Chamapie, Champie, Champ

I've started walking and running our Labrador X, Champ twice a week.

 

 

 

 

I started with just walking him, but last night I took him for his first run and I was surprised by how good he was when I started to run with him. He never tried to run a head of me or pull me. He just ran a head of me slightly. The only mischievous thing he does is bark at random people when they walk past us and sometimes he gets confused with who's running him and wants to run with another random person who's running the same route. That can be pretty funny to watch.. which is why I think I should keep him on the lead for a little bit longer.

 

 

I would love to take Bambi, the brown dog, with for a walk but she's to much of a "scardy-cat" to go for walk. She freaks out when she's on the other side of the gate and freezes. She also runs away from people, so walking her is pretty unproductive.

Feeling blessed

Today has been a day filled with God's blessings, there have been so many in one day that I'm left filled with gratitude, awe and wonder of God.

It all started this morning when I was driving to church. It was a wet and rainy morning, it was a wet and rainy morning so I was concentrating a little bit more than usual while driving to Hout Bay. While I was driving down Constantia Nek, all of a sudden my car started to drift and the next thing I knew I was spinning out of control. I started freaking out, but I somehow had the thought in my head that I need to stop my car. I braked, the car stalled and then I was like "I need to get out of the middle of the road" By some miracle there were no cars on the road and I never hit anything or when down the side of the mountain, or rolled my car. That was definitely Jesus protecting me, after an experience like that it makes it pretty hard for someone not to believe that there is a God out there protecting us.

I called Dave in a panic and he came to fetch me at the top of Constantia Nek, I was pretty hysterical and freaked out. He came with Gazz to rescue me from my panic and hysteria and drove me to church. We decided to leave my car parked there and we would fetch it later. I really, really appreciated that he came to help. I'm really blessed to be marrying someone so wonderful.

After church, we fetched my car and we took Arthur, Oscar and Emilio to my house to have out Teen Church end of term lunch. Not only were Jojo, Dave and I able to be a blessing in their lives, spending the afternoon with them over lunch and then at the part was pretty awesome. They blessed me with the conversation we had and just being able to spend time with them. When we were leaving, Oscar said to me that it was the best day ever. I was like "awwww." We were able to bless them, which is all I wanted to do but then God blessed me right back.

The evening was rounded off with SNL, our evening service. While I was talking to some people Dave came to me and said that someone has paid our camp fees for the camp in May. I was like, "pardon" and he was like "yes!" It's pretty epic and totally unexpected, but such a blessing.

I think my final blessing for today was being able to see my parents when I got home and to chitter chatter with them for a bit before going to bed.

Sometimes in the craziness of life we can be blind to our blessings and not see them. After a day like today I'll try and keep my eyes open and look for the blessings in each day.

xKx

He has made everything beautiful in its time

 

 "He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:11 

This is the verse that pops into my head when I think about David's and my story.  God took a relationship He started in 2010 which had turned into a huge mess in 2011 because we took our eyes off of Him and made a relationship that should have had God at the center one where that wasn't true and turned it into something beautiful.

I get a bit teary eyed and awestruck when I look back over the past three years and get a glimpse how God changed two peoples hearts. He took two broken people, fixed the brokenness and then restored what we had messed up in round one of use dating. And the best part is that in round 2 I get to marry a man who has God at the center of life, a man who loves Jesus like crazy and will do what God wants, a man who is courageous, brave and willing to stand up for what's right. This man is not only mind blowingly wonderful - but also my best friend!

I remember when we broke up in August 2011. I was so angry and threw my toys out of the cot when God was like, "give me a year". I remember sitting in my room going, "God, I want it back now" but God was like, "keep loving him and give me time" I was like "no", but after I had seen the light and stopped stamping my foot at God I kind of understood that God needed time to fix things, ideas, broken hearts and things from the past. He also needed time, which brings me to the verse at the top.. "in His time, he makes everything beautiful"

God took forever, well a year and half to sort out all the mess and restart an AWESOME relationship between Dave and I. He did it in His own timing and not ours - thank goodness. I think if He did it in my timing it wouldn't be as perfect and wonderful as it is now.

xKx

Random Act of Kindess

I think that random acts of kindness is a great way to restore so faith in humanity. It helps people realize that there are some kind people out there and that not everyone out there is horrible. I also think that as a Christian when you do a random act of kindness you are able to shine your light for Jesus and show a little bit of His love to the world. 

