay for your parking lady The wonderful people at Home Affairs I am sure you are all wondering just how exciting the experience was.  Well, to be completely honest the only negative part our time there was our beautiful boy child.  Alexander is really testing our patience. Parenting note:  Consistency is the most important thing about discipline.   Please add Rebecca to the list of prayer needs.  She is a Zimbabwean who is desperate to for a job that will provide more for her family.  The job she earns now is commission based and she happens to be in the slowest area.   I was just so aware of her mother's heart and her willingness to do anything.  Please pray for her.   And I want to encourage you wherever you are, pray for your government and honour them.  I really know and believe that if we are faithful in lifting up our countries to God He wil...

Oh man, God is soooo good! We went and did our passport photo's this afternoon in preparation for our trip to Home Affairs early tomorrow morning.  What an experience.  Alexander, darling heart, refused to co-operate.  The end result is an angry, mug-shot type photo.  Beatrice is teething again.  Her photo is the only shot they could get that didn't have gob running down her chin or her tongue hanging out.  Emiel is gorgeous sporting the early stages of a Movember and me well, what can I say, its a passport photo... Please pray that the passport process goes quickly! And on other fronts Alexander and his daddy really, really cannot eat sugar and gluten!  They bounce and then pass out.  Not cool.   Emiel, Alexander and my brother, Anthony   Much love Philippa

this is a post about resting we are looking ahead to a month that may be financially worse then all of the other months ok, maybe not worse we've had bad months before but before we were not responsible with our finance i have a choice in how i respond i can wobble and cry and shut down or i can rest "Come to Me, all those laboring and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28 i'm choosing rest and smiles and praying that God would give life to something Emiel and i know will support and in turn give life.  Please pray for us, that God would continue His work in us and that He would give us clear direction 

 The Us's abou to walk to town  Us in doing our nerdy look UI am craving community.  And please don't get me wrong, it is not that community is not offered at the church we go to, I just need people that are a bit more like me.  We are different, and I don't think that is a bad thing it just doesn't make it easy to always fit in.  We have kids that we are raising a certain way.  We listen to certian types of music and read certain types of books.  We nothing, I just need people.  I am loving the bloggy world, I'm reading the blogs of all these amazing people, but they are not my people.  I don't know really what my people are like.  Ok, that being said I have some beautiful, special friends.  I love them dearly.  Ok, maybe it is more a couple thing.  We need our people.  And by that I mean we need the people that we raise children with.  We used to have something like that at our previous church, but when...

When I started this blog I wanted to write something that all my friends could read and not feel alienated by it being a Christian blog. I didn't want it to be a Christian blog. But in writing I can't deny that my life is fully what it is because of God. I can't write anything that doesn't reflect my utter reliance on Him or the amazing work He has done. I also write from a place of desperately wanting my faith to reflect what I believe about my God. One of favourite songs has these lines in 'I will praise you in this storm'(its a Casting Crowns song). Since first hearing that song I've had many times when I've needed to listen to it. It was like I needed them to sing so I could praise. Of late i've learnt (learned?) how to praise. I don't need anyone else to direct me or lead me in, I can praise. We have a needs list and a wants list. The needs list has gotten longer and the wants list has remained untouched. This is where I wan...

Today started out so badly.  We had been waiting for a phone call.  The phone call would have been to say that Emiel can start working at a school we've been involved with.  The longer we waited the more fear rose up in me.  I am in this place where I am really not sure we've made the right decisions.  That being said it could just be how uncomfortable our situation has become.  The small things are obvious but the bigger ones seem elusive.  What is supposed to happen for an income?  Big question for most people.  I know God is in control and I know that if I seek His Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) things like money He'll take care of.  Man I'm being a baby.  I am sitting here typing and my chest is closing up and I want to cry big salty cathartic tears. This morning my chest was so tight I thought I might die. I don't like fear.  When I moved back in with my parent's after my time at fashion...