How I went from 2009 to 2010

I loved the way my church here in Table View/Cape Town celebrated the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010. We were to come to church at 9pm on New Year’s Eve. Instead of meeting in the sanctuary, we met in our Coffee area. One of the men started a big fire in the back and we all started to nibble at finger food we all had brought. We chatted away and our worship leader entertained us with fun songs on the guitar. Around 10:30pm, we all came out to the fire and worshipped God. After that a time of testimonies followed. We could stand up and thank God for certain things in 2009. After a hard and challenging year, this was about getting into a mood of thankfulness. I was really moved. This is what I shared that night (only about an hour before it was officially 2010). “

I am so thankful for this year. It has been quite a challenging one in a lot of aspects. Yet I have observed a sincere growth in me, a change that I think is a miracle. At the beginning of the year, we challenged to GROW DEEPER WITH JESUS and I am thankful for seeing that in my life. I know God has healed me more. I was able to see my parents for a month, to visit with friends in Germany and the States which actually meant a lot to me. I was able to get my own apartment after such a long time of sharing living space. I am also thankful that Coastlands Community Church has become more of a home for me. 2009 was full of victories. Thank you God for 2009 and may 2010 be even better

” Now 2010 is here and as a church we are challenged by God to KEEP IT SIMPLE this year.

LOng time no see - 2010

Long time no see. I think I upload some pics to share my last few weeks with you. Happy New year!!!! it is finally here: 2010!!!

My adventure on this monday evening!

This was another Monday. I worked at the office and came home to take a nap. After I made myself a little something to eat, I relaxed on the couch. It was warm, so I had the windows wide open. After a little snooze on the coach, I heard my neighbors come, so I opened my door to say HI. As I stepped out, my door banged shut. The wind had created quite a drift. Bang. So now I stood outside (not even shoes on) and my cell phone, my keys and car keys and everything was in my apartment!! Oh man!!!! At this moment, my neighbor from the other side (her name is Beauty) came with her daughter. I realized that my big window was open so maybe if I find a big ladder, I could ask my downstairs neighbors if I can go through to their yard and tackle my flat from the back. Beauty works at a school only 5 minutes from our complex and she knows the genitor. “They have such a big ladder, Kerstin. Let’s go”. So after Beauty’s daughter gave me her shoes, Beauty and I went to the school, got the ladder and came back with it (this was quite a sight). We asked my neighbors that live underneath me and they let us through into their yard. From there, I climbed this ladder. Boy, what an adventure. I got in, got my own shoes and went out to help Beauty carry the ladder back. God shoed His favor in such a great way!! If I had not opened the windows…..if my neighbors underneath me had not been there…..if I had not found a ladder…… I am surrounded by awesome neighbors and engulfed by a great great God!!!

My 2little Princes

I need to tell you about my neighbors. I do have quite a few lining in this complex but I am extremely blessed by the ones living to my left. There are two little boys called Michael and Dexter. They are my little Princes. I love spending time with them outside watching them crawl and recently walk. I call them sweetie crawlies. They love to explore and when they smile….my world is alright, when they cry, my heart cries, too…when I can hold them, I am blessed. Here are some pics of my sweetie crawlies, my little Princes Michael and Dexter!!!!

Adventure in Cape Town

This was my first real trip to downtown Cape Town without a car. Shirley and I went last Saturday. We went on a bus. That alone was already a little adventure for me because I never sue the bus on my own here. Let me tell you that that bus "was flying" over the roads. Pretty "hectic" stuff. However, Shirley and I arrived safely at the Green Market where we spent some time looking around. I did not try to look to interested in the things people were selling. As soon as I did though, I had them ask me: "What do you want to pay for this, Ma'am? Tell me, I make it cheap". I saw tons of stuff. We passed the area with all the take away food nick nacks and I found TUPPERWARE...so cool. There was even a stand with Christmas CDs. After a nice coffee and some Italian pizza,we headed back. Thank you Shirley for a great day out and about!!

Habakkuk and Ibex :)

A few weeks ago I head a "hell" of a week. I think it is safe to say that the week stretched into a month of hard time. Being on this side, I can tell you it is a hard time.Emotionally, I am battling but I know that God wants me to embrace this time. I know that HE is using this so I better start learning I guess. I think of that post and I still feel lile the woman , the statue ont he pic I used. Now a new month has begun...I am shaking my head...feeling a bit like Job....I could ask questions: Why?? - but he also learned in his situation, he said: blessed be the name of the Lord. Boy, I can learn from Job. On sunday, I watched a great show on National Geographic on IBEX. First, when I heard that word Ibex ( Are you ready for some German crazyness?), I thougth: Eyebacks hehehe Anyway, as I watched and listened I thougth of Habakkuk 3 that I had started to read. In verse 18 and 19 it reads int he NIV: yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. As I saw those Ibex hopping from cliff to rock and rock to cliff, I thought back to the "deer", the "surefooted deer" as in New King James Verson of the same verse. Habakkuk must have thought of the IBEX. SO I watched those Ibex, those wild goats in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea. Horns on bucks grow up to 120 cm / 48 inches long, and have 24-36 knobs on the outer curve. Those horns are hollow so when the bucks fight and smach their horns against each other, they won't get hurt. It is amazing. They will have their babies on the top of a mountain front, but then they need to climb down every day for food. Climbing down the wall of death is what fascinated me the most. Seeing those IBEX having such a sure footing really was amzing. Ibex are of the goat family, Capra but have further developed short muscular limbs with rubbery hooves to enable their survival on the rough, rocky mountains and stony screes they defend as their own. The males of this agile species have also developed the longest and most heavily reinforced horns, seen in mature adults, crowning them king of their mountains. I am and stay amazed and as Habakkuk three ends in the NKJV: 19 The LORD God [a] is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. Yes, MY GOD WILL get me over this high hill , HE WILL!!

