Happy birthday liebe Mami

This is dedicated to my mom because it is her birthdya on this very day: the 31st of december!! Happy Birthday mom, Herzlichen Glueckwunsch zum Geburtstag!! deine Kerstin

POWERofTHANKFULLNESS

I have been pondering on this one: the power of thankfullness, the power of giving thanks to GOD, to the right source. Recently, I was given a nugget, a wonderful piece of truth and understanding that totally flashed me. I am going through a rather intersting time emotionally and it is so awesome how God , my PAPPA has been holding me and guiding me in this. Being thankful is a big thing and it is often the least I want to be....yes in my heart this is what I want but then my emotions want to take over...EVER BEEN THERE? When I function in my emotions, I am judgemental, I want revenge, I dont understand and I blame, I struggle and I cry ...BUT all this is not new to my Creator!! THANK GOD! He mad me so HE knows. Go with me to the moment where Jesus finally got to the tomb of Lazarus....we know he was late (in our eyes and in Mary and Martha's eyes!!)...he is standing in front of one of his good friend's tomb. He could have pleaeded with his (our) Heavenly Father like this: COuld you please resurrect Lazarus? Bring him back to life, dad! BUT NO- this is not what Jesus did: whe you go back to the account in the gospels, Jesus offers a prayer of Thanksgiving to the Heavenly Father. One nugget I was given is this:

Giving thanks gives life, giving Thanks means Resurrection from the DEAD!!

Then go with me to the account where Jesus feeds the multitudes. What did Jesus pray when he finally got the few loaves of bread and the fish? Did he plead with God: Please make this more than what it is???? NO - FAR FROM THAT- Jesus simply thanked his (our) Heavenly Father for the bread, broke it and that was it. The other nugget I was given is this:

Giving thanks will multiply God's provision and blessing in our lives!!

I am overwhelmed by the beauty and simplicity of such truth! And I am thankful, thankful of what God is doing..thankful of HIS provision and thankful that HE is in control! May you all enter with a sound mind and a purpose-driven heart into the new year of 2009! Kerstin

ONErestoration

I want to call it ONE Restoration for it is this one that turned my life upside down, that turned my life around and that brought me everlasting life. I am talking about that one night in a distant land, in a simple stable where our Lord decided to be born..well our All-knowing and Everlasting Father in Heaven decided to bring his only son to us. So when I think of Jesus in a manger, wrapped in just a little bit of cloth, my heart widens and I am so thankful because that is where THE ONE ACT OF RESTORATION started and took its course. I know that my heart, my life, my soul is that manger and Jesus has found a place in this and is growing in me day by day. This act of restoration finds its climax in Jesus obeying and going to the cross to die. When He was raised from the dead, all who believe in HIM have eternal life. What a definition of RESTORATION, the ULTIMATE RESTORATION, THE ONE RESTORATION. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!

Jesus, thank you that you started your BIG RESTORATION WORK when you were born in a simple manger in a stable. Thank you for taking room in me and for loving me!

playing

Hi dear blog readers, I am playing around with the layout of my blog...if I only knew more in the IT business...I would be able to make it just like I want to..oh well, please bear with me until all is looking how it should again! KSB

Gershwin

Gershwin update!! WOW! A few weeks ago...on a sunday morning, there was a man in front of my door. As I got into the car he came closer and I recognized him- IT WAS GERSHWIN - the ones of you who remember the story of Gershwin and how he popped up at my doorstep to ask me to lead him to Christ. Read the story HERE.WOW. SO here he was:

I am here, Ma'am, I am here to tell you that I found a job at a restaurant and my family and I praise God, Ma'am.

I was totally awestruck. I thanked him for reporting to me and we wished each other God's richest blessings. God is good and HE is at work!!

