I came to the garden

I heard a good sermon today, but even before it started, this was played and we sang this song. That alone was a sermon for me. Absolutely beautiful. It's one of my favorite hymns. And the most beautiful words, enjoy it like a poem...

I came to the garden

Charles Austin Miles (1912)

I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear falling on my ear 

The Son of God discloses.

 And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

I’d stay in the garden with Him

Though the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

   mwah xx

When people let you down

At some stage in your life someone around you will disappoint you - family, friends, whoever you surround yourself with. People let you down all the time and a lot of the times it is not intentional. Sometimes we take it more personally; allow ourselves to be hurt more easily and feel more disappointment and therefore think it is intentional. Maybe our expectations were unrealistic from the beginning. You know how it is when you’re feeling miserable or down for some reason disappointments snow ball and come tumbling down on you. On that day seems like everyone you have ever known has hurt or disappointed you in some way. 
I think I have given some people more credit than others or I expected more from them, we expect more from the ones we admire and confide in and then it happens they just let you down. It’s such a bad feeling that I wish I could move and live on a deserted island on my own, talk to the birds and the rocks cause they really have time to listen and don’t talk back…as long as we live with others we will always feel disappointment.

Being let down especially affects and makes it difficult to go to church and worship God. It is such a common feeling finding it impossible to go to church because our minds are full of negative thoughts about another person.

It’s never going to get better or get any easier and so I was trying to come up with a self-help list for myself:

H2 avoid negativity

H2 be positive

H2 spot the pessimist & avoid them

H2 surround myself with people that make me feel emotionally stronger … and then I started thinking about that deserted island again, at times it seems like the best and only solution.

But I found this and it has ended up in some kind of list or five points for me – it’s a song a poem and a promise  – it’s Psalm 27

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation
whom shall I fear? 

The LORD is the stronghold of my life

   of whom shall I be afraid? 
² When the wicked advance against me 
to devour me, 

it is my enemies and my foes 

   who will stumble and fall. 

³ Though an army besiege me, 

   my heart will not fear; 

though war break out against me, 

   even then I will be confident. 
⁴ One thing I ask from the LORD, 
this only do I seek: 

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD 

   all the days of my life, 

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD 

   and to seek him in his temple. 

⁵ For in the day of trouble 

   he will keep me safe in his dwelling; 

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent 

   and set me high upon a rock. 
⁶ Then my head will be exalted 
above the enemies who surround me; 

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; 

   I will sing and make music to the LORD. 
⁷ Hear my voice when I call, LORD; 
be merciful to me and answer me. 

⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” 

   Your face, LORD, I will seek. 

⁹ Do not hide your face from me, 

   do not turn your servant away in anger; 

   you have been my helper. 

Do not reject me or forsake me, 

   God my Savior. 

¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me, 

   the LORD will receive me. 

¹¹ Teach me your way, LORD; 

   lead me in a straight path 

   because of my oppressors. 

¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, 

   for false witnesses rise up against me, 

   spouting malicious accusations. 
¹³ I remain confident of this: 
I will see the goodness of the LORD 

   in the land of the living. 

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD; 

   be strong and take heart 

   and wait for the LORD.

So here are the five points, I finally have a list! Forget the rest of the world, God never lets you down, when you’re down and feel let down by the world and other people remember - He never lets us down, His promises are real and He’ll keep all of them.

• Step One - Seek the Lord (verse 4,8)
• Step Two - Sing to the Lord (the whole of Psalm 27 )
• Step Three - Serve the Lord (verse 9 - no time to quit)
• Step Four - See the Lord (verse 13 - believing is seeing)
• Step Five - Stop for the Lord (verse 14 - wait...wait...wait...be patient)

That's it, beautiful and it would go so well in a deserted island, but as that is not possible today I will read the Psalm one more time.

xxx

God as Artist

Don't ever waist a good lesson....

Last Sabbath the SS lesson study was about my favorite subject ART.  So not to waste my notes or thoughts and not to forget the beauty of it all it's going in my blog.

God as Artist

Artistic creation is God's nature. Creating the world and heavens was an act of absolute creative intelligent design:

• pre-planned
• loving
• timed to perfection

Every color, shape and form was thought through with the finesse of an artist or sculptor. Landscapes, oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, different climates, ground covers, soils, and huge amount of plants and the way it all comes together...can you even begin to imagine how big a project that was? A huge landscape project, that is completely self sustained!  

The Potter

Unity. Clay is workable when wet, more fixed when dry, it won't stick together without water (the soft binding agent). The potter works for hours to form one perfect piece. We are the clay He is the potter and we need to let God work in our hearts.

The Architect

It's about details, being a designer. God's delight in beauty. He could have made black and white or one tree. Birds didn't have to sing and butterflies didn't have to be pretty to do their job. But everything in nature was designed and planned. Extensive attention to detail was given to every little thing in the sanctuary. The artistry and skill He used within His children was astounding.

