King's Daughters

This week at Girl's Night we had a really good look at our identity, insecurities and fears. We also chatted about how nasty women can be to each other and how this often stems from our identity, insecurities and fears. After a good heart to heart, we agreed to choose to see the best in each other, build each other up and support each other on our journey to finding our true self. THIS IS WHO I AM Intelligent Design  Using an interesting analogy of interior decorating, we considered how our life may not have turned out as we planned based on a small detail that we have allowed to affect us. Discussion questions: What are some minor incidents you’ve allowed to shape your self-image or self worth?  How has the decorating scheme of your life turned out differently than you would like as a result of that?  Read 1 Peter 2:9-10 and record that statements of value declared concerning you. Make a point of really studying and meditating on this Scripture, digging more deeply into the truths

This week at Girl's Night we had a really good look at our identity, insecurities and fears. We also chatted about how nasty women can be to each other and how this often stems from our identity, insecurities and fears. After a good heart to heart, we agreed to choose to see the best in each other, build each other up and support each other on our journey to finding our true self. THIS IS WHO I AM Intelligent Design  Using an interesting analogy of interior decorating, we considered how our life may not have turned out as we planned based on a small detail that we have allowed to affect us. Discussion questions: What are some minor incidents you’ve allowed to shape your self-image or self worth?  How has the decorating scheme of your life turned out differently than you would like as a result of that?  Read 1 Peter 2:9-10 and record that statements of value declared concerning you. Make a point of really studying and meditating on this Scripture, digging more deeply into the truths

This week at Girl's Night we had a really good look at our identity, insecurities and fears. We also chatted about how nasty women can be to each other and how this often stems from our identity, insecurities and fears. After a good heart to heart, we agreed to choose to see the best in each other, build each other up and support each other on our journey to finding our true self. THIS IS WHO I AM Intelligent Design  Using an interesting analogy of interior decorating, we considered how our life may not have turned out as we planned based on a small detail that we have allowed to affect us. Discussion questions: What are some minor incidents you’ve allowed to shape your self-image or self worth?  How has the decorating scheme of your life turned out differently than you would like as a result of that?  Read 1 Peter 2:9-10 and record that statements of value declared concerning you. Make a point of really studying and meditating on this Scripture, digging more deeply

We were sitting in a coffee shop discussing the way forward with our pastor. Eric suggested taking his studies from part time to full time so that it could get done quicker and get back to earning a salary. I agreed to support him and had no problem with him going full time, in fact I preferred it that way. So I said, " Don't worry, I can take care of us financially while he is studying. I am making enough money in my business to support us." Not long after that meeting Eric had a dream. He dreamed that I was flying an aeroplane and the cockpit area started to crack. He knew I was going to crash. After discussing his dream I asked how we could prevent it but neither of us could find the answer. We knew that the aeroplane was my business and that is was going to crash. I was frightened but didn't know what to do. Shortly after the dream my company did start to fall apart. I went from a really good, steady income to almost losing the business. It seemed to hap

Job has come up a lot in conversation lately. This could potentially be a very difficult book of the Bible to understand. Or not. After I asked God to show what the whole point of the book is I discovered some really amazing keys. My revelation is only a part of the whole picture but I would like to share my piece of the puzzle with you.  I would also very much like to hear your thoughts. Please do join in, see this as a discussion, chat to us in the comments box below. Bible scholars can't prove or agree whether or not Job was real person or whether the book is in fact a parable.  I believe that it doesn't matter either way as long as we learn from it and get closer to God through it. We are all at some stage in this story.  Either at the beginning in prosperity, easy and peaceful living with much blessing or in the middle in extreme hardships where it seems that everything is difficult and you are barely holding onto your very life or at the end where you have stood firm