LINK

Here is the blog of our church here in Tabloe View - check it out!!http://coastlandsbuilding.blogspot.com/

Pictures2

Some more pictures from the sunny time here now. I had a photoshoot with a friend and we had a lot of fun. I will go on posting a few mroe pics and times goes on to bring you some South African life right to your living room

PICTURES

Have fun with a few pictures out of my life right now. It is mid November...hard to believe for me for it is warm and summery here where I am. Blessings your way!

theSHACK

“WHAT the heck is the SHACK?” That was my first question after someone told me about a book with this title. SO what was that book about and why was my friend so fond of that book? I started to love good books 3 years ago in Oregon where my friend Alexis gave me THE ATONEMENT CHILD by Francine Rivers to read. You have to know something about me: After 7!!! Years of studying literature, I was pretty much done with reading. The only reading I would do was skimming through a book but then I would always ask you first: Is there a movie out on that book? Anyways, other than the bible books did not really get me at all. After my read of several Francine Rivers books, I discovered Karen Kingsbury as an equally skilled and blessed author. Now, I am coming to the very thing that made me start to write this note in the first place. THE SHACK. This is a simple title for a book that made my mind blow open with new ideas, with a fragrance of love and joy. While reading, I experienced much laughter, many tears of a touched heart of a little girl and much more. I won’t go into detail for I want YOU to read the book on your own. Check out some information on the website: http://www.theshackbook.com I am trying to recover my mind, my thoughts…it is hard. I just finished the book and my cheeks are still burning from healing tears. If I like one thing about a good book is when it brings me into the throne room, into the room where I meet my Jesus, my Father, my Holy Spirit and where I can HANG with them, where I am changed , healed, and renewed in their presence!! Three in one……seriously, read the book, it will blow your mind! I guess, I will write more on what reading this book has started in me. There are millions of thoughts, squillions (as little Anna would put it in the book: Anna and Mr. God) of emotions and so many joyful tears ……….. How does a good friend of mine say? – Life is a journey, a process – are you ready for the RIDE OF YOUR LIFE?

PottersHANDS

In the Potter’s hands I am glad I know the Potter. I am glad I know my God....but then I wake ap and my longing increases to get to know HIM even more. Then I realize I hardly know HIM. I am in the Potter’s hands. Think with me: as the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, they must have been amazed and in total AWE. Yet, shortly after that, they find themselves grumbling and being impatient for the promise of God had given them was not as close at hand as they tought. They found themselves at Marah, the place with the bitter waters NOT KNOWING that in God’s bigger picture they would reach ELIM, a place with fresh springs of water and Palm trees. They did not see it coming. I I can see this being displayed in my life right now. I try to trust God and believe my Potter for the desire of my heart that seems to grow stronger and stronger. Yet I am faced with my own grumbling, disbelief and my doubts andmy struggles. I hear myself complain to the Potter – listen to THIS: The clay is complaining t o the Potter Himself!!!! I realize that God sees the bigger picture and that He is actually leading me to the bountiful springs of Elim, to provision and at the end to the Promised Land. This is a time of character building o….yet again. I love my Potter, I love Him soooo much and as I come as Kerstin to Him, my wish is to be moldable clay, my wish is to bear good fruit, to be patient and wait for my ELim. I am in the Potter’s hands!!

GERSHWIN

Gershwin This blog post is not about music, not about that music style that Gershwin the composer professed. It is a about a normal man, a man that suffers, a man that is desperate, a man that needs God. I am talking about Gershwin who lives near the area that I find myself these days: a suburb area of Cape Town. He lost his son of little age not long ago. Now he wants to give his son at least a proper place. He needs money for his coffin. He walks the streets to ask people for money. He walks the streets like so many people do. Some among them are not safe people……….but some are. One day, my doorbell rang. I went to see who it was. I kept the door closed for I did not know this man. He said: “Ma’am, I saw your car parked outside here and I thought I could ask you”. Then He went on telling his story. All that time, I am praying for insight, praying for wisdom. “Is this a safe person God or is this trouble?” My guts told me to step out of the door and pray with this man. SO I did. I prayed for open doors for him and for the money that he needed for his child’s coffin to come through. As we both said AMEN, I felt compelled to give 30 Rand towards that coffin. (30 RAND equals about 3 $ and 80 cents). The man started crying and thanked me. I encouraged him some more and he was on his way again. Gershwin was his name and I never forgot that name. In the nights I would pray for him asking God to bless Gershwin, to help Gershwin mourn his child’s early death and to provide for him. Three days later, my doorbell rang again. “Ma’am, do you remember me? I was the one man you prayed for a few days ago?” Surely I did. “It’s you, Gershwin?” I heard Gershwin start to cry. He was so touched that I remembered his name. He said: “This time I come because I need God and I want to be his child, Ma’am, can you please lead me to the LORD? Now?” I stood behind the door, still, praising God and in awe. I opened the door and came outside to lead Gershwin to Jesus. After the prayer, he looked at me with such shining eyes. “Now, I am a proud son of God, Ma’am!!” Hope filled this man’s face and heart and he showed me even the receipt of the funeral home where they had the coffin for his little child. I encouraged Gershwin in his new identity in Jesus now some more and off he went. At the end of the day I stand before my God, still in awe, thankful and praying for Gershwin that God provides for him, that God protects him and that now a new relationship between God and Gershwin can grow! Halleluhja!!! A new son in the kingdom, Lord please let Gershwin grow in you and give him hope for his every day life!

