Black Tuesday

A quick logo design in opposition to the 'Secrecy Bill' being put forward in parliament today.

Black Tuesday. 

Deep Under

Just one of those posts where an image I found makes for a perfect collaboration with the words and thoughts in my head.

The deeper one floats under water the more majestic the light strands filter through.

God's calling me deeper under. 

Deeper, with the promise of His light more majestic than before. 

Going under. 

Look

Look and see...
His provision and promise is repeatedly shown to us in the simplest of things.
Flowers, grass, birds, the smile of a friend.
In every way He possibly can He's communicating His provision...

If we would just put our faith in his character, not in our worrying.
He is faithful, good and true.

Look and you will see.

Learning from the heart

Whilst visiting my family in Cape Town a month ago, I had the privilege of observing my mom at her occupational therapy practice. She has a genuine love and individual approach to every child. The reception and interaction which she manages to pull out of these kids leaves one smiling. 

One learns a lot when observing PLAY between them. The most valuable lesson was my realisation that we are all 'disabled'. We might not feel it physically, but we all function at a level of disabilty, whether it be emotionally, mentally or spiritually. The fact that we're not aware of it might be our biggest disability. We're all in need of a therapist...God. 

My mom is not intimidated or phased by disability. She's see's each child as God created and full of potential. She believes in them and loves them into doing the best they can. 

They learn from her, she learns from them, and I learnt so much from their interaction. 

Love is the best teacher. 

couches + people + coffee = ideas

friendly invite to a meeting.

At the end of a week...

When I have to find faith and remember the bigger picture, it's in pictures that I write love letter's to the one who gives me hope.

{My conversation with Him this week in a picture sentence}

Background Music

Stumbled upon Lecrae's song with gripping title "Background" and I'm reminded...

A few year's ago when our church's media team went on a camp we saw our role as a team serving in our church as a metaphor of 'background music'. ie. we're here to use our media to truthfully enhance, portray and serve the church in a way that creates a stage for God. That was the vision God gave our media team (Link) 2 years ago...

Listening to this song, reminds me of that vision a new: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHnZRZiCYHE&feature=related

Not only in team, but also in life and creativity.

take my pen.

take my creativity.

take my fears.

take my selfish needs...

take this life and use it as back ground music for Your story.

Nicole

Eternity I long for you...

'time' captured in memories past

'time' captured in a season

'time' waits for no one.

This photo collage captures a reflection of the short time we have on earth.

It's fleeting, but precious.

Rock of Ages

True to the lyrics of the song, these words remain as powerful and relevant to us now as what they were 300 years ago.

Reading or singing a song that has passed through history, countries, wars, celebrations and millions of lives for over 300 years, almost immediately takes me into a new dimension of awe and worship.

The song remains powerful outside of time; this resembles eternity for me. As though it were evidence from heaven.

Read the words, and may the words of 'old' inspire you a'new.

Rock of Ages.

Text: Augustus M. Toplady, 1740-1778

Music: Thomas Hastings, 1784-1872

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy wounded side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress;

Helpless, look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly;

Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,

When my eyes shall close in death,

When I rise to worlds unknown,

And behold Thee on Thy throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee.

Colour-in the Cracks

Was so inspired when I stumbled upon this Parisian street artist's work. Her name isJuliana Santacruz Herrera. She threads rivers of colour into the grey and mundane street pavements of Paris. As well as threading smiles on many passer by's faces I'm sure :)

These made me smile.

Sunset on Papa's 60th

Not having a camera has brought my influx of photo's to a stand still, and allowed me to go back in the archives and begin to actually use and rediscover photo's again...

Here's a memory I'm so grateful I had a camera to capture. Love these three people so deeply and love this specific stoep so much too.

Like the sunset our memories are fleeting, even photographs can't capture the moment - however these photo's take me back to the moment and bring instant gratitude.

10 Day Mission to Mozambique

On the 1^st of April 2011 Every Nation Pretoria, sent two teams out on a 10 day mission. One to Lesotho and another to Mozambique. I had the privilege of being apart of the team that travelled up to Mozambique. We were eleven team members who spent 10 days serving, teaching and building relationships at Maforga Christian Mission station close to Chimoio, in the central part of Mozambique. Maforga is run by several missionaries, who run a boys’ and girls’ orphanage, a discipleship training school, a prayer house and minister among the widows, prisoners and rejected. (For more detailed information on the visit the website of one of the missionary couples Kees and Sarah Tanis: http://www.keesandsarah.com/)