A month or so ago, there was a thing on Facebook called Neknomination where people were getting nominated to do film themselves drinking, posting it on Facebook and then nominating someone else to do the same thing. Someone changed this to a RAKnomation, (Random Act of Kindness), the same principle applied but you had to do an act of kindness. I thought this was AN awesome idea. 

 

Someone I work with, Stef was RAKnominated. Here's the link to what he did.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk9_GxWwojE&app=desktop

 

After watching this, I've been inspired to notice where someone in my direct community may need some help and then stepping out and helping them. To us it may be 10 minutes of out time, but to them it restores faith in humanity, meets a need, brings a smile to their face and reveals Jesus to them.

 

xKx

We peddaled and pedalled and peddalled...

Yesterday Dave, Gazz, Jono, Grant, Matt and I cycled the Cape Argus Cycle race. It's a 109km cycle around practically the WHOLE of Cape Town.  The race was pretty tough, the wind was super strong, I am in intense pain today, but it was an epic experience all round.



Gazz, James, Dave, me, Matt S at the start of the race





Dave and I on the M3 - 89km to go

 

Grant and I just before Simons Town



Dave and I at the end... 109km and 6 hours 9minutes later

 



Dave was SO awesome during the ride. He was cycled with me the whole way, encouraged me, gave me a boost when I needed it and was just all round wonderful. I really don't think that I would have been able to finish the race without him cycling with me or the support we got along the way from friends. Seeing people you know along the route is AWESOME and gives you the boost you need when you feel like you're dying - especially on Suikerbossie where my bestie, Terri pushed me up the hill.

So the question looms ahead - will I do this again. It's strong maybe.. I'm not sure if I want to go through that again, but when the legs are no longer stiff and my bum is less tender I may change my mind.

xKx






Ponderings on divorce

Last night at cell group the topic of divorce came up and we shared our opinions.  When I got home I thought about what opinion and thought I would do some digging around and find our what the bible says about divorce.

We all know the popular verse "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" Mark 10:9. I think that this sets the grounding for what God thinks about divorce. When you get married, I don't think he wants you to get divorced, especially since marriage is a covenant you make with you husband and God on your wedding day. You promise before everyone and God that you'll always do life with your spouse, no matter what. I also believe that you marry the person that God chooses for you... so he does join you together, but that's a WHOLE other blog for another time.

I think that there are only three reasons for divorce.

1. When one of the partners has committed adultery

"And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery" Matthew 19:9 (ESV)

The bible says that if someone cheats, then you can get divorced, BUT God also teaches us to forgive. I think that if your partner cheats on you and shows real remorse, wants forgiveness and really wants to work on your marriage with you then you should give them another chance. Go to counselling, figure out the problems and find solutions, learn to communicate again and put in effort as you try to learn to trust them again. If this does not work and they cheat again I think that it is okay to get a divorce.

2. If your spouse is not Christian and leaves you

"But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace" 1 Corinthians 7:15. 

God says it's okay to let your spouse go if they don't believe in God and are not walking with Him, but it is not okay for you, the believer to suggest getting a divorce.  I think he says this because I believe that we can't change someones mind to stick it out and work on a marriage, only God can do that.  Only God can change the heart and attitude of someone not us, and if your spouse doesn't believe in him or are walking with Him, I'm not sure if they will be open to change. I think in this case, we should let them go, entrust them to Him and let him work and hopefully they'll see the light and start believing in him. 

3. If there is abuse in the relationship

I don't have a biblical grounding for this, but I believe that God is a good God and he won't want us to stay in a marriage where we are getting physically, mentally or emotionally abused.  I believe that you need to get out of that situation as fast as possible - but divorce should be a last resort.  I believe that you still need to work on your marriage, the abusive partner should go for counselling, as well as the person getting abused. I think separation should be the first option while you get help and if this does not work then divorce can be an option.

Reasons when divorce is not an acceptable option

We kind of live in a world where people give up easily and want instant gratification. Just because things are tough and you are not getting a quick fix to your problems does not mean it's time to give up and get a divorce. Neither as silly excuses like "I fell out of love", "They'll be better without me" etc. We don't fall out of love with people - we stop choosing to love people. We wake up everyday and choose to love someone and then we do it.

For me personally, divorce is not an option. I am committed to working on my relationship and soon to be marriage no matter how tough it gets and to always keep the communication lines open with Dave. I won't just give up because it's difficult. I'm willing to try everything possible to fix and work on things when it gets tough. 

xKx