God’s Gift © Avril van der Merwe Eternity rang As God delivered His gift From heaven’s splendor To earth’s clay: Demons trembled Angels sang A mother smiled A baby cried out. Eternity quaked As God delivered His gift From heaven’s mercy To earth’s cross: Angels trembled Demons smiled The Father turned away A mother cried out. Eternity thundered As God delivered His gift From earth’s tomb To heaven’s victory: A mother trembled The Father smiled Angels sang Demons cried out. Eternity resounded As God delivered His gift From earth’s mortality To heaven’s glory: Demons trembled Angels sang T ..read more

A Comforting Love Letter from Daddy God Monica Oliver One of my all-time favorite reminders in the Bible is God’s love letter, found in Psalm 139.  This chapter takes me on a personal journey of the intricate love and tenderness my Abba Father, Daddy God expresses towards me.  Hold on to your seat and enjoy the ride as we travel together. __________________________________ Psalm 139 (Read slowly) 1Lord, you know everything there is to know about me. 2You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. 3-4You are so in ..read more

Mightier Than the Breakers of the Sea Avril van der Merwe Photo Credit: Avril van der Merwe             Don’t you love the ocean with its rhythms and its moods? Its constant yet shifting sounds, from peaceful susurration to thundering roar both soothe and energize; its ceaseless motion, from rippling rollers to unleashed breakers mesmerize. Each wave is somehow distinct from the last. Don’t you love to feel its flying spray against your skin; to walk along its shores as its salt water laps gently at your feet, then surprises with a capricious surge that soaks t ..read more

Shifting Seasons Avril van der Merwe Photo credit: Avril van der Merwe 2021      “Be glad people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains because He is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.” Joel 2:23.      A few years ago, a close missionary friend and I set aside a few days for a personal retreat. One lovely fall day, we set out on a walk to find ourselves a quiet spot each, in which to be still and hear what the Lord had to say to us individually.      I was dra ..read more

Does God need us to be great in order for us to be used by Him? While many people have attempted to do great things for God He often chooses those who are "looked over" by society to do great deeds. The short answer is NO. God doesn't need greatness in order to do great things. He often chooses ordinary people and even people that might appear unqualified to the human eye. But God sees things differently. 1 Samuel 16:7b says "...man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." Good looks inward when our focus is so often on the outward appearance. When Jesus chose the 1 ..read more

Scared or Prepared ..read more

It is Passion Week! A week that most of us commemorate and celebrate what Jesus did for us some 2,000 years ago. 'No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning..." (1 John 3:6). God's grace through Jesus Christ is beyond description. We are grateful for the price He paid for our salvation and our restoration. This past Sunday was Palm Sunday. It is interesting to study the palm tree. There are over 3,000 species of palms and one of the most common observations is that in storms they are the one tree that bends but doesn't break. They are created to undergo stress under us and thrive even in diff ..read more

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23 It is often that we find ourselves doing things that we never thought we would do. I can recount many moments when I found myself in places that I never thought I would be, doing things I never imagined I would ever do. Those moments of ill-mindedness that, but for the grace of God, would have been my peril. It is easy, of course, to allow weak moments to stymie our growth and render us empty. One of the great sources of criticism in our own lives can often be our own thinking and analysis. While we shoul ..read more

"No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62 Several men approached Jesus and said, "I will follow you, but first I must..." The excuses seemed legitimate and the needs they invoked were serious. In each case Jesus called them out because He knew that this was an issue of the heart. These "followers" of Jesus expressed a desire to verbally come alongside Him. In reality, it was a thought or emotion, upon seeing Jesus, because they had no intention of following up on their claims of loyalty. We also often offer up excuses whether we a ..read more

I'm writing here on Christmas Eve. As a family we are making last minute preparations for our Christmas meal and then we're going to the Christmas service. It is a time of traditions...  Singing carols, lighting candles and sharing glad tidings of great joy. 2 years ago, this week I went into the hospital with a very weak heart.  I felt "off" the week prior, but I didn't realize it was that serious. Surgery followed and then I got E. coli infection. As many people know I have now spent over 140 days in the hospital and this week I just had my 54th procedure. Thankfully it's just rou ..read more