The Musician

Focus on Him. Poetry. Inspired! 

The Author

A wise friend once told me, if you want to read a good love story - pick up your bible. If you like mysteries - pick up your bible. If a murder story is your thing - pick up your bible. It can never be pondered too much, the more you read it the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes.

The Sculptor

Life changing, filling, chiseling, shaping and polishing the work of a sculptor. It's about repentance, cleansing and seeking a clean heart.

"Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand". Isaiah 64:8

"God is love" is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green -- all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy. SC pg 10 


How beautiful is that? I love it.

Thank you

Our church celebrated it's one year anniversary today. It was nothing big or fancy but it was another beautiful Saturday. As some people talked about their experiences of the past year and what the year has meant for them, in my mind (with a tear or two) I was thinking of my own experiences and my feelings about the past year.....


This is what it means to me ..... Thank you 

Thank you to the:

• Children - for filling the church with funny faces, for your running around, for the laughter, games, fun, happy and sincere smiles every time I see you
• Ladies - you are the pillars and the voice of the church, you make everything beautiful and make it feel like 'home'. Thank you for your delicious food, friendship, advice and much needed shoulders to lean on. You have become very special and dear friends and I treasure that
• Gentlemen - for all the fixing, for making things happen, for being elders, leaders and mentors. I have new friendships forming and growing every week; so much respect for so many of you
• Visitors and fast becoming friends and part of the family - thank you for filling my heart with warmth and friendship 
• Musicians - thank you for sharing your talents, I enjoy every hymn and song you present. Today was just beautiful, and I now have a new favorite song, thanks to uncle D and the Burts Brothers!

On most Sabbaths I still miss the old familiar faces and special people in my heart but I am grateful that I have to learn a new persons name every week. 


Church family - thank you for the emotionally special memories and delightful Sabbaths I have had the past year. I am privileged and honored to be part of your family.

love this quote about our special day -- "The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature we find comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to the soul." EGW_The Desire of Ages, pp. 281-289.

Thank you for the last year. 

Humility and Communion

Humility is a strange thing, the minute you think you’ve got it, you’ve lost it!  Humility is being courteous and respectful of others. It is the opposite of aggressiveness and arrogance. I don’t think we are born with it or at least if we are we outgrow it and then we struggle to practice it for most of our lives. If we're humble, we don't blame the poor for their poverty we help them. If we're humble, we don't stone those who sin we plead with them and forgive them.

Now days people are so angry all the time that it’s as if they carry a gun in their bag the whole time. I mean that of men and women. Why so angry all the time? Why is the temper the first thing you show others? Why do you see evil in everything others do and don’t do? 

I’m going to be the arrogant one now and say ‘I think it’s because you are evil, that you only see the negative and ugly things in others, you spend your time questioning everything and looking for something wrong!’     

-    There now I feel better. 

I’m trying to practice humility. Its communion soon and foot washing time. Quite different from washing hands in public like certain medical examinations it can seem like a bit of an invasion. Easy do to with your best friend or partner but not so with other people. The ceremony is unusual and if you are really ‘in it’ and not being distracted by your friend - I think of some of the first ones I took part in they were more about feeling grown up and eating the bread - embarrassing to admit, sorry....

But if you are really fully taking part you can’t help being emotional. It’s a blessing if you allow it to be. I remember years ago when I was a teen and I somehow did not land next to my friend. It would be so obvious if I moved that I stayed in my place frozen staring across the room. On my left side I have no idea who was there my memory blocked it out. I just know that on my right side was someone that I liked, but I still wanted to just be next to my friend and we looked at each other but the white haired granny grabbed my hand and that was it. We were going to wash each other’s feet!!!

As I washed her feet, old and wrinkled as if she’d walked for a million miles I couldn’t help thinking...is this how it feels to wash the feet of Jesus? And then when she was kneeling in front of me and I was staring at her white hair I felt that I was not worthy.

I think this is what humility really means, and communion may be strange for many people but normal for our church. 

So here goes...this is what I will be trying to do...rather than looking for faults in others I must look for good in others and correct the faults in myself. Humility. 

To be like a Lovebird

“To dwell above with the saints in love – that will be glory!  

To dwell below with the saints I know – that’s another story.” 

A. J. Raitt

This quote is taken from a little book I have been reading, with short stories about church members. Mainly about the mistakes Christians make. Mistakes that actually apply to all of us, all of the time not just in church. And the lessons from this book can be applied at work, at home with our family and life in general. Relationships are the chemistry of life and sometimes we ruin both by our wrong impressions and our cloudy outlook of other people. My friendly smile will receive a warm welcome reaction and a genuine friendship will break through. A frown or angry face? that's too many wrinkles in just a few minutes.