Our main objective was to serve the missionaries and people at Maforga, in whichever manner was necessary. This led to us being invited to teach at the Maforga discipleship training schoolled by Kees Tania, which consists of thirty-five very passionate and committed local Mozambican students. We spent four days teaching them about the heart and purpose of discipleship, establishing them in the five basic foundations of our faith, which they could use to disciple the people they reach out too. We used the ‘discovery bible study’ method, otherwise known as SPECK, to take them through the relevant scriptures. The strength behind SPECK is that you teach disciples to discover the principals directly from the Bible themselves, as well as equip them with a method that can easily be done with others. One of the most rewarding moments of the mission was observing the students, whom we'd been teaching the previous three days, teaching a group of the village leaders the foundations using SPECK. It was a significant moment for our whole team, when we realized the necessity of equipping local leaders with practical tools (SPECK being one example) so that when we leave they can continue to reach out, disciple and build and raise leaders within their own community.

Due to the generosity of several members of our Pretoria congregation we not only taught and built relationships at the Mission Station but could help out and practically see to some of their needs too. This included inserting a bore hole pump at the Rupatana Project, feeding 600 orphans, sponsoring full soccer gear for the boys team, washing the feet and pampering the woman from the Bible School, doing various evening activites and crafts with the girl orphans and handing out 62 packets of multiple seeds to volunteers at a local village. As well as financially contributing to a few of the mission station’s other needs. In a community such as this, the effort of seeing to some of their practical needs is really deeply appreciated. Thank you to those of you who helped with donations and sponsorships, it truly went a long way and was deeply appreciated by those on the receiving end.

As a team we’d also like to thank our spiritual family and partners who prayed for the mission and for the team while we were away. There are so many testimonies of answered prayer that leave us so grateful! The fruit of the prayers were visible in our safe travelling, smooth flow of logistics, well received teaching, special and great team dynamics and favour found in the people we met and friendships we made - all glory to our Father in Heaven who truly see’s to our every need.

The mission over all was a life-changing experience and significant in terms of giving us a broader and more global perspective of how discipleship can be applied within Africa, and more rural contexts. There’s still plenty of work ahead, and defiantly a lot to learn and continually refine, but we were encouraged that there truly is hope for transformation in Africa. God’s call for us is to simply follow Him and fish for men, this Truth crosses all cultural barriers. God showed us clearly that the call to discipleship is urgent and the harvest field is truly ripe.

I challenge you, to join us on our next mission trip, where ever it may be; Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Nelspruit or your block of flats… are you willing to go and when you go will you go giving from the abundance of what God has given you. Not just materially but from the wealth of our discipleship and personal testimonies too. Secondly when you go, be prepared to learn more from the people you will meet, more than you would ever be able to give.

Removed. Replaced with.

Finding God in the giving and the taking...

Stolen. My ipod.
Removed: the relianace I had on song to direct the chords of my thoughts and fill in the thirsty holes of my soul.

Replaced with: deep conversations with God, and conscious searching and writing my own lyrics to the tunes of my vulnerable soul.

Stolen. My Canon camera.
Removed: The ability to capture and look back on moments that were worth capturing.

Replaced with: My use of words to trace the lines of light in moments I don’t want to forget. To reflect in text the image which in my minds eye I see.

Fear faced. Dance audition.
Removed: the fear of not sharing with others my joy in the expression of freedom through dance.

Replaced with: the freedom of dancing unashamedly in front of another the expression of my inner soul.

Purchased. A laptop.
Removed: the excuse of not having the means to write and record thoughts I carry, to make use of the gift of mobile means to do design and writing work.

Replaced with: the opportunity to write and create while sipping a coffee in a cozy coffee shop or on the stoep overlooking the city.

Witnessed. A week living in a rural community.
Removed: the false mindset of ‘needing’ and demanding extravagance when my neighbours and friends have not even a tenth of what I do.

Replaced with: an awareness and fear of my selfish nature, my easy response of forgetting and nullifying what I have seen so as to justify my ‘right’ for unnecessary comfort.

Removed: randomness. Replaced with: God ordained.
He gives and takes away. To know Him as my Provider in lack or in wealth of resource.

Enough. Again.

I found this image of blossoms and added it to the previous blog, to describe visually this journey of love God is taking me on. God keeps adding layers and taking me deeper. Deeper, extending further than I've ever imagined or allowed...

Overcoming the fears and pride and choosing to let Him truly become the 'lover of my soul'. He's not relenting.

Enough.

From a grateful heart....

Sign Language

December 2010, Zanzibar
You know you have a soul friend when you can share your hopes for the new year with one another, without saying a word. Treasure. Yet another creative moment with a soul sister :)