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!!