Oh my goodness tonight's discussion was heated! We didn't even get to some of the discussion questions as we were in very serious debate about this subject. It seems that there is a real aversion to the word feminism, submission and other words that are used to describe us as women. At Girl's Night we broke up into three groups and each discussion one of the sections below. By the end of the evening we had no conclusion or consensus about Biblical Femininity  but we all agreed on one thing - that we would go home and diligently seek God for a revelation of Biblical Femininity. Next month when we meet again we will share what we feel God has said to us and then if we all agree we will sign the resolution together. You must be curious now about our discussion so let me get on with sharing an outline with you. THIS IS WHO I AM Pretty in Print? This section took a look at how the pendulum make have swung a little too far over to the other extreme as a result of wo

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are wonderful! We can have access to the most wonderful supernatural abilities such as: w ords of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment , tongues and interpretation of tongues as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12: 8 -10. Today I want to take a look at discernment and in particular how this gift has affected me in the area of depression. It will make sense in the end when it all ties together, so please read to the end. Discernment comes from the Greek word diakrisis meaning judicial estimation or disputation and debate or argument. Judicial estimation is 'expressing careful judgment' or 'making fine distinctions'. So the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to make a careful judgement between spirits. Diakrisis is only used three times in the Bible. " Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. " - Romans 14:1 As mentioned above in the list of the gift

My first idea for the title for this post was, "The western lifestyle is ridiculous!" but I thought that may seem a bit negative! Although that is pretty much what I am writing about today - about how ridiculous our western lifestyle is!  Have you ever considered this? I found myself contemplating that I am struggling to keep up with my housework, that I am struggling to find time to go to gym and that I am struggling to make the money that I need. So after my contemplation I tried to figure out how to afford to get a window cleaner, my car to the car wash and perhaps even someone to help me with my housework as I just don't have the time.  My business takes up all my time and more... if that's even possible. So I need to hire in help! A short while ago I introduced my husband to a great movie that I watched in South Africa when I was a child. The opening scene exposed how ridiculous we are in the Western world and if you continue watching past the end of the

It's two weeks into the new year and I feel a bit overwhelmed by the reality of my life but also hopeful that somehow I can find the balance - in fact I will not stop trying until I get my days looking more like I want them to! In my previous post  I launched the concept of the My Life Pie. I was not quite sure how you would take it. Some loved it and some hated it. However, as the days go by I find myself sharing it with others as a way of explaining my attempt to find some balance this year.   So far I established that I work way too much and do little else during the week. Every Saturday I stay in my pyjamas and do as little as possible to recover from the week, leaving a little energy to get my butt to church on Sundays and do my best at loving my Christian brothers and sisters. Shocking I know!! My Life Pie gave me some sense of order, at least in theory, yet to be realised practically. Cleaning was the very first thing that I noticed was missing when after one

Seligman (1973) referred to depression as the ‘common cold’ of psychiatry because of its frequency of diagnosis. Have you noticed how many people have depression these days? Picking up from the first part of this series, let's take a look at the two keys that I believe will change everything . As I mentioned before, these keys are not only for depression but for life itself. MY FREEDOM TO CHOOSE "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;"  - Deuteronomy 30:19 It is our choice. We can choose life or death and everything in-between. Our free will is powerful and yet do we use it? Do we consciously choose things or do we allow everything under the sun to choose for us? Emotions, people, circumstances and so much more is often what affects people but we have power to choose so much of this. We cannot choose circumstanc

It's no secret, I have tried so many things to beat depression. I have come at it from every angle, been on and off meds, prayed, fasted, experimented with food and exercise and done whatever I have thought to do. The early years of my struggle are recorded in Hope's Journey . There are days when I feel cheated of life itself, like I will never know it feels like to be content or normal! It is frustrating. At times I just hate myself. I hate that I cry for stupid things, shout at the children I love dearly and annoy my wonderful husband with my nonsense. I don't always feel this way or even behave this way but there are times when I do and I beat myself up over it because it's not the person I want to be. Our current Girl's Night series this year is a powerful one and already after the very first session I feel empowered and excited about the possibilities. What struck me most was that I had to choose contentment and not wait for the feelings to come. I know t

