Now, here's a first in about 3 decades. I think my brother will be happy to know that I have finally tried my hand at poetry again. The painting is an art class project that would have landed in the trash can had our teacher not managed to fix up the nose I had so badly messed up. Imagine, if you will, oh, just think for a moment of a life without the masks that we use to hide all the pain inside. How awesome to break away from the facade of success and drivenness that

Psalms 61:1-3 NLT[1] O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! [2] From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, [3] for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Today, my heart feels heavy, my spirit is weighed down by sadness & I've cried a lot. The pain of betrayal cuts deep, because it always comes from those we love and trust. The responder in me gives my heart, whether p

En daar tjank ek toe snot en trane want die Here gee vir my uit-skryf-werk. Once again, God is up to something... This morning I spent an hour pre-tracing these canvases for tomorrow's children's church paint party and then I felt prompted to do the text with sharpie so that it would still be visible after painting the heart. What I didn't anticipate, however, was the inner turmoil that would result after having spent the last few weeks with overwhelm of out of control & chao

This week I realised just how easily we get tempted to revert back to our old sinful responses when familiar feelings are triggered & we feel crushed. As I've been processing Tuesday's meltdown, I realised it's not so much what happens to us, but how it makes us feel that trips us up & causes us to revert back to what worked before to help self-medicate the pain. I don't think it was a coincidence that Ouboet shared those painful memories I had buried, with me earlier that mo

What's on your mind Facebook asks... Conference for 250 people... the biggest I've ever organised is our wedding & anniversary dinner for 50. The enormity of it all really hit home last week when we went to view the venues. That's a huge space & LOT of people for someone with a lifelong struggle with social anxiety. Will I sink or swim?🤔 You know that moment when you don't know what you're doing & you think you're going to mess it all up & are feeling totally of control?

🎼🎶This song in my heart❤️, this song in my soul, this song I was born to sing🎤, it's Your song🎸 of freedom. Now I'm free to dance💃 again!🎵 🎶I'll sing🎤 in the darkness, I'll laugh🤣 in the rain, rejoice in Your love💞 again. It's Your song🎸 of freedom, now I'm free to dance💃 again!🎶 🎊🥳🎉 Mourning into Dancing Clive & I spent some time away in New Plymouth this week, for a little bit of rest & reprieve. A whole 373km travelling, that would have taken us maybe 4 h

I stumbled across this post on my LinkedIn feed on Thursday morning & it seriously rattled my cage...😢🤔I can still feel the tightness on my chest as I process... Over the years I've come to believe some very strong foundational lies in the area of creative things I believed I can't do: 1. I can't sing! 2. I can't dance! 3. I can't draw! 4. I can't paint! 5. I can't write! 6. I can't teach! 7. I can't speak publicly! In reality, though they are all rooted in FEAR &

When you call people by their NAME, you are reminding them of WHO they are & calling them forth & into who they are called to be. "What's in a name?" Shakespeare asked and then gave some bizarre answer about the properties of roses. A name is actually how God gives us a soul (neshama). By breathing (nashamah) a name (shem) into our unformed frames. For the Hebrews, the dawn was the only way to describe the creation of a soul. Shakespeare wasn't the only one to get it wrong.

This month's community paint party drew less than a hand ful of people but we had loads of fun nevertheless.

Today I'm totally overwhelmed with joy because of the goodness & kindness of the Lord. 😊 Today I'm totally overwhelmed with joy because of the goodness & kindness of the Lord. 😊 This is a follow-up post of my previous post, Leading from the Stop & the testimony of the process to my breakthrough after being unraveled by reading "Another crisis will befall you. It’s not a case of ‘if’, but ‘when’. And when your world seems to come crashing down to an absolute halt, remember t

Here's what I HEARD after I came down for coffee snuggle time with the Lord this morning... My daughter, my friend. I'm so glad you're hearing this. I love you, my child. I’ve always loved you & I’ve been waiting for you to run to Me, to make Me your refuge from the storms. I was right there, with you in those darkest moments, longing to hold you when you shut me out because of wounding caused by those who have misrepresented Me. I was longing to comfort you & be your frien

If there's confusion, at any time you can pick up your Bible & I will speak to you. I will show you the way. Follow Me in simple obedience. In You, o Lord I have taken refuge... Turn your ear to me... be my rock of refuge... Since you are my rock & my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me... Into Your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord my faithful God. Psalm 31:1-3;5 NIV Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge

This is one of the Scriptures scribbled into the book I was given last week & I can absolutely see how God's been doing exactly that, providing exceedingly abundantly far above anything I've asked for. ‭‭Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV‬ [20] Now to Him who is able to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, [21] to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Never in a million years wo

Reading "We only have one life here on earth. It isn’t a dress rehearsal. Use this time wisely. Another crisis will befall you. It’s not a case of ‘if’, but ‘when’. And when your world seems to come crashing down to an absolute halt, remember three things: You’re not in trouble We believe in you We’re here to help in his book, Leading from the Stop on the weekend. felt like God was speaking to me directly but it set off such an overwhelming wave of emotions because I just

Maybe it’s because leadership has shifted its focus from people to production; we’re in such a hurry to get things done that we neglect the very people who accomplish the things we need done. - Marc Cole This wasn't part of my weekend plan but fancy that... me reading a book on servanthood leadership, another one of my strengths that's been twisted through wounding... who would have thought someone who spent her life shying away & lurking in the shadows serving & following,

I received an email in my work mailbox that was addressed to Prue, a name I hadn't heard, mentioned, or even thought of in about 28 years. Coincidentally that's the name of my then 40-year old spinster office manager, who was very angry because I was pregnant 6 weeks into my new job because during my interview, I admitted we weren't planning having children yet. But then I found out I was pregnant right after getting back from unpaid leave for a wedding in Cape Town. One we

We are all wounded & have been called to journey together on this journey of life & healing. I'm amazed at how God is putting people in place to minister into the different areas of wounding so we can lay an axe to the root of our sinful responses. Elijah House has been a God sent for me, but I hadn't realised that all those bad job experiences are somehow connected to the areas of stuckness I'm still struggling with. Some more bitter judgements, expectations, inner vows, L

Tonight my heart is bursting at its seams because I'm seeing God's promises being fulfilled. I just want to sing praises because my cup overflows. For the first time in decades I'm feeling a joy bubbling up in my spirit. Excitement is building up it almost feels like my chest wants to explode. I want to shout it from the rooftops. "God is so good!" In March I attended the Catch the Fire Beyond 2024 conference. I wasn't going to attend it because of my exhibition being due