Twelve years on the other side of goodbye 📖 "He brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me." — Psalm 18:19 (NKJV) Twelve years ago, at forty-four, I said farewell to everything I knew. I packed up a life, relationships, the familiar corners of a world that had shaped me, and stepped — with more faith than certainty — toward a country I barely knew, called by something I couldn't fully name. New Zealand. A new beginning. That's what I told m

When Your Story Finds Its Stage 📖 "The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned." — Isaiah 50:4 (NKJV) There are things God prepares in secret long before they appear in public. A quiet shaping of the voice. A slow deepening of the story. A patient, purposeful work in the hidden places of the heart — until the moment arrives

A reflection on how what some call weakness, others see as a gift We live in a world quick to label. Too quiet. Too sensitive. Too weird. Too confident. These words echo in our hearts and often leave us wondering if we are somehow broken. Yet the truth is, God never once made a mistake in how He designed us. For every person who says you are too quiet, there is another who treasures your gift of listening. Where some see too sensitive, others see the courage to feel deeply an

A sacred reflection on faith, healing, courage, and the quiet victories that carried me through As the final hours of 2025 settle gently into stillness, I pause, not to rush into what is next, but to honour what has been. This year did not arrive with loud triumphs or easy resolutions. It unfolded slowly, faithfully, often quietly, like a tapestry woven thread by thread in places only God and I could see. 2025 was not a year of avoidance. It was a year of facing. Facing truth

Shame is a thief. It creeps into the hidden places of our hearts, whispering lies that sound like truth. It doesn’t live in the realm of logic, because shame is not about reason. It lives in the shadows of the amygdala, where fear and survival reside. Guilt says, “I made a mistake.” Shame says, “I am a mistake.” When I first encountered the Loved, Chosen & Free seminar in May 2020, I discovered that my whole life had been shame-based. That realisation was confronting, but it

A gentle revelation of fear exchanged for God’s design From the time we are small, labels can cling to us like invisible cloaks. Perhaps you were called “the shy one” at school, or quietly compared to a louder sibling. At first, these words might seem harmless. Yet over time, they take root and begin shaping the way we see ourselves. Shyness becomes a cage, a false identity stitched into our story. I know this well, because I once believed that was who I was. The “quiet one.”

A gentle unpeeling: discovering the canvas God painted before the world began For decades, I believed I was an introvert. I wore the label of “shy,” carrying social anxiety like an invisible cloak. It felt like part of my personality — something permanent. Yet one day, I heard a statement that stopped me in my tracks: “If you’re painfully shy, it would behove you to ask the Holy Spirit if that is an inner healing issue.” So I asked. Holy Spirit, in His gentleness, began to pe

There is a melody that often rises up in my heart:🎼 “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe.” 🎶 It’s more than a song; it is Scripture woven into music, anchoring me when life feels overwhelming. 📖 “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” — Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV) The Tower That Holds Us Secure We all seek safety. Some of us try to find it in relationships, finances, routines, or control. Yet

When one chooses healing, the whole family begins to breathe There’s a kind of courage not often celebrated — the kind it takes to stand up to patterns so familiar they almost feel like family. The ones that whisper, “This is just how we are,” even when they’re slowly suffocating us. Some of the chains we carry didn’t begin with us. They were forged in generations past — in households where silence was survival, where anger simmered just beneath the surface, where avoidance m

A reflection on identity, destiny, and the sacred gift of names A name is the greatest connection to our identity and individuality. Some might say it is the most important word in the world to a person. When someone remembers our name, it makes us feel seen, respected, and valued. It leaves a mark. From the moment we are born, we are given a name — an identifier that holds our story. Some of us carry nicknames, while others change their names later in life. However, the comm

There’s a billboard I came across recently. It said: “If your art helped you survive something… it’s already a masterpiece.” And I paused. Held my breath. Let the truth of it settle in my chest like a long-lost friend. Because I know exactly what that means. You see, there was a moment — years ago now — when I picked up a pencil not because I felt inspired, but because I was given an assignment and didn’t know how else to breathe. I didn’t call myself an artist then. I was

Healing the Legacy of Withheld Affection There are some wounds we don’t have words for until much later in life. They begin as moments of silence — unanswered questions, unmet glances, unnoticed tears. They look like withdrawal, or “being strong,” or staying quiet so that we won’t be a burden. But underneath, they whisper a message many of us have carried far too long: You’re not worth holding. You see, in 1934, Johanna Haarer published a book called The German Mother and H

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” — Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) There’s something sacred about discovering your why — that quiet, unwavering sense of purpose woven into your very being. When it finally surfaces, often through life’s trials and tenderness, it illuminates everything. Suddenly, the mundane moments are no longer meaningless. They become holy ground — essential steps along a path God laid

Last month, I stepped out in faith and pitched to become a leader within the Speakers Tribe. I'm both humbled and excited to share that I’ve been accepted into this new chapter — and with it comes my first challenge: to share a video on the power of saying yes. It’s amazing what doors begin to open when we dare to say yes — not just to opportunities, but to growth, to courage, and to the unknown paths where our purpose awaits. Curious to know more? Head over to my ‘This i

My Journey to Finding my Voice at Speakers Institute Bootcamp For decades, fear of failure and rejection kept me trapped in a cycle of...

New post in "This is My Story". My heart aches every time I hear someone say: "I can't sing!" "I can't dance!" "I can't draw!" "I can't paint!" "I can't write!" "I can't speak!" "I'm not creative!" You see, I, too, had buried my fear of failure and rejection under this mountain of LIES until the Lord took me on a journey of profound healing, restoration, and transformation. Creativity has always been a part of who I am, but it took years for me to fully embrace it. In I'm C

For me, the cracks began to show after my ectopic pregnancy in 1996 — a moment that marked the unravelling of a lifetime of suppressed emotions and three more miscarriages after that. At the time, I had no idea I was battling high-functioning depression. Moving to New Zealand and the challenges that followed only amplified the pressure until my world came crashing down, and I faced a major breakdown in February 2018. Sometimes, in His boundless mercy, the Lord allows the

Change is never easy, but it’s one of those inevitable forces that shapes us in ways we can’t always predict. Change is difficult, not because we lack the ability, but because our emotions are so convincing. Over the last few months, I’ve come to embrace it, even when it felt uncomfortable because I’ve learned something important: growth often happens when we step out of what feels familiar. This morning, I spent time packing up Elias’ bookshelves in preparation for his move

In my quest for learning & personal growth, I've embarked on John Maxwell's 30-Day Growth Plan course. Be bold, he says & to ensure accountability, post it on social media or text your thoughts to a friend or mentor. Keep in mind, that a shared commitment becomes a strong commitment. So here are Day 1 reflections... What keeps you from being authentic with others?🤔 The risk of being rejected, ridiculed, or criticised. I know that my fear of rejection, ridicule, and critici

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