McGyver

McGyver Do you remember the series on TV in the 80is called “McGyver”? He was the one who could fix everything with the coolest tools. He was cool and he always had new ideas. If someone always knows how to fix things in new ways…I say this one can “mcgyver” things pretty well! I say, this one is a true McGyver. Can you follow me? I know a true McGyver. It is a Madame McGyver and I call her that a lot and we both grin. I want to introduce you to Madame McGyver, to my Madame McGyver: Her name is Granny Jenny and I live and stay here with her. She is a true Madame McGyver. She knows how to make a door UNsqueek, she knows how to get a stain of heavy paint out of my pants even after that one had been washed 3 times in the machine! She comes and just “mcgyvers” it!! I really loved watching that series on TV in the 80ies. And I love calling Granny Jenny Madame McGyver. Do you know a true “McGyver” in your life? I mean the ultimate McGyver is Jesus, the one who restores, the one who saves, the one who who knows it all very wel……yeah I guess that is HIM then, hugh? This post is for Granny Jenny and even more this post goes to my one and only real Mr. McGyver, my Savior, the one who saves my day, the one who heals my broken soul and helps me to see the world from different angles!!

niceMEMORY

I am looking at this picture. A few moments ago, while I was going through all my pictures on my computer, I stumbled over this one. It shows a scene from 8 ½ years ago. Back then, I was a freshly converted Christian (3 months old) and this was my first international student conference. That day I met Steven. He is from Africa. I don’t remember from which country. It has been a while . I was a bit late to get to my workshop about parents and family issues. I bumped into him at the stairs. We started chatting and went into a good conversation and some deep talk about family and generations. After two hours, I realized that Steven was my workshop for that day. In the evening, we had a session with everyone in the big hall and I sat with Steven not knowing what would happen. That night was a night with MISSIONS as the big topic. It did not really interest that much. However, I listened to the sermon. At the end the guy who presented that whole evening asked if we knew where God wanted to send us or if we had asked HIM about a special country. Had God put a country on our heart? Why shouldn’t we ask right there and then. I did not see me doing missions or going anywhere as a “missionary” (isn’t that funny? I am laughing here, God DOES have humor!!). “Oh well”, I thought and asked God in a little prayer. OOPS, I did hear something but totally disregarded it. I heard AFRICA. Oh well, I said to myself, that is not coming from God. I was talking to Steven earlier and he is from Africa and Missions and Africa kind of go hand in hand….no, God did not speak to me.” Having decided that, I tried to follow the rest of the evening session. Then I quickly forgot. MISSIONS and MISSIONARIES just did not really get me; get my attention for some reason. After I met the South African Pastor Xavier Adriaanse in July of 2006, I looked at GOD with a fearful heart and let HIM speak into my heart about this matter….finally….like 6 years after that first night sitting next to an African Christian. God said that night: It was me, Kerstin. The voice you heard was from me and I gave you the word: AFRICA. BOOOOM! Oh well, here I am, in one of the most beautiful countries of that same continent!! That moment there was a really great one and I will always remember it. Steven and I in Aschaffenburg, Germany in April 2000.

SchoolTALK

So here we go, after more than a week of sickness and a recent news that I was coming down with my first bronchitis, I started to feel better today. Antibiotics do the rest. I never drank so much in my life. I had a lot of time to think and pray and rest from the last two weeks that seemed like the hardest weeks I've had so far. Spiritual warfare, physical drain and some other stuff made it really really hard. One big lesson that i am learnign these days is not to be in JESUS' way, not to tak on HIS burden and to AGAIN just be myself!!! It seems that this is a lesson I need to learn and relearn again and again. As Psalm 118 verses 6 and 7 day so truthfully: my Lord is for me, so I will not be afraid- What can mere mortals do to me? Yes my Lord is for me and HE also helps me so I can look with TRIUMPH at those who hate me! This morning I was scheduled to speak at a Local Primary School (grades 4 to 7 which means fromt he age of 10 to 13). I was sooo looking forward to it. My topic was; YOU A A PEARL, YOU ARE SPECIAL and YOU HAVE CHOICE. I picked up Jesus' shortest parable in the BIBLE. Let me tell you this, it was fun and I once again experienced that I looove speaking, I looooove looking in a bunch of faces. I looove this. Thank God I was physically fit to go there this morning. I had been in bed for the last 5 days. I still have a bit of a Bronchitis and am mindful of what I do. I love my Jesus, really do!!!