So the writer uses eight different birds to describe our behavior, I have taken some of the birds from his book and some of the writers descriptions (can’t give it all away) and added some of my own little ‘nuggets’ because I am a very keen birdwatcher (both kinds of birds) so let me introduce you to some of them....

Straight-laced Nitpicker

Related to the vulture family, it is noted for its ability to spot flaws from a great distance. This bird sees everything in one tone or hue (monochromatic vision) and it is easily recognised by the beam in its eye, the bird has other handicaps too. 

Yes we know people like this, the ones that comment and find faults in everything you do but they just can’t do any better. Very irritating and discouraging.

Jaded Pew-warmer

The knowledgeable bird watcher will find this bird quickly. This bird can only be seen at special times, it has a limited range of habitat, it is almost never found at prayer meeting but can easily be seen in the car park during sermons and other occasions. 

Mmm that’s a special bird, maybe we have all done this before...just sit and never participate.

Teenaged Twitterpate

Colourful plumage and constant twittering, always in pairs. Population declining because of the Straight-laced Nitpickers. This bird can be mistaken for Jaded Pew-warmer and sometimes behaves the same but it is quite different. The plumage and twittering is part of elaborate ‘courtship’ dance.

Other birds need to tread carefully around this bird or it will fly away quickly!

Duck-billed Platitude

Immediately recognised by its loud call, high sounding with hollow ring to it.  It is not a true bird (more like a chicken) but is found in the company of Nitpickers and Pew-warmers. It occurs commonly in special functions and sermons for some reason. And Teenaged Twitterpates prey on it constantly.

Boring bird like the name suggests, its stale has nothing nice to say or do!

Lovebird

Well known for its colour, love, joy, peace, beautiful song, gentle and meek. This species does not occur naturally. Each Lovebird must be individually reared, hand held and perfected over the years. A more exact description is difficult to give, since Lovebirds have been successfully developed from each of the species listed above. Variation exists at each stage of development. It should be noted that the Creator of this remarkable bird has been described as a dove, a mother hen, an eagle caring for its young.

Wow! We should all strive to become like Lovebirds.

I looked in my bird book and this is what it says about Lovebirds  - lovable and affectionate birds. They make a strong bond with both their breeders and owners and the relation is lifelong. Their name also suggests their lovely nature. They like attention, hence, they are kept in pairs and spend their whole day chattering and twittering with their partner. They can also mimic human voice and love to kiss. 

Lovebird – us humans. Lovely Nature. Strong bond with owner – strong bond with God. Relation is lifelong! 

We should all be more like Lovebirds, happy with each other’s company and loving more instead of fighting. 

*sigh*

If only....

Faith

Imagine you have a little boy and he is playing outside and hurts himself and instead of running to you he runs out of the garden over the wall and off he goes to the next door neighbor...


We run and scatter in all different directions all over the place instead of running to the one person that can save us.  That is what I do too, it's my cousin, my friends, work colleagues, the doctor everyone I can think of first, and lastly Jesus.


Why do we do it, when we know we should go to Him first?


Faith is reliance and trust.  Faith is a spiritual substance which resides in the believer's mind.  The opposite of faith is doubt.  Doubt is also a substance with enormous power.  
To have Faith is to have Obedience, Honesty, Reliability, Humility, Fearlessness and Power.  Faith brings salvation and brings answers to prayers. 

Quote from EGW _  Education, page 253

"Faith is trusting God — believing that He loves us and knows best what is for our good. Thus, instead of our own, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness. Our lives, ourselves, are already His; faith acknowledges His ownership and accepts its blessing."

...you need to have more faith Paula....

My Delight

Sabbath is a delight

It’s Friday and I can’t wait to get home and pass out that is how I usually feel on Friday evening.  But no, tonight is youth meeting at our place and two chocolate cakes are ready and waiting for a bunch of hungry teens!

Lunch tomorrow?  Hmm... I’m thinking about lentil bobotie and roast potatoes should be ready long before sunset.  So tonight when those bouncy energy bursting kids arrive for youth meeting everything will be in its place, and we can finally relax at home.  Enjoy our friends, some Gaither music (getting a bit tired of that), 3ABN, church and tomorrow’s lunch, which is always filled with other nice goodies and lasts till late afternoon.

It should be the high point of the week - the best food, the best fellowship, the best of everything.  If we are not enjoying the Sabbath, if we can't call it "a delight," then there's something wrong with how we are keeping it.  

Sunset in the Kalahari National Park - nothing more beautiful than an African sunset -

As the sun goes down, let the voice of prayer and the hymn of praise mark the close of the sacred hours and invite God’s presence through the cares of the week of labor. 

Happy Sabbath Everyone!  

PS - It's my sister in law's birthday today, Happy Birthday Candida.


xoxo