A healed friendship

This evening I saw a friend of mine on the train, as we got off at Plumstead and started walking towards out houses we are talking about his recent break up. He was telling me how he it doesn't feel like the last time a relationship ended.  We both knew that he was talking about how we had to stop our "relationship" back in the day and he was totally messed up. This was the first time that this had come up in conversation in a loooooooomg time and I think the very first time that we had spoken about it with no awkwardness, weirdness or emotion. 

After we had finished chatting, I looked at him and said; "sometimes I still feel bad about that, it got really messy really quickly and I'm really sorry" He then looked at me and said, "it's all good now - we're friends" and I was like,  "Yes, we're friends now"

When I got home I was looking at my noticeboard and I saw the picture of Terri, myself and him on the notice board and underneath it I had stuck, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" Romans 8:28.  I then  realised that God had worked the good in a really messy and bought healing - complete healing to a friendship that had pretty much been destroyed.

I then went for a run and I was thinking about all of this and how God has healed our friendship, I was just blown away at how God was still working - waaaaaay in the background while we were carrying on with our lives.

xKx

Hardest part of ministry

At the end of Gap last night I realised what the hardest part of ministry is for me. It's not being able to give each child 100% of my attention all the time.

There are about 12 kids who come to Gap regularly and they all want attention, some more than others. I wish that it was possible to give each kid all of my attention and share Jesus's love with each one all the time. I know that it's not possible to do this, but I wish there was an alternative option that was possible for me to do at the moment that would enable me to spend one on one time with kid.

xKx

a relaxed weekend

This weekend felt like the first real weekend I've had in a while. I had the opportunity to sleep late both on Saturday and Sunday. Most of the time my weekend comprises of early starts and go-go-go until I fall into bed on a Sunday saying, “Sjoe, I need a weekend to recover from my weekend”. It's not that I don't like the early starts, meeting people and doing things, but lately I've been feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from all the crazy. I felt like I needed a break from everything – and this weekend kind of gave me that “break” and I somehow feel recharged.

On Saturday morning Noo had to do some work so we never headed out for our 7am cycle. He worked and I had the chance to sleep late before popping over the mountain to help him pack CD's into envelopes. 

We then headed down to the Valley Church Arts and Craft Market. The ladies in our church got together to make things, (mosaics, crochet, cross-stitch, pottery) to build community among the women and then with the stuff that was made they held a market to raise funds for the building fund. It was super awesome, the things that were made were on a professional level. I think that this was an awesome idea to build community among the women in our church and possibly creating a way to build community in the greater community.  We're having another market next week, hopefully more people from Hout Bay come and Godly conversations are started and people are able to conenct over some tea and something yummy to eat while shopping at the market. 

After the market Noo and I went to Pure at the Manor Hotel for their R75 burger special. It was really nice to sit in the sun, (getting burnt to a crisp) and talking and really connecting. We'd been super busy with family things that we hadn't really had time to connect. We also had a chance to connect in the afternoon after napping and it kind of was the best part of Saturday. Just talking and seeing where we're at with things. The plan for the afternoon did include a cycle, but we lost motivation and went to buy new wheels for Dave and a water bottle holder and bottle for me.  Saturday ended with a movie with Bruce and Robyn, which was suprising good for a thriller, something I wouldn't normally watch. 

Sunday bought a girls adventure my way when Ree, Z and I decided to go to the Kamersvol Geskenke market out in Stellenbosch. We shopped up a storm, well a little one, ate some good food, shared some laugher, chitter chattered. While walking around the stalls we discovered a few things we could even attempt to make, instead of paying the high prices for them.  I really enjoyed today and conencting with my girls again - it felt like a while since we had done a girly thing or even gone on an adventure.

Sunday evening was filled with finding some order in my bedroom, a spot of gardening and chatting to my parents. All in all, this weeked was bliss - relazing, connecting, good food, shopping, adventures and some time at home with my love, my friends and family. 

xKx

Revenge... A dish best not served

Yesterday morning I had the perfect opportunity to walk up to some and be like, "YOU WERE WRONG!" but I listened to the small voice inside of me and chose to just turn around and not act on impulse.

I went into Knead to waste some money on some really good coffee and while I was waiting for my coffee I saw someone I once knew.... "the doorman" as my friends have nicknamed him., I don't really know why but let's go with it.  The doorman is a guy I used to date,  like a lifetime ago, when we eventually broke up for real and it was really over things got uber nasty between us and he said to me that I would never ever find someone to love me again or have anyone want to marry me. 

So... when I saw him sitting there I was tempted to walk up to him and flash my ring in his face and be like.. "So I got engaged" I thought about the logistics of walking up to him and standing awkwardly by the table and saying hi and all that and the big part of taking revenge and flaunting the fact I got engaged in his face and I just thought that it wouldn't be worth it in the end.

I did the right thing and turned around, turned around and picked up the newspaper to read while I waited for my coffee. I even said a quick prayer that he wouldn't see me so that all awkwardness and revenge bitchiness could be avoided.

When I walked out of Knead, I thought about how that door has been closed shut by God and The doorman is just another person who lives in this world who I may pass once or twice in life.

xKx

I pick you

On Friday, 1 November David asked me to marry him. This is how it happened...

We went for a picnic up chappies to watch the sunset. The wind was blowing like crazy, when we got to the top we climbed over the rail and walked down a few rocks to a cave.  Dave told me that it was holiday cave.  As we were walking towards the top of Chappies, I said to Dave, "it would be cool if we saw a whale" and literally after sitting there for 20 minutes I saw a puff blow up and then we saw a whale. It was soooooo cool!!!  When we got to the cave, we had some wine and had communion together before making sandwiches.  

Looking back now, I am sooo glad that we had communion together before Dave proposed, it was kind of like saying "Hi God, you're totally apart of this and we thank you for what you've done for us"

After a bit, Dave started telling me how cavemen, when they want to impress a girl they show them something clean to distract them from the fact that they are dirty. Some cavemen would show a women a leaf, or a pond or a cave, like this one. (I thought we were having one of those random conversations that we have about nothing in particular, but are lots of fun anyway) 

Dave then said to me, as his voice changed and I realised that he was getting serious... "Male penguins, when they choose a mate they take them a stone and if the female penguin accepts it then she becomes his mate for life." Dave then said to, "I have a stone I want you to look at." He then took a ring out of his pocket, got down on one knee and said, "I picky you, will you marry me?" and I was like "YES!!!!"

I gave Dave an infinity amount of points afterwards... I am soooooo lucky and blessed that God chose Dave for me to marry and I really can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him.

xKx