RESTisWARFARE

I am figuring out more and more which is good and part of a growth process, I guess. My newest thoughts involve warfare and rest and how actually REST is a vital part of warfare. I even think it is the most important part in warfare. Warfare is not just standing with my amor on and quoting and believing Bible verses. It is not just binding the forces of hell and releasing the grace and blessings of heaven. It is mouch more. The secret of a good battle strategy is to know when you need to rest and how to do so. I am in the middle of that. I know taht God has gifted me with a tenacity and umph in prayer and warring. Yet I find it so hard to know when to rest and how to. I am in that phase right now. I have to say I am exhausted physically and spiritually. But then that is where I find my Lord, I crawl under HIS wings of refuge ( do you know the song REFUGE?) and comfort and then I sleep and then I memorize scripture and stand on HIS truth and hope! Warefare is not only about Ephesians 6 and God's armor and how to wear this one, but it is also about Psalm 91 and knowing that God commanded HIS angels to prtect me. It is also about Psalm 118:6-7 and knowing that HE is for me and with me and that HE helps me and that I will look in triumph at those who hate me. Warefare is to thank GOD in total peace that HE protects you right now! God bless!

welcome to my blog

hey hey

happy birthday, daddy

It will be my dad's 70th birthday on the 5th of August, celebrate with us and enjow the pics!!!

video about our church

I made this video to let people in our church know what some of us were doing.... we have been having a great time painting and brooming!

TAKEaSeat

Take a seat, enjoy the presence of the FATHER. As I came to our church service last sunday, I had to stop at this site and take a picture. Soon we will be in our new church building and leave htis site behind. God is mocing in our church here. I love this pic!!! Take a seat, start to talk to the FATHER!!! He is waiting for you! Follow me, I just sat down :) The Father's heart is beating for you and me.

JennyJaneGOTsaved

I want to share some wonderful news with you! If you remember I have been living with a grandmother (Granny Jenny) and her grandchild (Jenny Jane – 13 years old) for 4 months now. They graciously took me in. I have been praying for that time now that Jenny Jane may have a personal encounter with Jesus and that she would decide to give her life to Christ. Every Thursday, I am with her and 2 other teen girls for whom I am also praying. They all do not seem to have a relationship with Jesus yet. Last weekend on Saturday, I went into Jenny Jane’s room to talk to her about something. All of a sudden she said that she did not know if she belonged to Jesus. I told her that if she prayed and gave her full heart to Jesus, HE would start living in it and she could be sure. She said: “Will you pray with me tonight then?” I had had talks with her about it already but this time it seemed different. So later in the evening I asked her: “JJ, do you remember what we were talking about earlier?” –She nodded. “Do you want to pray now?”- “Yes, what can I pray for you Aunty Kerstin?” Then I explained to her that this prayer was a prayer she prayed and that it was the most important prayer that we could ever pray. I asked her if she believed in God and in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit, if she believed that Jesus died for all her sins and that HE rose again to give her life in the full …and if she believed and wanted Jesus as her CENTER....all those wonderful things. She exclaimed YES after every question and concluded that the raising from the dead must have been a very freaky site but that she chose to believe it (GRIN) and then she came to me and I led her into the most important and beautiful prayer. It was Saturday the 26th around 11pm. After we had sad AMEN, I hugged her and welcomed her into God’s family by giving her a really beautiful journal. I explained her about journaling and will do so more and more. She was soooo blessed and honored and then I told her that a lot of people had prayed for her! Man, she felt so special and YES, that is the reality: SHE IS SPECIAL – JENNY JANE LEWIS, A CHILD OF GOD, A PRINCESS!!!! Now if you feel led, please join me in prayer for Jenny Jane as it is important for her to udnerstand key things in her new found faith. May God protect her and may HE help her to walk this path!!!