Well I can't tell you how happy I was to see our first topic of discussion - A Resolution to be Content.  I long to be content! I have so much energy and passion which is great but it can also mean that I can't sit still for two minutes.  I perceive contentment as being something peaceful and beautiful and I crave it. So when I saw that the first resolution was a resolution to be content I was very pleased. Tonight at Girl's Night we studies the four section of the A Resolution to be Content and it was really powerful.  One things that really struck me was that, and let me emphasise it..... Contentment is not about how we feel but what we have decided to do.  Choose to be content - it is your choice! That is my take away from this evening, but let's get back to the beginning so I can share with you how I got to this conclusion. THIS IS WHO I AM Every Bite Counts This section was about making every moment in our life count. Too often w

You think I am mad but in my desperate attempt to find balance in my life I have create a Life Pie! I have gone chart and spreadsheet mad this year to get more out of life. This my latest one! I figured rather than set goals for the year only I have set goals for each day so that I don't only work but make time for other things. Easier said than done but this is what I am going to try to do each day.... How do you manage to balance your life - what is your biggest time thief and what do you want more time to do?  I would love to hear from you. Love

I don't know about you but sometimes my struggles seem more real than God's goodness. Especially when I wake up in the middle of the night or early morning. My rational mind and my faith seems to stay sleeping while everything else seems to wreak havoc. The fleshly fears can become overwhelming and intensely real. Worry, fear and insecurity are powerful and can mess with your perception of reality. They become real even though the things that you are worried about, fearful or insecure of are not real. I say that because nine times out of ten they are our perception of what could happen is not the reality of what will happen. Then of course there are those times when exactly what we fear does happen! But even then God is bigger. Christians struggle just like any other people but the difference is that we have a safe place to run to that many others don't.  We can run to our God and we do so through prayer and worship. Worship is our safe place in the midst of everything

Can you believe that in a couple of days time it will be December already? How has your year been? Are you excited and ready for 2016. I love this time of year, I love to reflect, to sort and clean my home for Christmas and to have a good break after a hard year's work. As it gets colder it seems to get more magical.  Before the autumn leaves disappeared we had a family photo shoot and we had so much fun! Daniel and Amy love to climb trees so we have several photos of them up in a tree or just hanging around like in the one below. They are such monkeys! Can you see the little bump on Lorah below?  She is PREGNANT so I am going to be a grandma in January! It is so exciting and I can't wait to meet my first granddaughter. Here is an amazing photo of Samuel, Lorah and the bump taken today.  Ooh I am so excited I could pop! 2016 has also given us two litters of kitten from our precious cats, Muffin and Poppy . It could be so easy to reflect on the struggles

Today we are taking a look at a child's perspective of diabetes in an interview with my 9 year old son, Daniel, who has had diabetes for nearly 3 years. When did you first know that something was wrong? It was at my sister Amy's party. I was eating loads of sweets which was making me drink loads of water. I had six full cups of water and was still thirsty so became a bit suspicious at that time. My parents were probably suspicious as well. What happened next? We didn't think much about it but my parents thought it best to go to doctor and see why I was drinking so much water.  So we went to the doctor and they didn't give me a diagnosis or anything but sent me to the hospital.  At the hospital they gave me loads of blood test which were really painful. The used these really mean rectangle finger prickers and they discovered that my blood sugars were very high. They gave me the diagnosis and I found out I had diabetes.   So what happened after you were

Daniel and Amy I have four amazing children, two of whom still live at home and two who have grown up and moved out.  It was nearly three years ago when our eldest, Lorah-Kelly got married to her high school sweetheart, Samuel. It was also around this time that we noticed that something was wrong with our son, Daniel who was 7 years old. He seemed fit and well and nothing seemed out of the ordinary except that he was drinking unusual amounts of water. It got so bad that he had to get up during the night several times to have a drink and of course go to the toilet. So after about a week of this I decided it best to go see a doctor even though it seemed like a silly symptom to go to the doctor for. Everything from the doctors appointment is a bit of a surreal haze and even two years and nine months on, I can remember the shock as if it were yesterday. The doctor did a urine test and afterwards looked gravely concerned and called the hospital.  Daniel was sent over as soon as possi