plain EVIL

I am telling you now why I call this post PLAIN EVIL. Yesterday as part of my job for a saturday clean up, I had to water the plants in our two gardens and remove any type of weed. The watering was great as I also watered myself a bit (laugh). That wasn't bad at all because summer has started here in Cape Town and the sun was out....so a splash of cold water was awesome. As I was watering the plants a "plant" caught my eye. It looked nice, yellow and seemed two embrace the normal plant. As I kneeled down adn looked underneath, I saw a network of roots: this was a major weed. The more I tried to get to the root, the main root of this big weed, I got disgusted: it was huuuuge and it was deep in the ground.As I was digging I found another one of that kind. I thougth:

These ones are plain evil!! They disguise themselves as being nice and beautiful colourful plants but in reality they are evil and not good- in reality they actually take the water, the plants should get."

As I was praying, I could see so easily how that one was an illustration of sins in my life and of lies from the devil. They can sound so real, so right but are meant to do evil. When I don't look at things in my heart, my garden in there will be infested by such plain evil soon because evil grows...... We heard our Pastor preach this morning about Godly desire and good intentions and how good intentions can be just like those weeds.....looking good on the outside but no eternal value.

I desire more of God in me

A "hell" of a week

It is friday evening, I am sitting at a little Cafe in a mall watching all the people go to the movies. They all pass my table where I am sitting trying to find a breather from all that happened this last week: my email account got hijacked, my facebook account as well (not to mention my nearly nonexisting myspace account)!! A few hours ago, I found out why I had other problems as well. Back to the movie crowd now: it is friday night so they all buzz in from all sides. While I am watching this scene unfold I ask myself a funny question:

Why do they all look so put together? / Why do they all walk as if they proudly displayed the latest fashion?/ Why all this effort when they go see a movie IN UTTER DARKNESS???

Have you ever thougth of that? It is nice to sit here and relax,breathing in....slowly...breathing out. I learned a lot this week. Learning , real learning is painful because it always costs us something. However, learning is important and I want o learn. I love the feeling when I realized something and am able to put it into practice now. I am glad I can sit here and observe, breathing in and breathing out. The week started in church with a message that really hits the sweet spot right now: Give thanks and Praise God in ALL circumstances. My soul and heart aches for the peace of God that transcends all understanding, so I start to thank the Lord (Pil 4)

email hijacked- facebook hijacked!

Dear readers, please disregard anything coming from my yahoo email adress and my facebook since Wednesday (yesterday). Both accoutns have been compromised. Thank you bunches!!! Sunshine K

subsequent entry on THE VISITORS

Since last tuesday, Fat Cat and Prrt alias Leo come to me every day. When they see me coming in my car, they run towards me, then they welcome me with a purring meaw and follow me up the stairs. They love my couch and my bed to take their naps and they led me to their owner Wendy, one of the neighbors in my new complex of apartments. I don't believe that things happen 'by accident'!!!! So here are some pics of Fat Cat and Prrt while they are roaming around my apartment, while they rest. They really adopted me!!!!! They even love to chill underneath my car on a nice sunny day :)

A surprise but very welcome visit today

Today as I opened my door after a nice breakfast and good reading and time with God, I saw two cats roaming around in the complex. I like them and always stop to pet them and let them come to me. Now as I was seeing them I make a “cattish” noise and they come. They follow me to my apartment. Surprising to me, they walk inside: “Welcome to my abode..!” Both start sniffing around and I sat down to observe..I love to watch animals. As I am typing this, one of them is still with me (2 ½ hours later), relaxing on my couch. So they sniff around and start purring. I pet them and enjoy their presence thanking God for this surprise and welcome visit. Both find their favorite spot on my couch after checking out my bedroom and the kitchen counter and the sink – grin. I need to go and post some postcards but I don’t want to leave to be honest. It is a nice sunny day, so my door is open and the birds are singing. I am thankful for this moment. I embrace it and I cherish it in my heart.

First tour through my new appartment

Let's walk through my little appartment..... p.s. do you recognize the music?