PictureGALLERY

Enjoy the pics......see how it rains here, then how the sun shines here although it is winter and how my hair got morphed into something African in the last few weeks! Chears!

Car

So I prayed and here it is!! the new car! Yes I bought it last week and VOILA!!! I know it is God's car and I will tell you more how I got to be the new owner of it!!

SweetRENEWAL

So here I am, I am moved by God, by HIs love and I know HE renewed me..just this last weekend, I cold feel HIM healing and mending things in my soul,my heart. It is still fresh that is why I am writing this note. I just walked down the street to come to this internet cafe and I felt different. SOmething has changed inside of me. Before I knew Jesus I never knew this feeling, this truth. Man Jesus is good, He grabs my heart again and again and HE whispers words of love in my ears. Really , you might ask...yes really and I am not crazy...well maybe crazy for God . funny. I have been in a relationship with Jesus for over 8 years and it still feels like yesterday that Jesus found me on a little road in Lausanne Switzerland...just like yesterday when I felt that peace for the first time...just like yesterday that I decided in my heart that this is God and that I would never let HIM go. Well, life is not easy with or without God, BUT is is easiER! it is and the love and healing that God has brought to me since then is amazing and HE never stops to love on me. I just finished reading a book by a good author (just like my other favorite author Francine RIvers) Karen Kingsbury. I read the book but allt eh time it brougth me back to God and I often found myself putting the book down and talking to God like I would talk to you, you know? It was in one of those last nights that God gave me a word, a promise , something that gave me hope in some recent frustration I had. Then I went and saw teh second movie of teh NARNIA serious and God swept me away. It is weird to describe but when I went to the theatre, I felt Jesus whispering into my ear ehile I was watching the movie. If you know Jesus and talk to HIM like to your best friend then you may know what I mean.. ANyway..the poin tof all this is that I just wanted to say that you can meet God anywhere, in a book, in a movie theatre and HE is real, HE is alive and I thank my God for loving me for wihtout HIM I would not be here , without HIm I would not feel teh hope and peace and love and without HIM...I guess I would not be alive anymore. Thank you my God, this one is for you!!!

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Trailer

guys, watch it, it can change you, inside out and see for sourselves that ASLAN is real, HIS name is Jesus and HE is roaring to love you

brrrum

Another lesson in driving and I am good to go! HA, now I am praying for a car. I don't know for how much or where to loook but I start praying for it!! GOD IS GOOD

DRIVING

YES!!!YES!!!YES!! I had my second driving lesson by Granny Jenny this morning. I am doing good, except trying to reach for teh seat belt on my left when it is on my right......trying to find the stick with my right hand when I bang agaisnt the door and realize, the stick shift is on the left side! Thank God the clutch and gas and break are still in the same order!!!!!I only drove 30km per hour instead of 50km/h Here are some pics :) OH MY!!!!!

ordinaryDAY

On an ordinary day, I wake up around 8:30 or 9 am. My breakfast is calling me and like every day I am having a bowl of ALL BRAN cereal (with lots of fiber) and a good mug of coffee. At this point, little Bella joins me and starts begging for some “people food”. After my breakfast and some Bella-talk, I sit back and read my Bible…I dive in and see where the Lord takes me, I learn about new things and journal. At about that time I really feel the urge to go outside and walk and go to the beach. That’s what I do. I walk down there and stroll along watching the waves and inhaling a fresh breeze. How about some coffee at my favorites News Café? Every once in a while, I would then go to the internet café to check my mails and actualize my blog (hint hint ) Then it should be around lunch time so I go home. Bella awaits me at the gate and loooves for me to carry her around for a few minutes. Then I prepare a quick lunch snack for me: Avocado spread on good toast and preferably fresh Mango. Yes, I fell in love with a fresh real South African Mango. MMMMHHH. By that time, I am ready to meet people, meet with people from my church and go for a coffee. The evenings are filled with Small group meetings, Teen girls group and Praise and prayer with the whole church. There are special evenings where I get calls from Germany which is a wonderful treat for me. When I go to bed between 10 and 11 pm my head falls on the pillows and I thank God for another day here in Table View, a suburb of Cape Town. I thank God for I know that this is the place HE has put me. I thank Him for I am at peace in my soul. How do your days look like?