Hi Friends!

I though I would share something that I have been challenged to do. I came across it while reading this blog and clicked on a link that took me here.

It is a scripture memory verse challenge, which involves memorising 2 verses a month. Pretty do-able I think! I love this idea because, I'll admit, I struggle to make time to sit and read my bible. I know God has SO many promises hidden away in there, and I feel like this is a way of motivating myself to find even more of them!

Now the other part of it is that I want to try and create a scripture poster for each memory verse I learn. This has been something that has been on my heart for a while now, but I always get scared when I have to start something where it means I have to put my 'designs' out there...

This is where fear and worry start to get into my brain. I worry that my style is not cool enough, not 'hipster' enough and that people just won't like it! I feel like I know how to design pretty things like wedding invites and cards etc, but there is more that I want to explore. I want to explore other mediums and develop a better understanding and appreciation for typography.

So this marks the beginning of my challenge. I have included the first memory verse 'poster' in this post. I hope that throughout the year my knowledge of scripture grows, as well as my design abilities.

But mainly, I hope that God speaks to you through the verses that I post, and that you might even do the scripture memory challenge yourself! Here is to a year filled with God's promises!

xxx

--> 


I must admit that I was a bit scared. OK, so maybe more than a bit. The thoughts swirling around my head at that stage would probably make you laugh now!

“Is this IT God? Have you had enough of us sinners to end the world now?”
“Is the roof about to cave in? Will the force of the rain shatter the window panes and flood us as we sleep?”(Yep, maybe a bit melodramatic!)

But at the same time, it made me aware of the POWER of our Creator.
Its easy to think of God as loving and caring and all those other good things, but we often forget to FEAR Him and be in AWE of Him.
We forget how mighty and powerful and extreme our God is!
Experiencing the force of the rain, the screeching of the wind, the shock of the lightening and the deep roar of the thunder, reminded me of who made all of that. Crazy!

In the middle of the night I had a “Moment of Sudden Glory.”
I experienced the power and the force of the Almighty God.
And in that moment I felt peace.

After almost a year of being married, a change of jobs, and much learning and growing (spiritually and emotionally) it is time for a new chapter to begin.

Chapter 31 has always been on my heart.

I have yet to discover what God has in store for it, but I am trusting that by being obedient and STARTING (always the hardest part!) He will bless it and mould it and shape it into something that will be used to glorify Him. And because he knows the desires of my heart, something that I will be able to take great pleasure from.

So here is to a new year, new seasons and new chapters!



 Photos from our wedding day taken by my amazingly talented friend, Kim Du Toit.

No, this is not about an engagement ring! But to me, this ring holds a promise just as special.

Emerald green has always been a colour that I loved. My matric dance dress was emerald green, and my eyes are green, so I figured this colour and I work. 
A while back, while at a gifts market with a friend, I happened to come across a stall selling jewellery made with precious stones and gems. I peeked at the rings and saw a very unusual green stone. I enquired and was told that it was a rare, uncut, rough emerald. Very hard to come by. I thanked the stall owner and left to browse the rest of the gifts on offer.

However, this emerald ring was stuck in my thoughts.




Another day, back at the gift market, my friend had wondered off and then came back with an exquisite moonstone ring. She had bought if from the same stall where I saw the emerald ring. I asked her if she had seen the emerald, and she had told me that it was still there! I hurried off to have a look at the ring again (and the check out the price).

Now, to put this story into context, the day before this all happened, I had paid all my monthly expenses and was left with a very sad and measly amount of money to use for the whole rest of the month. And when I say sad and measly, I am definitely not over-exaggerating. It was dire.
And so I had an evening filled with tears and feeling sorry for myself. An evening filled with worrying and faithlessness and selfishness. I lamented about the fact that I work so hard and yet at the end of the month and all the hard work, there is not even enough left to treat myself, or buy just a little something pretty. Thankfully, I am married to a man who has much perspective and faith, and so we spoke it out, and prayed and left it to God.

And our God is faithful. Which is what I learned in a big way over the next few days.

Back at the market, I peered around for the ring and found it. The stall owner, a wonderful lady named Sharon, had recognised me from my prior visit and encouraged me to try the ring on. Not only that, but she took off the price tag and told me to go outside into the natural light to get a real feel for the gem! Seeing this rare, unusual ring on my finger was something quite special, but knowing that I couldn't afford it at the time was a bit of a downer. However, I sucked it up and went back inside to say "thanks, but no thanks."

Now Sharon is not any ordinary shop owner. I told her how beautiful the ring was, but that unfortunately I couldn't afford it at the time, and if it was still there on the last day of the market, maybe I would come back and who knows? Sharon, however, does not believe in "who knows" and "maybe's." She told me that this ring belongs to me, and that she was going to take if off the shelf and keep it for me until the last day of the market. On that day, we would make a plan. Bottom line, she had decided that the ring was not going to anyone else but me.

Some of you might believe this to be a very clever sales pitch, but right at that moment, my God spoke to me and told me that that ring had my name written on  it. I left Sharon, overwhelmed by this promise that God had just whispered to me, and the tears fell. In those next precious moments Jesus once again reaffirmed that He KNOWS the desires of my heart. The desire for beautiful things, things that most people would deem frivoulous and unnecessary, but things that He knows bring me joy. 

He spoke to my heart and told me that that the emerald ring would be a constant reminder of the fact that He loves me THAT much, that He would shower me with beautiful adornments all because I am His child. Nothing I do is deserving of that kind of lavish blessing. The ring was a promise of His faithfulness in every circumstance (good and bad) and a constant reminder of the lesson He had just taught me. The lesson that He will provide for all my needs and desires if I only trust Him.

In that moment I knew, with absolute certainty, that by the end of the market, I would have that ring. In the days that followed, my sister blessed me with some money towards the ring and my wonderful hubby had sold enough leather products to make up the difference.
God made a plan!

On the last day, I went up to Sharon, with an envelope containing the full amount that the ring cost, received my ring and a big hug from the very special stall owner.

I am not sure if she knew how integral she was in God's lesson for me that week, but she played a huge part. A ring might not mean much to you, but a ring with a promise from God is something to be treasured. Now, whenever I feel like I don't have enough or when I begin to worry, I am reminded by my God's personal and visable promise to me. That He loves me, that He knows all the desires of my heart and that He will provide for my every need.

He is faithful.
I hope this little story encourages you and reminds you that our God cares deeply about every single detail in your life.

xxx